Maldives Master Thread

[Moishebatchy]

Kieloo

Is that a yes or a no?

[EMCC]

Which part?

Many rabbis in Asia do not drink Coke because of kosher problems.

[Moishebatchy]

Correct, but then again my vacation starts Monday mid day. I wanna have a full Monday morning in the Maldives. I wanna wake up Monday morning in a OWB ready to go Toyvel in the ocean

Lately when my kids wake me up in middle the night, or for that matter decide to get up 5in o'clock in the morning, I am imagining my self the few day that Ill ayh have in the Maldives. It will be sleeping relaxing time. Can't wait.

I can imagine...

But... that's still not the way to do it. Taking a bumpy speedboat in the pitch-black (assuming the hotel will even be willing to arrange that altogether) and arriving at your resort in the dead of night, where the employees will barely whisper to you as they take you to your villa so as not to wake up anyone else, will thoroughly kill the experience for you. Unless you enjoy a roller coaster in the pitch-black, and arriving somewhere where you can barely see what's around you until the morning, it's simply not worth it.

It's not just about "waking up to tovel in the ocean"; everything - even the seaplane ride, with its beautiful views of the ocean and the other resorts along the way - is part of the experience. Likewise, arriving to a full gorgeous view of the resort, and being welcomed by the staff and then driven around a bit on golf car as they show off their property before taking you on a glorious ride up the jetty to your little palace in middle of the ocean is something not to be missed. You don't want your first "real view" of the place to be in the morning, all on your own and starting from your villa, and working your way outward - it's like starting a movie from the exciting part, and then working your way back toward the beginning.

And lest anyone think I have no clue what I'm talking about, and that I'm just making this up... I had a similar experience at the Blue Palace in Crete, Greece (I really should write TRs more often ). They had given us a beautiful villa with a breathtaking view of Spinalonga Island - but we arrived at night. So instead of building up the excitement as we went along, we were treated to a golf cart ride in the dark, and a quick tour of our suite, where the hotel employee told us "in the morning you will have a nice surprise, we have selected an excellent view for you" (at the time, I had not known about the Spinalonga Island view). And as if that didn't kill it enough, when morning finally came, trying to transition from a dim hotel room to peeking into the bright sunlight to see this "surprise" was significantly less enjoyable, on account of almost losing my eyesight in the process.

So take my word for it, avoid arriving in MLE at night at all costs. And if it can't be done, then look into the possibility of staying at the airport overnight (in fact, try for the Hulhule Island Hotel or the Sunny Break Hotel, so that you don't even have to leave the airport island itself) and taking the very first possible seaplane in the morning. You'll not only save money; you'll enjoy the experience of approaching the resort much more as well.

#my2cents

[ilherman]

Thanks Moshe for the detailed post 😊

You're right, arriving at night is not really what I plan on doing as you explain... But I don't want to check in Monday morning either. I just found a routing that gets me in MLE Sunday 11:30 AM! I'm in middle of deciding which route to take.

[Moishebatchy]

Thanks Moshe for the detailed post 😊

You're right, arriving at night is not really what I plan on doing as you explain... But I don't want to check in Monday morning either. I just found a routing that gets me in MLE Sunday 11:30 AM! I'm in middle of deciding which route to take.

The 11:30 AM one. Duh.

[Yaalili]

But I don't want to check in Monday morning either. I just found a routing that gets me in MLE Sunday 11:30 AM! I'm in middle of deciding which route to take.

What is your hesitation with landing late morning? Perfect time for check-in.

[rots5]

What is your hesitation with landing late morning? Perfect time for check-in.

I landed at 11 ish and got to my room about 3 ish. (dont forget your seaplane might not take off the minute you land, we waited in the hotel lounge in male for aroun 2 hours until another commercial flight arrived.

[ilherman]

What is your hesitation with landing late morning? Perfect time for check-in.

No hesitation at all. I think I am going for it.... I just wanna make sure I go through all other possibilities as well. Ill post my other routings soon.

[mochada]

I will ask my source in the OU, who is the lead mashgiach for Coke

This is the response I recieved:

If asked for publication purposes, OU will say only America and Europe.  If asked by any of the individuals involved with the process and supervision, we oversee the main ingredients which get shipped around the world.  Therefore, according to those within the OU, Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite and Diet Sprite are good.

[avadah]

(I really should write TRs more often ).

Yes you should.

#my2cents

[ilherman]

Cross posting so people who wanna take such kind of trip can get an idea...

Buys and girls, I am finishing to write up my routing possibilities to the Maldives via Asia and I hope that you guys will help me decide what my best options are.

It will probably be the longest post in this thread, so I am asking all of you to forgive me.

TIA.

I have all currencies.

Here it goes..

I have 2 priorities

1) Maximize our time in MLE.

2) maximize F cabins.

Now, I have to leave the Maldives Thursday to make it home to NYC for Shabbos. Would I be able to leave NYC the Motze Shabbos before and be in MLE Sunday night so I have a full Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday and some of Thursday in the Maldives that would be fine. But thats not possible... The earliest I can get to the Maldives would be Monday morning, and as much I wanna leave after Shabbos, I am not going to shlep to the Maldives for less then 3 1/2 days.

SO, I have to leave before Shabbos, stay somewhere in Asia for Shabbos so I can be in MLE Sunday afternoon/evening.

Now, if I ANYWAY have to be in Asia, why not explore Asia!

The first thing I have to look for, is a place where I can leave Motze Shabbos and be in the Maldives Sunday afternoon/evening.

I also want a place which is nice, as well as a place with some nice F cabins transiting that hub.

Now for where to stay is Asia? I don't know. You guide me based on all what you read here. But I would love to fly SQ R, MU R, EK F, CX F, EY F, KE F. Top priority now is MU R followed by SQ R and EK F

Here are some of my fantasies...

Option #1

Monday night JFK-ICN KE F, be Wednesday in ICN, Wednesday night ICN-HKG KE F, be in HKG till after Shabbos. Now getting to MLE is where this becomes complicated, CX has a direct flight Sunday which lands in MLE 8:45 PM which is no good because  I am not in MLE until Monday morning, the only 2 other options to get me in MLE Sunday about 3:00 PM are QR via DOH and EK via DXB. Both don't have availability as of now. for the return I would do MLE-SIN-PVG on SQ/MU (again no availability here) and catch MU R Friday morning 11:30 and land In JFK 2:30 (the zman is around 7:30)

Cost would be 160k KE miles for the KE and MU F/R flights plus HKG-MLE and MLE-PVG flights which Im not sure now how to book. (No availability yet)

Pros:
1. MU R (I fear that availability will be gone soon).
2. I get to check out ICN and HKG.

Cons:
1. Have to leave the Maldives Thursday morning
2. Im not set yet with the HKG-MLE and MLE-PVG flights
3. No direct flight from HKG-MLE and MLE-PVG.

Option #2

Starting with KE as above, but heading to PVG for Thu-Sun, (instead of HKG) im considering PVG rather than HKG just because QR has availability out of PVG to MLE via DOH and I arrive in MLE Sunday mid day.

Returning is the same as option #1

Pros:
1. MU R
2.  I have flights (availability) from PVG to MLE

Cons:
As option #1 besides for that I a have flights with availability PVG-MLE (also I am not getting to see HKG?)

Option #3

Monday night JFK-ICN KE F, be Wednesday in ICN, Wednesday night ICN-SIN KE J, be in SIN till after Shabbos.

Sunday morning SQ J SIN-MLE, im in MLE 10:45 AM (YEY!)

Return as option # 1/2.

Pros:
1. MU R, KE F
2. Getting to see ICN and SIN
3. Im in MLE Sunday morning with a direct flight from SIN (YAY)

Cons:
1. Have to leave MLE Thursday morning.
2. Not set with MLE-PVG flights.
3. MLE-PVG is not direct.

Option #4

The outbound is the same as option # 3 the inbound will be EY F, leaving MLE Thursday night! (or EK F if availability opens up)

Pros:
1. KE F, SQ J, EY/EK F
2. Getting to see ICN and SIN.
3. I am in MLE Sunday morning.
4. I don't have to leave MLE Thursday morning
5. All flights are set!

Cons:
1. Missing out on MU R

Option # 5

Monday night JFK-ICN KE F, be Wednesday in ICN, Wednesday night ICN-BKK KE F, be in BKK till after Shabbos.

Sunday morning PG J BKK-MLE, Im in MLE 11:30 AM (YEY!)

The inbound would be as option # 4 (EY/EK F)

Pros:
1. KE F, PG J, EY/EK F
2. Getting to see ICN and BKK.
3. I am in MLE Sunday morning.
4. I don't have to leave MLE Thursday morning
5. All flights are set!

Cons:
1. Missing out on MU R

I am considering either option 4 or 5

Any help/imput will be greatly appreciated!!!

ilherman

[moish]

This is the response I recieved:

whats the rationale? why keep it a secret for OU employees?

indeed, the response i received was
"The Orthodox Union certifies a wide range of products manufactured by the Coca Cola Company in the United States of America, Canada and the State of Israel.
 The Orthodox Union has no information on products of the Coca Cola Company manufactured in other locations.
 Pepsi is certified under the KOF-K.  They can be contacted via phone 201-837-0500."

[Moishebatchy]

whats the rationale? why keep it a secret for OU employees?

I was once at a shiur given by R' Simcha Bunim Cohen (who wrote various sefarim on hilchos shabbos, and also was very close with R' Moshe Feinstein, among other gedolim), and he mentioned a certain halacha that R' Moshe told him, with the caveat that "don't write this in any of your sefarim; but if someone asks a shailah, you can be someich on this, and issue a psak accordingly". So it's not the first time I've heard this concept.

My understanding is that circumstantially, they happen to know that the stuff is kosher; but they don't want to publish that information and "throw their professional weight behind it", so to speak, perhaps because it doesn't meet the "official" standards.

[mochada]

I was once at a shiur given by R' Simcha Bunim Cohen (who wrote various sefarim on hilchos shabbos, and also was very close with R' Moshe Feinstein, among other gedolim), and he mentioned a certain halacha that R' Moshe told him, with the

 caveat that "don't write this in any of your sefarim; but if someone asks a shailah, you can be someich on this, and issue a psak accordingly". So it's not the first time I've heard this concept.

My understanding is that circumstantially, they happen to know that the stuff is kosher; but they don't want to publish that information and "throw their professional weight behind it", so to speak, perhaps because it doesn't meet the "official" standards.

Exactly. 

[mochada]

whats the rationale? why keep it a secret for OU employees?

indeed, the response i received was
"The Orthodox Union certifies a wide range of products manufactured by the Coca Cola Company in the United States of America, Canada and the State of Israel.
 The Orthodox Union has no information on products of the Coca Cola Company manufactured in other locations.
 Pepsi is certified under the KOF-K.  They can be contacted via phone 201-837-0500."

Its not a secret...they just don't publicize it.  Those who are involved, know (I.e someone in my immediate family who flies around the world for the OU)

[moish]

Its not a secret...they just don't publicize it.  Those who are involved, know (I.e someone in my immediate family who flies around the world for the OU)

not quite,

"The Orthodox Union has no information on products of the Coca Cola Company manufactured in other locations"

[AJK]

not quite,

"The Orthodox Union has no information on products of the Coca Cola Company manufactured in other locations"

Despite what you're implying, the above statement does not contradict:

Its not a secret...they just don't publicize it.  Those who are involved, know (I.e someone in my immediate family who flies around the world for the OU)

To the OU, your inquiry is "public." The fact that they claim they have no info on your inquiry is proof of nothing as far as this question is concerned.

[moish]

claiming they have no info when they do indeed have info is not merely 'not publicizing' imo.

[AJK]

claiming they have no info when they do indeed have info is not merely 'not publicizing' imo.

...except that's precisely what it is.

[moish]

and not a secret...hmmmm....