The word “Maldives” means “the islands of Malé”
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With their turquoise waters and powder soft sand it’s no wonder why the Maldives is the dream destination for romantic getaways and is the tropical paradise that I’m sure is on everyone’s bucket list, and it should be.
I’ve been lucky enough to visit the Maldives six times to date. Granted five of those trips was when I was Cabin Crew so I was technically working. One trip was an overnight stay and the other four were one week trips, I feel so incredibly lucky that that was my job. The sixth time was when Mark and I went for my 30th Birthday. (Which was twelve years a go now, crikey!)
When I was crew I stayed on two different islands, Kurumba and Paradise. When Mark and I went we stayed on Anantara Veli.
Out of the three islands Anantara Veli was my favorite, then Kurumba and then Paradise. All of them were reached by speedboat, but many islands can be a seaplane transfer also.
Even though it has been twelve years since my last visit to the Maldives and nineteen years since I first went, which I cannot believe it was so long a go I did have to double check my maths haha, but I can remember the Maldives like it was just yesterday.
Whenever I see pictures of the Maldives on social media or watch videos on YouTube, the Maldives looks just as I remember. Resorts obviously change, they of course have renovations and upgrades over the years, so I’m sure the islands I’ve visited previously may have changed a little which naturally you’d expect. The things that don’t change though are the pure white sands, crystal blue waters and the complete sense of serenity that the Maldives bring to you, this continues year after year and the memories will stay with you for a lifetime.
Looking back on my trips to the Maldives I wanted to share with you 5 tips to think about before you book your holiday to the Maldives.
~ Time of year ~
The Maldives does have beautiful sunshine and I’d say the temperature ranges between 25°c and 30°c, but the Maldives does have a rainy season. Rainy season is between April – October, which leaves the best time to visit is November – March. Like any weather it can be unpredictable, but this is generally the rule of thumb for the rainy season. My birthday is in February & we had beautiful weather. I’ve been in August before and it rained for the whole week. The Maldives is absolutely stunning and one of my favorite places, but when it rains it rains and can be quite miserable and boring when it does.
Another time to think about is if you go over Christmas and New Year. Be careful and make sure you check if you will be charged for a gala dinner. I’ve been to the Maldives over New Year before and the gala dinner on New Years Eve was a fixed charge whether you went or not. Chances are you will want to attend, but just bear in mind this time of year may incur extra costs. I’m not sure if every island does this, but it’s definitely a question to ask if you are thinking of going at that time of year.
~ Research your resort ~
The Maldives is made up of many islands and each island is a hotel. So you want to do some good research into whats available to do on the island. Find out how many different restaurants there are and the variety they have on offer, casual dining/ formal dining/ coffee shops/ pool bars etc as you might not want a huge dinner every night. Also look into what activities they have at the resort, spa treatments, a gym, water-sports, excursions etc. It also depends how long you are going for as well and what type of ‘holiday’ you want. For example for a weeks break you may not be too fussed and be more then happy with a comfy sunbed and a good book, like me haha, but if you are going for longer you might start to get a little island fever just being stuck on the beach all day and not having much change of scenery.
~ Transfer ~
Speedboat or Seaplane? These are the two types of transfers to get from the airport (which is also on it’s own little island!) Obviously your resort will guide you to what needs to be booked. I’ve always had a speedboat transfer and the islands we’ve been to have always been approximately a 30mins boat trip. Which is nice because it is a long journey especially is you’re flying from the UK, do you really want to then get another plane? Although I think it’d be really cool and a fun experience to get a seaplane. Saying that though the speedboat transfers are pretty special too!
When we went for my 30th we were living in Dubai at the time so the flight was only 4 hours and we went for a long weekend which was perfect. Direct flights from the UK are about 12 hours from memory, but I’m not sure if many flights go direct anymore. The airline I worked for did, it was an extremely long day, but obviously very rewarding, sadly my airline isn’t around anymore.
Make sure you check your travel time and factor that in when choosing your resort. Do you want a short or long transfer after you flight. Again it all depends on your own staying power and how good you are after a long haul flight!
~ Not just for honeymooners ~
Naturally you’d associate going to the Maldives for a honeymoon, wedding or a romantic trip away. Of course yes to all these, but for me it isn’t just limited to that ‘romantic’ trip. We went for my 30th birthday as Mark wanted to take me somewhere special and being in Dubai already it felt like a no brainer to take advantage of being able to go for a long weekend.
I also feel the Maldives is the perfect place for a super relaxing holiday. If you want to go and literally chill and just have a completely slow paced time the Maldives will be ideal for that too. Also don’t forget that the Maldives is huge for diving. So if you love to dive or even snorkel this would be a perfect place too. I think the Maldives can tick many boxes for all different types of holidays, not just for a ‘honeymoon’.
~ Room snacks ~
This may sound like a random tip! Since I was crew I always took snacks away with me. Granted it was more about saving money back then as I was young and on a tight budget, but it’s something I’ve continued for every holiday we go on. It is so nice sometimes just to have some of your favorite snacks back in your room to nibble on. Remember in the Maldives you can’t just pop to the local supermarket. Of course the resort will have a gift shop and will probably have the odd thing in there, but it might not be exactly what you fancy and it’ll will be at a very high premium.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about my 5 tips before booking your holiday to the Maldives and I hope you find them helpful too.
Heather ♥
Heather Townsend 