Maldives Master Thread

[Emkay]

Yeah it was definitely a big splurge. We booked everything a few weeks before departure so some hotels were fully booked. We were only going to be there for 5 days, wanted a small hotel (ahem..conrad...) and, as I said above, put the priority on time rather than price. So cheaper hotels that required a domestic flight were eliminated. We gave higher preference to hotels that didn't require seaplanes because resorts we spoke to advised us that sometimes they could be delayed by several hours. My wife loves to snorkel so we tried to find a place with a great house reef. In the end it came down to a few resorts (Huvafen, Cocoa, MAALIFUSHI) and Huvafen won out because of it's house reef and OWB pool. Ended up booking the hotel with Citi Prestige 4th night free so that saved a few dollars.

Stayed all nights in OWB?

[Aerial Dag]

Stayed all nights in OWB?

Yeah, we wanted to do 3 days in OWB and other two in beach but the CITI concierge wouldn't book our 4th night free with different room types so we had too book one or other. Opted for the cheaper lagoon OWB. But it worked out well because the hotel ended up upgrading us to ocean view OWB for free, without us even requesting it.

[Dan]

TR?

[Emkay]

Yeah, we wanted to do 3 days in OWB and other two in beach but the CITI concierge wouldn't book our 4th night free with different room types so we had too book one or other. Opted for the cheaper lagoon OWB. But it worked out well because the hotel ended up upgrading us to ocean view OWB for free, without us even requesting it.

Nice. Its good to see people realize that there are other resorts besides the two that everyone books.

[Aerial Dag]

TR?

You can facebook by wife, she has lots of pictures 
But yeah, maybe I will. We did a South Korea & Maldives trip. Didn't think anyone would be interested in another Maldives trip report.

Nice. Its good to see people realize that there are other resorts besides the two that everyone books.

Yup. I'll try to add some pictures to a TR this weekend.

[AJK]

Nice. Its good to see people realize that there are other resorts besides the two that everyone books.

You're missing the point.

This is DDF. It's not that people don't "realize" there are other resorts. It's that people are not prepared to shell out $500-1000 per night when they can sign up for a couple of cards and save themselves $5,000.  To do that, you're limited to points resorts.

[Dan]

You can facebook by wife, she has lots of pictures 
But yeah, maybe I will. We did a South Korea & Maldives trip. Didn't think anyone would be interested in another Maldives trip report.
Yup. I'll try to add some pictures to a TR this weekend.

Bad enough that I have countless friend requests from people I don't know
Would love to see a TR though.

[Emkay]

You're missing the point.

This is DDF. It's not that people don't "realize" there are other resorts. It's that people are not prepared to shell out $500-1000 per night when they can sign up for a couple of cards and save themselves $5,000.  To do that, you're limited to points resorts.

Instead of spending $500 a night to upgrade to an OWB in addition to the points/certs + a crapload of money for a seaplane transfer, you can spend just that upgrade cost and get a full revenue OWB that will blow you away just as much and thats every bit as remarkable.

[AJK]

Who suggested spending $500/night on an upgrade?

And you're preaching to the choir. I stayed at a top-ranked MLE hotel with OWB+Pool for $400-ish per night.

[Emkay]

Who suggested spending $500/night on an upgrade?

And you're preaching to the choir. I stayed at a top-ranked MLE hotel with OWB+Pool for $400-ish per night.

Those why say (wasn't you?) that its necessary to get an OWB in going to MLE.
Which one did you stay at?

[@Yehuda]

Why would someone want a plunge pool if the ocean is right there? Not trying to make a fight, rather understand.

[AJK]

For one, and I don't know about you, but it feels *much* less scary swimming in your plunge pool at night than in the ocean. That, and for other reasons, I found it invaluable.

[@Yehuda]

Fro one, and I don't know about you, but it feels *much* less scary swimming in your plunge pool at night than in the ocean.

Valid point, although I'd be fine not swimming at night after having swam all day. But even if I wanted to swim at night, from what I understand, a plunge pool is a few feet wide by a few feet long and isn't meant for swimming as much as chilling like in a hot tub.

[Emkay]

Why would someone want a plunge pool if the ocean is right there? Not trying to make a fight, rather understand.

More of a chill and I imagine feels more private.

[Aerial Dag]

yeah, privacy. And pools, IMO, are better than ocean for just relaxing. Ocean can have a lot of crap on the ground and it's even worse in low tide.

[@Yehuda]

yeah, privacy. And pools, IMO, are better than ocean for just relaxing. Ocean can have a lot of crap on the ground and it's even worse in low tide.

Guess DW and I are in the minority in terms of not liking just sitting in a small pool/hot tub and prefer to swim, especially in an ocean.

[Dan]

Guess DW and I are in the minority in terms of not liking just sitting in a small pool/hot tub and prefer to swim, especially in an ocean.

There's a time and place for each and it's really nice having both. Refreshing after a swim in the ocean or at night watching the amazing night sky. And no chance of getting eaten by a shark at night

[Denverite]

More of a chill and I imagine feels more private.

+1

The main reason we chose the Maldives over so many other locations is that it seems to have the most possible privacy possible aside from going to a private island (I haven't been there yet but hopefully it lives up to our expectations).  Even if you've travelled a ton of places it just seems like an experience that you can't replicate elsewhere (been to Kauai, Bali, Thailand, Borneo, etc. although not BOB but even there where it seems gorgeous it doesn't appear as private) and this is my first trip in a long time that I'm totally excited for a whole new experience (I'm also looking forward to going on a seaplane for a first time).  Only because of this, I'm making myself get over the total weirdness of e-mailing Ahmed and Mohammed (their actual names) about our kosher meals! 

I know I personally wouldn't be looking forward to the whole experience half as much if we didn't have our own OWB with a pool.  I also may differ from other DDF'ers in that I'm not trying to get the cheapest trip but the most ridiculously amazing experience for what I pay and using mostly points because I would never pay retails for those things (like J seats for 6k or 2k a night in the Maldives).

[@Yehuda]

There's a time and place for each and it's really nice having both. Refreshing after a swim in the ocean or at night watching the amazing night sky. And no chance of getting eaten by a shark at night

Okay, I hear it's a nice thing to have. I'm sure we would use it, just wouldn't be a must for us. But the last part is definitely on my wife's mind (even by day).

[CS91]

Okay, I hear it's a nice thing to have. I'm sure we would use it, just wouldn't be a must for us. But the last part is definitely on my wife's mind (even by day).

You don't like just sitting in a pool and relaxing? Every time you go into a pool you actually swim the entire time?