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The Maldives trip report
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bubblybrenda
- Posts: 549
- Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2008 10:57 pm
- Location: Vancouver, BC
Wow, I have never ever seen underwater life like those of your photos. The colours are exactly as you said - like looking at an aquarium.
What is the name of the place you stayed? What is the name of the cottages on stilts?
I think the Maldives MUST go on my bucket list. Holy toledo is it ever beautiful there.
Thank you for sharing.
What is the name of the place you stayed? What is the name of the cottages on stilts?
I think the Maldives MUST go on my bucket list. Holy toledo is it ever beautiful there.
Thank you for sharing.
~Brenda~
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hoosierdaddy
- Posts: 920
- Joined: Tue Jan 20, 2009 11:53 am
- Location: Indiana
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hoosierdaddy
- Posts: 920
- Joined: Tue Jan 20, 2009 11:53 am
- Location: Indiana
Thanks again. I'm glad you liked the photos.
Bubblybrenda - the island is called Vilamendhoo (just google vilamendhoo island Maldives, I'm not sure if I can post a link here) and the overwater jacuzzi villas are a part of that island. Islands in the Maldives are either tourist islands (with only one resort on each island as they are so small) or local islands. Vilamendhoo had three types of accommodation, beach villas, beach jacuzzi villas and overwater jacuzzi villas. They were in high season between $255-525 per night including full board (no drinks). We were in a beach villa, but would have booked a JBV if there were any available.
Hoosierdaddy, all staff we met spoke english (more or less
) but mostly it was not a big problem.
As the Maldives is strictly muslim country, all visible staff at the island were men (or young guys). All from bar staff, in restaurants, room boys, lobby staff etc. Only female staff I saw were foreigners like in the dive shop, spa etc. I think there were a lot of female staff also, but since they probably wear burqa they are not in the frontline (maybe coocking and laundry or office work). But this is just my guess. All staff were very friendly and those who could a little more english, gladly told us about their country.
Bubblybrenda - the island is called Vilamendhoo (just google vilamendhoo island Maldives, I'm not sure if I can post a link here) and the overwater jacuzzi villas are a part of that island. Islands in the Maldives are either tourist islands (with only one resort on each island as they are so small) or local islands. Vilamendhoo had three types of accommodation, beach villas, beach jacuzzi villas and overwater jacuzzi villas. They were in high season between $255-525 per night including full board (no drinks). We were in a beach villa, but would have booked a JBV if there were any available.
Hoosierdaddy, all staff we met spoke english (more or less
) but mostly it was not a big problem. As the Maldives is strictly muslim country, all visible staff at the island were men (or young guys). All from bar staff, in restaurants, room boys, lobby staff etc. Only female staff I saw were foreigners like in the dive shop, spa etc. I think there were a lot of female staff also, but since they probably wear burqa they are not in the frontline (maybe coocking and laundry or office work). But this is just my guess. All staff were very friendly and those who could a little more english, gladly told us about their country.
Augie - The Maldives has two distinct seasons; dry season (northeast monsoon) and wet season (southwest monsoon). In these two seasons the temperature varies very little. Northeast monsoon extends from January to March, with the change over period in April then Southwest Monsoon from May to November with December being the changeover to Northeast Monsoon.
So the driest period is Jan-March, but some periods bring the big animals like mantas and whale sharks and it seems like people travel all year these days. Just like to the Virgin islands, you can have great weather in July. I don't think they have hurricanes or cyclones, but torrential rain occurs.
The driest season has the best visibility.
So the driest period is Jan-March, but some periods bring the big animals like mantas and whale sharks and it seems like people travel all year these days. Just like to the Virgin islands, you can have great weather in July. I don't think they have hurricanes or cyclones, but torrential rain occurs.
The driest season has the best visibility.
Maggy, John and I read your report and looked at your pictures together last night after arriving back to the frozen tundra from sunny and warm St. John. Such amazing photos! Thank you for posting them. Maybe someday we will get there too. 
It's like looking in your soup and finding a whole different alphabet.
Thank you. I'm sure it would fit you like a glove. Fantastic snorkeling and great food.liamsaunt wrote:Maggy, John and I read your report and looked at your pictures together last night after arriving back to the frozen tundra from sunny and warm St. John. Such amazing photos! Thank you for posting them. Maybe someday we will get there too.
I have been looking forward to your report and pics and you didn’t disappoint me, Maggy.
Just gorgeous!
And I’m being nostalgic seeing the report. We have a picture of sun beds between trees exactly as your third picture. We also have a funny story about the custom. As you know it’s forbidden to bring alcohol into the country, and in one of the custom rooms we saw a lot of confiscated bottles. We had put some Gl. Dansk and some gin in plastic bottles and had the bottles between our cloths. But the custom found them and asked what it was. Hubby said that it was medicine for his bad stomach. The man in the custom opened the bottle with Gl. Dansk and smelled at it, and I think that the smell for him was so awful, that he believed us, and we could take both bottles with us. We still can laugh of that episode.
Thank you for the report.
Linne
Just gorgeous!
And I’m being nostalgic seeing the report. We have a picture of sun beds between trees exactly as your third picture. We also have a funny story about the custom. As you know it’s forbidden to bring alcohol into the country, and in one of the custom rooms we saw a lot of confiscated bottles. We had put some Gl. Dansk and some gin in plastic bottles and had the bottles between our cloths. But the custom found them and asked what it was. Hubby said that it was medicine for his bad stomach. The man in the custom opened the bottle with Gl. Dansk and smelled at it, and I think that the smell for him was so awful, that he believed us, and we could take both bottles with us. We still can laugh of that episode.
Thank you for the report.
Linne
Thank you Linne!linne wrote:I have been looking forward to your report and pics and you didn’t disappoint me, Maggy.
Just gorgeous!
And I’m being nostalgic seeing the report. We have a picture of sun beds between trees exactly as your third picture. We also have a funny story about the custom. As you know it’s forbidden to bring alcohol into the country, and in one of the custom rooms we saw a lot of confiscated bottles. We had put some Gl. Dansk and some gin in plastic bottles and had the bottles between our cloths. But the custom found them and asked what it was. Hubby said that it was medicine for his bad stomach. The man in the custom opened the bottle with Gl. Dansk and smelled at it, and I think that the smell for him was so awful, that he believed us, and we could take both bottles with us. We still can laugh of that episode.
Thank you for the report.
Linne
About the Gammel Dansk I can totally understand it, as it really smells like cough medicine
I thought about trying to get some small rum bottles with me, but decided against it.Until May the customs will keep the alcohol for you and you are given it back upon departure, but from May they will stop with that due to lack of storage.
On the island, it was not a problem getting alcohol, but on the way home in the airport they had nothing. And I like to have a beer before a flight, so I really missed that.
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bubblybrenda
- Posts: 549
- Joined: Wed Aug 20, 2008 10:57 pm
- Location: Vancouver, BC
OMG! Wonderful I always enjoy looking at your pictures. Wow great shots and so many different fish. I wish I knew their names.
I just made my DH sit down and read your trip report. I informed him this is on our to do list of places to go. The reef looks amazing! So healthy! Did you use any special resource or web sites for research of this area? You said you wished you had a few more days so even though it is so small there was plenty to do?
I just looked at the rest of your pictures and I am definitely book marking for future reference.Thanks for sharing!
I just made my DH sit down and read your trip report. I informed him this is on our to do list of places to go. The reef looks amazing! So healthy! Did you use any special resource or web sites for research of this area? You said you wished you had a few more days so even though it is so small there was plenty to do?
I just looked at the rest of your pictures and I am definitely book marking for future reference.Thanks for sharing!
Thank you. I'm glad you liked the photos and the report. I have names on all the fishes on my Flickr page or Facebook photo site http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2 ... 574f8d6ab2cindygad wrote:OMG! Wonderful I always enjoy looking at your pictures. Wow great shots and so many different fish. I wish I knew their names.
I just made my DH sit down and read your trip report. I informed him this is on our to do list of places to go. The reef looks amazing! So healthy! Did you use any special resource or web sites for research of this area? You said you wished you had a few more days so even though it is so small there was plenty to do?
I just looked at the rest of your pictures and I am definitely book marking for future reference.Thanks for sharing!
Before we booked I made some of research and the major forum I used was Tripadvisor. The Maldives forum is pretty active.
The reason I think 9-10 days will be fine, is that it takes a few days just to relax and get into vacation mood. I would say there is enough to do. They had many different excursions, a gym, tennis court, movie nights, several bars and also several restaurants. Most people loves to snorkel or dive or just lay in the sun/shade reading and relaxing with a drink. If you don't like that I all, I don't think you would consider the Maldives. It took 20 minutes to go around the island. We came mainly because of the snorkeling/diving and just to recharge the batteries and escape the long winter.