Trying to decide between all-inclusive and half-board for our Maldives trip. Some people say all-inclusive is a rip-off, others say it saves money. What's the real answer?
1 Answer
It depends entirely on how you holiday. All-inclusive wins if: you drink alcohol (cocktails are $15-25 each à la carte), you snack throughout the day, or you want budget certainty with no bill shock. Half-board wins if: you're light drinkers, you prefer choosing one premium restaurant per evening rather than the buffet, or the resort's AI package doesn't include the specialty restaurants you actually want. Do the maths: take the AI premium (usually $150-250/day per person), subtract the included meals, and see if you'd spend that on drinks and extras anyway. At resorts like Lily Beach or Siyam World, the AI packages are genuinely excellent value. At ultra-luxury resorts, half-board often makes more sense since you're paying for quality over quantity.
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