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When I boarded a plane heading to the Maldives in Frankfurt, I accidentally, unknowingly posted a famous German influencer named “bibisbeautypalace” on my Instagram profile. She was recognized by our compatriots living in that country for a short video that I made on the plane. It turns out that the social media celebrity, with nearly 8 million followers, didn’t want fans to know about her vacation at all. And on his profile, he did not publish and still does not publish anything about that flight or the Maldives itself.
This German star is not the only “silent” one. Many Lithuanian celebrities also avoid publicly bragging about being on vacation during such a difficult period. Not wanting to provoke waves of jealousy and gossip in people. Well, and those celebrities who spoil their followers with images of beautiful islands receive not only pleasant comments, but also cuddly comments.
And jealousy is really what. While Lithuania and many European countries still have a number of quarantine restrictions, on the other side of the world, in the Maldives, a fun life is reduced, as if the coronavirus does not exist.
In the island state bathed by the Indian Ocean, it would be possible to film a tasty reality show with Lithuanian faces familiar from magazines. Famous businessmen, TV presenters, singers, actors. Celebrities of unsustainable winter frosts and quarantine bans jump on the waves, live in cabanas on the water, enjoy exceptional service, and sit at tables laden with seafood for dinner.
Maldives is made up of 1,196 islands, of which only 203 are inhabited. These are further subdivided into the usual inhabited by native Maldives and the luxury resorts managed by private investors. Many of those who have not been to this island nation imagine that all the Maldives are endless luxury and huts on the water. But this is not true. Here you can choose from a large economy class hotel with modest rooms to paradisiacal cabins.
In an attempt to attract as many tourists as possible, the Maldives is taking advantage of its geographic location and trying to emphasize everywhere that its resort islands are small, have a limited number of guests, and must have a negative COVID-19 test.
Copies of the negative test are required by both airport staff and a virtual questionnaire created by the Maldivian government, which must be completed by each tourist.
To prevent the virus from spreading in luxury resorts, on many private islands, employees measure their guests’ temperatures every morning and log into special registers.
The restrictions known to Europeans on COVID-19 in the Maldives apply only to islands inhabited by locals, and private tourists have complete freedom. No need to wear masks, no distance restrictions and the like. Here you can see the image we saw in Lithuania last summer. The restaurants and bars in the resort hotels are full of people and having fun.
I will not lie in saying that the luxurious and private Maldives are currently going through a period of prosperity. If before the pandemic its filling was 50 to 60 percent, now the number of reserves has increased significantly, reaching 80 or sometimes even 90 percent. This popularity is due to the fact that many other Asian countries are still closed to tourists, and the Maldives has been welcoming guests since the fall.
Initially after opening after a long quarantine in 2020, guests in the private Maldives were drawn in by deep discounts, but then as demand emerged prices started to rise slightly. However, in many places it is still significantly lower than in 2019. Holidays can now save up to 20-30 percent. This is another reason why so many famous Lithuanians decided to go to the Maldives.
A dream night in a cabin on the water in the Maldives currently ranges from 500 to a few thousand euros, and if you wish, you can also find exclusive options for even larger amounts, for example, for 8 or even 10,000 euros. It all depends on the resort chosen and what the guest can find in their hostel. The islands, which are mostly chosen by well-to-do Lithuanians, sell their houses on the water for less than a thousand for two people.
Many wealthy travelers from Lithuania to the Maldives travel with their families, so they often take two cabins for a family farm at a time. Thus doubling your weekly vacation budget to 15-20 thousand euros. I have seen more than one family like this.
Interestingly, the Maldives offers very different options for a similar price, so those who take the time to search and dig deep into the offerings win. In some places you will have to pay extra for each additional thing, in others – the price of accommodation includes full board – 4 or even 5 times a day, alcoholic beverages, spa services and the like.
Even on such luxurious islands, it is popular to offer guests the service of a personal assistant. That is, while people are on vacation in a cabin on the water, they have a helper for all matters at all times. You’ll want to bring desserts, even at night, book a private boat for swimming, call in a violinist who will play while you watch the sunset, etc. The cabins themselves are also very different. Some have private pools, jacuzzis, overwater terraces, and the like. Others don’t have such luxurious amenities.
There are islands where for 50-80 thousand you can vacation completely privately, without outsiders. However, they are generally not chosen by Lithuanians, but by Hollywood stars and all kinds of oligarchs from Russia. Many billionaire-owned superyachts can be seen sailing between the islands, for example one of the world’s most expensive A motor yachts, owned by Russian businessman Andrei Melnichenko, moored on the private island of Waldorf Astoria Ithaafushi this week.
By the way, Russians currently account for the majority of tourists arriving in the Maldives. You won’t avoid them on almost every island. For this reason, many luxury resorts have at least one or more Russian-speaking employees.
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