Try these steps when you plan:
- Travel in May to October: Rates fall in the wet season, though rain and wind are more likely.
- Pick a resort near Male: A speedboat transfer costs far less than a seaplane.
- Choose a meal plan: Half-board or full-board can cost less than paying for each meal.
- Book snorkel trips on a local island: Guesthouses run boat trips for a fraction of resort prices.
- Pay in US dollars by card: Choose a card with low conversion fees.
Sneha's island-hop holiday
Sneha, 31, is a salaried interior designer in Ahmedabad. She takes home Rs. 72,000 monthly; her CIBIL score is 756. She planned the trip in the table for her husband and herself. They had about Rs. 82,000 saved towards the Maldives trip cost, so she borrowed Rs. 2,15,000 at an illustrative 14.25% per annum. She tested her equated monthly instalment (EMI) on both an 18-month and a 24-month plan.
EMI = P × R × (1 + R)^N ÷ [(1 + R)^N − 1]. Here P = Rs. 2,15,000, R = 14.25 ÷ 1,200 and N = months.
| Tenure | Monthly EMI (Rs.) | Total interest (Rs.) | EMI as share of salary (%) |
|---|
| 18 months (1.5 years) | 13,337 | 25,065 | 18.5 |
| 24 months (2 years) | 10,348 | 33,356 | 14.4 |
Last updated: 27th October, 2026
Paying over 2 years instead of 1.5 brings the instalment down by Rs. 2,989 , with Rs. 8,291 more interest. Sneha's processing charge would not exceed Rs. 8,880. Sneha chose 24 months, so the EMI on their Maldives trip cost stayed at 14.4% of her salary.
What can delay approval: a CIBIL score below 650 or existing EMIs that take up a large share of your income. Names or addresses that do not match across documents, and more than one loan application in the same month, can also slow it down.
Need help with the Maldives trip cost? With a Bajaj Finance Personal Loan, you can borrow Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 75 lakh, subject to eligibility. Check your loan offer with your phone number and a one-time password (OTP) → apply online → funds may be credited within 24 hours* of approval, subject to verification.
