Maldives
I Work Remotely From the Maldives. Here’s What I Love and Hate
- Sarah Harvey left London in 2010 to work in the Maldives before starting her own media company.
- She reviews $4,000-a-night resorts — sometimes in bikinis — for travel magazines and websites.
- The internet, the weather and the friendships are all great, although the cities of the Maldives are not what one might think.
In my early 20s I decided it was time to start living the life of my dreams, so I moved from London to the Maldives.
I beat 300 other applicants to a job as a news editor for a local travel website, becoming one of the few journalists who lived here.
I recently recovered from GBS so being able to snorkel, dive or surf whenever and wherever means a lot to me.
After five years here, I moved to the French Riviera, then to California, the Riviera Maya, Miami and New York. But I am still often drawn back to the Maldives to work remotely.
I like to start my day with a typical Maldivian breakfast of tuna, coconut, onion, chilli and lime served with tortillas. Once you think of spicy fish for breakfast, it’s great.
If I have time before I start work, I go snorkeling. Visibility was at its best around 7am and I saw a surprising amount of tropical fish, turtles, rays and reef sharks.
I’m currently working at Amilla Resort and my workspace consists of my laptop, a desk with some chargers and ports, and a tea and coffee station.
Not all resorts here have desks, so I used to be limited to working from makeup tables, patio tables, and even hammocks.
Sometimes I work in the living area of the villa, which is surrounded by water. Many resorts offer discounted rates for members of the media or remote workers—some offer me a free stay if I write about the property.
However, you can’t show up on a private island without a reservation, like you can walk into a city hotel.
I work in the Maldives as well as with companies in the US, Europe, South East Asia and Australia, which sometimes means late night or early morning meetings.
I love being able to take a break from writing and jump into the diving pool or the ocean. Having access to so much personal space also makes me feel safer when COVID-19 becomes a bigger issue.
The internet is transmitted by satellite, so Google Docs, video calls, and emailing photos are surprisingly fast. WiFi is usually free, but some resorts charge $6 for just 30 minutes.
When I first came, if I wanted to call friends or family anywhere in the world, I had to buy a calling card and enter a long code. Now I use Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp.
I love doing research in the wild (often the ocean)—from diving with marine biologists to interviewing chefs.
I make a point of finishing work around 6pm every night and getting outside to watch the sunset
I often need to travel for research. I use seaplanes and domestic flights to get to the really remote islands, or speed boats and ferries to get to the closer ones.
For my work, I spend the night at some of the most expensive resorts in the world, and am constantly amazed at how the atmosphere can change – some are really sociable, while at others all guests ignore each other.
Each resort felt like its own bubble and I felt very safe and secluded – you’ll only hear that if you look for it here.
At five-star resorts, I’ve heard and seen crazy things like a $200 pizza menu, or a celebrity who wants her hot tub filled with melted chocolate.
When I first moved here, one of the biggest surprises was that there was only one resort on each island.
The resort is segregated from the local community – where alcohol, bikinis and pork are banned.
I don’t work at resorts all the time. I will be returning to the inhabited island of Hulhumalé soon, which is a completely different experience from the resort.
I sometimes arrange short-term rentals and temporary sublets for expats on Airbnb or through Facebook groups.
But I found the capital, Male, to be disappointing. It’s very crowded and run down, even though the rental prices are almost on par with LA.
Male is one of the only cities in the Maldives where you can own a car. Most inhabited islands have sandy streets, so scooters are more popular – and a status symbol.
I don’t like working in an apartment, so when I’m in Hulhumalé or Male I’ll often go to a laptop-friendly cafe and use their wifi to get work done.
I love that there are teas for sale here and there, but was surprised the first time the cafe owner gave me tea to take away in bags.
Another surprise when I first moved here was how little produce was available in the store – the only cheese I could find was in cans.
The Maldives’ public ferry network is a great way to travel slowly between the inhabited islands. Some even have roofs that I’ve worked on with my laptop.
Of course, a major perk is that I can work in a bikini and flip-flops year-round—the average temperature is always 86 degrees.
When I’m not working, I’m doing fun things like diving. I learned it years ago and have done 100 dives since then.
I also go out with my friends on weekends. I’ve made incredible friendships here with people from all over the world.
My partner is working remotely with me now, and my parents and old friends are visiting.
I made sure to show them the real island community – the kind that most Maldives tourists don’t usually see.
