Tourists named their biggest mistake when planning a trip to the Maldives, which cost them a lot of money

When planning a trip to the paradise of the Maldives, an advertising picture of ideal, sun-drenched beaches and calm, turquoise water immediately comes to mind. But few people take into account that South Asia also experiences prolonged heavy rains. Oskar Kappland and Dan Goz from Gothenburg, Sweden, were one of those unwary tourists.

They had planned a fabulous vacation in Digura, Maldives, known for its whale shark population. The vacation cost them 9,500 pounds, but did not pay for itself due to bad weather, writes The Mirror.

The lion's share of the lovers' vacation was marred by torrential rains and cloudy skies. This is not what the travelers expected to see when planning to spend 9 days on the popular islands.

Their main advice when planning a trip to the Maldives is not to trust pictures and reviews on social media, but to do your own research.

This can include analyzing the weather forecast, reading forums, and talking to tourists who are currently on the islands. Beautiful photos from the resort do not always reflect reality.

One of the disappointed tourists said: "We knew that an afternoon downpour was normal, but we had four days in a row of thick clouds and torrential rain. Our message in general is that you shouldn't base your expectations on travel advice from social media. Do your research, social media does not reflect reality."

Summarizing their travel experience, travelers from Sweden said that the weather in the Maldives differed from winter in their homeland only in terms of higher temperatures.

"It's a paradise when it's sunny, but when it's not, you're just stuck there," the tourists added, describing the Maldives.