Andaman vs Maldives: costs, travel and honeymoon fit

Andaman vs Maldives: what does each cost?

Four-night sample budgets for two adults, checked October 2026

Expense	Andaman	Maldives local island	Maldives resort
Return flights	₹32,000	₹50,000	₹60,000
Accommodation	₹20,000	₹36,000	₹90,000
Island transfers	₹8,000	₹12,000	₹35,000
Food	₹6,000	₹16,000	₹28,000
Activities and local travel	₹4,000	₹20,000	₹25,000
Taxes and entry allowances	₹500	₹7,200	₹13,000
Subtotal	₹70,500	₹1,41,200	₹2,51,000
10% buffer	₹7,050	₹14,120	₹25,100
Total for two	₹77,550	₹1,55,320	₹2,76,100
Per person	₹38,775	₹77,660	₹1,38,050

These are comparable planning budgets for the same two adults and four nights. The Maldives room and transfer ranges change sharply by island, while Andaman costs depend on flight city and ferry class. A water villa can take the Maldives total well above this resort example.

Which destination is easier to reach?

Port Blair, officially Sri Vijaya Puram, has non-stop flights from cities including Chennai and Kolkata, with schedules from other metros changing by season. Chennai–Port Blair takes about 2h 10m. After arrival, Havelock or Swaraj Dweep requires a ferry, usually around 1h 30m–2h by private catamaran.

Male has non-stop links from several Indian cities. Typical airborne times are around 1h 45m from Kochi, 2h 30m from Bengaluru, 3h from Mumbai and over 4h from Delhi. Hyderabad itineraries often require a connection, so compare the complete journey rather than another city's non-stop duration.

The Maldives flight only reaches the international airport area. Your final island may require a speedboat, domestic flight or seaplane. Resort transfers can cost ₹20,000–60,000 for two, while nearby local-island speedboats are often far lower.

What documents do Indian travellers need?

Andaman is part of India, so Indian citizens do not need a passport or visa. Carry an accepted photo ID for the airline, ferry and hotel. Restricted or tribal reserve areas have separate access rules, and travellers should use only authorised routes.

Maldives Immigration issues a tourist visa on arrival when travellers meet the official conditions. These include a passport with at least one month's machine-readable validity, a confirmed return journey, a prepaid booking at a registered property and sufficient funds or approved sponsorship.

Every arriving traveller must submit the free IMUGA Traveller Declaration within 96h before the arrival flight time. Outbound travellers no longer need that declaration. Use the official portal; third-party sites may charge unnecessary fees.

How do taxes change the Maldives price?

Maldives tourism-sector GST is 17% from 1 July 2025. Green tax is US$12 per tourist for each chargeable 24h block at resorts, tourist hotels and most tourist establishments. A qualifying guesthouse with 50 or fewer registered rooms on an inhabited island charges US$6.

For two adults over four chargeable days, green tax is US$96 at the US$12 rate, about ₹8,525 at the exchange rate used here. At the US$6 rate, it is US$48, about ₹4,262. Ask whether the displayed room rate includes TGST, green tax and service charge before comparing properties.

Andaman hotel and ferry prices can also have taxes or fees, but there is no equivalent international green tax. Current private Port Blair–Havelock ferries broadly cost ₹1,100–3,400 one way per adult; premium classes cost more.

Which has better sightseeing?

Andaman suits couples who want more than a resort stay. A practical route can combine Port Blair's Cellular Jail, a ferry to Havelock, beaches and a snorkelling or diving day. The trade-off is more packing, ferry timing and road transfers.

Maldives suits couples who want to spend most of the trip around one island. Resort meal plans, house reef access and activities vary, so compare inclusions carefully. A local island lowers accommodation costs but follows local customs and may require designated bikini beaches.

Neither destination guarantees calm seas or every water activity. Boats and excursions can be altered because of weather. Keep the first and last island transfer conservative around international flights.

Which months work well?

Andaman is commonly chosen from October to May, with December to March popular for drier conditions. The south-west monsoon affects sea travel and outdoor plans in the middle of the year. Ferry operations continue subject to conditions, but schedules can change.

Maldives generally has its drier north-east monsoon from roughly November to April, when resort prices can be higher. May to October is wetter and can offer lower room prices, but rainfall and sea conditions are less predictable. No month guarantees rain-free days.

Which is better for a first honeymoon?

Choose Andaman when you want a domestic trip, a total below roughly ₹1.1 lakh and a mix of sightseeing and beach time. It is also the straightforward choice if one partner does not yet have a passport.

Choose a Maldives local island when you want an international trip and can accept public-island rules, independent restaurants and daily excursions. Choose a resort when privacy, meal-plan convenience and staying on one island matter more than cost.

For related comparisons, read Kerala vs Goa, Bali trip cost from Bengaluru and Dubai trip cost from Mumbai.

How do accommodation styles differ?

Andaman hotels range from town properties to isolated resorts. A Havelock stay may require a taxi from the jetty and can be far from restaurants, so location and breakfast affect the real cost.

Maldives resorts occupy their own islands and centre the holiday on one property. Local-island guesthouses have cafés nearby, but alcohol is prohibited outside licensed resort settings and local dress expectations apply away from designated tourist beaches.

Compare room size, meal plan, beach access, transfer timing and cancellation terms. A low room rate at a distant resort can become expensive after a mandatory seaplane.

Which Maldives meal plan works?

Breakfast-only suits a local island with restaurants. Half board can suit couples out on excursions; full board or all-inclusive makes resort spending predictable. Check beverages, speciality restaurants and activities rather than assuming every item is covered.

In Andaman, breakfast inclusion leaves flexibility to eat locally. Remote resorts may have few alternatives, so inspect menu prices before choosing room-only.

How do water activities compare?

Both destinations offer snorkelling and diving, but site, season and operator matter. Introductory dives often cost ₹3,500–6,500 in Andaman and US$80–150 in Maldives. Certified dives and boat packages vary.

Choose a recognised dive centre, disclose medical conditions and confirm training, equipment and transfers. Follow the operator's no-fly interval after the final dive.

What if weather disrupts a transfer?

In Andaman, spend the final night in Port Blair when the flight matters because ferry cancellations can break a connection. In Maldives, a late international arrival can miss the last speedboat or domestic flight and force an airport-area overnight.

Ask who bears the cost when weather or a delay breaks the connection. Flexible tickets and a buffer night may be more valuable than another activity.

Which trip needs more planning?

Maldives needs closer price checking because tax, service charge, meal plan and mandatory transfers may appear separately. Andaman needs more daily coordination because travellers often move between Port Blair and Havelock.

For either destination, compare the final payable total for two in one currency and read cancellation conditions across flights, rooms and transfers.

How should couples compare quotations?

Use the same four nights and two adults. Convert every Maldives charge at one rate, then mark TGST, green tax, service charge, meals and transfers. For Andaman, include both ferry directions and jetty transfers.

A package is not comparable when one includes all meals and another breakfast only. Ask for the final payable amount and cancellation schedule in writing.

Which offers more privacy?

A Maldives resort generally gives more control over the setting because access is limited to guests and staff. Local islands and Andaman towns feel like lived-in communities. Havelock resorts vary, so privacy depends on property design.

How long should the trip be?

Four nights works for one Maldives island or Port Blair plus Havelock. Three nights can feel short after reporting and ferry time. Five nights gives more value from an expensive transfer.

Do not split a four-night Maldives trip across two resorts unless the connection is simple. In Andaman, spend the final night in Port Blair before an important morning flight.

What should you buy before travel?

Travel insurance is useful for medical care, missed connections and prepaid transfers. Read exclusions for water activities and weather. Keep passports, return tickets, hotel confirmations and IMUGA proof offline.

How do service charges affect Maldives costs?

Many properties add a service charge as well as TGST and green tax. The percentage should appear in the final quotation. Do not budget from a room-only headline when transfer and meal plan are mandatory.

For Andaman, check hotel tax and ferry fuel surcharge. Fewer charge types do not mean every headline is final.

Which suits an anniversary?

Maldives suits couples who want the hotel to be the main experience, while Andaman suits those wanting multiple sights. Control an upgrade by choosing one room category, private dinner or activity rather than every component.

Whichever destination you select, always keep one unplanned half-day. Weather, ferry timing or tiredness can change the programme, and a honeymoon benefits more from breathing room than one extra prepaid excursion.

Sources we checked

Checked on 6 October 2026. Official sources win if anything here differs.

• Maldives Immigration: tourist visa
• IMUGA Traveller Declaration
• MIRA: tourism GST
• MIRA: green tax
• Andaman DSS: 2026–27 fares
• Andaman Tourism

Prices checked October 2026. We re-check every 90 days. Spotted something out of date? Write to taazeem@choose4choice.com.