"I went on a budget holiday to the Maldives - spending less than £500"

A traveller has shared how she holidayed in the Maldives on a budget, spending “less than £500” for a six-day trip.

Kara Wilbur, 23, and her friend, Natasha Whitley, 28, flew from London Heathrow to Velana International Airport on April 1. Kara’s Maldives travel tips come just three days after the Telegraph reported that LNER had quoted a pair £738 for a train journey from Newcastle to London.

The Maldives is known for its sandy beaches and turquoise water, with stays at the famous water hut resorts costing up to £1,300 per night. Instead of staying in the resort islands, Kara decided to book two hotels in the local islands - Thususdhoo and Dhiffushi - and was able to get a room overlooking the ocean for £25-a-night.

Kara said she spent around £50 per day on food, activities and travel. She caught a ferry for £1.70, spent £7 on meals out and enjoyed the beaches for free. The most expensive part of the trip was the flights, from London to Male and then Male to Colombo, at £950. She said that a disadvantage of the island is that it doesn't allow drinking and most places are closed by 8:30pm but it means you wake up feeling fresh every day.

Kara said: "Thulusdhoo is really well known for its surfing and we made the most out of the beaches. It is illegal to drink on the islands themselves but legal to drink on the water so we took a boat out to have a drink and watch the sunset. The views were insane and the locals on the islands are lovely."

Breakdown of costs  

Flights - £950

Transport - £32 (four ferries and one speedboat)

Food - £95 (average £7 per meal)

Swimming with sharks - £88  

Deserted island trip - £28 

Floating bar - £12 

Miscellaneous - £28 (ATM fees, souvenirs, airport storage)

Accommodation - £133

Total (without flights) = £416 per person over six days so around £70 per day.

Kara posts travel content to her TikTok page: @okay.kara.travels