FIVE THINGS WE DID IN OUR HONEYMOON IN MALDIVES

 

 

I feel excited on this trip as it is the first time that I will travel with my hubby. Yey! Although we were exhausted after our wedding preparation and celebration, we were able to take a rest during our flight (we were sleeping during the entire flight).

 

Initially, I was a bit hesitant to go to this place as it is quite expensive considering that we have some expenses after our wedding. But my husband convinced me that it is just once in a lifetime experience. So when I am persuaded to pursue it, I booked our hotel using booking.com. We booked our stay in one of the beautiful island of Maldives, Paradise Island Resort. It is about 9.6km away from Velana International Airport (Male) and takes 15-20 minutes by speedboat. With 62 water bungalows and 220 beach bungalows, total 282 rooms all with modern 5 star facilities. The island is 931m in length and 201m width. I recommend this island resort based on my personal experience. The staffs are friendly and accommodating.

 

Since it is a small island, we were able to visit every area in the resort. If you have the time and budget, we recommend trying all their excursion programs and water sports to fully enjoy the beach and its beauty.

 

1. Take A Tour Inside The Island. Explore the beautiful island especially during sun rise and sun set near the beach. The magnificent view is eye catching as the sun shine and goes down in the deep turquoise sea. You can also take as much photos as you like in their water villas and ocean villas.

 

There are plenty of indoor activities to engage in such as basketball, badminton, table tennis, lawn tennis, squash, billiard, volleyball and you can use the gymnasium, Jacuzzi, sauna and steam bath.

 

If you want to rejuvenate, you can try their Araamua Spa. They have special promotions for couple as well as 20% discount during their happy hour (9:00am-10:ooam).

               

2.Enjoy The Sumptuous Buffet Breakfast, Lunch And Dinner In Bageecha Restaurant. The nice scent of the beach and the cool breeze of the morning make it a good place to start the day. The breakfast is included in the hotel package whilst we booked for a dinner which cost us USD 50.00 person. They serve continental, local & international cuisine so you can choose on the variety of their menu. My husband liked the chicken Biryani served during dinner.

 

Breakfast Hours:       7:30am – 9:30am

Lunch Hours:            12:30pm – 14:00pm

Dinner hours:           19:30pm – 21:00pm

 

You may also choose from any of the packages they offer:

Packages	Rates
Special BBQ night on the beach Every Friday at 19:00  (Live Band)	USD 59 for Bed & Breakfast Guests USD 39 for half board and full board & all-inclusive guests
Oriental Night Experience Get ready for a romantic oriental night experience at yoga hut, an ultimate location for pure romance and relaxation.	USD 300 net/ couple (including a bottle of sparkling wine)
Seafood Barbeque Buffet at Farumathi Restaurant	USD 100 net/ person (including a bottle of sparkling wine and water)
Seafood Lunch Adventure on the Sea	Menu 1: USD 198 net/ couple (including a bottle of sparkling wine and water) Menu 2: USD 158 net/ couple (including a bottle of sparkling wine and water) Menu 3: USD 178 net/ couple (including a bottle of sparkling wine and water)
Digging Dinner A unique an unforgettable romantic digging dinner on the edge of the sea and pristine white beach under the sparkling stars.	USD 300 net/ couple (including a bottle of sparkling wine)

               

3. Unwind In The Hulhangu Bar.  While we stay in the island, we were able to see the performance of the White Smoke band in the evening while sipping cocktail. It was a pleasant atmosphere as the sea breeze was a little cold.  The sound of the band is more of a reggae type and not rock so I enjoyed listening to them.

 

In the afternoon around 3:00pm, a Filipino duo performed beside the swimming pool. It is a perfect time to relax and enjoy the music while the sun is setting in, such a wonderful experience…

 

4. Engage In The Resort’s Excursion Programs & Water Sports.  Although the budget is tight, we still managed to enjoy some water sports. We rented a Double Canoe for USD 10.00 an hour (USD 7.00 for Single Canoe & USD 7.00 per additional hour). We also had a snorkeling lesson for 1 hour which cost USD 36.00 per person including instructor and equipment.

 

I learned a lot during our snorkeling lesson, I thought that it would be boring but it turned out to be a fun experience. We were able to see coral reefs and different kinds of fishes. I think that an hour of snorkeling lesson is enough and you can get the feel of it. If you want to experience the deep water snorkeling they also offer this kind of package.

 

Below are some list of their water sports and excursion programs that you might want to try while staying in the resort:

Water Sports/ Excursion Programs	Rates
Snorkeling (2 hours) 10:00am – 12:00pm	USD 32.00/ person minimum of 8 persons or USD
Snorkeling trips to nearby reefs are conducted every day. Snorkeling equipment’s are available from The Aqua Zone or are available to purchase from souvenir shop.
Island Hopping Full day, 09:00am – 15:30pm	USD 86.24/ person minimum of 8 persons or USD
On full day trip you will visit a Resort, local island& snorkeling point. Lunch will be provided from the fishing village. On the way back to the resort, you will be taken to the snorkeling point for swimming. You are advised to take your snorkeling equipment’s with you.
Island Hopping Half day, 14:00pm – 17:00pm	USD 55.44/ person minimum of 8 persons or USD
Half day island hopping consists of visiting a resort and one local island. Please dress modestly while visiting local island.
Night Fishing 18:00pm – 20:30pm	USD 49.28/ person minimum of 8 persons USD 12.32/ person for preparing fish
Morning fishing 06:00am – 09:00am	USD 80.08/ person minimum of 8 persons USD 12.32/ person for preparing fish
Morning & Night fishing are arranged on daily basis. Fishing hooks and lines are available on the Dhoni (local motorized boat). If you wish to have a BBQ from your catch, please identify your fish and make a reservation at Daavani (Coffee Shop) when you return from fishing.
Big Game Fishing TRIPS Morning (5 hour & 30 mins/ 1-3 pax) Afternoon  (4 hour/ 1-3 pax) Full day (8 hours/ 1-3 pax) Additional person (per Adult) Additional person (per Child)			USD 739.00 USD 601.00 USD 980.00 USD 22.00 USD 11.00
Dolphin Sunset Cruise 17:00pm – 18:00pm	USD 49.28/ person minimum of 8 persons
Relax and enjoy one hour ride on a Dhoni while you watch the beautiful tropical sunset, sipping away your favorite cocktail. Cocktail can be chosen from the selection of cocktail on the boat.
Photo Flight by Sea Plane (15 mins)	USD 162.62/ Adult USD 156.46/ Child
Photo flight is a 15 minutes journey by sea plane; you can take photographs of beautiful islands and coral reefs. A speed boat transfer is arranged from resort to airport and return, where the Seaplane flight will take place. Hotel representatives will assist you at the airport.
Submarine Trip (45 mins)	USD 162.62/ Adult USD 81.31/ Child
Explore the underwater in perfect safety. A Dhoni is arranged from Resort to Submarine dock & return.
Male Excursion 09:00am – 12:30pm	USD 55.44
Visit the capital city of Maldives. Hotel representatives will assist you in site seeing, shopping etc. Please be modestly dressed while visiting Male City.
Heaven Adventure (For twin share)	USD 412.00
Package includes Jet Ski (30 mins); Fun tube  (10 mins); Snorkeling trip (120 mins); Parasailing (1o mins); Sup Board (60 mins); Glass bottom boat (60 mins)
Paradise Explorer (For twin share)		USD 289.00
Package includes Jet Ski (15 mins); Fun tube  (10 mins); Snorkeling lesson (60 mins); Sailing (6o mins); Canoeing (60 mins); Dolphin Safari (60 mins)
Ultimate Adventure Single share Twin Share		USD 290.00 USD 580.00
Package includes Sea Bob (15 mins); Jet Surf lesson (30 mins); Jet Blade lesson (40 mins); Wake board, knee board, water ski lesson or Sup Ski (25 mins)
Standup Paddle Lesson (1 Hour) Rental (1 Hour)	USD 15.00/ hour USD 10.00/ hour (USD 7.00/additional hour)
Windsurfing COURSES Basic Course (8 Hours) Fun Course (4 Hours) Private Lesson (90 minutes) International Basic License   RENTAL 1 Hour 2 Hours 3 Hours   Windsurfing Package 10 Hours	USD 194.00 USD 117.00 USD 55.00 USD 50.00     USD 19.00 USD 31.00 USD 43.00     USD 117.00
Dinghy Sailing Private Lesson (90 Minutes)   SAILING (Sailing around the coast) 1-2 Pax (1 Hour) 1-2 Pax (2 Hours) 1-2 Pax (3 Hours)	USD 39.00/ person       USD 27.00 USD 49.00 USD 19.00/ hour

 

If you are interested in their excursion programs, you can make your reservations on the Excursion Notice board located near the reception area. All prices are inclusive of tax, 10% Service Charge + 12% TGST.

 

5. Swim Into The White Sand Beach & Swimming Pool. This is the first time that I experience white sands and it is soooo amazingly beautiful. I didn’t notice the white fishes swimming near us because of the white sand. The water is crystal clear that you can see almost everything in the water. Although we swim at almost noontime, the water feels nice. The sea was not salty and is not irritating to the skin.

 

When the sun was at the highest, we go for the swimming pool which also relaxes us. After we swim we took a nap in their bench as the breeze and atmosphere invites the spirit of sleep, it is rejuvenating.

 

I hope that you could also visit this lovely place. My husband also told me while watching and listening to the waves, that “the work of the Lord is magnificent; He makes simple things extraordinarily beautiful”.

 

If you want to buy some things to remind you of Maldives, the island resort has a souvenir shop. I thought that their price is high until we reached duty free, which triples the price. So it is better to buy in the island’s souvenir shop than purchase in duty free, although the choices are limited and the designs are average, but the price is much cheaper. Anyway, it all depends on your budget.

 

God bless us more J

 

P.S. please note that the activities & rates mentioned above are available/ applicable at the time of posting this blog, it may vary when you visit the place, however, you can make this price as a guideline.

 

 

“How many are your works, LORD! In wisdom you made them all; the earth is full of your creatures. There is the sea, vast and spacious, teeming with creatures beyond number – living things both large and small.”  – Psalm 104:24-25