Maldives
Do I really need to say more? Since this is a travel blog, I guess I’ll say a few more words about this dream destination. Never in a million years did I think I’d ever be able to go to the Maldives. But I did it, and you can (and should) too.
The Maldives are located about 600 miles from Asia with it’s nearest neighbors being Sri Lanka and India. Approximately 1,100 tiny islands stretch over 500 miles from north to south across the Indian Ocean to form the Maldivian Archipelago.
The Maldives is the place for couples or families looking for the ultimate tropical experience. It’s warm clear water, pristine white sand beaches, palm trees galore, great snorkeling and scuba diving, lots of sun, and luxury resorts make the Maldives just about as close to heaven as you can get.
My husband and I found round trip flights from LAX to Male, Maldives for under $600 each on top-rated airlines Qatar Airways. I have even seen flights from LAX under $500 with some Chinese airlines. Be warned that this is not a quick trip. Our flight from LAX to Doha, Qatar was 16 hours. After a 6 hour layover (during which we were able to do a quick city tour- more on that later), we boarded our 5 hour flight to Male, Maldives. Yes it took us over 24 hours to arrive in the Maldives. Was it worth it, and would I do it again? Absolutely!
All Maldivian resorts are located on their own private island and are either a short boat or seaplane away from the airport, depending on the distance. We ultimately decided to stay at a resort closer to the airport that utilized boat transfer as opposed to sea plane. The biggest reason for this was cost. Every resort that we looked at charged at least $500 per person round trip for the seaplane transfer. We decided to use this $1,000 savings to splurge on an overwater bungalow with a private pool.
We chose to stay at the Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa. It was a quick 20 minute speedboat ride from the airport, which meant we were at our bungalow within about 2 hours of landing at the airport. Our villa was stunning and had unbelievable views. We spent the majority of our time on our deck, swimming in our private pool, or snorkeling in the crystal clean water right off our deck. We saw eels, reef sharks, crabs, and so many different, colorful fish. The resort has beautiful beaches, an excellent spa, delicious dining options, and plenty of activities and excursions to enjoy.
I had dreamed about going to the Maldives for so long and I am here to tell you that it exceeded all my expectations. The reality will surpass any picture you’ve ever seen of this beautiful country.
