Experience the real Maldives (and do that on a budget)

Thoddo island

No matter what, I bet there is not a person in the world who has never dreamed of visiting the Maldives and swim in the pristine waters of their sea among colorful fishes and corals. But for most of us, normal people (with normal salaries), this has stayed a dream for a very long time (with the exclusion of those that decided to invest all their wedding presents in an unforgettable honeymoon), and for others (including me), the idea of spending a lot of money to stay in a private resort has never been completely convincing. 

Maldives

Things have changed recently and, while before those wanting to travel to these amazing islands were forced to choose a resort, now the local government has granted the opportunity to stay at some 'fishermen islands'. This means that you can find bed and breakfasts and guest houses, comfortable accommodations, other than the classic more or less luxurious resort on a private island. Of course, you'll have to forget the bungalows by the water: everything is simpler and there is less sense of isolation and maybe more sharing with other guests. It is a completely different type of holiday to those pictured on the travel agency leaflets, but a truer and more intense travel experience.

Thoddoo island, Maldives

It is important to know that Islam is the state religion of Maldives and the traditional Islamic law of shariah forms the basic law of this republic.

This won't affect your holiday, you can walk around the island without restrictions, but for sunbathing or swimming, tourists have a dedicated beach (Bikini beach), or otherwise they need to bath dressed in respect of the locals and their beliefs. Men cannot walk around bare-chested and women must cover their shoulders and stomach when they are in areas where they can come into contact with the locals. You can stay in costume, of course, on the private beach and during boat trips.
The island inhabitants tend to be very shy and extremely respectful and need to be treated with equal respect (but this, I believe, should be normal behavior when traveling).

Among the various local islands that are now open to tourism, we chose Thoddoo, for the location not too far from Male and the international airport and because we had found a guesthouse with a good value for money. We stayed at Holiday Cottage and had a wonderful experience. It is a very clean and comfortable place a few minutes walk to the Bikini beach among vegetable patches and papaya groves. It is family run and staff is superkind, respectful and attentive.

The whole island is quite small, and you can walk around it in an hour or so. The locals main activity is agriculture and you will find yourself surrounded by a beautiful landscape of organic crops.

In general, fishermen islands offer a much more real experience of this archipelago. They are wild, not tamed by the gardener in a beautiful but cold way, food may not be haute-cuisine but it will surely be more authentic and you may have the chance to taste traditional recipes, and boat trips are more informal.

The real Maldives attraction in my personal view was the amazing sea, the fishes, the corals and the colorful underwater garden; and this is why I was superhappy to visit the place according to my personal budget but also to see what life really is for those leaving in this paradise their whole life.

Thoddoo island, Maldives

Dead coral

Downside of staying on a local island: I only can think about one negative thing that is rubbish. Unfortunately this country has a big problem, and those little islands are left by themselves to take care of rubbish, hence you will find some parts of the island very dirty. It is really sad; this piece of world is a real paradise and it should be treated as it deserves.

Please note: The islands are subject to sea erosion due to their characteristics, and often also change conformation by the tides, winds and currents, thus assuming different aspects in the various seasons. If this may seem fascinating, we must instead consider that the archipelago is one of the countries most at risk of disappearing with the rise of the seas due to global warming.
I think that this is something else we should be aware of when thinking about climate change.