Malé City Guide: Souvenirs, Food & Tips for Malé, Maldives 🛍️

Spent half a day wandering Malé, from meals to snacks, souvenirs to currency exchange—picked up some handy tips to share with anyone heading there! 🍴 First, Feed Your Belly: Sala Thai’s “Pricey but Worth It” Heard good things about Sala Thai, and it didn’t disappoint! The flavors hit the spot for Chinese palates: Tom Yum Goong with just the right balance of sour, spicy, and rich coconut aroma; pineapple seafood fried rice with plump shrimp and sweet pineapple chunks; even the fried spring rolls—crispy 外皮 (crust) that crumbles, filled with fresh bamboo shoots and minced meat, perfect with sweet chili sauce. Only downside? The price: three dishes, one soup, and drinks came to 100 USD (around 700+ RMB). Definitely on the pricier side, but with fresh ingredients and authentic seasoning, we left thinking “worth every cent.” 🚶 Exploring the City: Wander Majeedhee Road with Gaode Maps The hotel staff’s recommendation list was super useful! Malé’s downtown is tiny—starting from the ferry terminal, you can cover the main streets in a leisurely 2-hour stroll. Majeedhee Road is a must—lined with small shops selling snacks, daily essentials, and local souvenirs. Grabbed a few packs of coconut candy (rich without being cloying), banana chips (crisp and slightly caramelized), and local-brand chocolate—half the price of the airport! Pro tip: Gaode Maps works perfectly! Navigation for intersections and store locations is spot-on. No need to hassle with VPN for Google Maps—super convenient for us Chinese travelers. 🎁 Souvenir Hack: Look for “misraab” – Save Money & Get Change For souvenirs, keep an eye out for “misraab” ! These are local handicrafts—think small ornaments or decorative pendants, mostly made of shell or wood, with island-style patterns. First checked prices at a few shops, but they were inflated. Then met a helpful Chinese guy who pointed us to a little store down an alley—same misraab here cost nearly 30% less than the others. Even better: the shop exchanges currency! Swapped some USD for MVR (Maldivian rufiyaa), and later found out using local currency for taxis is way cheaper: a ride from downtown to the ferry terminal was just 85 MVR (around 34 RMB)—saved almost 10 RMB compared to paying in USD. 🛏️ Transit Hotel Notes: Hulhumale’s “Mediocre but Chill” Our transit hotel was in Hulhumale—not amazing (decently clean, but small rooms), but the view across the street made up for it. The little beach nearby is lovely at low tide—barefoot on soft sand, lying back to watch clouds drift and waves crash. Super relaxing. If you’re picky about hotels, shop around. But if you’re just “staying one night before heading to the island” like us, it’s convenient enough—there’s a small supermarket 10 minutes away for water and sandwiches. Heading to the island tomorrow—so excited! 😏 Stuffed the misraab into my suitcase, pocketed the MVR, and feel ready to go. Can’t wait for sun, sand, and seafood feasts. More updates once I’m there! #Maldives #MaléCity #MaldivesSouvenirs #MaléFood #HulhumaleTransitHotel