The Maldives are on everyone’s bucket list for the same reason: luxury villas; warm, clear water just outside the room; reefs and marine life; and a remote setting free of crowds with little need for a car once you arrive.
But the majority of us have yet to experience this dreamy vacay for the same reason: the price. A typical trip to the Maldives can cost several thousand dollars when you consider flights and hotels—and that’s before meals and activities.
I have yet to make the trip myself, but in the hopes of replicating the experience, I did some digging to find a few alternate locations where the setting is just as picturesque, yet costs a fraction of the price.
Each one has gorgeously clear swimmable water, easy access to snorkeling or marine life, low-density development, and a walkable or boat-based setup. They won’t replicate the Maldives exactly, but they come surprisingly close—and for a much smaller budget.
If an overwater villa is the one part of the experience you don’t want to give up, you can still find overwater bungalow hotels outside the Maldives, including in Mexico, though they tend to cost more than the destinations below.
In this article
Caye Caulker, Belize
Caye Caulker is a small Caribbean island in Belize, and I mean small. It runs only 5 miles long and less than a mile wide.
From Philip S. W. Goldson International Airport, you can transfer to the Belize City water-taxi terminal for the approximately 1-hour ride to the island. Once you arrive, there are sandy streets and no cars. Most people walk, bike, or use golf carts, which helps give the island its laid-back, easygoing feel.
One of the biggest draws is the Belize Barrier Reef, which stretches for 185 miles along the country’s Caribbean coast and sits about 1.2 to 1.5 nautical miles offshore from Caye Caulker.
You don’t have to stay far from the water, either. Iguana Reef Inn lines the waterfront, while Sea Dreams Hotel is next to the Split, a popular swimming area where you can snorkel from shore. To reach the reef itself, take a boat. Joining a shared guided trip is also a cost-effective alternative to booking a private charter.
KAYAK currently puts the average Maldives resort at about $848 a night. Based on rates available at the time of publication, Sea Dreams can run at roughly 20 to 40 percent of that figure before adding a shared snorkeling trip.
Little Corn Island, Nicaragua
Little Corn Island is a tiny Caribbean island east of Nicaragua, about 2 miles long, and home to one small village.
The fastest way to get there is to fly from Managua to Big Corn Island, then take an open panga boat about 8 miles across to Little Corn. The crossing takes around 30 minutes, and once you arrive, it’s completely car-free, with dirt paths connecting the village, beaches, and places to stay.
The reef comes surprisingly close to shore in some areas. Little Corn Beach and Bungalow, one of several accommodations on the island, has beachfront bungalows that sit directly on white coral sand rather than over the water. The property is on the east coast, where the reef comes within about 150 to 200 yards of the beach; elsewhere along the east and north coasts, it can come within 50 yards. You can swim out without needing to book a snorkeling excursion and may spot reef fish, eagle rays, starfish, and seahorses.
For a price comparison, Little Corn Beach and Bungalow currently lists rates from $149 to $305 a night, depending on the room type and season. Even its $305 holiday season rate is well below the $848 Maldives benchmark. Little Corn Beach and Bungalow closes seasonally, and there are no ATMs once you arrive.
Perhentian Besar, Malaysia
Perhentian Besar is one of Malaysia’s Perhentian Islands, which are a small cluster of isles located off of the country’s northeast coast.
It’s also one of the best values on this list if you book a package. At The Barat Perhentian, a relaxed, three-star beachfront resort on the island’s quieter southwest coast, two travelers can spend two nights with lodging, meals, gear, and snorkeling included for about one-sixth of a comparable Maldives stay. The resort has accommodations ranging from simple rooms to seafront chalets with direct beach access.
Or, you might choose from any one of the other lodgings on Perhentian Besar—there are dozens— including several beachfront resorts that are spread across beaches and coves rather than clustered around one main resort area.
Since roads don’t connect these areas, travelers must walk between nearby parts of the island and use water taxis for longer trips along the coast. Boats also take visitors out to snorkeling sites, including Turtle Point and Shark Point, where you may see blacktip reef sharks, fusiliers, rabbitfish, and Christmas tree worms.
The catch is the limited season: most resorts close during the monsoon months, and boat service can be limited, so booking ahead is necessary.
Isla Carenero, Panama
Isla Carenero is part of Panama’s Bocas del Toro archipelago, a group of nine main islands, 52 cays, and thousands of smaller islets dotting the Caribbean Sea. The scenery is distinctly Caribbean with white-sand beaches, dense tropical greenery, clear turquoise water, and coral reefs.
You can get there in about five minutes by water taxi from Bocas Town on nearby Isla Colón, the main island and hub of the archipelago. Once on Isla Carenero, there are no streets or cars. Instead, a trail runs from one end of the island to the other, so walking is the main way to move around.
If you stay at Bocas Beachfront Lodge, the sandy shore is right outside with calm waters protected by the reef, and you can snorkel directly from shore. Bocas Town is still close by when you want more choices for dinner or nightlife, though getting there does mean another water-taxi ride.
Rates at the lodge can come in at around 40 percent of comparable Maldives beach-villa pricing for major savings in a similarly idyllic setting.
Gili Air, Indonesia
Gili Air is one of three Gili Islands off the northwest coast of Lombok, Indonesia, an island known for its beaches and Mount Rinjani, the country’s second-highest volcano.
Gili Air’s coral reefs are protected as part of the Gili Matra marine conservation area, and East Beach is one of the best places to experience them. Here, white coral sand meets clear, warm water, and the reef begins about 30 meters from shore, with colorful fish and turtles swimming among the coral.
Sunrise Resort is a beachfront resort along this stretch, putting the water and snorkeling just steps from the property.
Motorized vehicles are banned, so walking, biking, and cidomo—small horse-drawn carts—are the main ways to navigate between beaches, restaurants, and hotels. Gili Air also has more places to eat and stay than Little Corn Island or Carenero, which gives you more choice but makes it feel a little less secluded.
On the dates checked, Sunrise came in at around a third of the Maldives price, depending on the room type.
The Shortcut
Want reef access without a boat? Little Corn, Gili Air, and Caye Caulker's Split all let you snorkel straight off the beach.
The Belize Barrier Reef is the exception: it's a boat ride out, so join a shared trip instead of a private charter and pay a fraction of the cost.
Perhentian Besar is the best value if you book a package, but most resorts close for monsoon season. Lock in dates early.
These islands are car-free or close to it, which is half the appeal. Just note Little Corn has no ATMs, so bring cash.
Every option here lands somewhere between one-sixth and half of the roughly $848-a-night Maldives rate.
