sellouts posted:

When I did the Maldives using a travel agent for hotel only saved us a non-negligible amount of money vs booking on the web. This was compounded by the sea plane required to get there which is a pretty unique thing to the Maldives so this advice isn't always applicable.

Do your research, find the properties that have the room and amenities you want, note the costs, and take the short list to a travel agent online and see if they can beat a deal. What you'll find a lot of times in those packages is a lower level room than you want. But like anything else it kind of all depends on budget and the level of property/service you expect.

Also with over water bungalows think about things like distance walking to beach/pool/food, if you want a pool within the bungalow for night swimming, proximity to snorkeling, etc. I highly recommend overwater bungalows if you have the means as its a sure fire way to avoid being next to loud families as kids almost always can't stay on the overwater bungalows.

Don't book any excursions until you get there. When you get done traveling and get to the room you might realize that it and the beach are all you need.

If you have any further questions feel free to PM me. Our honeymoon was pretty complex and outside the realm of every travel agent I spoke to and I like helping with this sort of thing. Not to mention doing it yourself can cut out the crap.