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If you want to go see Heaven on Earth, then you must go on a Maldives vacation! We decided to celebrate my birthday in Maldives and I am so happy that we did. It is just as gorgeous as it looks in the photos (even more actually) and it honestly looks unreal in person. It is definitely a bucket list destination and a trip that I highly recommend to all.
Nothing screams “paradise” quite like the Maldives, a 26-atoll chain of islands with powdery beaches, turquoise waters, and dreamy overwater bungalow resorts. The scenic beauty of the Maldives is something to behold, something you can’t quite understand until you’re there in person. Located between the Arabian and Laccadive seas, roughly 500 miles southwest of Sri Lanka, the Maldives is about as isolated as you can get – and that’s just another one of its many allures.
As I do for all of my trips, I wanted to put together a travel guide for traveling to Maldives. In this guide, I will go over our journey to get to Maldives, where we stayed, what we did, what we ate, tips for packing and more.
I made a vlog, to show you everything I outlined in this post. Please watch the vlog, comment and subscribe to my channel. I hope you enjoy the vlog, just as much as we enjoyed our time in Maldives.
Traveling to Maldives:
A day or two before travel, you must fill out The Maldives Traveller Declaration. Once you fill out the form, you will receive a QR code that you must have to travel to Maldives. You are not required to have a COVID-19 vaccination or quarantine to travel to Maldives, however, you must present a negative COVID-19 PCR test between the 3rd and 5th day of arrival. We flew on Emirates and took us 24 hours (18 hours of flying time and 5 hours at our layover) from JFK. I would highly recommend to upgrade your seats for the long flight, if possible, even if it is not First or Business class, but just an upgrade for extra leg room. It is a very long flight and you don’t want to be uncomfortable for that long of a time. We upgraded to Premium Economy/Twin, and we were so comfortable and the seats were great at a fraction of the cost of Business Class.
Once we arrived to Male airport, we were directed to a lounge where we wait for our seaplane departing time. Because the villas are on islands are over the water, you have two options to get to them – you can take a seaplane or a speed boat. We chose the seaplane option because it was quicker to get to our resort, and we wanted to have as much time at our villa that we could. Each resort has their own price for the seaplane but on average, they are between $500-$600 per person.
The seaplane is not your average plane, FYI! There is no AC, it is a small tight plane and it does not land on a runway – it lands in the sea! It was a very cool experience and you get great views throughout the flight.
When we arrived to the island that our resort was on, the resort staff was there to greet us with musical instruments and songs! It was so exciting and once you arrive at your resort, you forget all about the hot and long journey you just experienced to get there. It makes you feel like thy are welcoming the queen lol.
Where we stayed:
Maldives has numerous islands to stay on and the one you choose boils down your hotel preference. We stayed on Kuredhivaru island at MÖVENPICK RESORT. I would definitely recommend this 5 star hotel 100%. The staff are so friendly, attentive and on top of everything. Also, it is very kid friendly, featuring a kid center, kids menus, water sports and more. Every guest is assigned a host, which is a member of the staff that is the one to assist you in anyway throughout your stay. Our host provided us with his WhatsApp number, and we were able to text him for literally ANYTHING and he responded back right away. They have staff that drive around on golf carts (buggies, as they call them), ready to give you a ride to any part of the island. We always wanted a ride because it’s so damn hot lol! It was so nice to be able to have that personable touch to our stay by having a point of contact to always assist us when we needed.
Our hotel had 3 restaurants (Latitude 5.5 Restaurant, Bodumas Restaurant and Onu Marche restaurant), a gym, water sports center, yoga studio, a clinic (for emergencies and to get your COVID-19 PCR tests, Spa, Cafe and Wine Lounge, a beach boutique and more. There is also a diving center, where you can sign up for water sports or other excursions. During our stay, we went on a boat ride to go see the dolphins, snorkeling and paddle boarding. A lot of people say that there is nothing to do in Maldives, but I think our resort did a great job with having a lot of different activities for guests to take advantage of. There was a free cocktail party that included a dance show by local dancers, a DJ and free drinks. Every day between 4pm-5pm, they offer a chocolate hour, where guests can come and get all the chocolate and sweets they can for free. There are a ton of different water activities to take advantage of and each overwater villa comes with its own private infinity pool and your private access to the ocean.
Every day at the Onu Marche restaurant, they had a different themed Buffet and the food was good!
Tips for packing:
Maldives is definitely a destination of leisure. While there, you will mostly be relaxing the entire time or taking part in leisurely activities. I will say you don’t need to pack that many items. Half of the time, I noticed guests were barefoot lol. I packed a lot of outfits, because it was my birthday and of course I needed my looks! Lol However, you don’t really need to bring that much. It is so hot there, that you won’t even want to have on a lot of clothes.
After we left Maldives, we went to Dubai for a short time to keep this party going. Dubai is approximately a 4 hour flight away, so it easy to get to and worth the flight. If you don’t want to stay in Dubai long, you can find a flight that has a long layover in Dubai and then you can go see some sights or grab some food without the cost of a hotel. Dubai is a place that I have visited a few times, but each time I go, I do something different and I love it even more. I would recommend making a stop there or even another close location…. Since you would already be on the other side of the world. 😉
Here are links to my looks while on our vacation:
Pink Swimsuit and Cover Up – Seems to be sold out
Rust Colored High Waist Bikini
Houndstooth Coverup (I wore this as a dress. I put black shorts and a black tank under it)
Enjoy some photos from our trip. I hope this post has been an inspiration to make someone want to visit Maldives. It is definitely a must-see destination.
A celebration fit for a queen! Happy Birthday!