Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!

[chiara]

I went to the travel agency this lunchpause, finally with a destination, a departure date and hotel name.

After a longish wait on the phone the lady starts asking for a single room, two weeks starting January 26, Lohifushi Island, Maldives.

Another, worrying wait, and the response is there: there is no place on the plane, not via Paris-Colombo-Male, nor via Paris-Dubai-Male, not on 26, not on 19, not even on February 2, which was in principle a no-no, since I wanted to celebrate my birthday there on January 30.

Worse yet there is no place at the resort.;-0
I have been pestering the agency for at least two months, they wouldn't even start to consider a pre-option until the winter catalogue was out.

And now I'm reduced to no holidays ;-0 ;-0

 

[Sue]

Hi Chiara

I'm arranging a trip to Maldives in Dec/Jan and i'm also having problems with the flights - but we're talking about Xmas & New Year.
try these guys out - they have been very helpful
Gundi at: info@maldivesliveaboard.com
or
Jesus at
info@abandodive.com

Hope this can help

Cheers

Sue

 

[Natasha]

Here in the states we use a "Consolidator" of air. They buy bulk air from the airlines. It's usually a cheaper way to go then published air also. And they are the ones with the space you are desiring. Ask your local agent if they can book air this way.

 

[Jonathan]

one of the problems you will run into with New Year in the Maldives will be the same as the problems I had with booking Thailand - the Japanese!

This is by no means a derogatory statement but fact. They mainly go on holiday at 3 times of the year - 1st week of Jan, 1st week of May and 2nd week of August. And they go on mass!!

I would strongly advise booking early for any destination that would be popular for Japanese (Maldives, Micronesia, Australia, Thailand....) during those periods.

It is also a bad time to visit - the country is closed, they are all on holiday!!

I get round this by dealing with hotels directly and booking the flights real early - though the latter does not always help out here.

Good luck, keep trying something will appear.

Jonathan

 

[chiara]

Jonathan,

we are not talking about Christmas or New Year, it is 4th week of January and 1rst of February.

Hope is not lost, but it's getting close to abandoning the project.

 

[Jonathan]

sorry - so you are, got confused by Sue's reply (easily done).

Very strange, I wonder what is so special about the end of January then (apart from your birthday that is!)

Not a bad time to go skiing in Europe though, low season and empty mountains....

Jonathan

 

[chiara]

I used to take a week off to go skiing for my birthday, that was a few years ago when I still lived little more than a couple of hours away from the slopes (usually the Chamonix area).

This time I want the REAL sun!

I just hope I don't have to wait until 2006, the project is to offer myself IDC when I turn 40!

 

[neilstewart]

Hey Chiara,

Help is at hand.

Kuoni UK appear to have charter flight seats and hotel places available on Lohifushi for your dates. All you would need to do would be connect at Gatwick, London on 26 Jan 03. You may well find that the price is pretty good as well at approx Euro1700

check out www.kuoni.co.uk for online booking or give them a call on +44 (0)1306 743000

Neil

 

[Jonathan]

another thought - you could try Scuba Jim when he gets back from his galavanting round the southern Pacific....

You might also try Diver Travel

They've got offers for now, but more importantly some numbers that may be useful.

I hope your travel agent is not a good friend, because the advice seems to be ditch them!!

Jonathan

 

[sunfish]

Jonathan: I still resent that remark!

Seriously, I hear you. I have a friend who goes to Hawaii or Saipan or wherever he fancies every New Year's. He says it's no different than being in Tokyo because it's packed with Japanese. One of the reasons I am seriously considering working somewhere that has worse hours and worse pay than other positions is the fact that they're willing to let me take two weeks of vacation at any time of the year. I can pick times of the year when flights and hotels are cheapest to travel...

chiara: sounds like your travel agent is going to have to go look for another customer.