Travelling soon - any advice if hostels accept cards in Maldives or I have to give them cash
The Maldives is tricky. In the capital you’ll be fine with cards, but island hostels often prefer cash to avoid bank charges. At one point on Rasdhoo, even the ATM was out of cash for a day. So yes, always arrive with at least a few hundred USD or MVR for backup.
Had mixed luck - in Malé, I could tap my Visa everywhere, including hostels and cafes near Sultan Park. But when I stayed at a budget place in Dhigurah, they demanded USD cash only. So it’s not just MVR but sometimes USD notes. Bring both if possible.
On Thulusdhoo, my guesthouse asked strictly for cash, even though they were listed on Agoda. They said card networks were unreliable on the island. In contrast, in Malé at the bigger backpacker hostels, cards worked fine. I think once you’re out on local islands, assume cash is king.
On Maafushi I stayed at a hostel where the card terminal was “broken” for two days. They eventually got it working but charged a 3.5% fee. I ended up paying cash from an MVR withdrawal at the Bank of Maldives ATM. Definitely safer to carry some local currency if you’re hopping islands.