Planning your first holiday to the Maldives? Keen to know which island to visit in the Maldives? Well, we at Travel Escapes, with our expert travel professionals, have created a checklist of tips & tricks, what a first-time traveller should consider before booking their first holiday:
Stunning white-sand beaches, pristine turquoise waters, amazing snorkelling, delectable cuisine, beautifully appointed resorts – the Maldives has it all! However, being your first trip to the Maldives, it is important that you are careful with your Maldives tour planning, keeping in check the overall costs of the holiday. Maldives, in general, is an expensive destination and these tips can help you conserve your funds and use them in the wisest way possible:
Resorts in Male` atoll which are accessible by speedboats would be the preferred option for first timers: For a first timer, it is always good to opt for a resort within the Male` atoll itself, which is accessible by speedboats. This will reduce the transit time at the airport as well as reduce costs of staying over in Male` island, if you arrive by a late evening flight.
If you however love a resort that is accessible ONLY by a seaplane, please opt to arrive latest by 3.30 PM during the day. Seaplanes fly only from Sunrise until 1 hour before sunset. Hence, it is important that you are at the seaplane counters latest by 4.30PM. If the weather conditions are not conducive for flights to take off in the evening, your flight might get postponed to the next day morning. So, please keep this in mind when you plan your international flight to the Maldives AND if you are booking a resort with a seaplane transfer. If your arrival is before 3.30 pm, with a transit time of around 1-2 hours at the seaplane terminal, you should be on your way to your resort by seaplane.
The costs of your holiday depend greatly on the season: Depending on the seasonality, the overall costs of your holiday can vary greatly. Peak season, starting from 20th December until Easter in March/April will be quite expensive. The good news is that since Maldives has sunshine round the year, with the primary rainy season being only in June-July, you can get fantastic deals & offers through reputed Tour Operators like Travel Escapes Maldives, for the periods April – June and from August until December. So, for the first timers, plan your holiday for the above periods and you will have an unforgettable holiday experience in the Maldives!
Consider an all-inclusive resort: Since the Maldives has a unique one island, one resort concept, one of the best recommendations would be to opt for an all-inclusive resort. Maldives has fantastic all-inclusive options within the Luxury segment as well as in the Five star/premium segments and you will have enough options to choose from while dining or opting for excursions. When you are in Paradise, you can very quickly run a very high tab on those pina coladas and beers, which is why an All-Inclusive might be the way to go for a first timer.
Book an EXTRA day and get MORE value: The longer you stay, you get MORE offers and deals. Many resorts offer additional deals and free nights, if your stay is for a longer period. So, ideally, when planning for the Maldives either plan for 5 nights or 7 nights and you can certainly get some value-added offers including free massage, complimentary dining under the stars, a night fishing excursion or similar.
Maldives is primarily a HONEYMOON destination BUT there are MANY resorts which are child friendly: Even though Maldives is popular worldwide as a honeymoon destination, there has been an upswing in families travelling to the Maldives, for rebonding and rejuvenation. Many resorts offer fantastic family deals and have many options for the children too. Well appointed kids clubs, clubhouses, tennis courts, snorkelling lessons, cooking classes are some of the activities, to name a few.
Beach Villas is just as good as Overwater villas: Overwater villas are of course very romantic and unique BUT for a beach person, maybe a beach villa amidst lush green vegetation with sandy, white beaches all around and a crystal-clear lagoon to play in, would be more ideal. So, consider Beach Villas too when you look for choices.
Some resorts have better coral reefs around the island and have BETTER snorkelling than others: IF you are a snorkelling buff and your primary objective of selecting a resort is to snorkel, then it is important you understand clearly that the resort of your choice has coral reefs which are accessible directly from the island. There are many resorts with mesmerising coral gardens all around the island and they are just a few laps away from the main island. Some resorts have oversized lagoons and, in these instances, the coral gardens can be quite far away. These coral gardens can be reached only by a boat, which can be easily arranged with the resort itself.
Planning to get PADI certified OR keen to dive? IF you choose to learn diving and get certified OR you wish to dive during your holidays, always book an extra night, once you finalize the number of dives you wish to do or once you know the number of days required for a dive certification. A 24-hour gap from your last dive is important for your health, to avoid any decompression sickness, once you get on an airplane.
PACKING TIME? – LESS IS MORE! : Kaftans, swimsuits, linen shorts, t-shirts, sunglasses, a beach bag, a sunscreen, a beach hat , casual shoes and sandals – You are absolutely READY for an amazing holiday in the Maldives! An SPF suntan lotion would be essential with some aloe vera to cool your skin.
THINGS to be kept OUT of your bag: The Maldives being an Islamic country, there are restrictions on what you carry with you. You are not allowed to bring any idols of worship, religious books, pork & related pork products, alcohol or any other kind of spirits. These will be detained in the airport upon arrival. You can get it back when you depart (it will be kept in safe custody), BUT there will be a lot of paperwork involved after you arrive, which will delay your departure to your resort of choice quite extensively, especially if you are taking a seaplane transfer.
Visa on arrival: Every tourist travelling to the Maldives gets a 30-day Tourist Visa on arrival - FREE OF CHARGE, provided you are able to furnish a confirmed RETURN Air Ticket, along with a resort / hotel accommodation confirmation from the resort / hotel concerned.
Welcome to the MAGIC of the Maldives – SLOMO indeed; Thrilling when you want it, serenity at its best, when you need it! So, plan your next summer holidays to the Maldives and come experience the true heaven on earth, through Travel Escapes Maldives.
Travel Escapes Maldives has a variety of resort options within the Luxury segment to cater to all your needs. The team is happy to create customised itineraries as per your requirement. For further details, please visit www.travelescapesmaldives.com.