We are trying to find out which is better: Seychelles or Maldives, Dominican Republic or Bali. We get acquainted with local prices, weather, beaches, sea and cuisine.
Exotic lands have attracted tourists from time immemorial. Everything is unusual here: climate, flora and fauna, traditions and culture. Heated debates on the topic of where it is better to rest periodically arise among travelers, but as a result, everyone remains unconvinced. Let's try to identify the strengths and weaknesses of popular resorts.
Did you knowthat sometimes a ticket is cheaper than a flight and can be purchased instead of a ticket for a regular flight? At the same time, the price of the tour includes flight, accommodation, transfer, insurance and meals of your choice. Last Minute Tours you can search for the best prices on the Travelata and Level.Travel services - they compare the offers of 120 tour operators and therefore are able to find the best option. You can buy a ticket online, which is very convenient.
Maldives
Lost in the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean, coral atolls are world famous. The resort islands look like a dream come true: clean, deserted beaches, white sand, clear water and modest bungalow houses. All year round air temperature + 30 ° С, water + 28 ° С. The rainy season lasts from May to October, and the best time to relax is from November to April.
Relaxation is calm and contemplative, all entertainment is associated with the sea and water. Today the most inexpensive tours to the Maldives with accommodation in a three-star hotel can be purchased from 85 thousand rubles for two. A round-trip ticket departing from Moscow will cost from 23 thousand rubles.
Pros
Calm and secluded atmosphere... Holidays in the Maldives are organized in such a way that tourists meet each other only during meals or joint events. The rest of the time, a complete illusion of privacy is created.
Clean beaches, clear sea and rich underwater world... According to tourists, the Maldives has the best diving in the world - the visibility of the water reaches 40 meters. Every day, vacationers enjoy the powdery beaches and crystal waters, strolling along the coast along the palm trees.
Minuses
Lack of cultural and sightseeing recreation and entertainment. An untrained tourist, spoiled by Turkish animation, hardly accepts the fact that in the Maldives you will have to do without mass entertainers, and only water entertainment and nature observation will fill your leisure time. Apart from a trip to Male and other atolls, there are no excursions here.
Mediocre cuisine. Paying several hundred dollars a day for a vacation, a vacationer has the right to count on a gastronomic parade, but cooking is clearly not a strong point of the resort.
Prices are too high. To say that it is expensive in the Maldives is to say nothing. The resorts have insane prices for water, food, alcohol and services. An individual transfer (boat for two in both directions) costs about $ 500, dinner on the beach with lobster and candles - $ 200-300. Alcohol is a particularly sore point for a domestic tourist: you can't bring it with you - it's forbidden, and in a hotel it is very expensive.
How to have a cheap vacation in the Maldives? We give advice on how to enjoy a fairy tale on a budget. You can also find out how much a vacation in the Maldives costs in various options (economy, classic, luxury).
Seychelles
The coral-granite Seychelles is located in the subequatorial belt. There is no extreme heat here, the average air temperature is + 30 ° С. From December to April, the rainy season, the best time to relax is April-June and September-November. At this time, the ocean is calm and warm, sometimes there are intermittent rains. Leisure of the traveler - trips to the islands, diving, fishing and water-beach activities, nightlife only on the island of Mahe. According to tourists, Creole cuisine is delicious and varied: rice, seafood, fruits and hamburgers, there are no problems with alcohol. Now the cheapest ticket to the Seychelles with accommodation in a two-star hotel costs from 123 thousand. Prices for air tickets from Moscow start from 30 thousand rubles. Exotic terrestrial flora and fauna. Rare plants and unique animal species live in the Seychelles. The most important thing to see is the giant turtles and the fruit of the Coco-de-mer palm with a very original shape. Excellent beaches and well-developed infrastructure. Good conditions for diving and eco-tourism. The beaches in the Seychelles are sandy, with white, in some places pink sand, clear water and dense tropical greenery. You can get around with a rented car, public transport, or use a bicycle. Most of the roads run along the coast. High prices for tours and flight distance. Pricing policy is aimed at attracting wealthy citizens, a difficult flight and expensive food play an important role. The cost of a tour to the Seychelles is even higher than to the Maldives, by an average of 20%. The Dominican Republic is located on the island of Haiti and other islands between the two American continents, washed by the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. The average air temperature is + 30 ° С, there is no lower than + 25 ° С. You should refrain from traveling from May to July (rainy season) and from August to November (hurricanes are possible). The rains are usually short-lived, quickly giving way to heat. The cheapest tours to the Dominican Republic with accommodation in a three-star hotel are today from 73 thousand Prices for tickets departing from Moscow start from 38 thousand rubles. Nice beaches and affordable accommodation prices. The landscapes of the Dominican Republic resemble the Maldives - the same white sand, palm trees and turquoise water, only crowded. The beaches are cleaned in the morning. If we compare the pricing policy, then for the same amount in the Dominican Republic you can get a decent hotel with pink flamingos in a pond, and in the Maldives - a very modest house. Find out more about beach holidays in the Dominican Republic >> Developed infrastructure, lots of entertainment and excursions. Hotels in the Dominican Republic offer a rich program. There is no time to get bored here: every now and then there are incendiary parties, bars and restaurants are open until late. Surfing, rafting, canoeing, paragliding are very popular. The excursions are not very interesting, but they are not cheap - from 70 to 100 dollars. Excursions in the Dominican Republic >> Expensive food and mediocre cuisine. Geographical proximity to the United States has left its mark on culinary traditions, and the range of food is reminiscent of American eateries: french fries, chicken, hamburgers, pizza and other useless high-calorie dishes. Seafood can be found in the restaurant and for a lot of money. But coffee in the Dominican Republic is very tasty - thick and aromatic. Unsafe for tourists. The law and order in the country is not very good, therefore tourists are not recommended to leave the hotel territory, so as not to become an accidental victim of the local criminals. Bali is a real paradise for surfers and lovers of cultural and sightseeing rest. Tourists here will find abundant tropical greenery, rice terraces, Hindu and Buddhist temples, mountain lakes and waterfalls. The rainy season lasts almost all winter from December to March, with May and summer months being considered the best time to relax. Today the most inexpensive tours in Bali with accommodation in a three-star hotel can be purchased from 100 thousand. A round-trip ticket with a departure from Moscow will cost from 28 thousand rubles. The distinctive culture of the Balinese. Balinese traditions are an integral part of indigenous life and the local rituals and ceremonies are very interesting. Even a modest Balinese dwelling looks like a work of art, and in Ubud you can buy products made of stone, wood and precious metals, made by hardworking local craftsmen. Unique natural and architectural attractions. According to tourists, to see the beauty of the island, you need to travel around it and its immediate surroundings: Uluwatu temple with thieving monkeys, Komodo island with giant monitor lizards, bright rice terraces, waterfalls, volcanoes and much more. Imperfect beaches and strong waves. Compared to the above competitors, the beaches of Bali are significantly inferior to them. The main problem is rocky bottom, waves, debris and algae. There are very few good "bathing" beaches; some of the beaches are suitable exclusively for surfing - these are Uluwatu and Canggu. Mediocre cuisine. The food here is modest and not very tasty; rice with chicken is the main Balinese dish. Meat and fish in stores are expensive and not always of good quality, but vegetables, fruits and dairy products are always in abundance. There is nothing to do on the island without a scooter. There is nowhere to walk: there are no sidewalks, there is little public transport, and sitting still is not about Bali. Therefore, one cannot do without rent, since gasoline is very cheap (50 cents per liter), and the rental price is low - from $ 6 a day. The Maldives is shown to hopeless romantics and simply tired of everyday work. Lying on the sand, listening to the whisper of the ocean, snorkelling and watching the fish - is this not happiness? Seychelles is recommended to everyone who loves mountains, sea and exotic nature. And if the Maldives is the perfect place for couples, then the Seychelles is suitable for an active pastime. The party-loving youth should definitely visit the Dominican Republic - rum rivers and hot dances await them. A beach holiday can be perfectly combined with educational excursions. In Bali, people who are active, creative or seeking inner harmony will feel good. The furnishings of the island provide food for the mind and inspire new achievements. Just to lie on the sand, you should not go here, for this there are places closer and simpler. It is not difficult to choose where is better: in the Maldives or the Seychelles, in the Dominican Republic or in Bali. Listening to yourself, your desires and dreams, you will definitely make the right decision.Pros
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Dominican Republic
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Bali
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Conclusion: to whom and where is it better to rest?
