Cheaper Maldives: Connecting Flights and Guesthouses Cut Costs

Travelers heading to the Maldives can nearly halve their airfare by choosing connecting flights, and save considerably more by staying in guesthouses instead of classic resorts, according to the Russian Association of Tour Operators (ATOR).

Data from tour operator Space Travel shows a direct round-trip flight can cost around 140,000 rubles per person, while routing through Doha or Dubai brings the fare down to roughly 75,000 rubles. For two travelers, that adds up to savings of 130,000 rubles.

ATOR added that visitors can stay not only in expensive hotels but also in small guesthouses on islands where locals live - an option Russian tourists are choosing more often. In winter, tours with guesthouse accommodation for six or seven nights start at 170,000 rubles for two including flights from Moscow, with the average budget trip costing 200,000-230,000 rubles.

Tez Tour and Intourist also advised travelers to pick December before the New Year arrivals or the second half of January, when flights and accommodation may cost less.