The Maldives is one of the most unique and sought after holiday destination in the world and hence it was the perfect destination for our plan of a dream vacation. Maldives consists of 1190 small coral islands and sandbanks among which 200 islands have been developed into as tourist resorts. The best time to visit Maldives is from the month of December till end of April.
The country is famous for its year round hot tropical climate and influenced by the monsoons. The south west monsoon from late April to September is stronger on the northern islands and is accompanied by gusty winds which makes the sea rough causing disruption of tourist activities such as diving, snorkeling and scuba diving. The north east monsoon from October to December is quieter and simply shows and thunderstorms in the afternoon or evening, especially in the southern atolls. We chose the early month of May for our vacation and enjoyed the wonderful drizzle a few times along with the cool sea breeze. The rain really enhanced the beauty of the place even more.
Male’ is the capital city of Maldives, which has an area of 2.2 square miles and is densely populated with 133412 people. The main International Airport of Maldives is located on Hulhule Island in the north Male’ atoll, near the capital island Male’. Each of the resorts have taken up individual islands and the main mode of commute is either by speedboat or the seaplane. Our resort was near to Male’ island and hence we could commute via the speed boat from the hotel. In case the resort island is far off, than you have to book your tickers for the sea plane in advance.
Maldives is an expensive destination and you end up paying for everything almost in Dollars. Being a popular exotic and honeymoon destination you really got to dig a bit in your pockets though the prices vary from resort to resort but one would really avoid compromising on the comfort and the amenities the resorts provide.
All the hotels have their respective counters and kiosks at the airport premises. They generally keep everything possible organized in advance. The resorts are generally equipped with health centers, gym, spa, adventure sports, scuba instructor and equipment, boats, in house photographers and at least 4- 5 restaurants serving various cuisines with live band playing.
Most of the Restaurants in the Maldavian Resorts are multi cuisine and serve several local delicacies like the garudhiya (a fish broth served with rice, lime, chilli and onions), the mas huni ( shredded smoked fish with grated cheese and onions) and a lot more along with the chef specialties. One can enjoy the various seafood options such as the calamari, crab, lobster, octopus and many other varieties of fish in particular. In addition to this there are a huge variation of desserts and fresh fruits that one can feast upon.
As a tourist you do not want to carry liquor with yourself to Maldives, since it is a Muslim country and one is not permitted to bring liquor from abroad. Please remember that getting caught with liquor on arrival at the airport is an offence and one may end up being fined for the same. All the resorts and liveaboard boats are licensed to sell alcohol usually with a steep markup.
Maldives has its own currency which is the Maldivian Rufiyaa but since it is generally flocked by tourists hence the Dollar is widely acceptable at the airport, resorts and even the small souvenir shops and food outlets.
Clothes you want to carry with yourself are majorly beach wears. It’s better to carry swimming costumes by yourself though the shops at the resorts do sell them but clearly the options there are quite limited. Well also carrying a sunscreen lotion with yourself is a must as without it one may end up getting tanned a bit too much.
The sea here is crystal clear blue, hence you get a clear view of the underwater world while out at sea and especially when you are snorkeling. It’s easy to site fishes such as the Imperial Angel fish, the Moorish Idol, the Long Nose Hawk fish, the Masked Banner fish and a few other types while you are even sitting on the deck of the water bungalows or at the sea side bar.
People generally choose the resorts based on the category of rooms they provide of which the most preferredare the Beach Villas and the Water Villas. In our case we found the Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resorts and Spa to be the most suitable as the brand Sheraton itself speaks a lot. The hotel is situated on its own private island called Furanfushi which welcomes you to a tropical paradise of palm trees, white sandy beaches and turquoise lagoons. The category of rooms we choose were,
- 2 days in a sea facing beach villa with a personal pool and private beach access
- 2 days in a water bungalow with personal infinity pool and private deck opening out to the sea
As per our experience it is always better to take a full board plan at the resort which include breakfast, lunch, dinner and alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages too since it is always cheaper than when availed separately. We just loved sitting at the Anchorage Bar and enjoying the breezy cool lazy hours with the drinks and the shisha at all major times of the day.
In case you need help with the itinerary let me share ours so that it may help you plan accordingly,
Day 1
- Night flight from Dubai and reaching Colombo early morning next day. With an hour of layover off to Maldives and touchdown there at 8:15 in the morning.
Day 2
- Reached Male’
- Transferred to Hotel by speed boat
- Check in
- Relax for the whole day
- Enjoy the hotel amenities and the personal pool.
- Enjoy Shark feeding session at the Anchorage Bar.
- Lunch and Dinner as per your convenience
Day 3
- Breakfast at the Hotel
- Enjoy the beach with the Bar alongside
- Go for Snorkeling
- Couple spa
- Lunch and Dinner as per your convenience
Day 4
- After Breakfast change the room
- Get ready and leave for island hopping
- Get back for lunch
- After lunch relax in the pool
- Then off to Sunset Dolphin Cruise
- Return and chill at the Bar with the DJ playing
- Dinner as per your convenience
Day 5
- Breakfast at the hotel
- Get ready and off to photoshoot at the Hotel
- Then off to Male’ city Tour
- Get back to the hotel in the afternoon and relax in your personal pool
- Lunch and Dinner at your convenience
Day 6
- Breakfast at the hotel
- Spend quality time chilling
- Checkout as per literary
- Transfer to Airport by speed boat
- Flight from Male to Dubai with stopover in Colombo (15;30 from Male’ to 17:25at Colombo and then stopover and 18:40 flight from Colombo and reached Dubai at 21:40)
P.N. You can book all the various activities including the water sports and activities from the resort itself.
— Prajna Paramita Guha Rakshit
Photo via ITG.
