Maldives

ahdan

New Member
juz came back frm maldives..

flew by SQ..
a pretty gd deal for 2..
abt sgd 2.1k..

1st nite stay was at a hotel intro by the hotel staffs @ airport called loona..

stayed at hilton iru fushi water villa..
nice views...
can snorkel behind e villa..
the sky view at nite was breath-taking too..
starry nite...

food wise.. v limited..
the buffet breakfast was basically the same everyday...
the international buffet dinner was not v fantastic either..
most of the time..
we ordered room service..

got a 1/2 day tour of MALE guided by a hilton staff..

although its e so-called monsoon period..
it was v sunny..
it only rained on 2 nites..

=)
 


sinplyme

New Member
christie > am looking at a variety... all states "on-request"...
sad.gif

which resort u booked?
happy.gif
 

mooncloud

New Member
i booked hilton irufushi... i suggest for u to email the resorts and check on a couple of websites.. I booked a bit too fast only to realise the hotel gave the best rate. Sigh.. Live with it loh... Just send one standard email template for those u are interested? Easier i assume..
 

sinplyme

New Member
how many nights u booked?
i heard water bungalows, though got air-con, its still very stuffy due to the sun shining... is that true?
 

veracity

New Member
Hi sinplyme, christie

No worries. I din reli find Hilton water villa stuffy. Then again, I was blasting the Hitachi a/c throughout @ the lowest poss temp.

Read my long posting above. I enjoyed my time there v v much. Am stil dreaming of the Maldives. Once u've been dere, life wil nv be the same agn!!!
 

sinplyme

New Member
veracity >
I'm dying to go.. but all resorts with water bungalow seem to be "out of stock" i.e. not available.
sad.gif


I'm like emailing all the hotels directly but I wonder if that will be the lowest quote since agencies should get better rates...
sad.gif
 

mooncloud

New Member
Hihi.. sorry.. was busy with work and stuff...

sinplyme> i booked 4 nights only coz tat is the longest hubby is willing to go for. Altogether 5 nights if u count the first night in male. And like wat veracity mentioned, i think i will be blasting the aircon.. So shld be ok bah..

U can email them. The last time they also say no stock but it was available when i emailed them. So do check it out. But hilton a bit slow. I waited then gave up and book thru the agent coz it was the last available room. Then they get back to me after tat but it was too late. I booked thru agent liao. Their rates were better by total of abt 100USD. Sigh.. i guess i just try not to think abt tat loh.

Veracity> ur post prompted me to try hilton! glad that u enjoyed ur stay there...
happy.gif
 

ah_faith

New Member
Hi there,
my hubby and I are also interested to go Maldives for our Honeymoon. Any hotel to recommend? I especially like those hotels that are straight out at sea de. Anyone knows the estimated price for such hotel?

Will it be cheaper to book through travel agency or book the hotel and flight separately?
 

patndrew

New Member
Christie> oh u going or u back? Nice!!! I replaced Maldives with Bali for cny, sq no tickets for male. Do post some pics in fb ya!
 

mooncloud

New Member
hi pat, will be only going maldives mid dec... So still waiting for my turn... :S But tonite will be flying off to australia to meet my hubby first. He's working there for 5 weeks. Finally got the time to go over to keep him company.

Good that u haf planned stuff for cny. Going to be a long holiday. Dun think i can go anywhere. My dad seems to want me home for reunion dinner. Well... see how... Will definitely load the pics in fb once i am back frm maldives... ;)

faith> i prefer to book separately coz i think u can save a bit. Also, a lot of travel agents count the nite in male as one night. So confusing. Feel cheated if i reach there and only haf 2 nights in the resort. If you want to book via travel agent, got to check very carefully. Dun think they are cheaper.

As for which hotel, depends on budget? There are many nice ones ard. And the price range really varies. I suggest you work ard a budget and fix the duration of stay then select from whatever fits your budget? That is wat i did. Also, like wu mentioned in the past, it also depends on when u travel. Off peak season from may till july shld be cheaper. In general, it can range from USD 300 plus all the way to more than USD 1000 per nite depending on where u choose.
 

ah_faith

New Member
Hi Christie> Thanks for the advice. I guess I should be prepared with the budget and the hotels that I am interested in before checking out the yr end travel fair. Also wanna look at the hotels offered by the travel agents on prospective hotels. Btw, I read in forums that there's not much shopping can be done over there. So will 5 nights at Maldives be too long a stay?
 

mooncloud

New Member
Pat> no need envy lah.. i shld envy u instead... I only first time going leh. At least u haf been there before.. I am gg to hilton irufushi..

faith> I dun think there is much shopping there. Prob some small decorative items maybe? Main cost there is still the food and accomodation. I will be staying one nite in Male and 4 nights in the resort. Think mine is short.. Was hoping for more. Depends on whether u all will get bored just lazing ard? My hubby and I are the nua type. So we prob can survive there quite long doing nothing...

I think its a good idea to plan out a rough budget and list down the hotels. Best to do some comparison in hotels. Look thru tripadvisor for visitor ratings? Can try www.mal-dives.com or www.agoda.com for the resort prices? Then you shld be better equipped with how much u shld spend. I originally aimed for angsana velavaru inocean villa but it was full for the dates i wanted. So maybe u can look at that. May be pricey but see if got promotion? Hope i managed to help. Will be away till the 22nd of nov (in fact in the airport using free internet access now). May not be coming online during this period. Prob the others can help you along the way. Had a lot of help while i was planning for my travel.
 

patndrew

New Member
Christie> i thought you been there before....
anyway enjoy, take more photo show me k!! next i would liek to try hilton too.
are you a Hilton honours member? apply for it and you could accumulate some points. for future use.
I send you a PM
 

patndrew

New Member
Christie> cannot PM you, anyway, if you can, help me get the Maldives resort guide for the airport. its 35USD i think.....
There are lots of guide books, this one comes with many languages, i want it in English.....
 

mooncloud

New Member
pat> just got back.. anyway no issue... will get it for you if i see it. Its called the resort guide? I will keep a lookout. Hilton honours member? Hmm.. okie... i will apply then. Just got back yest. Still feeling tired from the flight..
 

patndrew

New Member
Christie> did you had a great time at aussie land?

As for the guide book, i try search from online book store, but apparently i think it is a local guide, not an international publishing
One distinctive difference is, it come with many languages.

Have a good rest ya!
 

mooncloud

New Member
Pat> Didn't do much in aussie land leh.. Was there to keep my hubby company coz he's there for work. So usually while he's at work i just laze ard in the apartment since its only a small town.. Manage to catch up on rest though. ha.. Dun worry.. will look out for a guide book which comes in many languages. The rest of the books dun come in so many languages i hope...
 

mooncloud

New Member
Hi everyone! I'm back from paradise.. though caught the cold while on the last day there. Sigh..

Just to share my experience in case others are considering maldives too. We booked Hilton Irufushi for 4 nights, stayed one night at Relax inn in Male. Did everything ala carte. Was quite happy to get SQ tickets at a slightly cheaper rate of 1.7k for 2. USD also slightly down at the time of my booking... Manage to stay within budget.
happy.gif


Upon arrival at Male, immediately received by Hilton representative. Help us transfer to Relax inn. Next morning the representative was slightly late. But only abt 10 mins. So still ok. Had an early flight too. About 7 plus or 8am if i am not wrong. Left Male abt 6am. Manage to catch abt 6 hrs of sleep so was quite happy enuff. Thank god i saved some money by booking Relax Inn. Settled breakfast with our own prepared milo satchets and biscuits..Ha..

Seaplane into Hilton was lovely. Long at abt 45 mins. Saw a lot of atolls. No turbulence. So feel more safe. Haha.. Upon arrival i was first told no early check in since they were running at 95% to full occupancy (peak season). But after a while i was told they gave me another room. So i got to check in at 10 plus in the morning. Happy with that.

Took the horizon water villa room. Had an outdoor jacuzzi. I am crazy over such stuff. But realise that there is an ispa actually. Does pretty much the same thing. Ha.. So i reckon for future travellers considering hilton, just go for the normal water villa. Save the money. But overall, i did enjoy myself in the outdoor jacuzzi... Saw a variety of fishes swimming pass from the balcony and washroom. Cannot identify wat is wat.. saw a ray too.. I assume its a manta ray. Ha..

Service was good in general. Some staff were really frenly (wonder is it becoz of the tips we gave.. haha) and can remember our rooms and stuff. Others greet u prob only becoz they haf to. But in general, everyone was nice and frenly. Easy enuff to make bookings for dining, excursions and spa.

Didn't do any excursions in the end. Sunset fishing was fully booked and the sunset dolphin cruise can cancelled due to the rain. But well.. we entertained ourselves by nua-ing in the room. Ha..

Spa was really good. I went for spa 3 times when i was there. Would have gone one last time if not becoz i was sick. But its costly. I think it made up half of my expenditure there. Ha.. Anyone gg there can try their hot stone massage. Fantastic.

Dining was ok. We survived eating the same breakfast spread in the morning. Usually we skip lunch. Did a variety of dinner options. Had a gourmet grill by the beach, went for a maldivian buffet and did a private destination dining. Tried room service on the rainy day as well. Generally more american, european fare. Loads of BBQ and grilled stuff. Which is prob why i fell sick. But worthwhile to go for the destination dining though a bit exp. Lovely experience. Never felt so romantic in my entire life. Too bad it was very windy that night. But at least there was no rain.

Weather was ok. Rained one full day while i was there. The other 4 days had lovely sunshine. Though 2 of them were really windy. A bit freaked out by the rain esp since i was staying over the ocean. Ha.. But well.. gave my hubby a chance to be macho. :p

Got my late checkout. But prob coz i was ill. They extended it till abt 2pm. Went for lunch, used their free internet at their library and its time to check in for our seaplane!

In general, hilton was worth the price that was paid. I do think they did deliver up to 5 star quality. Not the very very posh 5 star.. But can consider 5 star. Island may be big (easily got to walk about 15 mins from water villa to main restaurant) but give us time to stroll and chat. Those who are lazy, just flag for a buggy. They are like the taxis in the resort. Though at full occupancy, i didn't see that many people ard. Most of them stay in their rooms i guess. Only see the crowd during breakfast in the morning. I also manage to get extra water in my room free of charge just by requesting from my room attendant. So we got by pretty fine. Oh.. but beware the mozzies there. I kena a lot man.. Just by walking ard the island or dining at the main restaurant. So dun book the beach villas. Its a NO NO. At least i dun have mozzies in my water villa.

Finished my long story writing. Hopefully it helps if anyone is considering Hilton. Maldives is truly a paradise. No wonder everyone help raves abt it... We are still visualising the ocean in front of us. Ha..

Pat> didn't get the guidebook for u. There were more than one that come in many languages. Was worried that i get the wrong book. So my hubby told me better not get it. They all cost 40 USD or more i think. Maybe i am in the wrong shop. :S Sorry...
 

ah_faith

New Member
Christie> So glad to hear abt ur experience there coz I'm still cracking my head on this trip! I have not make any booking coz due to my hubby's work, he cannot confirm the dates we should go for our honeymoon now (we planning to go in early March). I did email Hilton and they said it is Peak period in March and told us to book early but unfortunately we cant. =x
My hubby and I are very interested in Hilton Maldives!

A few questions I wanna find out and hope u can enlighten me:

- What time did you arrive at Male Airport? I did my research and there was only 1 timing SQ takes off to Maldives.

- Upon arrival at Male airport, u checked into Relax Inn? Is this because there's no flight transfers to Hilton upon touch down?

- I checked thru Hilton's website and I only saw their rooms come with breakfast. Any half board packages? We intend to skip lunch too so as to save $$...

- If it's a half board package, does it entitle dinner at all the restaurants? Meaning I can go to one restaurant in the 1st night and another restaurant in the subsequent nights?

- Is there a need to make reservation for the restaurants?

- Roughly how much did you pay for the spa? We love spa too!

- What is/are the currency/currencies used in Maldives?

Do you mind sharing your Maldives pics with me? If you dont mind, can you add me in FB: [email protected]
Thanks so much! Apologies for the long email! Coz I'm still deciding whether to take ala carte or tour package (if there is)...
 

mooncloud

New Member
faith> u want to try april instead? I heard from some of the staff that hilton is fully booked till march. Although i didn't feel that packed while i was there (also fully booked), i do think that it will be better if they are not running at full occupancy. Maybe u will have better chance of an even later check out time. But if schedule only allows for march, then just try.

Answering to your qns:
1) Male is 3 hours behind Singapore time. You will depart at 840pm (SG), arrive at Male about 10pm. Its abt a 4hr flight. And yes, only 1 flight timing. Unless SQ decides to change their flight timings, which i doubt so.

2) Yes. I made my way from the airport to Male island (got to take their boat) and then check into relax inn. That is becoz there are no seaplane transfers at night. We were greeted by a hilton representative at the airport. He help us get onto the boat, brought us to Relax Inn and help arrange for someone else to pick us up the next morning. He helped us with the luggage too. So pretty much quite straight forward for the transfer.

3) Not sure if they haf half board packages. Can't help u on that coz i was only looking for bed and breakfast. And forget abt their lunch. Nothing much. The food does get a bit too much. We munch on biscuits and chips, brought cup noodles, and made our own milo and kopi-o there for lunch. Ha... (cut cost u noe..)

4)I do seriously recommend the bed and breakfast only. If i am not wrong, half board may only cover the main restaurant. You may get sick of eating buffet all the time. U prob got to top up a bit if u choose to dine in another restaurant. If B&B, u can do the breakfast, then just choose which restaurant u want for dinner. In fact, if it is raining, just go for room service (which is wat we did). I dun recommend braving the rain. So b&b may give u more flexibility. But u can always email them to check. No harm. I was happy to choose my dinner venues (so the trip wun seem so routine coz there is seriously not much variety in the things u can do.. ha)

5) Except for the main restaurant (buffet.. and that is where u haf breakfast), the rest of the restaurants all haf to make reservations. Just book once u are there and u shld be safe. Some nights have lobster and champagne BBQ, gourmet grill.. stuff like that. More exp. But more exclusive, less kids and definitely romantic. Ha... And those dinners may come with FOC wine (those dinners definitely not covered in half board) so make sure to ask.

6) The spa prices really varies. But in general, USD 100 for 1 hr massage. Give and take. They got different promotions everyday. If u really book hilton, let me noe.. i will find the book and tell u the daily discounts. U can always email them to request for their spa menu and prices. I believe their website has them too. Its only the daily discounts that are not published. Do go for the discounts if u happen to like wat is offered. Save a bit. I only utilised one of them. Didn't stay on those days with the more attractive discounts. I opted for a honeymoon couple massage. Booked it before the price hike (think there was one just before i arrived coz all the prices went up.. sighz.. if i noe i book all before i leave on the trip) and it was like USD460 plus 10% service charge for 2.5hrs. Now its USD 550 plus 10%. Not cheap at all. But good service and skill... Just close two eyes and go for at least one. Esp if u all love spa. Wun regret.

7) Everything in USD. But generally u can charge to ur card. Just bring loose notes for tipping. The bank rate dun seem so horrible afterall. I think its better than carrying tons of cash with u.

Just added u on FB. Realise we seem to have a mutual friend. Ha... No worries abt the long msg. I just flooded the forum with my own long entry u noe.. Besides, i am glad to share coz i got super a lot of help from the previous forum pple who went. Some of them dun frequent the forum anymore. All busy with their kids. So if i can help, i help.

Lastly, if u dun mind just a little bit more hassle, then go for ala carte. Its really easy. Just need a bit of time. For the same duration i went, i think i saved 1-2k booking everything myself. Use the savings for extravagant dinners and countless spas... ;) Hope i helped!

Merry christmas!
 

ah_faith

New Member
Christie> babe thanks for adding me. We've (my hubby & I) seen your Maldives photos and we are so looking forward to our trip there even though nothing's finalized! haha! Thanks for the info given on my queries! They are definitely helpful!
Btw, few more questions (sry for being so long winded as I intend to go ala carte as well and I seldom book trips on my own so have to ask many many questions =x) :

- Other than Relax Inn, are there any other similar hotels in Male to spend the first night there?

- Did you inform Hilton that you will be spending the first night in Relax Inn or they will assist to arrange some hotel for u to stay?

- The main restaurant only has buffet for dinner? What about the other restaurants? U went ala carte for your dinners in Hilton? I read in tripadvisor that the buffet dinners are expensive, say about US$50++/pax!

- Wow the Spa is really expensive! US$100/hour massage! Probably I will only go once or maximum twice! But my hubby likes the personal jacuzzi villa as he said can use it instead of spending $$ at the spa. Lol! I cant confirm the dates that I will be going as pending my hubby's confirmation...=\ I also hope I can go in April coz it's my birthday month... but then again, the staff already told u during ur trip that March's fully booked so I foresee April willl be too by nxt month... So the trip will depend on my hubby le... Then perhaps when I can confirm my dates, I shall ask u for more tips!

Mind sharing how much in total u spent for the 5 nights stay (including Relax Inn) in total, excluding ur spa expenses? coz I wanna have an estimate on the amt to set aside. Coz since it's ala carte, hav to pay everything one shot for the trip. My AD in Feb so have to do careful calculation... =\
 

mooncloud

New Member
faith> I think i better reply u before i forget. Ha.. later in christmas mood... no worries abt the qns.. i used to ask even more.

1) There are many hotels (at least i heard a couple) in Male. I believe some forumers went for Holiday Inn (looks posh but i believe its expensive). There is also another hotel just beside the airport (dun even have to take boat) but its expensive too. When i say expensive, i mean abt S$200-300 i believe. Relax Inn is prob abt S$100 plus. For just abt 6-7 hrs i am willing to sacrifice a bit. Its clean and comfortable enuff. But nothing much more to expect. But if u all prefer more comfort, i think holiday inn photos look not too bad. FYI, i think u got to leave the Male hotel in the morning. Both veracity and i got the early seaplanes. Veracity booked holiday inn. She got to leave even earlier than me. U can look at her earlier post.

2) I informed hilton my arrival details (plane number and arrival time). They replied and asked for my overnight accomodation in Male. So i gave it to them. Not sure if they will assist to arrange some hotel. May be possible. But i dun think its necessary. No idea if they will overcharge if they book for u.

3) Main restaurant only has buffet. There are 4 restaurants i believe. The other 3 serves mediterranean cuisine, asian fare and grilled food. I think the price has increased. I think its abt USD 70 per pax for buffet plus 10% service charge. I only went for one buffet dinner on my first nite. Not tat bad.

4) Yesh.. the spa is expensive. But worth it to go for at least once. We loved the hot stone massage. Ha.. If ur hubby likes the jacuzzi then go for it. Do take note that the bathroom has an ispa. Its like a bathtub, but works in the same way as the jacuzzi, able to opt for jets of water or bubbles. The only diff is that the jacuzzi is outdoors. So if ur hubby only wants the jacuzzi effect but not necessary to be outdoors, then u can consider the normal water villa. But as u can see frm the photos, jacuzzi gives different feel also. So up to u. We will prob opt not to have it the next round (but tat is becoz i tried it before already). Anyway, think price diff is not tat big between the two. So can consider the jacuzzi one. Good thing is.. the horizon water villa (the one with jacuzzi) is on the side of the island with more amenities (nearer to adult swimming pool and spa etc). So less walking, more peace i guess. The normal water villas all on the other side.

They did say they are close to full occupancy till march. But maybe 95%? Can still try. But i dun think april will be fully booked. They have seasonal crowd. So once the season is over, april is pretty much a lot more quiet. In fact, i was previously advised to try mid may to mid july (low season) as its a lot cheaper. But happen that my husband got leave to clear and there was SQ promotion together with hilton promotion so we just went.

I had really expensive meals there. I went for private dining (only the 2 of us with private waiter and chef.. if u want this, please book way before u leave.. only 2 couples per night) as well as their gourmet grill. If i deduct away the spa and the expensive meals (substitute for normal ones), i think abt S$6k doable. But i only spent 1 night male, 4 nights Hilton. Didn't do excursions (btw, produce ur marriage cert, they will give u one complimentary excursion, USD50 off spa, and free champagne and fruit platter on the first day).

If u dun mind, maybe u want to share roughly how long u plan to stay and how much budget u think u can spare? Prob i can advise u better how to stretch ur dollar and enjoy more? We are extremely lazy there.. So our expenditure may not be a good gauge. We seriously only spend on food and spa. Wahaha... Oh yah.. food expenses and spa expenses only pay upon check out. So dun stress... ;)
 

ah_faith

New Member
Christie> Thanks for the reply. Does that mean that Hilton booked the Relax Inn for you? I dont mind staying at a cheaper hotel since it's just for a night's sleep.

I hope to go in April too and that I can confirm the trip by nxt month. Else may have to go in May, which is not so bad since u said it's off peak season which means the rates will be cheaper. =D

One thing is my ROM is in 2009 but my AD is in Feb nxt yr. So dont think I will qualify for the complimentary excursion. =(

I saw u took a picture of a Lion Fish in the waters. It's kinda dangerous leh considering that if one do not know, may want to touch the fish without knowing its poisonous. *shudders* But it will be a waste if I don venture into the clear waters of Maldives... *indecisive* lol! Scally I visit their swimming pool daily instead! =x

My budget for flight & accomodation with breakfast is about $6k for 2 of us. I was thinking if we opt for the normal dining then perhaps just bring abt $2k with us for our expenses there. Do u think it'll be enough for the same number of days trip as yours? Of course, will also bring along credit card for 'emergency' uses. lol!
 

dondon_v

New Member
Hi Everyone,

Any suggestion when is a gd period to go Maldvies? If Planning to travel ard July or August? Roughly hw much is per pax? If by Club Med is it a gd choice?

Hope to hear from some of you... THanks Guys...Can send email to me @ [email protected]
 

mooncloud

New Member
Hi faith>

Sorry was busy. Anyway, I booked relax inn myself separately. Didn't go through Hilton. It's not that difficult. I booked via agoda. Although u can source other websites or relax inn's main website to see which gives a better rate?

In that case I dun think u can qualify for the free excursions or perks. But on the bright side, it's not a lot. Anyway, dun think apr and may differ by that much. Though I did do a quick check for u using may's date (ha... Coz my anniversary during may so I just check for fun). SQ still has slight promotion of abt $300. So good news.

If ur budget is S$6k, for the same duration as mine, may be a bit tight if u want the horizon water villa (the one with jacuzzi). I suggest choosing the normal water villa (use the ispa which is similar to a jacuzzi), take the difference in room rates and pamper urselves with excursions and a nice dinner plus spa. More worth it. Assuming the rates I checked stays the same, the same duration as mine, plus relax inn, normal water villa, flight, maybe one spa, one excursion and one slightly more fancy dinner (eg grill on the beach), will put u at abt S$6k. Though I think S$6.5-7k may give u a bit more comfort and u wun feel so stressed to be counting money all the time there. But I believe 6k with careful planning is possible for low season. I used may dates. Not that sure abt apr. Shld be abt there.

Please do go into the waters even with those fishes ard. Just be more careful. I think the water is beautiful and sand is lovely. But be careful coz u never know what is ard. I think lionfish is extremely rare. I am just too 'heng'. Ha... Saw the lionfish and the ray immediately on the first morning within minutes of entering the water. Got a shock. Ha... Quickly flew up the ladder. Just swim away will do. It's a waste if u dun enter the water. If scared then go at least once? Ha... At least u can say u enter before. ;)

Hope I helped!
 

ah_faith

New Member
Christie> Don worry abt not replying me asap de. Coz I am still like months away from the trip and cant confirm at the moment. Reply me only when u are free okay? =D

Hm.. I was thinking of setting a maximum of $6k for accomodation and flight but looks like I have to stretch that budget to $7k le. Bcoz my hubby likes the one with jacuzzi villa... and since it's a Once in A Lifetime trip, spend a little more also no harm right?

If SQ has promotion in May, think it will also be a great month to go for the trip to save those extra few hundred dollars right? I was thinking if we go on a cheaper trip, can afford to spend slightly more on food and spa. Hehehe! Perhaps I shall check on May's dates later on.. =D

I will definitely convince myself to enter the waters de! It'll be such a waste if I dont! I will definitely return to SG with regrets! Like u said, just be more careful when I enter into the water. =S

U checked on May's date = meaning u intend to go there again during ur anniversary? Hehehe!
 

ah_faith

New Member
Hi vivian, U can check out the other Maldives link where there's more info? I'm also checking out Maldives from one of the Maldives travellers. =)
 

ah_faith

New Member
Christie> Just did my research on the flights and accomodations! Wanna ask for ur opinion on the best amongst!

- I compared the SQ rates Asiatravel.com & Singaporeairlines.com. Seems like Singaporeairlines rates are cheaper. Any other cheaper website alternatives?

- It seems that SG flights to Male had schedules in the morning/early afternoon too! I'm so happy! But will there be seaplanes scheduled sometime in the afternoon onwards? Coz I see that there are some flights arriving in Male ard 11.15am.

- If the flights from Male to SG is scheduled close to midnight hours (Male timing), would you recommend this flight? I see that between checking out of the hotel at 10am or 12pm till plane take off time is at least 10hrs or more. So in between what can we do?

- I checked the flights for departure on 1st May and return on 6th May. There's this SQ flight which interests me the most.
-----Departs SG on 1st May @ 9.50am and arrives at Male @ 11.15am.
-----Departs Male on 6 May @ 12.30pm and arrives at SG @ 8.15pm

This flight costs S$1,766.20 for two pax inclusive of all taxes. I think it's the cheapest among all other flights I checked on both websites. Do u think it's convenient, as in I can check into Hilton directly upon arrival (taking its seaplane transfer), without checking into an alternative hotel?


As for Hilton accomodation, if I can straight away check into Hilton upon arrival on 1 May, the charges for bed & breakfast for 5 nights stay is abt US$2,917.50 (equivalent to S$3,788.83).

So accomodation with breakfast + flight from 1-6 May is about S$5,555! What do you think of this package? =S
 

patndrew

New Member
wow!!! SQ has morning flights to MALE!!!
no need to spend that extra cash on a night stay in MALE!!

Christie> yes that book cost $38 USD, anyway its ok, with better flight timming, i dont mind going again!!
 

mooncloud

New Member
Faith> Morning flights?!? Take that flight!!! If only we had that option. Both flight timings are the better ones. Go for that. Price wise the same. But u save on male accomodation and dun have to wait so long at the airport on your return. Only bad thing is the last day you got to check out early. But trust me, much better than waiting. Save on your leave too! U really shld book! Now I am so tempted!!! Aiyoh. U no good leh. :S So I recommend both the earlier flights, and yup, prices will be abt there. Which is why I told u S$6k very tight for jacuzzi villa. But since once a lifetime, you can then raise the budget and go for what you like. Email Hilton to check for better prices. May be cheaper. And singaporeair is cheaper from experience.


Pat> Go go!!! Flight timings are so good!!! Go for it man!!! Now I trying to sway my hubby. Haha...
 

mooncloud

New Member
Hi Vivian, generally till mid July is low season, so should be cheaper. If u can then go for longer stays in case it rains. I went for 5 days 4 nights. Rained for one full day. But I think it was sufficient. Some previous forumers stay for a week.

To what I know, club med is much bigger with plenty of children so may not be as quiet or peaceful as some resorts. May give u a less romantic feel. Never been there. But heard it from many.

And faith is right.. I do frequent the other thread a bit more. Confusing to keep up with so many threads.
 

ah_faith

New Member
Christie> Yeah I was surprised to find morning direct flights to Male coz previous research only shows one timing, which was the evening flight. I was so glad when I see the morning flights. And I did compare the overall prices for April and May. It's a huge difference!!!!

For 18 April onwards for 5 night stays and inclusive of only breakfast plus the airfare, it's abt $7k - $8k whereas from 1st May onwards for the same length of stay, it's abt $5.5k! Can save at least $1-2k! So I think May should be definitely a better period to visit!

Oh btw, there is complimentary wireless internet in the rooms right? I emailed Hilton yesterday and I received their reply this morning le. The seaplane transfer is so expensive! Arent they supposed to be inclusive? Each pax is abt US$430! =( So really need to save up $$ by going in May...
 

mooncloud

New Member
Faith> yup... It's really good that now they have morning flights. And different season really has different rates. I caught hilton's promotional rate even though it was peak season. So the room was reasonable though I went in dec. If u can then go in may? For only a few days difference, dun think it's worth it to pay so much more.

And yes, seaplane is not inclusive. Very expensive but lovely view. Just keep ur eyes open throughout so as not to waste money. ;) it's a different experience. Hilton replies quite promptly. So no worries. U can ask for their spa and dining menu too. Can see u are getting the hang of how to go abt planning for the trip. That's good! Dun worry. It's real easy. Before u know it, u are on the way!
 

ah_faith

New Member
Christie> Yeah I think I'm getting the hang of booking my own honeymoon trip le! Used to rely on my friends to organize trips and I now understand how tiring it is during the research period! lol! But it's kinda fun to compare prices and when u get the lower rate, u cant help feeling very satisfied with ur research! Haha!

I told my hubby abt the price differences and he is also favourable on traveling in May. Isnt there any other alternatives to reach Hilton from Male? I read there are speedboats available too. Will this option be applicable and cheaper?

Hilton replied that they will update me on the halfboard packages that I asked in my email. So hopefully will receive their reply soon. But but but, despite all these painstakingly researched results, I still cant book the trip yet! =( Still have to wait and wait... So I'm hoping the Villa's still available and the prices remain status quo or lowered. =S
 

mooncloud

New Member
Speedboats are only for resorts that are nearer to
male. For Hilton, it's too far. So no other alternative other than seaplane. It's a sunk cost. Unless u opt for an alternative resort.

Prices shld be abt the same. So dun worry.
 

ryo

Active Member
Amazing news ladies.... good to know that there's morning flight to Maldives liao.. shld have already done that. Bad news is more travelers to Maldives, means more crowded and price hike? hmmm......

Patricia, christie, ah_faith... take a look at conrad's May ~ July rates as well. Agoda quote USD406 nett for their entry level 150Sqm beach villas.... tempting... Hmmm...
 

ah_faith

New Member
Christie> I did consider other alternatives and there was one that interests my hubby - Olhuveli Beach & Spa Resort. I think its prices are slightly cheaper than Hilton's coz they have rooms coming with half board packages. Probably will check out Olhuveli's availabilities if Hilton's not available. =S
Olhuveli's email response time is also pretty fast too! =)

Wu> I think Conrad's very expensive leh but I am most interested in Conrad's underwater restaurant! SO so SO Unique lor! But becoz I am looking for a watervilla so wont be going for beach villas... So am trying to find a cheaper watervilla but unfortunately, Conrad's watervilla is way over budget... =(
 

mooncloud

New Member
Wu> I saw liao. Ha... Fast hand fast leg. But I like the deluxe one leh. Bigger. Can play hide and seek. :p But still quite exp. Hai... Think again....
 

ryo

Active Member
Faith.....Ya.. Conrad now more expensive, ever since it change it's name from Hilton to Conrad. Still... I think the beach villa @ USD406 is still very competitive, judging from it's size and quality. Dun think any other beach villa can match.

Olhuveli not bad but it gave me an impression of a family resort rather than luxury resort. Hilton is probably a better choice if rates is near. Sister resort of Olhuveli is Vilu reef... can check that out too.

Errr.. Conrad's underwater restaurant was closed... convert to a underwater room. Been there for course dinner @USD220++ per pax. food is too exotic to our liking. Even those Angmo guest never finish their food... its a pity though.

Conrad's water villa is ex becos it uses luxury items for the room, i.e designer bathtub, basin, super comfy bed, linen, bulgari soap etc.... so to drive down cost, u can consider staying at both beach villa n water villa.
My thinking is hor... staying in a luxury beach villa is still better than a normal water villa.

But again Hilton and Conrad need airplane transfer, while olhuveli at south Male atoll can go by seaboat and/or Seaplane. Seaplane rates is a killer now.

Still, u'll never go wrong in choosing Maldives...
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Yo Christie,

the deluxe one is really big. the 300sqm is mostly outdoor. Interior I still find beach villa bigger due to it's bed placement. However one thing for sure... the outdoor bathtub for deluxe is much bigger. Ha. There's a plunge pool as well. If I can remember... it takes ages to fill up the bath tub. Haaa...
 

ah_faith

New Member
Wu> I read there's lots of mozzies in beach villas... So I think I will opt for water villas over Beach villas coz my hubby is more prone to mosquitoes bites. We never stay in a water villa before and will definitely look forward to waking up to a sea view with glass flooring panels overseeing the waters... Can already fantasize my stay there liaoz hahaha! Hehehe!

I din know Conrad's underwater restaurant was closed! I actually did consider exceeding my budget to stay in Conrad for the sake of that restaurant! But fortunately, u inform me that! I doubt I will be able to afford for that underwater room given the case. =( Actually I'm quite a noob in the luxury items being used... coz I'm only lookin at the views and waters... not really interested in the beach villa coz beach resorts will be cheaper in Bali/Bintan which are more affordable. =)

Hilton replied me that the seaplane trip is US$430++! *Faints* so so expensive! But cant help it for the sake of the sand, sea and sun!
 

ryo

Active Member
faith... hahaha.. I see. IS your hubby type A+ blood? I'm a type A+ blood and prone to mozzie bite but so far most resort I went are ok.
Yes indeed a water villa is more unique and definitely less bugs...
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Haa.. undersea restaurant is unique but once u are there, it feels quite nausea... dunno why, maybe pressure. Didn't have a great meal there though... but cannot imagine living there. Ha.
FYI, the glass roof for the undersea restaurant cost USD5million to build and is made in Singapore.
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Conrad's amenities and facilities are one of the best in Maldives(more restaurant and facilities), better than Hilton(as Hilton only just bought over that place from previous owner), Still the rates for hilton water villa is very affordable for that good quality as well. I got no doubt the rate will go up soon, good choice in fact.

yeah.. seaplane used to charge no more than USD350 even for the furthest distance. I still can remember I paid USD250++ for the seaplane flight to conrad Maldives, and SQ flight cost only S$500 nett during 2005(post Tsunami rates). Well the rates has been going up ever since.
Yeah beach villa is cheaper in Bali and Bintan, but the sand and water quality is much superior in Maldives... you'll love it!

All the best in your planning and mid May ~ mid July is low season, so most resort are cheaper in Maldives!
happy.gif
Spend less for the same thing during that period!
 

ah_faith

New Member
Wu> My hubby is a type O blood but he's easier to get bitten by mozzies than me... lol! I'm not "sweet" enough I guess! haha!
Btw which Maldive resorts have you visited other than Conrad and Hilton? You are sooo sooo xing fu! Can go there so many times! I dont think I'll have the financial capability to go there other than my honeymoon! =\

If it's easy to get nauseous in the restaurant, then means I will suffer a worser case of uncomfort! Coz I actually can get seasick... =x So I guess I wont enjoy myself but then the photos of it are simply attractive! And thanks to you, I learnt something new! US$5mil for that underwater restaurant! Amazingly expensive for just a restaurant! No wonder it's so expensive to stay in Conrad Maldives...=S Conrad owners are really a bunch of rich freaks! =x

Any idea why May to July is low season? My friend was telling me that it was Tsunami season... =.=" coz my research showss that April is almost 2k more expensive than May for the same number of night stay...
 

ryo

Active Member
Hi Faith,.... Haaa... yes.. our blood is sweeter.
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Nah... going these resorts means I got lesser savings. We're just average joe too.
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I've been to 3, Conrad(ex Hilton), Mirihi and W-resort&Spa. All of them are at Ari Atoll. Conrad is just stone throw away from Mirihi(the little humble 4stars resort).

errr.... I think its that pcs of Glass that cost USD5million. Hahaha... oh yes.. staying inside feels abit weird.. like pressure on you, very stuffy feelings even with aircon on.
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Oh yeah... these rich folks u referring to is Paris Hilton's family loh. ha...

U mean Monsoon right? if every May -July is Tsunami season.. really faint liao. Ha.
Mid May - July is their low season n so call monsoon...but i dun feel it at all. I still go for boat ride, snorkeling and diving. Most of the rain is passing by and the worse weather I ever had is a tropical storm for 1 day. Thats all. Even those non-monsoon season, i.e Dec-Jan, there are ppl who were caught in the rain for a few days..continuously.

My best guess hor is those cold weather country(northern hemisphere folks) rather stay in their own country during summer and then flood Maldives during their winter(Nov ~ Feb). Thus the price diff.April is consider shoulder period liao.

All my 3 trips there, I went almost on the same day, 30th Jun ~ 8th July.... Rates is low season rates. Why pay more to go during peak? But Christie did have a great rates for this Dec though... HAa... most resort raise their rates 2-3 times during super peak and about close to 50% more during shoulder period.

I know why I recommend beach villa liao... becos I'm gonna bring my toddler son there, but most resort do not accept child in Water villas. Haa. Anyway, I would choose a Water villa if I can too...
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So have u decided on which resort yet? Hilton is a good start in visiting Maldives... once u r there, u'll be hook by it's beauty. I'm one of them poison deeply liao.

Haaa....
 

mooncloud

New Member
Ha... Can see who is back with poison deep deep. :p

Next round i will also go for beach villa. Just for different feel. Anyway, the peak season is coz of European folks escaping their winter I guess. Not so much of weather. I kena storm for one whole day even during peak season. The waiters told be in early dec, it rained for a whole week and plus strong wind. Thank god I went slightly later.

No more underwater restaurant? Alamak... Still thought next round if go there can go for a cocktail. But dun make sense to close the restaurant and make into room, so weird.

Anyway, like that also good. Less stuff to tempt me, less poison... Ha...
 

patndrew

New Member
Wu> I remember the last year pricing was USD3xx I can't remember exact amount, but I don't think it stat with 4..... That's for the standard beach villa, the location very near to the jetty, beach front not as nice compared to deluxe beach villa hor

I have enough Kris points to go Europe.... Should I give up that idea, fly to Maldives instead?
 


ryo

Active Member
Haaaa... Christie... those who kept coming back here to this forum are all Poison deep deep liao...
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Probably I'm the deepest..:p
Yeah.. I read more ppl ganna several days of bad weather towards the year end. Seems like July period pretty good. At least for my case, in 3 different year, I came back looking like a Maldivian, really nice dark tan. :p

Pat> not sure about last but next year cheapest from Agoda is starting with a 4XX. It used to went up to 6XX years back... I immediate boycott that place...Haaa. The room I stay b4, 202 is near to the work jetty, but still ok la...still got the garden as buffer. But the beach and sand constantly moves one, due to erosion... I remember I went back during 2006, those beachfront in front of those beach villas(facing the water villa island) are almost non existence, just a few feet of beach front. Not sure whether high tide or what. At times they will pump sand from the deep to replace certain beach front...
yeah.. I reckon they shld have pump more sand infront of deluxe beach villa as you pay more to stay there loh...

Wah say... I got only enough Kris miles to go Bali... sad. I'm at Banyan Tree Bali, or maybe Bulgari...Anw, Have you went to Bali Before? Might need some advise.
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eh.... Why not fly to Maldives then to Europe? hahaha....Christie...Sounds familiar?
Wha liao best of both world. Possible right?

hmmm,... if for me, My heart still goes with Maldives. Juz simply relax..
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