Awesome report once again Daniel. As soon as I see DanielW and sfo777 trip reports I get excited, can't wait to read them.

Always a pleasure to read another beautiful trip report ^^^

One question: When you price things in your reports using the "$" symbol, is that referring to USD or NZD? I had always assumed USD but I thought I'd better ask to make sure ;)

Great report, very interesting seeing the local side of things. Something I never got to do when I went to Maldives (being stuck on an island resort).

Many thanks, TOMFORD:). Been a while since I've been up to Burj Khalifa. Maybe I'll have to see if Rianda wants to go up to the 122nd floor to the new restaurant though:)?

Thank you, Madone59, yes a very photogenic part of the world, and such a great place to relax and unwind:).

Ha ha:)! Yes, I wouldn't mind going to a island resort, but with the crazy amount of money it costs , I couldn't help but think it could instead fund another adventure in Africa or something:D.

Many thanks, SanDiego1K:). Yes, it was really great to see how some of the locals live, and away from the very idyllic but very expensive resorts. We managed to do and see quite a bit in our 3 day weekend, and for a very reasonable price too. A 5 star Maldives resort is probably still on my travel 'bucket list' though:).

Thank you, chongl:).

Thank you, injian:).

1. My camera is a Canon 5D3: http://www.dsw-photo.com/Travel/My-Camera . For the underwater shots I just used a Gopro.

2. I read a good travel blog last year that was really helpful for planning a budget trip to the Maldives. Maafushi is one of the bigger local islands so has better transport options, more guesthouses etc. The writer also recommended the guesthouse, Water Breeze, so thats why we picked it too. This is the blog: http://www.neverendingfootsteps.com/...s-on-a-budget/

3. The blog writer above also went to smaller islands, Fulidhoo and Guraidhoo. If we had a longer stay we would have liked to visit/stay there too.

4. The speedboat to Villivaru Island was organised through the Water Breeze. The speedboat from the airport to Maafushi was just booked through iCom tours: [email protected]

This is their daily schedule:
08:00 Maafushi to Male and Airport
09:00 Airport to Male
09:15 Male to Maafushi
12:00 Maafushi to Male and Airport
13:30 Male and Airport to Maafushi
17:00 Maafushi to Male and Airport
18:40 Male to Maafushi
For more info: +9607902069

Many thanks for the kind compliments, PoincianaKings:). I always travel in Y and are perfectly happy in 3-star hotels, so the Maldives was kinda off my travel radar until I discovered how you could do it a bit more cheaply. Definitely one of the few places I would love to head back to now:)!

Thanks, mike&co:). Only ~2 weeks now until my next trip so hopefully another TR later in March.

Thanks, HALA330:). Always in USD. I've lived in the UAE for the last 10 years so haven't used NZD in a while. US$ are also readily accepted in the Maldives, and any bills are often quoted in both USD and local currency, so you can pay with either.

Thank you, hirohito888:). Yes, was great to interact and talk with the locals etc. Staying at an island like Maafushi was a great way too experience living and growing up on an island for your whole life, from the school, prison and even the local cemetery:).

Colorful trip report (as usual) ^ ^ Thank you for sharing.

Beautiful pictures! Brings back memories when we went to Maafushi. Sometimes a couple of minutes of sun, but mostly rain, and a lot of it.

View My Video of the downpour in Maafushi, thought the island was going to wash away !

Happy to see Rianda starring in many of the photos from this TR - looks like you guys had a great time. And as a fellow diver, always fun to see underwater friends.

Great stuff!

Looks like fun :)

if you had a few more days what else would you do ?

or are there other small islands to explore that are good for a day trip ?

and any reason to spend a day or to in Male ?

cheers

Many thanks, BEYFlyer:). For a short weekend getwaway we got to do and experience alot, definitely felt like we were away much longer:).

Thanks, Justin Case:). Looks like you got a decent dose of rain! February is supposed to be the driest month in the Maldives so was surprised how much we rain we got. You normally only see pretty blue, cloudless skies when you see pics of Maldives so wasn't actually expecting rain at all!

Yep, trips are always more fun with your significant other:). My next couple of trips are solo, but we have a trip planned together in May, and hopefully some more diving too:).

Thank you, RandomBaritone, was a great trip:).

There's quite a few things to do in Maafushi. Hire a jetski, go sailing on a catamaran (with guides/sailors), do a day trip to one of the local resorts ($60-180 depending on resort, and generally includes lunch etc.), go on a fishing trip, visit one of the sand bars for a picnic etc.

This travel blog post was also very helpful for planning. She spent 3 weeks on Maafushi and two smaller islands Fulidhoo and Guraidhoo. We would have done something similar if we had a longer time: http://www.neverendingfootsteps.com/...s-on-a-budget/

Male is worth checking, just to have a walk around and experience the vibe of the capital. Not really any specific sights to see, and probably not worth staying the night unless you needed to though (for an early morning flight etc.)

Ha, you made it! Lovely pictures throughout!

same here. i honestly believed that all there was in the Maldives was resorts over waters....that is if FT was the only source of photos.

decent value food for sure. the picnic looked it it could have fed 4-5 people...

Looks like you had a wonderful holiday. Thanks for posting another interesting TR. I always enjoy seeing your reports.

Thanks, wp_kid, Maldives definitely exceeded my expectations and hype:).
Yes, Maldives is primarily known as the place where budgets do not exist:)! It is great that they've started to cater for mere mortals like myself though. A 5 star resort resort would be nice, but I don't think I would appreciate it enough to spend that kind of money.

The picnic tasted great too, fried rice, grilled fish, salad and some tasty papaya and pineapple to finish:).

Thank you, halfcape:). Certainly not as adventurous as the recent West Africa trip, but definitely much more relaxing and stress-free:).

Not for the first time have I been through the photos you've posted at your camera link above.

As a one-time pro myself, all I can say is "Bravo!" And that anyone reading this now who doesn't click through to that page for a fantastic photographic and "wonders-of-traveling-the-world" treat will forever regret the omission.

Always a pleasure following you and your adventures -- and always an inspiration! Thank you!