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Hi
Is it worth going to the Maldives if neither of us dive or SCUBA?
Using MLE as a stopover on a RTW route so only there of 4-5 days maybe. Have Hilton points to use at Conrad (or similar) for a few days. Not sure it’s worth the effort just to say “Been there, done that?”
We normally holiday in Airbnb’s and look for culture, sights and local food.
Thanks
Your not going to get much culture or sights in MLE. Saying that it is a beautiful place to chill and do nothing. Options would include boat trips but not much else.
Transfers to the resorts can be very long (and very expensive!) so if you just want to flop on a nice beach for a few days there are probably more convenient options. Food and drink is also very pricy and you’re limited to the resort options for restaurants. If you post the rest of your routing I’m sure you’ll get some good suggestions.
Transfers to the resorts can be very long (and very expensive!) so if you just want to flop on a nice beach for a few days there are probably more convenient options. Food and drink is also very pricy and you’re limited to the resort options for restaurants. If you post the rest of your routing I’m sure you’ll get some good suggestions.
Your not going to get much culture or sights in MLE. Saying that it is a beautiful place to chill and do nothing. Options would include boat trips but not much else.
Thanks to both.
My thoughts exactly TBHO. I know the flying boat transfer is really expensive but there are sensible accomodation options that only require a ferry transfer. That being said you are not in a resort in an overwater villa, which I assume is the attraction for the Maldives.Check out the type of island though – some of the newer ones are “reclaimed” and can be near industrial plants, for example, and have no reef or sub-par, manmade beaches. The nearer MLE they are, the more likely they are to suffer these issues.
Check out the type of island though – some of the newer ones are “reclaimed” and can be near industrial plants, for example, and have no reef or sub-par, manmade beaches. The nearer MLE they are, the more likely they are to suffer these issues.
Good point, seems an almost impossible job though 🙂
The Conrad is lovely and as a 60 Yr old non diving couple we had a blast there over the last few weeks.
It’s a beautiful place, amazing resort , fabtasic staff, but it’s far for cheap. If you book 5 nights on points paying for 4 it’s 480,000 hilton points , plus $675 pp transfer on the seaplane and maybe another $400 a day. I settled our bill 5 days into a 10 day trip ( splitting payments across 2 cards) and it was $3350 , for effectively 4 days and the transfers – we had no lunches in those 4 days..
It’s not cheap , but it is lovely, like proper paradise. Drinks are overpriced and the food is dear. Our total bill for 10 nights was about $6000 inc $800 for a paid room upgrade.
Have a good trip…
The Conrad is lovely and ad a 60 Yr old non diving couple we had a blast there over the last few weeks.
It’s a beautiful place , but it’s far for cheap. If you book 5 nights on points paying for 4 it’s 480,000 hilton points , plus $675 pp transfer on the seaplane and maybe another $400 a day. I settled our bill 5 days into a 10 day trip ( splitting payments across 2 cards) and it was $3350 , for effectively 4 days and the transfers – we had no lunches in those 4 days..
It’s not cheap , but it is lovely, like proper paradise. Drinks are overpriced and the food is dear. Our total bill for 10 nights was about $6000 inc $800 for a paid room upgrade.
Have a good trip…
Thanks for the first h and experience!
Found this web-site
https://maldivescomplete.com/maldivesv/main.aspx10 days seems a tad long!
I should mention we was on an award booking. So the $6000 was spends over and above the 960,000 hilton points…
That does seem pricey – for less than $5000 you can do 4 nights all-inclusive, including seaplane transfers, to somewhere like Komandoo. The resorts are mostly small islands, so not necessarily going to see much local culture – just other guests.
Is it worth it – I’d say yes, if you want to get in the water and see the marine life. Komandoo is adults only (not in a mirrors on the ceilings way!) and is very small and peaceful. You can do nothing much or snorkel the reef – no motorised anything, no football pitches or tennis courts etc. Seaplane lands at a pontoon and you get ferried in by boat. We are 60+ and 50+. https://www.komandoo.com
Making it all work can be tricky – seaplanes only fly during daylight so you need to arrive at MLE early and depart late or you will end overnighting at one end in Male – which may tick your local culture box(?)
So my opinion is:
Yes, the Maldives are well worth experiencing. It isn’t quite like anywhere else.
No, you won’t get much culture but you could take a city tour in Male before you leave.
If you don’t scuba there’s less need to take an expensive seaplane. There are lots of resorts that are a boat transfer away. They aren’t all reclaimed islands either – they include some of the original resorts and resorts that owned by the local populace.
It is worth having a quick look on secretescapes and sites like that for deals. You should be able to get a room for 4-5 nights there. Then look at reviews bearing in mind that the Maldives do attract some strange ones (how dare local people travel, have a place to live, etc).
I don’t scuba and I normally like culture on holiday but I’ve never been bored in the Maldives as it’s so beautiful.
Some friends went to the Maldives for the first time in their early 60s and loved it. Neither dive, but did try snorkelling while there. If you can swim, the snorkelling is sometimes as good or better than some dives. My OH doesn’t dive and the Maldives is one of her favourite destinations.
I’m a non swimmer and had 7 nights in December at Ritz Carlton. I am usually a 20k steps a day person on holiday and love a bit of culture and a viewpoint. I’m not a foodie either. I was a bit bored in the Maldives to be honest….it was very luxurious, all whims catered for but I was glad to leave at the end of the week 😂 I had the same concerns as you but it was a bucket list kind of thing..
Thanks to everyone that took the time to respond.
I’m with Tracey
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