OH MY MALDIVES
So, if you read my last blog post you know I surprised my luv with a trip to the Maldives for her birthday. If Male is on your must experience travel list, you also read about all the things you need to know before travelling there in that same blog post.
This post will more so focus on my experience as a guest at the resort, what to expect when you arrive and the resort as a whole. So, first thing first. I booked accommodations at LTI Maafushivaru. I probably looked at between ten to twenty 5 star resorts before I decided on LTI Maafushivaru. All the resorts I looked at were very nice, I even saved a couple of them but for some reason I was drawn to LTI Maafushivaru on Dhangethi Island. I have a process for choosing the places I want to stay as I just can’t go off of pictures and I also can’t just go off of reviews either. There have been places that I have stayed where the reviews weren’t that great but I had a totally different experience during my stay. I always look at what the reviewer had problems with and if that’s something that would not typically bother me I don’t let that detour me from booking with an establishment. My number one requirement when booking anywhere is comfort. If that is comprimised then it’s a automatic no for me.
Male, made up of about 400 islands, around 1200 if you include the small coral islands and sandbanks….of those, only about 180 are inhabited. So, there are a lot of resorts to choose from but what kept me circling back to Maafushivaru was the combination of all my must haves. The establishment checked every item on my list. The first being comfort as the pictures looked amazing…the second was customer service. The staff had rave reviews and thirdly, convenience. Due to covid, there are procedures you must comply with when traveling i.e you must present a negative PCR test before boarding a flight to the USA. The resort offered the PCR test complementary. Check, check and check.
Take note that Male is a muslim country, so when you arrive to the airport please be respectful of the culture and be aware of the clothing you adorn. It will be very hot but remember you’re only going to be in town briefly and those restrictions are not upheld at the resort. I wore a jogging set for the 16hr journey from NYC and upon landing in Male I simply removed my hoodie to reveal a t-shirt I had under and it wasn’t too bad, still hot lol…but not too bad.
So…lets talk about the journey before I transport you to the island. We flew from ATL➡️NYC. We stayed one night in NYC because our flight didn’t leave out until the next morning. The next morning we flew from NYC via Emirates (12hrs) to Dubai and finally Dubai➡️Male (4hrs). Once you get to Male you will have to arrange for travel to the island. This was was taken care of by our resort. I’m not sure if all resorts arrange travel to their island so that is something you want to be on the look out for when choosing your resort. The modes of transportation are seaplane or boat. A sea plane was arranged for us. It was my first time flying on one and the views from above were breathtaking. Be prepared to pay $350-$400 per person for the 25 minute ride from Male International to the island. I know, I wasn’t. 😄
The moment we stepped off the seaplane onto the private boat of our resort it was nothing short of 5 star service. Pulling up to the dock where a welcome party was waiting, we received a cool towel and a welcome drink. We were then escorted by our personal concierge to complete any last minute details. Things such as setting up the date and time for our departure PCR test, dietary concerns, and ever so discreetly, the in-villa surprise birthday decor, cake, champagne I pre-arranged prior to travel.
There are different options when it comes to housing accommodations at LTI Maafushivaru ….and naturally I chose their top villa, lol. I said to myself when I first started planning this trip “If you’re going to do the Maldives 🗣 DO the Maldives. There are two packages you can choose from “All Inclusive or Half Board.” Quite frankly, all inclusive is the way to go. The tabs add up and they do so rather quickly, lol. Take that worry away and live like you’re on vacation lol, for real. Also, with all Inclusive, some water activities are included and those that aren’t are heavily discounted.
The island itself is small however I appreciated that. It’s not too small that you’d get bored and it’s not to big that you’d have to ride a golf cart everywhere. There’s plenty to do and they have an impressive amount of activities. You can view my Instagram page to look at some of the actives I did. One of the most common questions asked was, how is the food? The food is phenomenal! There are 6 restaurants which gives you tons of options so you never get tired of eating at the same place. Take note that most of their cuisine consist of Mediterranean and Asian inspired dishes but there are American options as well.
All in all, you will feel nothing short of magical vibes when it comes to the Maldives and this resort. The crystal clear blue waters, the immaculate villas, the lack of humidity, perfect temperatures, the food and most of all the service. Everything is top notch! If the Maldives is on your list of destinations and you decide to stay at Lti Maashivaru, I’m positive you’ll be in agreement. Take a look at my travel journey from start to the first day of arrival at this beautiful place. Until next time. Later readers.
Ronda