Maldives
- Thread starter starfruit
- Start date
I just went for a spa the whole day and chilled out at the spa and poolside. Went to Male itself to have a look too just to kill time but I think not much to see in Male. The hotels will usually let you have the room for an hour or two in the evening to freshen up before your flight, even though you've checked out.
hi pageup,
i was in Taj Exotica last September. PEERFEECT. what do you want to know specifically?
www.tajhotels.com/maldives
i was in Taj Exotica last September. PEERFEECT. what do you want to know specifically?
www.tajhotels.com/maldives
Hi female,
Thanks for replying.
We will be going there end Feb for honeymoon
Intially we wanted to stay in a deluxe lagoon villa but they are way beyond our budget so will settle for second best i.e the lagoon villa.
Was yours also a half-board package i.e only breakfast is provided? How much does a lunch or dinner cost on average? which resturant do you recommend?
Did you take part in any of the activities like snorkelling or seaplane ride?
My friends advise us that we should take a sea plane ride but the price stated in the website is sooo expensive, I wonder if there are alternative
Is there any other activites we shouldn't miss?
thanks.. opps, hope I don't sound too long winded
Thanks for replying.
We will be going there end Feb for honeymoon
Intially we wanted to stay in a deluxe lagoon villa but they are way beyond our budget so will settle for second best i.e the lagoon villa.
Was yours also a half-board package i.e only breakfast is provided? How much does a lunch or dinner cost on average? which resturant do you recommend?
Did you take part in any of the activities like snorkelling or seaplane ride?
My friends advise us that we should take a sea plane ride but the price stated in the website is sooo expensive, I wonder if there are alternative
Is there any other activites we shouldn't miss?
thanks.. opps, hope I don't sound too long winded
Hi Pageup,
You're actually in luck! The lagoon villa is the best-kept secret there. I actually posted this before in another thread on Maldives..just cant find it now. What happened was, like you, we wanted deluxe lagoon, but it was only available 1 day later, so the plan was to stay 1st nite in lagoon villa, then moved to deluxe the 2nd day. Turned out, the lagoon villa is so much better than the deluxe, we kicked a fuss to "downgrade" back to the lagoon villa. Later, the staff admit that they also think that the lagoon villa is better. These are the reasons why: 1) we're actually advised against swimming at the deluxe villa coz the currents there are strong. but, the pt of staying in a water bungalow is to be able to climb down the ladder straight into the sea rite?! at the lagoon villa, you can do that. 2) more privacy. there are actually a lot more deluxe villas than lagoon villas. at deluxe, there is a common walkway above water for prob 20 villas. at lagoon, u only share with 1 other villa 3) its a much closer walk to the restaurants/swimming pool areas fr lagoon.
hiyahh, why i say so much - once you get there, you'd see what i mean! 2nd best is indeed the best! Im sure you'd have a wonderful time - Feb is good weather. I went during the monsoon, so it rained too much, & no point to snorkel also. but we still had a great time coz its all so beautiful.
yes, mine was also half-board, but breakfast is usually so heavy that we skip lunch. its all ala carte, no buffet. I only ate at the restaurant at the reception area, coz the other one was too expensive. Food's very very good. In fact, the chef got written about in a premier magazine. Expect to pay about USD30-40 per meal. Rem to bring snacks & instant noodles. Skip the water coz its provided. You can also bring your own DVD, tho they have a library there.
Becoz of the rainy weather, we didnt snorkel. Neither did we island-hop coz its expensive! we only went on the Male city-tour. Please Please skip it. Utter waste of $$, hassled by retailers all the time. I did the spa...sigghhhh. spa is a must!!! try the indian head massage.
well, whos the long-winded one here???!
You're actually in luck! The lagoon villa is the best-kept secret there. I actually posted this before in another thread on Maldives..just cant find it now. What happened was, like you, we wanted deluxe lagoon, but it was only available 1 day later, so the plan was to stay 1st nite in lagoon villa, then moved to deluxe the 2nd day. Turned out, the lagoon villa is so much better than the deluxe, we kicked a fuss to "downgrade" back to the lagoon villa. Later, the staff admit that they also think that the lagoon villa is better. These are the reasons why: 1) we're actually advised against swimming at the deluxe villa coz the currents there are strong. but, the pt of staying in a water bungalow is to be able to climb down the ladder straight into the sea rite?! at the lagoon villa, you can do that. 2) more privacy. there are actually a lot more deluxe villas than lagoon villas. at deluxe, there is a common walkway above water for prob 20 villas. at lagoon, u only share with 1 other villa 3) its a much closer walk to the restaurants/swimming pool areas fr lagoon.
hiyahh, why i say so much - once you get there, you'd see what i mean! 2nd best is indeed the best! Im sure you'd have a wonderful time - Feb is good weather. I went during the monsoon, so it rained too much, & no point to snorkel also. but we still had a great time coz its all so beautiful.
yes, mine was also half-board, but breakfast is usually so heavy that we skip lunch. its all ala carte, no buffet. I only ate at the restaurant at the reception area, coz the other one was too expensive. Food's very very good. In fact, the chef got written about in a premier magazine. Expect to pay about USD30-40 per meal. Rem to bring snacks & instant noodles. Skip the water coz its provided. You can also bring your own DVD, tho they have a library there.
Becoz of the rainy weather, we didnt snorkel. Neither did we island-hop coz its expensive! we only went on the Male city-tour. Please Please skip it. Utter waste of $$, hassled by retailers all the time. I did the spa...sigghhhh. spa is a must!!! try the indian head massage.
well, whos the long-winded one here???!
hi,
i'm planning to go Madives in Sept for my honeymoon and it's so exciting reading about all the postings!!! can't wait to go there....
female,
is the weather that bad in sept?? rainy most of the time?? i know that later part of the year has more rain, but i'm hoping that my one-week trip there will not be dampened by the rain... planning to go snorkelling and diving leh...
i'm planning to go Madives in Sept for my honeymoon and it's so exciting reading about all the postings!!! can't wait to go there....
female,
is the weather that bad in sept?? rainy most of the time?? i know that later part of the year has more rain, but i'm hoping that my one-week trip there will not be dampened by the rain... planning to go snorkelling and diving leh...
Hi female!!
Was Taj Exotica really really good? Saw on the website-- really beautiful... Me planning to go in dec!!!
How much did you end up paying? Where did you go to book huh? I realised that the travel agencies only offer breakfast but no half board.. Must we ask for it??
Also, did you have to spend a night at male before proceeding to the resort? My hubby (who had gone there to dive)was saying that some resorts will only provide transfer in the day... But SQ will only arrive at night!!!
So sorrie for so many questions!!
But finally found someone who had gone to Taj Exotica!!!
Thanks!!!
Was Taj Exotica really really good? Saw on the website-- really beautiful... Me planning to go in dec!!!
How much did you end up paying? Where did you go to book huh? I realised that the travel agencies only offer breakfast but no half board.. Must we ask for it??
Also, did you have to spend a night at male before proceeding to the resort? My hubby (who had gone there to dive)was saying that some resorts will only provide transfer in the day... But SQ will only arrive at night!!!
So sorrie for so many questions!!
Thanks!!!
Hi,
eternity: according to the staff, they say that the monsoon should have ended by end August. but as Maldives is pretty big, i think the weather can vary fr island to island. I mean, even on our tiny island, it is common to walk in light drizzle from one end, to sunlight & no rain by the time you reach the other end. The rain I encountered were all very mild, last 10-15 mins each time, but just very weak sun. Im sure you can still snorkel and dive. my hubbie & i are more sun-types, so when see the sky grey-grey, dont feel like entering water. Even with the monsoon, Maldives is a very beautiful place -I may not have seen much sun, but I saw lots of rainbow. 1 week! wow, what an enviable budget!
Hi Eileen, the resort itself is purrrr-fect. Beautiful big rooms, nice minimal white decor, excellent staff. and that sun-deck! However, the beach is just a tiny strip of sand - i wldnt call it a beach. Its also coral-sand, so its not the super-fine, like flour kinda white sand.
But these may be a common feature all the other islands share coz Maldives has very mild waves. Can anyone who's been to the other islands enlighten me?
I paid about $1700 coz we extended 1 night. The normal 4D3N is abt $1400. Part reason why we chose Taj was its close enough to the airport to reach by speedboat on the very night we arrive. Its true, the sea-planes do not fly at night, so, with many resorts, you're required to stay overnight in Male before transfering in the day. DO not take the fullboard offer that agencies offer. I believe we were offered to top up $170 per day. Which is ridiculous, considering each meal for 2 is about usd 50 at most. There is no need for lunch coz breakfast is usually a heavy affair. We brought our own snacks & instant noodles too.
Hope this helps!
eternity: according to the staff, they say that the monsoon should have ended by end August. but as Maldives is pretty big, i think the weather can vary fr island to island. I mean, even on our tiny island, it is common to walk in light drizzle from one end, to sunlight & no rain by the time you reach the other end. The rain I encountered were all very mild, last 10-15 mins each time, but just very weak sun. Im sure you can still snorkel and dive. my hubbie & i are more sun-types, so when see the sky grey-grey, dont feel like entering water. Even with the monsoon, Maldives is a very beautiful place -I may not have seen much sun, but I saw lots of rainbow. 1 week! wow, what an enviable budget!
Hi Eileen, the resort itself is purrrr-fect. Beautiful big rooms, nice minimal white decor, excellent staff. and that sun-deck! However, the beach is just a tiny strip of sand - i wldnt call it a beach. Its also coral-sand, so its not the super-fine, like flour kinda white sand.
But these may be a common feature all the other islands share coz Maldives has very mild waves. Can anyone who's been to the other islands enlighten me?
I paid about $1700 coz we extended 1 night. The normal 4D3N is abt $1400. Part reason why we chose Taj was its close enough to the airport to reach by speedboat on the very night we arrive. Its true, the sea-planes do not fly at night, so, with many resorts, you're required to stay overnight in Male before transfering in the day. DO not take the fullboard offer that agencies offer. I believe we were offered to top up $170 per day. Which is ridiculous, considering each meal for 2 is about usd 50 at most. There is no need for lunch coz breakfast is usually a heavy affair. We brought our own snacks & instant noodles too.
Hope this helps!
female,
thanks for replying... glad to know that it's only slight drizzle... well, no choice if the sky is a little grey, grey... as long as can still "chiong" for the snorkelling and diving, i'm happy enuff liao....
by the way, i went to Taj's website n under the link "about us", the picture shows these long stilts out to these sea. are those lagoon villas and deluxe lagoon villas? and those on the stretch of sand is the beach villas? the pictures are so beautiful... can't wait to go!!!!
thanks for replying... glad to know that it's only slight drizzle... well, no choice if the sky is a little grey, grey... as long as can still "chiong" for the snorkelling and diving, i'm happy enuff liao....
by the way, i went to Taj's website n under the link "about us", the picture shows these long stilts out to these sea. are those lagoon villas and deluxe lagoon villas? and those on the stretch of sand is the beach villas? the pictures are so beautiful... can't wait to go!!!!
book the lagoon villas - trust me, its better, and cheaper somemore. did you read my posting on Feb 10 about this? the interiors are exactly the same. those long stilts you mentioned are deluxe lagoon villas. yes, those are beach villas - looks good too huh, but they're not above water. click on this link to see my pictures of the lagoon villa.
http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=ke9z1v5.h0rey8p&x=0&y=-ue4it5
some of the pixs were taken in a drizzle.
seeing the pixs, oh, now i want to go again!!!
http://www.ofoto.com/I.jsp?c=ke9z1v5.h0rey8p&x=0&y=-ue4it5
some of the pixs were taken in a drizzle.
seeing the pixs, oh, now i want to go again!!!
female,
thanks for posting the pictures... so beautiful!!!! of course if the sky can be in blue color, it would be perfect....
by the way, i tried using the online reservation at Taj's website and chose quite a number of dates, but all seems to have no availability... do u know if it's not yet open for reservations or u think it's fully booked??? better not be the latter...
thanks for posting the pictures... so beautiful!!!! of course if the sky can be in blue color, it would be perfect....
by the way, i tried using the online reservation at Taj's website and chose quite a number of dates, but all seems to have no availability... do u know if it's not yet open for reservations or u think it's fully booked??? better not be the latter...
no problem ladies
eternity, i wouldnt know why, maybe you can call them directly to ask? they speak english. they did say their peak season is in Nov - Feb. let me know if you find out how much it is to book directly. but generally, tour agencies get better deals when coupled with air tix. yeah, there was 1 blue sky. but the sky before & after rain is so gorgeous - did you notice that the water looks greener?
hi eileen, yes, includes airfare. $1700++. i cant rem the exact amount. i believe its a pretty good deal for water bungalows. the bathroom's really nice - very big, with separate shower & toilet. it was raining, so my pix couldnt capture the view fr the bathtub. but it was in there that i saw the stingray & mini shark! literally jimped out fr the bath & ran to the deck to see. you should check the website - the pictures there are awesome. www.tajhotels.com/maldives
eternity, i wouldnt know why, maybe you can call them directly to ask? they speak english. they did say their peak season is in Nov - Feb. let me know if you find out how much it is to book directly. but generally, tour agencies get better deals when coupled with air tix. yeah, there was 1 blue sky. but the sky before & after rain is so gorgeous - did you notice that the water looks greener?
hi eileen, yes, includes airfare. $1700++. i cant rem the exact amount. i believe its a pretty good deal for water bungalows. the bathroom's really nice - very big, with separate shower & toilet. it was raining, so my pix couldnt capture the view fr the bathtub. but it was in there that i saw the stingray & mini shark! literally jimped out fr the bath & ran to the deck to see. you should check the website - the pictures there are awesome. www.tajhotels.com/maldives
Congrats pageup!
We paid mostly by credit cards, so just need to round up the figure a bit. USD$2 should suffice. As for carrying of luggage (we didnt have much), bringing of things to the room, its up to you if you want to tip or not. We didnt, coz no small US$. If you have, $1 shld be ok.
Have a great trip & remember to report back here for the other girls!!! so envious....
We paid mostly by credit cards, so just need to round up the figure a bit. USD$2 should suffice. As for carrying of luggage (we didnt have much), bringing of things to the room, its up to you if you want to tip or not. We didnt, coz no small US$. If you have, $1 shld be ok.
Have a great trip & remember to report back here for the other girls!!! so envious....
Hi gals,
Just came back yesterday morning from my Maldive honeymoon trip. I stayed at Fullmoon resort which is about 15 mins from the airport by speedboat.
Here are some photos of the resort to share
http://sg.f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/garfield548/my_photos
Hi Pageup,
Rem to bring some mineral water there.
Just came back yesterday morning from my Maldive honeymoon trip. I stayed at Fullmoon resort which is about 15 mins from the airport by speedboat.
Here are some photos of the resort to share
http://sg.f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/garfield548/my_photos
Hi Pageup,
Rem to bring some mineral water there.
hi pageup,
I tot mineral water are complimentary too. But for my resort, only 2 bottles of mineral water were complimentary. Rest of the days, they only gave me a hot flask of water and the water taste funny. We were also being advised against boiling the tap water for drinking. 1.5litres of mineral water cost US$2 from the minibar.
I am not sure about your resort but I will definitely bring mineral water next time I go
I tot mineral water are complimentary too. But for my resort, only 2 bottles of mineral water were complimentary. Rest of the days, they only gave me a hot flask of water and the water taste funny. We were also being advised against boiling the tap water for drinking. 1.5litres of mineral water cost US$2 from the minibar.
I am not sure about your resort but I will definitely bring mineral water next time I go
smurfy, arghhh..... you got me going into dreamland, after seeing those beautiful pictures.... i jus let the slideshow repeat once, twice, three times,....
pageup, i oso read before that not all resorts provide complimentary mineral water daily and can cost UD$2-3 when bought at the resort's restaurants/minibars... so you may want to check wif your resort first or bring some extra...
pageup, i oso read before that not all resorts provide complimentary mineral water daily and can cost UD$2-3 when bought at the resort's restaurants/minibars... so you may want to check wif your resort first or bring some extra...
hi smurfy,
if you read my earlier postings.... Yes, i'm going there !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
just that me went into dreamland much earlier after seeing your pictures ....
i'm planning to go there for my honeymoon in late Sept and is now looking at which resort to stay.... can share how much u spend and where you book your package from???
if you read my earlier postings.... Yes, i'm going there !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
just that me went into dreamland much earlier after seeing your pictures ....
i'm planning to go there for my honeymoon in late Sept and is now looking at which resort to stay.... can share how much u spend and where you book your package from???
hi eternity,
Ooops...if you don't have a budget, do go for Hilton. I heard that its glass bottom bungalows is a paradise..
I stayed at Fullmoon Resort, opted for breakfast and dinner. I booked the tour from Asia Euro at Chinatown point. I cannot remember the price. Will get back to you tonite when I check it out.
Ooops...if you don't have a budget, do go for Hilton. I heard that its glass bottom bungalows is a paradise..
I stayed at Fullmoon Resort, opted for breakfast and dinner. I booked the tour from Asia Euro at Chinatown point. I cannot remember the price. Will get back to you tonite when I check it out.
hi eternity,
We paid S$3,332 in total for both of us. It is suppose to be a 5D3N package but in actual fact we reach there on Thurs night and leave on sun night.
I check out my guide book (borrowed from a friend) : Each sunset water villa suite at Hilton has a glass-floored sitting room, rotating circular bed, large-screen plasma TV, remote control Roman blinds, private boat, butler, and a specially excavated lagoon swimming pool (around US$2500, wow!!!).
But there are cheaper type of accomodation at Hilton too.
hi Cat,
Basically its just sea sports at Maldives. Some examples are snorkling, fishing, diving, sailing, canoeing, surfing. Aso, you may go island hopping, male shopping, whale and dophin watching, take the seaplane. All these activities are arranged by the individual resorts. You just need to sign up at the activity center and all charges are billed to your room. Other things that you may do on the resort itself are spa, tennis, beach volley etc. You don't have to bring many clothes, just your range of bikinis will do ;p
Its advisable to choose a resort that has house reef, better for snorkling
We paid S$3,332 in total for both of us. It is suppose to be a 5D3N package but in actual fact we reach there on Thurs night and leave on sun night.
I check out my guide book (borrowed from a friend) : Each sunset water villa suite at Hilton has a glass-floored sitting room, rotating circular bed, large-screen plasma TV, remote control Roman blinds, private boat, butler, and a specially excavated lagoon swimming pool (around US$2500, wow!!!).
But there are cheaper type of accomodation at Hilton too.
hi Cat,
Basically its just sea sports at Maldives. Some examples are snorkling, fishing, diving, sailing, canoeing, surfing. Aso, you may go island hopping, male shopping, whale and dophin watching, take the seaplane. All these activities are arranged by the individual resorts. You just need to sign up at the activity center and all charges are billed to your room. Other things that you may do on the resort itself are spa, tennis, beach volley etc. You don't have to bring many clothes, just your range of bikinis will do ;p
Its advisable to choose a resort that has house reef, better for snorkling
smurfy,
thanks for the information... so the deal u signed up was 5D3N, but the resort actually pick u u on thursday and check u in?? that's not bad... i was thinking whether we had to look for another night's accommodation in Male or maybe still around at the airport till day break...
wow, it's really "WOW" for the Hilton deal...
so i supposed Fullmoon has house reef? will such information be available in guide books?
thanks for the information... so the deal u signed up was 5D3N, but the resort actually pick u u on thursday and check u in?? that's not bad... i was thinking whether we had to look for another night's accommodation in Male or maybe still around at the airport till day break...
wow, it's really "WOW" for the Hilton deal...
so i supposed Fullmoon has house reef? will such information be available in guide books?
hi eternity,
yup, we check in on thursday cos our resort can be reached by speed boat. I guess those resorts that don't check you in are those further away and need to be transferred by seaplane which operate in the day only, eg. hilton.
But if you book with agent, they will do all accomodation arrangement for you, so you don't have to worry about it.
Nope. Sad to tell you that Fullmoon does not have a house reef.. we didn't do our "homework" well enough before we book this package. But even if there is no house reef, you could still book their reef snorkling activity and they will have a speedboat take you to somewhere with nice reefs and fishes..
Yup, all these information are available in the guide books. They are available at some national libraries for the older version and Times do sell a couple of them too.. In Maldives also got sell alot of their guide books..
yup, we check in on thursday cos our resort can be reached by speed boat. I guess those resorts that don't check you in are those further away and need to be transferred by seaplane which operate in the day only, eg. hilton.
But if you book with agent, they will do all accomodation arrangement for you, so you don't have to worry about it.
Nope. Sad to tell you that Fullmoon does not have a house reef.. we didn't do our "homework" well enough before we book this package. But even if there is no house reef, you could still book their reef snorkling activity and they will have a speedboat take you to somewhere with nice reefs and fishes..
Yup, all these information are available in the guide books. They are available at some national libraries for the older version and Times do sell a couple of them too.. In Maldives also got sell alot of their guide books..
smurfy,
thanks for the info... found some website previously that has the list of resorts in Maldives... now trying to go through them patiently and shortlist some... planning to borrow/buy guidebook to further help in the shortlisting process.... hope to find the best honeymoon location that is within wat my pocket allows....
so how's married life??? heehee...
thanks for the info... found some website previously that has the list of resorts in Maldives... now trying to go through them patiently and shortlist some... planning to borrow/buy guidebook to further help in the shortlisting process.... hope to find the best honeymoon location that is within wat my pocket allows....
so how's married life??? heehee...
eternity,
yup, alot of websites on maldives. Surf around first since you still have some time to your honeymoon
Married life seems less exciting than before. I feel that we had less communication. We used to talk on the phone everyday for 1 hr, now when we reached home, we will do our own things. For instance, he will watched TV while I surf net. Or he will play comp games while I wash clothes or watch tv. So I feel that life had become boring for me.. Maybe I'll go and take up some courses
yup, alot of websites on maldives. Surf around first since you still have some time to your honeymoon
Married life seems less exciting than before. I feel that we had less communication. We used to talk on the phone everyday for 1 hr, now when we reached home, we will do our own things. For instance, he will watched TV while I surf net. Or he will play comp games while I wash clothes or watch tv. So I feel that life had become boring for me.. Maybe I'll go and take up some courses
hi smurfy,
you are early today...
yah, still got time to surf around, but think need to quickly shortlist already... scared later the resort i want fully book then i will be very sad...
KS hor... heehee
maybe u two can find some activity to do together lor... like going for exercise, or having picnic at the beach... it's like this lah, getting married is not all about love, it's about companionship oso... just make it a point to do something that both of you like together... enjoy the companion while keeping the love alive...
you are early today...
yah, still got time to surf around, but think need to quickly shortlist already... scared later the resort i want fully book then i will be very sad...
KS hor... heehee
maybe u two can find some activity to do together lor... like going for exercise, or having picnic at the beach... it's like this lah, getting married is not all about love, it's about companionship oso... just make it a point to do something that both of you like together... enjoy the companion while keeping the love alive...
hi eternity,
I won't be so early if I got a choice. Got work today mah.. so sian..
yup.. if you book everything yourself eg. air tickets, accomodation etc you can book much earlier thru the airlines and those accomodation websites. If you book thru a tour agent, dont' think you can book early. Must wait for the package rate to be out, usually 2 months before travel date..
He is always quite busy.. sometimes he worked until 8+ in the evenings. I also hope we can find something to do together
I won't be so early if I got a choice. Got work today mah.. so sian..
yup.. if you book everything yourself eg. air tickets, accomodation etc you can book much earlier thru the airlines and those accomodation websites. If you book thru a tour agent, dont' think you can book early. Must wait for the package rate to be out, usually 2 months before travel date..
He is always quite busy.. sometimes he worked until 8+ in the evenings. I also hope we can find something to do together