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Linda Fowler, Assistant Manager of our travel agents in Felixstowe, travelled to the Maldives for seven nights to explore the different islands. Here are some of the highlights from her trip as well as recommendations for others looking to visit this popular destination for luxury holidays.
Destination: Maldives
Operator/Host: Kuoni
Accommodation
(Hotel names/Ship name): Kurumba, Athuruga, Baros, Velassaru, Kuramathi
Airline: Sri Lankan
Duration: 7 nights
Flights
Outbound –The check-in was fast and efficient but the in-flight service was lacking a bit of the personal touch. The stewardesses were not very helpful and seemed as though they just wanted to get everyone to sleep for their overnight flight. Sadly the in-flight TVs were not working on our flight and the captain didn’t introduce himself over the public address system; something which is usually a comforting part of any flight. Leg room was also minimal but the food we were served was good.
The internal flight from Sri Lanka to Male, the capital of the Maldives, was excellent. We had good leg room and great food.
On the way back, the service from Sri Lankan Airlines was much better. However, I was offered a cold chicken lasagne, which when I said I did not want, they offered to heat it up in their microwave!
We had no delays on both the inbound and the outbound flights and so the timings of our trip all ran smoothly.
Accommodation
We stayed on 7 islands in total and each of the accommodation options we enjoyed was excellent.
Every resort we stayed at gave us a beach villa, which were all very nice. These were all situated right on the beach, apart from the accommodation in Kuramathi which, despite being advertised as beach side, was actually located in the gardens.
We also got a chance to take a look around the water villas, which were my favourite. You can even request to either face the sunrise or the sunset, but this is not ever guaranteed.
The standards of the villas on all of the islands were all excellent and a lot of them had outside baths and showers, which were perfect for the Maldives.
Excursions
Our trip included snorkelling with the sea turtles and that was just the best experience ever, with perfect organisation from start to finish. We also went out early one morning and had a session of Yoga on a sand bank, which again I would recommend to anyone who enjoys this relaxing activity. There are various other excursions available when travelling to the Maldives including deep sea fishing, diving and snorkelling or sunset cruises.
Highlights
My favourite part of the trip was definitely snorkelling with sea turtles in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
Possible Improvements
To be honest, I could not fault anything on this trip once we got to the Maldives. They have a fantastic product to sell and they do it in a first-class fashion.
Recommendations
I would recommend the smaller islands to honeymooners and people who are perhaps enjoying their wedding anniversary, as it is very quiet and very romantic.
The larger islands like Kurumba and Kuramathi, I would recommend to families. Whilst I would recommend the whole area to divers, as it is the perfect place to enjoy this past time and a lot of the islands have their own house reefs.
Additional Comments
A lot of the small islands have no swimming pools, so it might not be the best choice for you if you don’t like swimming in the sea. There are small sharks that regularly swim around the edge of the islands, but we were told by the locals that they are vegetarian and harmless. We survived so they must have been right, even though I did have my doubts sometimes. The bigger islands do usually have their own swimming pool, so this may be a better choice for anyone not wanting to swim in the sea.
Also, Kuramathi is quite a distance from the airport on Malé, so I would always recommend taking a seaplane and not a speedboat. We travelled by speedboat and quite a few people were sick; not the best start to a honeymoon or holiday!
Must see? Beautiful sunsets in the Maldives
Must do? Feed the stingrays in Kuramathi
Must try? Sushi and snorkelling with sea turtles
If you would like to book your own holiday in the Maldives, perhaps as a romantic honeymoon holiday, we can help you get the best deal. Visit one of our travel shops to speak to a member of our team in person or fill out a contact form online.
