Want to experience an adventure in the Maldives but have no one to go with?
Adéla arrived on the local island of Maafushi at just nineteen with her family for a vacation. The islands captivated her so much that she decided to stay. Back then, she didn't know she'd meet Naty, a well-known local figure. Together, they started a travel agency five years ago called Namale.
What’s fascinating about their story is that they were very young and didn't have much money or experience with anything like a business. Even now, they're amazed that people from the Czech Republic trusted them to come all the way to the Maldives.
In an interview, they say their start was quite a punk move, but they eventually managed to create something authentic, attracting more people.
According to Adéla and Naty, the success of their trips isn't just about attractive destinations or detailed itineraries. Authenticity plays a key role. "We feel people get that we truly live this life. It's not just a job; it's our passion. It’s work we’d do even for free because it truly fulfills us," they share with Refresher.
Adéla, I know you first came to the Maldives during a family vacation and fell in love so much that you wanted to stay...
During COVID, we planned a vacation but had no idea where to go. Since the Maldives was one of the few countries open, and we're not resort people, we decided to try something different. Mom found some info on a travel blog about local islands in the Maldives, and we chose Maafushi.
We met various locals who kept asking where we were from. When we said Czech Republic, they were super excited and instantly asked if we knew Naty. To them, the Czech Republic seems like a small village where everyone knows each other. We laughed and said we knew plenty of people named Natálie but had no idea which one they meant.
How did you finally meet Naty?
It was pretty bizarre. We went to crab races, a local attraction where crabs compete to be the first to run out of a circle in the sand. Suddenly, we saw guys in white shirts with Czech flags. We wondered where they got the shirts. They replied, "They're from Naty. She's here." That's how I first met Naty at the crab races. (laughs)
Naty, had you been on Maafushi for a while?
I first came in 2016 with my mom. It was pretty similar for us, except we bought plane tickets without any idea of how things worked in the Maldives or what local islands were. Only later did we find out that staying in resorts can cost up to half a million Czech crowns.
At that point, we had two choices: either return the tickets and cancel the trip or find a more affordable alternative. We chose Maafushi.
Over time, I found a boyfriend there, a boat captain, and thanks to him, a job in a hotel. Before COVID, I regularly returned to the island, especially during holidays, to help out. I made friends with many locals, and Maafushi gradually became my second home.
What charmed you about the island?
Naty: It was mainly the slow pace, the simplicity, and the feeling that suddenly, we didn't have to prove anything or keep up. We could just be. That feeling hit immediately. It's an impression you can't fully explain; you just know it's right.
It was like something out of a movie. You arrive on the island, and suddenly you're living that "island life." With the sea at your fingertips, walking barefoot in the sand, watching sunsets every evening, the days have a completely different rhythm than back home. The underwater world is a whole story by itself. If it captures someone, they'll keep coming back.
Adéla: I still remember texting my friend upon arrival that I wanted to live here one day; it's paradise on earth.
Nothing awaited you back in the Czech Republic?
Back home, regions were locked down, with strict measures everywhere. We were studying online, so we had no reason to go back.
Where did you live, and what did you do for a living at first?
We found a place to live together. Everyone at home probably thought we were living in super expensive water villas and our moms were paying for everything, just using the situation to avoid being in the Czech Republic. But the reality was totally different.
We were genuinely here, super happy to be here, diving, being in the water, and staying on the island. We shared everything on our personal Instagrams at the time.
If people back home saw the condition of where we lived, they probably wouldn't consider staying there. We paid less than you'd pay in Prague, about six thousand Czech crowns per month for both of us. We definitely didn't plan to start a business. We were two young girls with no specific goals other than not wanting to return to the Czech Republic. We were both just figuring out a way to stay and cover rent.
You say you didn't have any specific plans. How did Namale begin?
Naty: For several years, locals kept telling me I should bring tourists from the Czech Republic to the Maldives. "You're the only Czech here, why don't you bring groups?" they asked. But I had no interest in business for a long time.
When I saw how some tourists, mainly Chinese, behaved, I thought this wasn't for me. Plus, I was studying law and had completely different plans. I always dreamed of a career as a public prosecutor.
Everything changed when Adéla approached me with the idea of starting a joint Instagram. She said, "Look, we've got friends, acquaintances, and strangers coming to us, and we’re helping them for free. It's taking a lot of our time and energy, so why not at least try Instagram? Maybe someone might come someday." I was mortified to tell anyone we started an Instagram.
Why?
I’m such a traditionalist; I always had everything planned out. I’d finish school, have a normal career, a decent job. I certainly wasn’t going to be on the Maldives, leading people diving and showing them what turtles eat. (laughs) And then, within a month, we were packed. We hardly noticed it happening.
Who were your first clients? Friends?
To this day, neither of us quite gets it, but completely random people started coming. I still can’t believe that back then, when we barely had a thousand followers, someone flew to the other side of the world without any deposit or assurance. We didn’t want to get into business or anything similar at all.
We simply wanted to show people what we had here, that we loved it so much, and hoped they’d love it as much as we did.
And now, almost five years later, some of our very first clients have returned. We laughed so hard because when they saw how many people we have now and how well we're doing, they said, "Wow, I still don't understand how I flew here back then, not being sure if you two even existed, if you’d be there, or if it was some scam."
And today, we can’t even imagine how those people trusted us back then and didn’t think it was a scam and that they’d end up without a place to stay on some beach. (laughs)
What did your freestyle approach look like in reality?
We must say, it was quite crazy. During the day, we were studying, and in the evening, we were on WhatsApp, talking to dozens of people who had no idea what they were getting into. And honestly, we didn’t have much info or system either.
So, there were no fixed dates or schedules?
People came whenever they wanted. There were no set dates, no groups, no organization. Everyone came as it suited them. We didn’t know who’d arrive when and what they’d want to see, and they didn’t know what was possible. It was extreme punk. (laughs)
I remember our very first client, sometime in spring 2021. He arrived on the island during a huge storm, and it was raining heavily, and I went to the harbor with an umbrella, thinking he’d be upset. But he got off the boat totally thrilled. He said the stormy boat ride was a huge adrenaline rush, and he was super glad to be in an exotic tropical storm.
That’s when I realized we might have been lucky to have the right people. Those who could enjoy even the imperfect things. Luckily. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be here today.
You’ve been on the scene for five years now, with a huge Instagram following. Over time, similar "travel agencies" have cropped up. How do you perceive competition in this field?
I think we have a huge advantage, having started among the first. Now, we have tons of experience. We know what people like, what they don’t, what experiences appeal to them and make sense. That’s something competitors are only just discovering.
For our loyal clients, we’re more than just a travel agency. They know what to expect from us and return because of it. But we’re also always trying to come up with new ideas and open up new destinations because we know our people want to experience more.
Yes, I saw Sri Lanka and Mauritius. Any others?
French Polynesia and hopefully more places. Some of our clients even say they’d go to the end of the world with us. Polynesia was a surprise. We thought we couldn't open it because it’s extremely expensive.
Adéla: But I went there on holiday in September 2025, and our clients were pressuring us to open it, so we opened just one round in fall 2026. Seeing the demand, we added another one. So now, in 2026, we'll have the rounds there for the first time, and by 2027, it might go full on.
On the other hand, the competition is getting bigger and tougher. Over the years, we’ve learned an important lesson. Not everything in this business is as it seems at first glance. People we thought were friends or partners can quickly turn into competitors, sometimes even rivals.
Money can change a lot. We’ve had moments when we felt like we had a “family,” people we thought would be there forever. Then came situations that surprised us and made us rethink not only people around us but the whole business.
Competition, which has emerged until the last two years, is more significant. What's maybe good for us is that most of the competition is our former employees, people who used to work with us. It’s quite a unique situation. We built something with those we started out with, and now, as our business has evolved, we’re facing the reality that they’ve become our competitors.
How much does a week full of experiences in the Maldives cost, including airfare, accommodation, and activities?
We typically offer ten-night, eleven-day tours. If someone wants to extend their stay, there's no problem, but I wouldn’t recommend shorter options. I don’t think it makes sense to travel halfway across the world for just a few days.
A longer stay lets people fully enjoy the destination and fit in various outings and experiences, which there are plenty of here. It always depends on what someone wants to experience and their budget. The length of stay is crucial for the overall travel experience. If someone buys a cheaper ticket, stays in our most affordable accommodation, and adds tours, they can easily fit within 50,000 Czech crowns per person, including airfare, accommodation, and all activities.
Today’s seasonality isn’t as clear-cut as it used to be. It heavily depends on the weather, but most people visit during winter and summer vacations. Our clients are really diverse, age, and type-wise. It can be a young couple, a family with kids, or even a seventy-five-year-old gentleman. It’s not about age, but more if people are open-minded, eager to see and experience a lot, and prefer an active holiday. With trips, snorkeling, or diving, not just lying on the beach all day.
Do you have a price comparison of activities between resorts and local islands so people can get an idea of how much trips, snorkeling, or diving would cost?
When someone heads to a resort, they often find they can just lie on a beach, read a book, and chill. That’s not bad if someone’s looking for a quiet stay, but most activities in resorts are incredibly expensive. To truly experience and see something, you have to spend a lot of money.
That’s why we often send clients to local islands. People go there mainly for activities. Trips, snorkeling, diving. We always say the resort is nice, but a local island is livelier and more accessible. You can see a lot there, and the experiences are much more affordable.
Like?
For comparison, a whale shark in a resort costs $400–500, while on a local island, it's only $100. For $500 here, clients can get activities for the whole week, like six trips.
There are more hotel options on local islands, lots of restaurants, juice bars, simply a livelier vibe. It’s like a tiny Bali, full of life and options, not just quiet beach lounging.
How do locals live on the islands?
I'd say local life is very simple and straightforward. People live day-to-day and don't have the worries we do, like housing or financial matters that young people face back home. Most live together as one big family in one house, where everyone helps each other.
If someone lacks money, someone else covers it. It's a huge contrast to our way of life. Usually, the men go to work in the morning, and women, depending on the number of kids and circumstances, maintain the household, then meet up for coffee, hang out until the evening, and go to sleep.
All are closely tied to the ocean. Locals love it and live in connection with it, lots work in watersports, excursion centers, or dive centers on the island. The ocean is the center of their life and culture here.
What if someone wants to have an adrenaline-filled experience in the Maldives but doesn’t have anyone to go with?
Yes, we’ve also opened trips for singles, called "single tours." People often mistakenly connect them with finding a partner, but with humor, we always say it's not "Love Island in the Maldives" or "offline Tinder."The purpose of these tours is mainly to offer a chance to travel for people who don’t have someone to go with, whether it’s because their friends don’t have time, money, or just the urge to travel.
How does it work in practice?
For these situations, there’s a concept where individuals of the same gender share rooms. This way, full-fledged groups can form without anyone having to travel solo or pay for an entire room. We wanted to give a chance to people who otherwise wouldn’t go on vacation.
The size of these tours has changed significantly over time. While they used to be smaller groups of about five, it’s now more common for them to fill up completely. It’s not uncommon for twenty-five people to travel on a holiday, each coming alone.
But the greatest added value isn’t just the shared accommodation and lower price. During these trips, people often create strong friendships that continue even after returning home. We have many instances where participants met on a single tour and today go on other holidays together. The mix of new relationships, a sense of belonging, and financial savings makes these tours an increasingly popular way to travel.
