29 December 2023 , 12:02
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A couple warned tourists "don't take travel advice from social media" after they spent almost all of their £9,500 Maldives holiday in "thick clouds and pouring rain".
Oskar Kappland and Dan Goz, both 26, booked the no-expense-spared nine-day trip to celebrate their nine-year anniversary. The duo were expecting to experience picturesque sunsets and shimmering crystal seas at the two resorts where they stayed.
They had seen countless Instagram posts of the Maldives featuring perfect weather and never thought that it might not be like that all the time. Instead, more than half of the pricey trip was spent under shelter due to poor weather - despite them going in December, which is "high season" for weather.
Dan, a travel reviewer, said it was "the opposite of travel inspo." He said: "We tried to see the funny side because all you can do is laugh. We knew it was normal for afternoon showers, but we had four days straight of thick clouds and pouring rain.
The couple ended up on the rain island (No credit)
They spent £9.5k on the holiday (No credit)"Our message in general is don't set your expectations based on travel advice from social media. Do your research, social media doesn't represent reality. Make sure you know what to expect and prepare for the good AND the bad."
Gales, snow and rain to batter country today with 80mph wind gusts
The couple, originally from Gothenburg, Sweden, who post their travels on social media @oskaranddan, had been to the Maldives before and loved it. They never considered their return between December 6 and 14 would be any different.
They had four days booked at a hotel in Dhigurah, Maldives, famous for whale shark sightings. But it was constant "thick clouds and pouring rain" and they didn't see a single whale shark. Oskar, a musician, said: "The whole place is weather-dependent - we went for the swimming, snorkelling and sun."
On the second part of the holiday they stayed in a fancy resort costing $1,500 (£1,178) a night, where there were indoor activities on offer to compensate. They seem to have got unlucky with the weather. Typically in December the weather sticks around the high 20s. According to one monthly weather forecast, there is a 37% chance of a perfect sunny day and a 63% chance of seeing a mixture of sunshine and clouds with an average 0mm of rainfall.
The holiday ended up being a bit of a washout (No credit)The pair saw grey skies and rain for seven of the nine days they were away. They tried to enjoy the trip, but said the weather was just as bad as at home.
Oskar said: "We're originally from Sweden and the weather was like our winter there, apart from Sweden is colder. It's what we were trying to escape in Northern Europe."
They wanted to warn people to be careful with their expectations when travelling - even to a destination with an 'Instagrammable' reputation. Dan said: "We know a lot of people who want to go just for pics - for those people, it's not a worthwhile gamble.
"We've been using social media for years, people always see the best version online and it gives a false perspective of how the world is. People might be willing to spend thousands of dollars to go to the Maldives and they're not aware half of more of their stay could be bad weather. It's paradise when it's sunny - but when its not, you're just stuck there."