Maldives or Seychelles: which is better/cooler, more expensive/cheaper?
You are considering 2 Indian Ocean travel destinations:
- Maldives;
- Seychelles.
What to choose? Where to buy tickets? What to show off to friends/acquaintances? We will share with you the experience of one of our employees traveling in both directions. Based on the experience gained, you will be able to evaluate these two tourist destinations for yourself.
Maldives or Seychelles: which is cooler?
It is impossible to answer this question unequivocally. After all, we do not understand by what criterion we compare these destinations in order to draw a conclusion about their coolness relative to each other. We can definitely say that they are both cool, because they are island destinations and imply unreal natural landscapes, cool beaches and the best water of the Indian Ocean.
In my subjective opinion, as a traveler who has been to both places, the Maldives are still cooler. What are their advantages specifically, using the example of the island of Thoddoo, where our hotel is located:
- the sea is of unreal color and purity. Yes, here the water has a greenish tint near the shore and turns into deep blue as it moves away from the ocean;
- snow-white sand on the beaches. Yes, on Beau Vallon Beach in the Seychelles the sand is also light, but not as white as in the Maldives;
- unity with nature. There are not many tourists on the island of Todd (we are not talking about island hotels, where you generally may not even cross paths with other tourists), so your vacation will be as secluded as possible. Seychelles (specifically Victoria Island) are of course typical densely populated hotels, many tourists on the embankments and similar aspects of vacation with a large number of other vacationers in the neighborhood.
This is where the Maldives are definitely inferior to the Seychelles – in the usual entertainment program. In the Seychelles there are night clubs and discos, the sale of alcoholic drinks of any strength is completely legalized and there are plenty of options for making new acquaintances. In the Maldives, this is difficult to do. Alcohol can only be bought on special yachts, there is no nightlife, and there are not many people. Therefore, here you need to draw a conclusion from what you want to get from your vacation.
By the way, in the Maldives you can only have water activities. In the Seychelles you can also try all water activities, as well as:
- fly over the islands in a helicopter;
- take a ferry to the protected areas on the nearby islands;
- conquer the most difficult trails, where the difference in altitude can be up to 500 meters.
Comparison of prices for holidays in Seychelles and Maldives
Spoiler alert: all other things being equal, a holiday in the Maldives will be significantly cheaper.
- The cost of tickets in both directions is approximately the same (we take direct Aeroflot flights and if you get a promotion, then for 100,000 rubles you can buy round-trip tickets for two without any problems).
- The price of a hotel in Seychelles will be more expensive if it is something big. But if you compare guesthouses, the price for 10 days of rest will be about the same – around $1000 for accommodation of 2 people with breakfast.
- And then the interesting part begins. Food in cafes and restaurants in the Maldives is much cheaper. Therefore, you will not be able to deny yourself anything when you choose a hotel with only breakfasts. The situation in the Seychelles is more expensive. Even the most ordinary pizza here will cost about 150 rupees, which is about 800 rubles. In the shops, everything is also somewhat more expensive in the Seychelles. Water activities, including excursions, will also be somewhat more expensive.
As a result, it cannot be said that the Seychelles are several times more expensive than the Maldives, but in general they will require a greater degree of patience from your wallet.