Daydreaming on Barefoot Island – Maldives
Bite-sized trip
Day 1 – Arrival in paradise
It takes just 1.5 hours to fly from Colombo to Male, the capital of the Maldives. When you arrive, you’ll transfer on to a short domestic flight taking you to the tropical island that you’ll be calling home for the next few days. In a country well-known for its large all inclusive resorts, we’ve managed to find something different for you to enjoy – a charming eco-resort on a peaceful, inhabited island. When you step onto the powder white sands and feel the warm turquoise waters lapping at your feet, you’ll really feel like you’ve found paradise.
Days 2-4 – Local cycling trip and free time
The next day you will wake up to the blissful sounds of the ocean right by your window. Enjoy a yoga session or simply plunge into the crystal waters of the ocean before breakfast. Later today, you will join a small group led by the hotel’s Conservation Team and head on a mini-cycling expedition through the jungle and into a local village. As you pedal, your guide will tell you everything about the tropical vegetation and wildlife common to the island. When you reach the village, dive into the local community life, enjoy traditional snacks and spend some time with the welcoming local people until it’s time to pedal back to your hotel.
There’s nothing planned for the rest of your stay, so feel free to relax and soak up your tropical surroundings. If you fancy doing something a little more active you can snorkel and dive to your heart’s content or join one of the conservation trips offered by your hotel – we particularly like the manta monitoring adventure! If that sounds too much like hard work, simply put your feet up, unwind and reflect on all of the memorable experiences from your Sri Lanka trip. Alcohol is not served in the resort but if you fancy a cocktail there’s a floating boat-bar just off shore. This picture-postcard island is just the place to take it easy and refuel before heading back home.
Day 5 – Departure from the Maldives
Today it’s time to say goodbye to this tropical haven and head back to the airport for your journey home. You can enjoy one last breakfast looking out to sea and take a final dip in the crystal clear water, depending on your international flight time, before you’ll be taken back to Male. Remember to keep some cash back for your departure as an airport tax of $25 is charged per person on departure from Male.
Fancy a longer stay in the Maldives? We totally get it! Just ask your Travel Specialist to add an additional night or two to your travel plan.
Accommodation
For this bite-sized trip we offer the following options
Daydreaming on a coral island: Standard resort
There are so many resorts to choose from in the Maldives, and we’ve handpicked a range of options for this bite-sized trip that stay true to our Rickshaw style – relaxed, welcoming, and characterful. If you’d prefer a little more choice when it comes to restaurants and activities, without blowing the budget, our standard resort option could be for you. These larger islands still have plenty of charm, and they’re all within easy reach of Malé – just a short speedboat ride from the airport, so you can be on the beach in no time. Breakfast is included as standard, but if you’d rather upgrade to half or full board, that’s no problem – just let us know.
Daydreaming on a coral island: In Style resort
If you’re after a little extra comfort during your time in the Maldives, our handpicked In Style resorts are a great match. You’ll stay in spacious, well-designed villas with attentive, personalised service throughout. These resorts sit on quieter atolls, a bit further from Malé, so you may need to hop on a seaplane – but with views like that, the journey’s all part of the adventure.
