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The Maldives Survival Expedition

By Tom Williams, winner of Channel 4’s Alone

From castaway survival to 5★ celebration. Experience the Maldives like never before.

From:

£3,990

Duration:

11 days

Date:

14 Nov 2027

Max People:

12

Min Age:

18+

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the Adventure

11 days. 8 of them living wild across two islands: 5 days of hands-on training, then 3 days of true survival.

Our adventures follow a simple arc: Learn → Survive → Celebrate.

Learn · Days 1–6

The Maldives, a postcard-perfect paradise of turquoise waters and scattered islands, turns raw and real the moment you land. After a day to arrive and orient, you spend five days with world-class survival instructors on a desert island learning the skills that matter, fire-making, fishing, foraging, coconut cracking and shelter-building, with nights in hammocks under the palms, rum by the fire, and life slowed to island time.

Survive · Days 7–9

Then comes the twist: this is the only expedition where your survival phase takes place on a different island. For three raw nights, you and your tribe will put your new skills to the test on an untouched survival island. It’s tough. But as the sun sets over crystal-clear waters and you eat the fish you caught yourself, you’ll understand the magic.

Celebrate · Days 10–11

Finally, you’ll be rescued and rewarded. A 5★ resort, cocktails, and one of the best showers of your life. After days of survival, luxury will never feel sweeter.

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Key Facts

Location

Southern Maldives. Reached via Male, then a 45-min domestic flight to Kaadedhdhoo.

Length

11 days / 10 nights. Survival + luxury finale.

Group Size

8–12 people. A tribe of fellow adventurers.

Who It’s For

Those seeking the ultimate contrast. Castaway survival and 5★ indulgence. No survival experience required.

remarkable Moments

Swim alongside reef sharks in crystal-clear waters.

Experience survival across two pristine islands

Sleep in hammocks under endless Maldivian stars.

Cook fresh fish over fires you made yourself.

Celebrate in a 5★ luxury resort after your survival challenge.

All upcoming departures

7-Day Cool Off

Flexibility

Safety

More Info

Trip Summary

What else is there to say, IT’S THE MALDIVES. This is as stunning as it gets, a picture postcard-perfect paradise with an underwater world to match.

If you’re like us you have probably always been intrigued by the Maldives as a destination, but unless you have one thousand dollars a night to drop on a hotel and it’s your honeymoon, you’ve likely never visited this 1,192 island collection. We are here to change that and make it infinitely more fun, too. Join us on an adventure with like-minded people to survive on a perfect island together.

You know those islands in screen savers? Yes, like that, small, round, verdant gems are enveloped in white sand and surrounded by a deep turquoise ocean. Exactly. Well, I found two of them. Making this the only destination where you head to a brand new island for the final 3-day survival phase.

Day 1: We meet you Kaadedhdhoo Airport (KDM) in the afternoon and head to the guest house for your safety briefing and a meal at a local restaurant.
Day 2: After breakfast, we jump on our speedboats and head to our new island home. Today we get to work on building our shelter and setting up our hammocks and enjoy dinner round the camp fire.
Day 3: After a breakfast, we spend the morning learn how to make fire by friction. We will spend the afternoon catching our supper off the beach.
Day 4: Today we will look at all the different techniques one can use to find food on a desert island; including which fruits and plants are safe to eat, how to get into a coconut and where to find shellfish.
Day 5: Life on the island slows down. Disconnecting from wifi and phone, you will find yourself thinking about the outside world less and less. Tonight we prepare, cook and eat as a tribe. A bottle of rum and some roasted marshmallows see us off to bed.
Day 6: On the final day of training, we will search for resources that might help you during your final 3 days survival phase. That evening, we’ll talk about the psychology of survival, and you’ll get yourself mentally prepared for the real test to begin.
Day 7: Survival Phase. This is it, the fire is out, the instructors are gone; it’s just you and your fellow castaways. You are left with limited equipment and have to work together. You will be taken to a survival island to put into practice your newfound skills and apply your ingenuity to survive. What is your greatest priority?
Day 8: Survival Phase.
Day 9: Survival Phase.
Day 10: Rescue. You are saved, and 5* is about to feel like 10*. It is time to experience a fabulous 5* paradise hotel and a well-deserved all-you-can-eat breakfast. In the evening, we will celebrate our adventure with an exquisite dinner and free-flowing cocktails.
Day 11: Departure. Speedboats to the airport and back to Male and home.

SHELTER

Hammock and tarp setup and care
Shelter building
Palm thatching
Machete and knife safety, sharpening and skills

Fire

Fire theory
Friction fire skills (bow drill and hand drill)

Water

Transpiration bags
Solar still
Evaporation techniques
Boiling water in bottles over fire

FOOD

Fishing with hand line
Coconut opening & cream extraction
Tree climbing
Hawaiian sling (hand spear)
Primitive cooking and fish preparation
Trap building
Wild edible identification

OTHER

Psychology discussion and case studies
Astro-navigation

The Island

When you type paradise into Google this is what comes up. A perfect small round desert island in the middle of a clear azul tropical sheltered sea. Marine life is what the Maldives are famed for with exquisite healthy reefs boasting megafauna from eagle rays turtles and sharks as well as schools of snappers, surgeon fish and grunts. On land health, the scrub jungle interior is an important nesting sight for stunning white turns.

Once you have completed your training and explored every inch of the island we will drop you off on your new island, for your survival phase to see what your new island has to offer.

2 uninhabited private island
Swim with reef sharks
5 days of survival training by a world-class bushcraft guide.
General kit (incl. hammocks, camping gear, machetes, etc.). There are a few essential items that you need to bring.
3-day survival challenge
1 night in a simple guesthouse (twin rooms – shared with 1 fellow castaway)
1 night in a beach hotel (twin rooms – shared with 1 fellow castaway)
All food and drinks

International flights
Domestic flights
Visas, if required
Personal travel insurance
Personal kit. You can check out the general kit list here, however, we will be sending you a more detailled version after booking.
Personal expenses

From November to May, the Maldives enjoys its dry season, offering warm, sunny days and clear skies. Average highs range from 29°C to 31°C, with comfortable nights around 25°C to 27°C . Rainfall is minimal, with 8-10 hours of sunshine daily. The moderate humidity and gentle breezes make this the most comfortable and best time to visit, especially from December to March, when the Maldives is at its most inviting.

Our island expeditions are typically 11 days / 10 nights long. The first and last night are spent at a boutique hotel, and the 8 nights sandwiched between on the desert island. The first 5 nights on the island are your bushcraft course. This is survival light, where you learn all the skills to equip you for the final 3-day survival phase. For these 5 nights, you are sleeping in a hammock, eating very well, playing all sorts of games, and passing around a bottle of rum around the fire. The final 3 days after this are your survival phase, the true test of your mettle before you are rescued and head to what now feels like a 10-star hotel.

Absolutely. We’re equipped to accommodate your dietary preferences by adjusting our meal plans for the initial 5 days of training. Even during the last 3 days of the survival phase, you’ll find an array of plant-based food options at your disposal. If you’re concerned about not consuming fish, we can provide alternatives to ensure your nutritional needs are met. It’s worth noting that some vegetarians opt to pause their dietary restrictions during this hands-on survival experience, but the decision is entirely yours. We respect your dietary choices, so please inform us of any specific requirements when you book your adventure.

When it comes to selecting deserted islands for our adventures, safety is our top priority. We meticulously choose islands that are free from hazardous wildlife and protected against strong ocean currents that could pose a danger. Before embarking on your experience, we provide a comprehensive safety orientation to prepare you for minor incidents, such as encountering a crab or dealing with sunburn. Our team of instructors is certified in wilderness first aid, ensuring you’re in capable hands throughout your adventure. While we can’t eliminate all risks, our informed consent process keeps you well-informed about potential dangers. For more details on the compelling challenges you might encounter during our expeditions, please visit this page.

You’ll learn the following bushcraft skills:

Making Coconut bowls
Traps and hunting
Jungle sanitation and hygiene
Jungle navigation
Rescue: Techniques for gaining attention
How to make cordage from natural fibers
Coconuts: opening and various uses
Primitive spearfishing
Palm weaving
Shelter: building techniques
Water: physiology, collection and disinfection. Solar stills, transpiration.
Fire making: Bow drill, hand drill, bamboo fire saw as well as fire steel.
Identification of flora and fauna for food, fire and other utilities.
Fishing techniques: Making and using traps, spears.
Fish identification, preparing and cooking fish
Traditional cooking methods: Bamboo pot, leaf wraps, clay bakes and smoking racks.

Check out our other FAQs or contact us here.

Getting here

If you are travelling from Europe, you are in luck; this is our closest destination, with direct flights from many European capitals. The Maldives is served by direct flights to much of the Middle East and Asia. Check out the flight connection to see the connected airport. From the capital Male you will need to take a 45-minute flight to Kaadedhdhoo, one of the 400 underdeveloped islands that makes up the atoll.

Google flights is our favourite flight search engines, however, we always recommend booking directly with the airline once you have found your flights as you will have a preferential cancellation policy and better upgrade potential.

Only 5-Star Reviews

“I’m not sure where to start, this was one of the best trips I’ve ever done. I learnt invaluable skills, reconnected to nature, reassessed whats really important to me, and made some new friends along the way…”
Thomas Nicholls
“There are experiences that are memorable and there are experiences that are life altering, Desert Island Survival was certainly the latter for me and it happened in the exact right moment in life when I desperately needed to reset, heal and regroup….”
Oleg Ravnushkin
“Amazing! ☀️ This trip was incredible, and I am so glad I did it! I would 100% recommended this company, they are great. They offer consistent communication and support from booking to preparing for your trip, and look after you well during it…”
Ciara Rooney

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