Capital: Male
Currency: Rufiya/Dollar
Population: 360,000
No. of Atolls: 26
Flight no. SQ452
Departure: 20:45
We reached Male airport!
Male airport is on an isle on its own - Hulhule
We had to take a ferry to Male, the capital and it's only US$1 per person! The ferry which the locals take to travel back and forth. Thank goodness i did my homework and didnt get the hotel transfers which was US$11 each!
Male airport jetty...
the water was sooo clear even at night!
I got us a room at Relax Inn, just 5mins walk from the jetty. It was a joke and really the worst hotel we've stayed in ALL our trips! It was clean, small and basic which i didnt mind but gosh, the smell!!! It had this indian incense smell which got me pretty nauseous. It was terrible.. but it was only for 1 night so we made do.
(As Zack later said... we went from Hell to Heaven in one day.. hahahaha.)
The next morning, we walked around the capital to look see. Nothing much just watching the way the locals live.
Despite the horrible hotel, i'm still glad we came to the capital. When we think of Maldives, we always envision beautiful waters, luxury resorts etc.. But we didnt think of the more humble community these gorgeous islands belong to.
The population consists of Indian muslim. As we didnt explore the inner parts of the capital, we couldnt tell what they do for entertainment. There was nothing interesting.. no shops to browse, no trinkets to buy. Alot of construction and rubble around.
We couldnt wait to get to our resort!
Male is really small!
Come 11.30am, we took the ferry back to the airport.
the many booths of the various isle resorts.
the jetty where the many boats dock..
we got our very own private mini cruise! Just the 2 of us :P
they gave us warm towels and bottles of mineral water (which we collect like crazy.. haha). We even bought a big bottle of water from Male which cost US$2, it's going for US$3.50 in the resort!
our Water Bungalow wasnt ready so we went to Anchorage Bar for some drinks :) and had our first glimpse of amazing waters.....
At Anchorage Bar...
Zack was drinking zapper... really!
I was starving by then so we had our lunch. While lunching an attendant came and told us our Water Bungalow (WB) was ready! wooohooooo!
the water bungalows..
Male is really small!
Come 11.30am, we took the ferry back to the airport.
the many booths of the various isle resorts.
the jetty where the many boats dock..
we got our very own private mini cruise! Just the 2 of us :P
they gave us warm towels and bottles of mineral water (which we collect like crazy.. haha). We even bought a big bottle of water from Male which cost US$2, it's going for US$3.50 in the resort!
our Water Bungalow wasnt ready so we went to Anchorage Bar for some drinks :) and had our first glimpse of amazing waters.....
At Anchorage Bar...
Zack was drinking zapper... really!
I was starving by then so we had our lunch. While lunching an attendant came and told us our Water Bungalow (WB) was ready! wooohooooo!
the water bungalows..
Room 139!
what greeted us every morning... :)
the toilet!
you can even enjoy the beautiful ocean while doing your numbers!
oh oh the bathtub......
the view.. oh the view....
the toilet's side door opens out to the sun deck..
this is where we lie at night.. watching the thousands of stars in the sky, with the breeze tickling our cheeks, the musical sound of waters lapping against each other, we chat til we both doze off... i'm so missing this....
it reminded us of our time in Krabi..... *wistful*
Zack was soooo happy! He immediately striped to his boardshorts and hit the waters!
at dusk from our WB...
our dinner at Coast Sands...
we got a table outside on the terrace, next to the ocean but it got windy so we had to move in :(
my maldivian curry lobster was out of this world!
not too spicy with a dash of sweetness..
Zack's lamb marsala was superb too!
they gave so much meat and lobster, we couldnt finished.. it was sooooo good...
and guess what Anchorage Bar served??
oh yes.. SHISHA!
believe you me.. that's the cheapest thing in Maldives! It was only US$7 a bowl! Singapore is S$15. And Zack couldnt resist calling Marky.. "Guess what i'm doing now?.... This is the shite man!" hahahha.. yeah... good food, surrounded by beauty and luxury, and smoking shisha in Maldives!
we had to sit according to the wind direction so i wouldnt inhale any of the smoke.. hah.
2nd Day: it rained!
some places are still beautiful even when it rains :)
we woke and had a late breakfast (as usual) then walked around the isle.....
there were many crabs too... see how they camouflage with their surrounding.. nature is really amazing.
we were getting quite damp so what better place to hang out in than our WB!
stingray.....
black-tipped sharks....
pretty fishes....
were our daily companions :)
Zack's lamb marsala was superb too!
they gave so much meat and lobster, we couldnt finished.. it was sooooo good...
and guess what Anchorage Bar served??
oh yes.. SHISHA!
believe you me.. that's the cheapest thing in Maldives! It was only US$7 a bowl! Singapore is S$15. And Zack couldnt resist calling Marky.. "Guess what i'm doing now?.... This is the shite man!" hahahha.. yeah... good food, surrounded by beauty and luxury, and smoking shisha in Maldives!
we had to sit according to the wind direction so i wouldnt inhale any of the smoke.. hah.
2nd Day: it rained!
some places are still beautiful even when it rains :)
we woke and had a late breakfast (as usual) then walked around the isle.....
there were many crabs too... see how they camouflage with their surrounding.. nature is really amazing.
we were getting quite damp so what better place to hang out in than our WB!
stingray.....
black-tipped sharks....
pretty fishes....
were our daily companions :)
AQUUM ~ Island Spa is on a mini isle of its own
we went to book our sessions for the next day!
In the evening.. we went fishing!!!
within 10 mins, Zack caught the 1st fish!!!
i only caught mine at sundown.. haha...
it was a red snapper!
that day's catch wasnt too good... our entire boat only caught this much..
can you see our fishes? with the blue tag #139 (room number).
we picked the fish we wanna keep and the chef will cook it for us, in the style we chose.. the following night.
we chose Zack's fish.. and had it cooked in thai style.
gotta pay US30 just for this! :S
and as usual... our night activity is shisha again!
housekeeping was extremely efficient.. everytime we leave our room, we came back to a tidy room!
the bed was sooooooooo comfy!
the pillows soft as clouds......
do you know they change the mattress after every guest's departure?
i dont wanna leave!! can i stay here forever??
our 3rd Day: the day we got chased by a parrot fish!
housekeeping again! second time when Zack needs the toilet.. hahahha!
we bought goggles and the underwater view was STUPENDOUS!
if you stay still in the water, small fishes might just swim by! Underwater, you see hundreds of small silver fishes swimming about around you. They are so small you cant see from upwater. There are parrot fishes which looks so comical (the fish with lipstick). Many different kinds of fishes with such brilliant colors. It was just like swimming inside a saltwater aquarium!
and a dark brown/yellow parrot fish chased us!! It was perhaps the most memorable and hilarious episode of our trip :P (not just the fish chasing us but what happened after.. hahahah)
a parrot fish..
see how clear the water is!
it's gonna rain soon!
so when it rains.. it's time to soak in the tub!
Sometimes you can just see a school of fishes swimming by.. and some flying out of the water :)
SPA TIME!
i got a silky body polish while Zack had a massage :)
and we saw a rainbow!
so that night, we had our most amazing sunset....
more frolicking....
and i figured this is prob the last time i'd don a bikini *sigh*.. i was the model that day :P
the heat is so cosy.. and it can simply slip yr mind that you are in fact baking there!
saying our goodbyes :(
it was really money well-spent.. Zack thoroughly enjoyed himself :)
housekeeping for the next guest.. they even changed the mattress!
there are buggies available to ferry us around
the lobby.. Christmas decor was up when we left.
oh sorry.. we werent due to leave yet.
We were off for our last fishing trip! ;)
an eel!
check out the bait.... yellow fin tuna! It's like frigging expensive..
we anchored just a spot away from the water bungalows..
good spot.. the bites were plentiful!
Zack caught 4 fishes in total..
and dishing out advice when i'd yet to catch a single one after awhile.. haha.
and no one's gonna believe what i caught!!
omg..... a 5kg snapper!!!
see... i'm not interested in small fishes.. i go for the HUGE ones *smirk*
:D
(i was basking in glory for only a few days until Zack upped me and caught a 7kg grouper back in Singapore!!!)
our fishes! See MY fish... and see Zack's fishes
Fullmoon Resorts & Spa was a marvellous place to nest in for that luxury break. Service was efficient and warm. We simply indulgenced in serious pampering those days. But nothing comes cheap!
......then we are off to the SUNSET DOLPHIN CRUISE
"quick ju quick"
"quick ju quick"
guess what?? Zack bumped into a friend! They were on their honeymoon. Gosh... in Maldives and we see friends ard.. the world is getting cramped.
and we saw a rainbow!
so that night, we had our most amazing sunset....
when you get so close to nature, you cant help marveling at God's wonderous ways...
i love sitting here at night... it's just so tranquil.. and you'd never know who might pop by to visit..
:)
i love sitting here at night... it's just so tranquil.. and you'd never know who might pop by to visit..
:)
Our 4th Day:
check-out was at noon so we extended til 6pm.. and gotta fork out US110! (US140 til departure time) Yes.. everything is dollars and cents in Maldives!
more frolicking....
and i figured this is prob the last time i'd don a bikini *sigh*.. i was the model that day :P
sunbathing time..
the heat is so cosy.. and it can simply slip yr mind that you are in fact baking there!
and had ourselves a cosy afternoon watching TV and ordering room service! (i can live like this everyday!)
saying our goodbyes :(
it was really money well-spent.. Zack thoroughly enjoyed himself :)
housekeeping for the next guest.. they even changed the mattress!
there are buggies available to ferry us around
the lobby.. Christmas decor was up when we left.
oh sorry.. we werent due to leave yet.
We were off for our last fishing trip! ;)
an eel!
check out the bait.... yellow fin tuna! It's like frigging expensive..
we anchored just a spot away from the water bungalows..
good spot.. the bites were plentiful!
Zack caught 4 fishes in total..
and dishing out advice when i'd yet to catch a single one after awhile.. haha.
and no one's gonna believe what i caught!!
omg..... a 5kg snapper!!!
see... i'm not interested in small fishes.. i go for the HUGE ones *smirk*
:D
(i was basking in glory for only a few days until Zack upped me and caught a 7kg grouper back in Singapore!!!)
our fishes! See MY fish... and see Zack's fishes
Fullmoon Resorts & Spa was a marvellous place to nest in for that luxury break. Service was efficient and warm. We simply indulgenced in serious pampering those days. But nothing comes cheap!
I don't think i could forget how delighted Zack was when we first stepped into our water bungalow. I was a little overwhelmed too! haha.. He was like a little boy being given a new shiny toy.. hahahah. Yes it was an expensive holiday but it was worth every penny. The present had served its purpose - to bring joy :) He better appreciate it.. dammit, who ever receives an almost all expense paid trip to Maldives as a birthday present! As i always say, money can be earned back.. but such beautiful experience is priceless. And my darling deserves the best! :)
This is really like a second honeymoon for us. It was just us and our beautiful surroundings. With our little one growing inside, it seems like we have so much more to celebrate, to be thankful for. And i've never in my life felt more blessed than now :) When i see the joy in his face everyday, i know he feels the same way :) In everything we have, we give thanks to the Lord..
Now we can tell our little one he/she had been to Maldives.. haha. He/she is in for another treat in 2 months time! *winks* Zack and i made a pact that there'll be no more extravagant gifts from now on. Our priorities have changed and really... we have our fun already. Too much maybe! haha.. :D
No comments:
Post a Comment