Now I back to you with another article that I dedicate specially for the bride-groom to be or any of you who just become a husband and wife 🙂 congratulation for it. Following my journey in Maldives past 2014 and 2015 I really want to share what I’ve found about this country. I know this country is known as one of world paradise that you should go before it goes down because of the geographic condition, at least this what I’ve read in the travel blog. In fact, Maldives is still incredible for any of you who want to get escape for your hard daily routines. When you thinking of visiting this country to get your sweet Maldives honeymoon experience or just simply holiday with your family, let your goggles and snorkel on your luggage, trust me, this gonna be the most important things that you should bring. 10 minutes before my flight landed in Ibrahim Nasir International airport, that was some turbulence that make my flight shake, but it’s still fine even when I flew for my flight back I still feel the same condition. Buy your air ticket immediately and make sure you got your window nearby seat cause all view that you will see will really amazing. Maldives’s geography is so unique cause this country stands from around 1087 coral island in the middle of Indian ocean, even when your flight landed in the airport it just a small island which is has a terminal building and some of hotels and office than no more on it. Another magnificent scenery that you will see is triple-line sea water which is come with white for beach sand, green for the shallow sea level, and blue for the deep Indian ocean, wherever you go this magnificent sea view will always be your best friend.
Another good news will come to you with the visa information, most countries in the world has just given a free 30 days visa entry by the Maldives government even for US and Canada passport holder. Its international airport isn’t so big as you think and only provide 2-3 luggage conveyor inside than you just walk around 10 meter to get queue to the immigration line. When you go out there will be some money changer such as Bank of Maldives where you can change your dollars into local currency, Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR). Even almost every hotels and resort accepting the USD dollar but buy some rufiyaa will be good if you want to buy some food, drinks, or become a walking guest for some transit hotels in the airport island or Male City which is located around 10 boat ride that cost MVR10. Burger King restaurant will be the biggest fast food restaurant that you will see outside the terminal building.
After walk to the exit gate, thing you should do is check your hotel name and find its row of check in counter, it would be stands for A1 – A10 or B1 – B10 and you will find a lot of luxury hotels and resort brand out there. Don’t ever think you can go to Maldives without any booked hotel confirmation cause the immigration officer will stop you at the gate. After early check in to your hotel counter, you should consider that what time your flight arrival time is, cause when you arrive in Maldives after 4pm I suggest you to find some small transit hotel to cover 1 night stay and enjoying the city center in Male City. Go to Male City is so simple, just find a Maldivian boat outside the terminal building and pay for MVR10 for 1 way trip, and this boat operated for 24 hours so don;t worry if you landed at late night. Just like what I said before, prepare your rufiyaa to pay the hotels! Let me give you some transit hotels in Male City that can afford your transit night before visiting your resort tomorrow.
Here below I will let you know for transit hotel under USD70, so just use it for transit and don’t expect too much!
- Lucky Hiya Hotels, 15 minutes walk and I stayed in this hotel twice
- Laze Hotels
- Sea House Hotel Top Deck
- Surf View Hotel
Recommended things to do less than 24 hours in Male City
- Find the local restaurant and eat some Prata bread, Biryani rice, Curry, and local juice like rosella and orange for MVR100-120 for 2 person
- Sightseeing the city crossing by the presidential office in front of the harbor and sit back at the large field to see the locals
- Sit back and enjoying the harbor view with a cup of coffee in a cafe placed in front of the harbor, view cafes and small restaurant that you can choose
- Buy some t-shirt or any souvenirs in the small shop but please remind that some shop will closed at praying time (around 12-13 and 15-16 at noon; 18-19 and 19-20 at evening), the shop keeper just close the shop for 15 minutes praying
Maldives Travel Scam
- Even you can pay in a dollar in some place especially the luxury resort but still keep a rufiyaa on your pocket just to buy some food or pay the souvenirs
- Make sure you’ve got your own health insurance or when you go to the hospital they will charge you with 10 times bills than the locals, I ever get chicken pox in Maldives that cost USD150 for the medicine, it used to cost around USD30-50 for the locals
- ex-change your dollar in the same money changer company or you will get really bad rate or some of them might not want to change it for you
Once you wake up at the nice morning day, may your transit hotels will telling you what time you should get back to the airport for taking the domestic flight, speedboat, or the seaplane to your resort, just remind that you should take for the MVR10 boat to airport island which take around 10 minutes boat ride. Some of resort such as Angsana Velavaru, W, Conrad, Anantara, and some of them have their own waiting lounge on the airport which you can get some snacks, mineral water, or fresh cold juice during waiting the seaplane. Especially me, I already try 3 kind of locals transport that I’ve mentioned before and domestic flight and speedboat will be better than seaplane even it will take us directly to the resort with amazing ride but this kind of plane is so small and noisy of the engine sound.
I already told you that I’ve been to Maldives twice and bot for taking my couple pre wedding photos, and I stayed in Lux* Maldives and Angsana Velavaru so let me give you some short review about those resorts below:
Lux* Maldives Resort
It is really…really nice resort which stand on the 2km island long which has their own plantation for your daily fruit and vegetables that you can find for your breakfast and all meals that serve in the restaurant. Enjoy the free show of baby shark and stingray feeding time at 5pm at the bridge on going to the water villa. Lux* also provide 2 kind free and pay bike (USD5/day) and buggy to take you around the island and it is operate from 6 am to 11 pm. Don’t forget to get your sea view breakfast where you can see the baby shark swim, turtle, and the cute nemo fish under your deck. One more thing, Lux*’s welcome drink was really nice 🙂 I’ve got the cold cucumber drink when I came in 2014. There are 2 options to go to Lux*, by domestic flight + speedboat (cheaper) and seaplane, once you book, you will get a notification from the resort or just simply send them an email to arrange your local transport to the resort. At that time agoda.com gave me very good rate than the other marketplace or even direct booking
Angsana Velavaru
I stayed in Angsana on my past pre wedding photo session in 2015, the beauty things about this resort is they stand from 2 island, they main island where the beach villa, receptionist, and other facilities located and the water villa area which separated about 200 meter and connected by dhoni Maldivian traditional boat every 1 hour. God this resort has their own jacuzzi even we stay only in beach villa which cost much cheaper than the water villa. If you stay in teh water villa you will stay in a huge room that also have a balcony where you can see the twinkle beautiful star at night. This resort don’t have any buggy for you to travel around the island cause buggy is only for taking your luggage. Food was really amazing and all staff are so friendly even they will help you to find the simply information such as the sunrise time and sunset time will come (it really matters for me cause I want to shoot for my couple). For the second time I still use the damn good agoda.com but so sad that I have to fly with the seaplane which cost USD450/person
Photo Shoot Services in Maldives
I’ve been twice to go to Maldives for serving pre wedding photo shoot and I could say the view was amazing, I stayed in Lux Maldives on September and in Angsana Velavaru on October so I can recommend you to come during those month, I think before October will be better cause I got hard rain before I shoot on October. If you interesting to invite me to capture your pre wedding or wedding pictures you can see my overseas photo shoot package.