Vacation in the Maldives: Expectations vs. Reality

White sands, quiet beaches and the azure waters of the Indian Ocean. It's all about the Maldives. Who doesn't dream of vacationing here in an expensive hotel? The photos of Instagram bloggers make you dream about these paradise islands even more.

However, do not rush to believe everything you see on Instagram. A couple of travel bloggers from Sweden told the Daily Mail the truth about the "dream vacation".

Oskar Kappland and Dan Goz, 26-year-old bloggers from Sweden, decided to take a vacation in the Maldives to celebrate their anniversary. They expected to see beaches, crystal clear ocean water, and incredible sunsets. However, their expectations did not come true.

Oskar and Dan had seen a lot of beautiful photos on Instagram from islands with good weather. But they had no idea that it wasn't always like that. Instead, they spent most of their vacation, which cost them almost $12,000, in their apartment. It was cloudy and raining those days. Dan noted that this is the opposite of what is posted on Instagram.

"Our message in general is: don't set your expectations based on social media travel tips. Do your research, social media is not true. Make sure you know what to expect and prepare for the good and the bad."

The men decided to stay in two resorts here. The first one was a hotel in Dhigurah, which is known for whale shark watching. But there were always "thick clouds and heavy rain". Therefore, they did not manage to see the sharks.

For the second part of the vacation, they stayed at a luxury resort that cost £1170 per night, where they organized various indoor activities as compensation. But the weather never changed: it kept raining. The guys followed the sun, but it turned out as if they had never left Sweden.

"We are from Sweden, and the weather there was like our winter, except that Sweden is colder. This is what we were trying to escape from in northern Europe!" Oskar says.

Oskar Kappland and Dan Goz share their experiences in the Maldives to warn people against expectations. Even though the Maldives has the status of an "Instagram destination," it can still be disappointing.

"We know a lot of people who fly here for the sake of photos. But it's not worth it. People always see the best version on the Internet, and it gives a false perspective of what the world is really like."