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    The white sandy beaches of Maldives

    Hi guys, finally, I’ve taken the time to sit down and actually write-up a post about the Maldives. I have included the best photos in the previous posts, including our video from the trip, which I’ll be linking to underneath this post, or you can simply click the marked area as usual. So many of you have been asking how the prices are, what to do and where to stay when going to Maldives.

    There are plenty of resorts and hotels scattered all over the Maldives, and you can find amazing properties and white sandy beaches starting from only 3000 baht/100 USD. If you are on a low budget, these are more than good enough as the beaches are amazing anyways. You can also opt for something more expensive and more private like the island resorts. It hurts the wallet, and requires some saving up beforehand, but if you plan it in time, you could get a great deal. We stayed at Anantara Maldives with 3 days at Dhigu and 3 days at Veli, which was just a pontoon boat ride away from each other.

    Dhigu is more suited for families, and you can have your very own bungalow on the beach, which is dreamy if you ask me. The bungalows are spacious with your own path, leading you straight to the beach where your very own little seating area is waiting for you under a straw hut. There’s a nice seating area just outside your bungalow too, and a beautiful outside bathroom with a large bathtub in the middle, surrounded with white sand. It’s everything you would imagine a beach paradise to be like. There’s more dining options at Dhigu and the island is much bigger and gives room for activities for the kids too.

    Our little pathway to the beach

    For the lovers or friends who wants a bit more privacy the over water bungalow at Anantara Veli would be the better option. Kids are not allowed on this island during the evening, which feels quite nice if you want to chill by the pool where it’s nice and quiet. The pool bar at Dhigu has a much better view and more space, but it’s also crowded with people

    The overwater bungalow at Anantara Veli

    water maldives

    The Maldives can be quite expensive and it does not really matter if you are staying in a cheap hotel or a private resort. Going on guided tours and snorkeling trips will cost you quite a bit. We went for a 2-hour excursion to look for dolphins, which costed 150 USD pr.person. In this price you get to jump into the water and search for them too. There were also cheaper options where you stay at the boat for around 75 USD pr. Person. If you think about what you get in return, being lost in the Indian sea cruising along the atoll’s of Maldives, WATCHING WILD DOLPHINS, it’s worth it! However, don’t compare it to the prices in Thailand… the difference is enormous.

    You can get a nice Thai massage in these little huts. Even if you’re not going for a massage you should come here to chill. The water looks insane here while the sun shines!

    Alcohol and food is expensive on the islands… we stayed at the Anantara and you can expect the prices to be the same as back home in Europe. I’m Norwegian and I found the prices in Maldives to be much higher than back home when it came to food. But drinks are somewhat the same. A beer is from 10 USD upwards and drinks and wine usually starts at 15 USD. A good trick is to wait for sunset; the pool bars have a great 2 for 1 happy hour deal and there’s tapas deals all day for snacks in Veli. You can also open a bottle of wine at the pool bar all day for only 45 USD! A decent meal ranges between 25-80 USD, where you can expect to pay 45 USD for a good meal to stay full. These are the dinner prices, but if you book a table at the pool par or during lunch times there’s a different menu and you can have simple dishes for as low as 20-25 USD. There are also buffets for 125 USD with a different theme to every day of the week.

    There will be an added 22% in service charge and government taxes on top of anything you do there… SPA’s, massages, food, trips, you name it.

    couple anantara maldives

    Chill in the jacuzzi and watch the sunset after your SPA treatment!

    Another thing I highly recommend if you go to Anantara Dhigu is their massage. It was the most relaxing experience I’ve ever had at a SPA. The massage rooms are located above the water with a window looking down at the sea… and the staff are just perfect there. Actually, the staff are perfect at the whole hotel without even exaggerating Book your appointment so you finish just in time for sunset. There’s a chilling area overlooking the sunset with sun beds and Jacuzzis and saunas for all the SPA’s guest.

    breakfast maldives

    The breakfast buffet is AMAZING at both the resorts and you’re not going to have space for much after. Definitely get a hotel with breakfast package or even half board options!

    Pefect tub in your bathroom/sealed garden at Dhigu.

    Maldives is on my list of top destinations that I have visited. It’s so relaxing, so pristine there’s nothing quite like it. The beaches are white and the water is clearer than anything I have seen. No garbage in the sea, no pollution in the sky. We had to stop several times during our trip to gaze at the beautiful scenery reminding ourselves how crazy it was that we were there. There are so many places I’ve yet to see and new that I would love to go to, but Maldives was so special I would love to go again!

    The sky is so clear you can see stars on the night sky and the sunset is amazing!!! Don’t belive me? Check it out here.

    So to all my fellow travelling souls if you ever have the chance to go to Maldives, take it! You can save up and travel in luxury or you can go the budget route and opt for something cheaper, but whatever you do, GO! We are so lucky to live here in Thailand where a plane ticket costs only around 300 USD / 10000 baht!

    Best time to travel is between December to late April. We went at the beginning of April as it was fully booked for the dates we wanted. So make sure you are early out. We were lucky and only encountered one day of rain.

    More photos here  here and travel video HERE. <3

    Still dreaming about Maldives.

    Our over-water bungalow!

    Here’s some more photo’s I’ve been sharing on my instagram from our recent trip to Maldives. I promise to write more later guys but right now I just can’t find the time. We actually discovered quite a few gems there! Until then; check out our Youtube video from Maldives, and don’t forget to subscribe! 

    Our adventure along the South Male Atoll of Maldives

    Maldives, what can I say? I’m missing it a lot… and even more throwing back to our times by watching this video. Me and Tom just started our joint Youtube channel and our first video is from the adventure we had on Anantara’s islands, Dhigufinolhu and Veligandu. I’m already missing the sunny weather, crystal clear waters and pristine beaches of Maldives.

    Check it out, and don’t forget to subscribe!

    In love with Puri Pai Villa

    <3 this guy!

    One sentence. The food in Pai is sooo good. Let alone at this hotel! We stayed and dined here the whole day! Never left the hotel until check-out!


    Wine pour

    The lounge area is perfect for a bottle of wine!

    THAT view…


    girl standing next to wall at puri pai villa

    We stayed at so many cool places during our trip to Pai in February, but Puri Pai Villa was the one to put a mark on us. The decor, the feeling of modern luxury and all this combined with a panoramic view of the hills of Mae Hong Son.

    Because of the location, you will only be able to catch the sunrise, but it is one of a kind. Make sure you don’t miss it… It gets quite chill in the morning, so you get that nice misty mountain vibe. A part of the charm is hiding under the blanket as you gaze into the endless nature as the magic golden sun start to rise. It’s so relaxing and it doesn’t even feel like you’re in Thailand anymore. Once the sun is up and the noon comes creeping in, it’s totally ok to get into your bikini and summer clothes again. But don’t try to be a hero and go for a mornings swim, it’s WAY TOO COLD.

    Grab a bottle of wine at the pool bar and take a seat at the beautiful large balcony overlooking the stunning horizon of Mae Hong son and just relax to the sound of nature. The food there is AMAZING. You have to try their pastas, all of them were good! Then night comes and you can hang out at the bean bags in the sun deck, there’s even a fire-place, a draft beer place and on Fridays there’s a BBQ!

    Puri Pai Villa, we’ll be back!

    The perfect sunset in Pai

    handsome man at yoma hotel pai

    Who’s this handsome guy…

    pool at yoma hotel pai

    Loved chilling by the pool area, the view is perfect overlooking the hills and rice fields.

    girl in bikini at yoma hotel pai

    Get one of these private villas in the background, you’ll get a clear view of the sunrise in the morning <3

    couple kissing pai yoma hotel

    couple at sunset looking into eachoters eyes yoma hotel pai

    //Bikini-H&M//Swimmers-Thomas Royall//

    couple at sunset at yoma hotel pai

    girl in bikini at yoma hotel pai

    This photo is taken at Pai Island Hotel a 2 minute walk from Yoma Hotel. Seriously, go there to have a cup of single bean coffee. I had a cappuccino and it was the smoothest one ever.


    The first night during our time in Pai we stayed at Yoma Hotel located only 5 minutes away from the city center. The view is stunning and the pool is located in a perfect position to chill and watch the sunrise or just gaze at the beautiful view.  The lighting  is perfect for photos during sundown to catch the flares, amazing! As you can see we totally took advantage of this, oops. I opted for the villa as it had more privacy and a clear view. I also loved the glass balcony doors in the morning. Open the curtains and watch the sunrise over the mist from your bed.  All the rooms have a nice outside area so even if you don’t want to spend the extra, Yoma Hotel is a great choice. It’s also only a 2 minute walk to Pai Island Resort which is picture perfect!

    Tom’s surprise trip to Pai!

    We just came home from four amazing days in Pai. As I mentioned to you guys earlier, Tom turned 32 years on the 9th of February, so I wanted to surprise him and take him somewhere special. Pai is so beautiful, surrounded by stunning waterfalls, hot springs and beautiful green scenery as far as the eye can see. Moreover, there is so many nice places to stay up there.

    I spent hours deciding on hotels and ended up choosing three different ones for our period of stay, and it was the best decision ever. All our rooms and sceneries were perfect, and all of them with a different vibe. I ended up choosing Yoma Hotel for our first night, Puripai Villa for the second and finished up with a private pool villa at The Quarter.

    handsome guy drinking coffee at pai island resort

    Starting the first day of 32 with a single bean coffee at Pai Island Resort. Might be the best coffee ever.

    I’ve been reading a lot of negative stuff about Pai having changed so much during the past decade, and that the tourist visiting the city are mainly hippies or people seeking drugs and parties. I can definitely see where people are coming from, but the only irritating thing I noticed was the amount of Chinese tourists cutting in line and not really understanding English. The town certainly has hipster/hippy vibe, and I can understand that people are reacting to the fact that at least 50% of the food they sell along the walking street and coffee shops are foreign food, but hey at least the people selling it are Thai people.

    Birthday Boy! ❤ Big thanks to Carrot On The Moon for the delicious cake delivery!!

    Wine and pasta at puripai villa pai

    We pretty much chilled at our hotel the whole day during Tom’s birthday. The food at PuriPai villa is SO GOOD!

    In my opinion Pai was pretty quiet and chill, everything closes at 10 pm, except a couple of bars out of walking street, but nothing loud. I think it is all about where you stay, as we had pretty much no noise at all at any of the places we stayed. I could imagine staying at the hostels along and outside walking street could be a bit noisy though. Because you do want to go to bed early so you can catch that beautiful sunrise! I wish I got to see the untouched pai 10 years ago, but I would definitely urge everyone to make a visit and judge for themselves.

    couple happy smiling on balcony in Pai


    Our days in Pai was perfect from sunrise to sunset. I’m so happy that Tom liked his surprises! Though I think we both have to go on a major diet as we pretty much ate all the time. Cake, wine, beers, burgers, pasta, sandwiches, NOODLES, Pai is all about the delicious food! Who am I kidding… Wonderfruit is right around the corner!

    Want to give Tom a little late birthday gift? Subscribe to his youtube channel.