Half-Board or All-Inclusive in the Maldives - Which one to choose?

A few important definitions

Before we get to answering the question "what to choose between half board or all inclusive in the Maldives?" it seems important to start with a few definitions.

Indeed, in the Maldives, the definitions of half board, full board or all inclusive can be different than in other countries.

Half board: you will be entitled for breakfast and dinner. Most of the time, both A La Carte and buffets will be covered in the Half Board. Beverages (alcoholic and non alcoholic) would usually NOT be included.

Full board: even though not many people have interest for full board, it is still worth explaining what this is. It would cover breakfast, lunch and dinner. Non alcoholic beverages are sometimes included, but alcoholic ones are not.

All Inclusive: in the Maldives, most All Inclusive packages would cover breakfast, lunch and dinner and all beverages.

Elevated All Inclusive: this would only be relevent to a few ultra luxury resorts in the Maldives. We are thinking for instance of Kudadoo, our #1 favorite all inclusive resort for honeymoon in the Maldives or Soneva Jani. These ultra luxury properties have pushed the All Inclusive to an other level. Not only the Food & Beverages will be included, but you'll also get to enjoy free and unlimited spa treatments, water activities (jet ski, diving,...) and basically everything that crosses your mind.

So, which one should I choose in the Maldives: half board or all inclusive?

The very short answer: go for Half Board. The long answer? Read below!

In the Maldives, we always recommend our guests to go for Half Board and not All Inclusive. But why?

First, the breakfasts are usually huge and most of the time until 10:30 or 11am. This means you'll finish with a full belly at around 11+am and will very likely not want to jump on a lunch at 1pm. A little snack around 4pm could be required for some people, but most will be able to wait until dinner.

And in the Maldives, you have dinner early. The sun and all activities you'll do during the day will make you tired and you will often sleep early and wake up early. Therefore, it is common to eat at 6:30/7pm in the Maldives.

Second, because unless you are a very heavy drinker, it is very hard to justify the extra price you would pay for the all-inclusive, just to be able to drink as much as you want. Even though we like to have our fair bit of cocktails, we have never been in a situation (even when staying in All Inclusive resorts) where we were like "Well, lucky we are in all inclusive, it would have cost so much if we had to pay for all these drinks". It is much better to choose half board and then pay on consumption.

When does it makes sense to take all inclusive instead of half board?

Even though our recommendation for the Maldives is to go for Half Board instead of All Inclusive, there are still some occasions where you might want to take the more expensive option.

The first one is when it is an elevated all inclusive experience, like at Kudadoo. In that case, go for it! The fact of never having to think of the price list is an amazing feeling and for such an experience, it is totally worth it.

The second one is if you are on your honeymoon. You do not want to ruin this once-in-a-lifetime trip by having to look at prices all the time and block yourself from enjoying unlimited drinks. Choosing all inclusive instead of half board in the Maldives does make sense for honeymooners who want to fully enjoy their trip to paradise.

Conclusion: Half Board will always be our go-to

As you may have understood, most people asking us if they should choose half board or all inclusive in the Maldives will get the same answer from us: go HB!

To conclude this article, we'll answer an very quick one: what about just taking bed & breakfast? Don't do it! Food is super expensive for dinner in the Maldives. The price of half board might seem high at the moment of booking, but you would very swiftly realise, once on the island, that you should have taken half board instead of paying every night for your food consumption.

If you need any assistance in organising your trip to the Maldives, do not hesitate to contact us and we will get you the most competitive rates.

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