How I did a luxury holiday in the Maldives for cheaper than a week at Center Parcs
I WAS lucky enough to travel to the Maldives recently – the stunning islands in the Indian Ocean, where the warm waters are teeming with tropical fish and turtles.
The destination is - simply put - paradise.
But what surprised me most about my exotic getaway wasn't the white sand beaches or the turquoise waters. It was the affordable price tag.
A family holiday in the Maldives, it seems, may even cost you less than an activity-packed getaway at Center Parcs, right here in the UK.
The cost of living crisis and newly-introduced taxes have caused the price of UK holidays to soar in recent years, with staycations setting families back eye-watering sums.
New data from On the Beach showed that 34 per cent of Brits believe a holiday in one of Europe's beach resorts offers better value for money than a UK break.
Depending on which resort you choose, there's endless fun for both kids and adults, as I found during my recent stay at the 4* Sun Siyam Olhuveli, in the South Malé Atoll.
A whole week can be spent snorkelling through colourful reefs, sharpening up your racket skills on the tennis court and speeding across the ocean behind the wheel of a car that drives on water.
After a short stint here, my opinion on the sleepy honeymoon hotspot had changed completely.
There was so much to do that the destination felt somewhat like a Center Parcs, only with much warmer weather AND (here's the key point) it was cheaper – yes, really.
So, can a luxury holiday in the balmy Maldives really match the great British getaway on price?
I've crunched the numbers and the answer is yes.
Center Parcs' Elveden Forest in Suffolk recently opened a number of luxury water lodges, set on its tranquil lake, much like the over-water villas that are synonymous with the Maldives.
And much like the Maldives, Center Parcs is also bursting at the seams with activities. Archery classes? Yep. Watersports activities? Plenty of those. Indoor gaming areas? Teens will love that.
But all of these activities don't come cheap. And, ultimately, that's what sways the price.
11
11
Travellers can bag themselves a seven-night all-inclusive break at Sun Siyam Olhuveli for £1,359pp for a family of four travelling in June 2025, outside of the school holidays, with Travelbag.
This price includes all flights and speedboat transfers to the resort, too, plus a lot of activities and snorkel gear.
It means that kids and parents can wander from their bedroom straight into the ocean or house reef to spot a plethora of fish.
The cost above also includes an excursion, such as a sunset cruise where you'll take in breathtaking views of the Indian Ocean (keep your eyes peeled for dolphins).
What else? On top of the bucket list experiences, dotted around the resort is a giant chess board, tennis and badminton courts and beach volleyball.
Non-motorised water sports like kayaking and paddle boarding, Maldivian themed nights, evening entertainment and weekly prize giveaways are also included in the price above.
So, for a family of four, the total cost racks up to £5,436, which admittedly does sound steep - and you will have to travel during term time to bag this last-minute deal. But what I love about an all-inclusive is that you don't need to spend a penny when you're there.
And with these packages covering nearly every restaurant at the resort as well as certain drinks and cocktails, you're not missing out.
Center Parcs, by comparison, looks a similar price at first glance, during the same time of year.
A quick search showed that to stay in one of the resort's new waterside lodges at Elveden Forest during the same month next year will cost around £5,298 for one week.
This does, however, sleep six guests instead of four - so you'll have room for an extra two kids or you can bring the grandparents along for babysitting duties.
Food and drink is not included, though, and nor are most of the activities. And this is where the costs add up pushing it significantly over my Maldives trip.
One lasagne will set you back a hefty £17 at Center Parc's Whinfell Forest resort, while a prawn spaghetti costs £18.
Multiply that by a family of four and that comes to over £500 for just one meal each across the week.
Extras like archery sessions cost from £21pp for 55 minutes, while paintballing costs £47 and kayaking is £15 for a double kayak for 30 minutes, all at Elveden Forest.
It's easy to see how the prices can soar.
That's not to say that Center Parcs doesn't have its perks. In terms of activities, this adventure holiday company is unbeatable and a small Maldivian island simply can't compete on scale.
The prices can't exactly be compared like for like, either, with costs varying according to the time of year and number of people visiting.
But if you're after something different, where you won't have to panic about spending money when you're there, booking a package further afield could be the way to go.
One thing is for sure. The look of sheer excitement on your child's face when they spot their first turtle is something money can't buy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Sun
10 hours ago
- The Sun
The correct way to apply insect repellent revealed, and if you do it wrong you can expect more bites
WHETHER you're holidaying abroad of enjoying the warm UK weather, chances are mosquitoes are going to be an issue. These pesky insects can cause irritating bites, that may also pose a health risk depending on your location. Make sure you're not making an easy error when applying your insect repellant this summer. And if you're travelling abroad, take extra care as bites can sometimes lead to issues such as malaria, dengue, Zika fever, and yellow fever. Bug repellents need to be applied during the day and also at night, and whether you're indoors and outdoors. You should also pay particular attention to the product's label before purchasing. DEET is chemical ingredient found in most bug sprays and shoppers are advised to check for it when picking up a bottle. "A product with 50% DEET is recommended as a first choice," said official Government advice, last updated in 2023. "If DEET is not tolerated, use of a repellent containing the highest strength formulation available of either icaridin (20%), eucalyptus citriodora oil, hydrated, cyclised or 3-ethlyaminopropionate is recommended." And whichever bug spray you opt for, make sure you're applying it at the correct time alongside your other products. This is particularly relevant when it comes to another summer essential: suncream. The Government stressed the importance of always using bug repellant afterward you apply suncream for the most effective results. Plague of parasites that hitch a ride on flying insects and 'slurp liquid from human skin' sweep holiday hotspot You should also opt for suncreams with an SPF of 30 to 50 as DEET can reduce their potency. Most repellents need to be reapplied frequently, especially in hot weather conditions or after spending time in water. Users are encouraged to read each repellent's packaging for more specific guidance. "50% DEET is safe for those pregnant and breastfeeding and for babies older than two months," the Government's guidance explained. "Get advice before you travel from your doctor or pharmacist if your baby is aged under two months. How to prevent tick bites - and remove the bugs There are a few things you can do to lessen your likelihood of tick bites. Firstly, try and cover as much of your skin as possible while walking outdoors and tuck your trousers into your socks. You should also be using insect repellent containing DEET on your clothes and skin, and wearing light coloured clothing so you can spot a tick easily. Also stick to paths where possible when you're out walking. How can I remove a tick safely? To remove a tick safely: Use fine-tipped tweezers or a tick-removal tool. You can buy these from some pharmacies, vets and pet shops. Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible. Slowly pull upwards, taking care not to squeeze or crush the tick. Dispose of it when you have removed it. Clean the bite with antiseptic or soap and water. The chance of getting ill is low. You do not need to do anything else unless you notice a rash or become unwell. If either of these happen, make sure to see a GP so you can get treatment as soon a possible. "Take insect repellents with you—in case of shortages at your destination." You can also make use of other steps to prevent bites, including wearing long-sleeved clothing and treating nets with insecticide. These are particularly important in situations where you might be sleeping outdoors or in a space without air conditioning. "Check your net for rips and tuck the ends under the mattress," the Government advised. "There may also be a risk of bites from ticks and other insects; the same protective measures will help reduce bites from these too." 2
Telegraph
11 hours ago
- Telegraph
The age of the distinguished, insightful travelogue is over – now it's all idiots abroad
Whether it's Joe Lycett knocking back Swedish firewater made of beaver glands in Channel 4's Travel Man: 48 Hours in...; Gino D'Acampo setting fire to his deodorant spray and skinny dipping ('look: free willy!') his way through Italy in ITV's Gordon, Gino and Fred: Road Trip; or Sue Perkins smirking while snacking on giant croissants and pan-fried crickets in Sue Perkins' Big Adventure: Paris to Istanbul (also Channel 4), you might have been struck by something about recent TV travel documentaries: namely, their lack of the je ne sais quoi that marked the heyday of travel-documentary oeuvre. The Seventies saw Alan Whicker hanging out with the Sultan of Brunei and the super-rich recluses of the South Pacific islands, all sardonic wit and (whatever the climate) his signature tailored suit. The Eighties and Nineties, of course, gave us the affable Michael Palin, bringing to life the architectural wonders of Timbuktu and the Tuareg caravan travellers of the Sahara Desert. In the 2010s we moseyed along the River Nile and the Trans-Siberian Railway from Russia to Mongolia and China with plummy national treasure Dame Joanna Lumley. Not a shot of snake's blood or gratuitous nude between them. Veteran American travel writer Rick Steves, 70, recently weighed in on the debate around the current crop of dumbed-down travel programming, noting that TV travel shows and YouTubers baiting clicks with 'grossout' foreign food and whizzing through world bucket lists are problematic for the destinations that are featured. Such programming, Steves argues, peddles the 'superficial aspects of travel and tourist traps' as it 'exaggerates a destination's potential dangers for comedic effect' ('don't drink the toilet water, guys – phnarr, phnarr!'). Seasoned travel head Noel Josephides, aged 77, chairman of tour operator Sunvil, also laments the loss of the golden days of linear television from the Seventies to Nineties, when travel shows were 'serious and their presenters were respected' by both the public and travel industry. 'I used to watch Michael Palin, Wish You Were Here…? on ITV, and the Holiday programme on BBC religiously, and if a destination was mentioned [Sunvil] could fill a whole season with bookings,' he recalls. These days, he notes, none of these things are true. 'Everything has been dumbed down and it's more about the presenter than the destination,' he complains. Former TV commissioner Gillian Crawley tells me that she believes 'celebs with no insight' should be removed from TV travel scheduling altogether, including actors such as Palin and Lumley and today's C-list crop. 'I used to wonder why I was sending someone from Corrie to Borneo to look at the orangutans because [the actor] was pretending to be an eco-warrior at the time,' she recalls. Instead, Crawley rates presenters with a depth of knowledge and a 'critical eye', such as Sir David Attenborough and Dame Mary Beard. 'Even Michael Portillo is better than some of the current crop,' she says of the politician turned rail presenter, 'as he at least does like trains.' She concludes: 'It doesn't matter whether someone is posh or not posh – they're just slebs with no special insight and they can pay for their own holidays.' However, Kylie Bawden, who has worked as a location arranger on shows including Ainsley's Caribbean Kitchen and Joe Lycett's Travel Man: 48hrs in Washington, DC disagrees with the idea that travel TV has been dumbed down. The more intimate onus of today's travel TV, she says, is as much down to social media and consumer demand as it is an erosion of standards. 'Viewers have access to celebrities via social media that was never possible in the Palin days,' she tells me. 'Today's audiences want something more light-hearted than before, but they also want to feel like there's a real possibility that they could replicate the experiences they are watching on TV. So, less crossing the Sahara desert in a camel caravan and more the best speakeasies in Washington or where to go to experience trad pub music in Ireland.' 'Parasociality', or the trend of viewers and listeners wanting to feel as if they are personal friends of the celebrities they follow, is – it seems – partly to blame. Bawden adds that destinations are often more than happy to roll the red carpet out for Lycett, Perkins et al with a view to the audience booking a holiday inspired by TV. 'Set-jetting [viewers travelling to destinations they have seen on TV] really drives bookings in the 2020s,' Bawden argues. Gavin Bate, director and mountain leader at tour company Adventure Alternative, corroborates this link between TV appearances and booking spikes: 'When the Comic Relief celebrity team climbed Kilimanjaro and the BBC aired the programme on a Sunday night, we got loads of Kilimanjaro bookings the following morning,' he explains. 'And any kind of wildlife programme, especially the Attenborough ones, will result in people booking more wildlife holidays – especially to see endangered species like the clouded leopard in Borneo.' James Willcox, founder of Untamed Borders, takes it a step further, believing that 'we are more likely these days to see bookings driven by the antics of travel YouTubers and Instagrammers than traditional travel documentaries'. One thing's for certain: the era of the patrician broadcaster showing viewers destinations they can never hope to reach has lost favour, and in its place we have the pally 'everyman' and 'everywoman' travelogue, with their smorgasbord of tick-list travel experiences. And yet, there are some antidotes to this phenomenon – in the gritty Channel 4 shows of ex-Army officer Levison Wood, for example, who slogs through inhospitable terrains from Siberia to the elephant migration routes of Burundi, and in Simon Reeve's various odysseys, in which he combines a diffident everyman approach (that appeals to the 2020s viewer) with thoughtful explorations of remote locations and communities. Wood is back with a show later in 2025 and Reeve is currently on BBC 2, exploring 'Arctic tundra, vast forests and stunning fjords in Scandinavia with Simon Reeve. 'I am very relieved Simon Reeves is back on with his Scandinavia series,' vlogger Emma Reed, who is based in Hampshire, tells me. 'Comedians on tour or hapless celeb father/son jaunts are becoming sooo tedious.' I'll raise a shot of snake's blood to that.
Daily Mail
12 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Inside the 'hidden gem' country with an eerie prediction about its future - would YOU travel there?
Dreaming about decamping to a far-flung island where the world's troubles feel a million miles away? Then you could always make for a speck of an island in the Pacific Ocean that manages to exist peacefully without a prison or an army. The downside? It could also be the first country in the world to disappear due to rising sea levels. Located 1,000km north of Fiji in the west-central Pacific Ocean just below the equator, the remote country of Tuvalu isn't the easiest of places to get to - but it does manage to have a society that relies on community values over overbearing official authority. Given it's a remote, hard-to-reach location, the United Nations World Tourism Organization named Tuvalu as the world's least-visited country for 2023 with around just 3,700 tourists landing on its shores per year. In terms of area, the archipelago - which consists of four reef islands and five coral atolls - measures about 10 square miles, making it the fourth smallest country in the world and 0.8 times the size of Manhattan. As for its population, there are around 10,000 inhabitants. Getting there won't be easy - there are no direct international flights to Tuvalu, and there are only three flights a week running from the island chain to and from Fiji. As it requires plenty of time and money to get to Tuvalu, it tends to attract the more adventurous tourist and some have shared their insights of the place on social media. One TikToker who visited the capital of Funafuti last year said of the island: 'It's definitely very peaceful, everything feels like one family - every one knows one another.' last year said of the island: 'It's definitely very peaceful, everything feels like one family - every one knows one another.' On a more sombre note, many of those who've visited highlight Tuvalu's environmental plight - it's predicted that the country could be off the global map in just 50 years due to climate change and rising sea levels. In 2022, Tuvalu's Foreign Minister Simon Kofe gave a speech to the United Nations COP26 climate summit while standing knee-deep in water where there was once land. As the country's highest point is four metres above sea level, any rise in the sea level means parts of some islands will be washed away, while other parts will become uninhabitable. In 2023, Australia offered the residents of the tiny island nation the chance to live, work and study there. In an announcement on the sidelines of the Pacific Islands Forum in the Cooks Islands, PM Anthony Albanese said Australia would strike a treaty with Tuvalu. Under the pact, Australia will also provide assistance to the Pacific Island in cases of natural disasters, pandemics and threats to its national security. However, in October 2024, Tuvalu's latest Prime Minister Feleti Teo released a report that called out Australia, Canada and the UK for disproportionately high emissions from fossil fuel extraction within the Commonwealth of Nations, compared to their share of population. 'Despite rhetoric on climate leadership and Pacific solidarity, Australia's fossil fuel exports are second only to Russia, with... the largest pipeline of coal export projects in the world awaiting approval,' a statement from the report authors, the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, said. The report said that as wealthier nations benefited the most from coal and gas, they could therefore more easily absorb reductions in fossil fuel production. 'It is a death sentence for us if larger nations continue to open new fossil fuel projects,' Tuvalu Home Affairs Minister Maina Vakafua Talia said. 'As a Commonwealth family, we must work together to keep our Paris commitments of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees alive and lead in financing a fair transition for countries like ours. Tuvalu's prime minister said Australia was 'highly morally obliged' to take further action to reduce emissions and phase out fossil fuels.
