Maldives question

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Knockneed Man

Contributor
Messages
160
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167
Location
An easy chair with my boots on
# of dives
1000 - 2499
Hey Everyone - I’m completely unfamiliar with the Maldives, but have seen a tempting resort offering. I was hoping to see if any of you are familiar with it or the diving nearby. This will kind of be a balance between a relaxing posh trip for my non-diving girlfriend, but also important to me that I get in at least a handful of good dives for myself - I was particularly hoping to do some Hanifaru Bay manta / whale shark dives. Does anyone have insight as to this resort or the quality of the diving that could be done from it? I’m not tied to this one in particular by the way, just attracted to the pricing and overwater bungalow accommodations, so please feel free to recommend other options. Thank you in advance!

Resort link: All-Inclusive Maldives with Free-Flow Cocktails & Return Flights from Malé, Kooddoo Island, Maldives
 
My fist reaction when i see all these water bungalows around a small island is to think that the house reef has been destroyed to give more space to people who "Maldives in a Bubble".
Then i looked at Google Map and i am still laughing... Kooddoo has a landing strip, a "shark and stingray feeding point"....
But hey, who am i to question your choice. It may become the holiday of your life.
Keep in mind: looks to me like you still need a flight from you home country to Malé.
 
Very nice photo... seems to be a nice place, but I also should say that the house reef has been destroyed. And it seems more expensive than a week onboard a liveabord; please notice that cruises in Maldives go always with a second boat for diving, the main ship is only a passenger boat, thus could be nice for a non-diver.

Diving on a house reef will never be as good as diving liveaboard, that's my opinion.

Anyway I respect your choice.
 
For Whaleshark spotting and excellent diving I cannot recommend Boutique Beach Dive Resort in Dhigurah Island. We have seen whalesharks on every stay there and the local reefs are in great shape, with prolific fish life. However it is a small boutique dive resort on a local island, so no booze. The Staff will take you to a resort island for drinking of you wish. The beach is across the road, beautiful and very clean. The food, made by a chef from Sri Lanka is probably the best we have ever had in 30 years of travelling.

Look at TripAdvisor reviews for more information.
 
@Tippytoes12
That was the destination we had booked but then the hotel closed due to Corona... We still have it on our list!
It will be very different to an all inclusive resort stay, but in my opinion the best you can get for that money.
Look at their Instagram account as well...
PS: Local Island = no alcohol (even not brought by yourself), no pork, and have a look at the dates of Ramadan
 
@Tippytoes12
That was the destination we had booked but then the hotel closed due to Corona... We still have it on our list!
It will be very different to an all inclusive resort stay, but in my opinion the best you can get for that money.
Look at their Instagram account as well...
PS: Local Island = no alcohol (even not brought by yourself), no pork, and have a look at the dates of Ramadan
I know, no alcohol, pork and traveling in Ramadan is fine by us !
 
I just got back from 10 days on the Carpe Vita. Qatar airlines is flying there. It was a real easy trip and I felt TOTALLY safe. We needed a Covid test with a negative result taken no more than 72hrs before landing (actually before getting on the plane). They have a 14 day quarantine, however any liveaboard or dedicated resort island you can stay on. Meaning if the island is only a single resort you can visit. You can just not go to any other island before the 14 days is up. We counted only 5 boats out running. But by Dec a lot more were supposed to be running along with a lot more resorts. If anyone has any questions please reach out!!
Thanks
 
I just got back from 10 days on the Carpe Vita. Qatar airlines is flying there. It was a real easy trip and I felt TOTALLY safe. We needed a Covid test with a negative result taken no more than 72hrs before landing (actually before getting on the plane). They have a 14 day quarantine, however any liveaboard or dedicated resort island you can stay on. Meaning if the island is only a single resort you can visit. You can just not go to any other island before the 14 days is up. We counted only 5 boats out running. But by Dec a lot more were supposed to be running along with a lot more resorts. If anyone has any questions please reach out!!
Thanks

How were the long-haul flights? I've been lucky enough to ``enjoy'' a few domestic flights in the past year. How is the service and amenities on these 14-hour+ flights holding up?
 
How were the long-haul flights? I've been lucky enough to ``enjoy'' a few domestic flights in the past year. How is the service and amenities on these 14-hour+ flights holding up?
Actually not that bad. It was my first time this far. We flew from Chicago on Qatar Airline, 15hrs to DOH (Qatar) and then a 10hr layover, followed by a 5hr flight to Male. Flight was about 50% full, every other seat was left open, we were given face shields to wear over our masks. We paid $60 to move to preferred seating which ended up being great because we only had 9pp for about 100 seats. We got 3 meals and free unlimited drinks, both non and alcoholic. When we boarded we we were provided a Safety Kit which included a disposable face mask, plastic gloves, and sanitizer. A little later we were provided a Comfort Kit which included a sleeping mask, socks, and lip balm. Lastly we were provided a pair of headphones, which were pretty comfy for being disposable. A note regarding the 10hr layover is DOH - there is a hotel in the airport where a room can be rented for approx. $265 USD for the 10 hours (includes 2 bottles of water, but no food). You do need to email the hotel for the rate as it is determined based upon hours of occupancy. There is also a lounge in the airport where a chair (like a lay-z-boy) can be rented for about $60 USD, and we were told it includes drinks and some type of food. This may not be a bad option, as we thought the price of food in the airport was fairly expensive for even casual food. You will want to rent your hotel room or lounge chair in advance, as we saw many people being turned away as the hotel was sold out.
 
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