Few days ago, I posted about "How we did the Maldives on a budget". Good news people.. The Maldives is no longer an exclusive holiday destination reserved only for the rich and famous. Even budget travellers like me too can enjoy the Maldives without breaking our bank account.
Today, I am going to share with you our 5D4N itinerary to the Maldives. Before I start, let me give you a gentle reminder that this is going to be another long post and will contain loads of photos.. lols!
Without further ado, let me bring you to the Maldives..
Day 1: Kota Kinabalu~Kuala Lumpur~Male
We boarded AirAsia flight from Kota Kinabalu to Kuala Lumpur with excitement! Layover for few hours while waiting for our friend, Lisa to arrive from China.
At 6.55pm we flew to Male, the capital city of the Maldives. Our flight took 4 hours 15 minutes and we landed safely at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport at 8.10pm local time.
Since our flight reached the Maldives at night, we have no choice but to stay one night in the city as ferries and boats only operate during day time. We booked Ripple Beach Inn in Hulhumale for one night. This property is 15 minutes drive from Ibrahim Nasir International Airport and provides airport transfer upon request.
Ibrahim Nasir International Airport
Upon check in, we were told by the receptionist that our stay were upgraded from Deluxe Double Room to Sea View Penthouse Duplex! What a great way to welcome us to the Maldives!! We settled in our room and dozed off after a whole day travel from hometown to Maldives.
Our room on the lower deck
Our room on the upper deck
Day 2: Male~Maafushi
We woke up early on the 2nd day in Hulhumale, went up straight to the balcony to check on the surroundings area. Since we arrived at night the day before, we didn't even notice that our hotel is actually just in front of a long stretch hulhumale beach.
Beach view in front of our hotel
After having our decent breakfast, we strolled along the beach and its surrrounding area. The area is so calm and quite.
Before noon, we packed our luggages and immediately took off to Hulhumale Ferry Terminal. It took about 20 minutes to reach Male Ferry Terminal from Hulhumale Ferry Terminal. Once in Male, we took a taxi ride across the town to Villingili Ferry Terminal. We purchased speedboat ticket to Maafushi Island (USD20) and straightaway went for a quick lunch.
Around 1pm, we went back to Villingili Ferry Terminal and catch our 30 minutes boat ride to Maafushi.
Symbol statue near Maafushi harbour
Ocean Vista Guesthouse, just 5 minutes walk from the harbour
Upon checking in, we took our power nap. We woke up rejuvenated and went around Maafushi to check out the beaches, restaurants and some local tour company that are offering excursion packages. We also arranged for scuba diving for the next day.
Photos around Maafushi Island
Hotels and sea views in Maafushi Island
In the evening, we went back to our guesthouse, sat on the bench in front of the beach and waited for sunset. There is nothing better than watching a sunset over the ocean.
Sunset in Maafushi Island
Live Seashells
We had our dinner in Rehendhi Restaurant. Food served was on the average and they took quite a long time to serve them. We also had a non-alcoholic beer to quench our thirst. Note: The Maldives is an Islamic nation and they prohibit and restrict certain items including alcohol and spirits. However, you can still find them served in the Private Island.
Day 3: Scuba Diving at Md Giri & Miyaru Faru
Everyone was in high spirits on the third day because we are going for Scuba Diving... woohoo!!
We had our light breakfast in our guesthouse, took some morning selfies and then proceeded to the Maafushi Scuba and get ready for our morning dives.
Excited!
I was still smiling here but when the boat stopped to start diving, it was when I got nervous
After a short briefing, we are ready for our first dive at Md Giri
We started to descend and Annie's buddy was trying to calm her down
The first time I started sinking I was half scared. For the first 5 minutes I did not take my eyes off my dive buddy, Nakshath and the two fellow divers.
The deeper we sank down, the more I equalized my ears until I felt comfortable to explore the wonderful world of the underwater.
Once we got to the bottom, we took pictures, moved around plants and rocks, tried to swim after schools of fish, and explored the deep waters as much as we could.
The magneficent Sea Anemone
Our first dive completed in 30 minutes and we proceeded to Miyaru Faru Dive site for our second dive. This time we were calmer, we descended nice and slowly down the buoyline. The first few minutes were dull and uneventful but I enjoyed the clear visibility. We drifted for a few more minutes and crawled slowly on the seabed at 18 meters deep. Then we heard a bang! It was Nakshath, my dive buddy and he was pointing to a couple of Murena Eel! Another bang for green turtle and baby shark. Annie and I were treated to an amazing underwater.
Portrait of Murena Eel couple in their home
The handsome green sea turtle
And just like that, our day of scuba diving in the waters of the Maldives ended. We had two dives in South Atoll, and I paid a total of USD60 for the two, and it was all worth it. In fact, this dive trip was one of the highlights of my Maldivian journey. With that, I thank Nakshath and the whole crew of Maafushi Scuba for that extraordinary and unforgettable day in the waters of The Maldives!
Underwater Selfie.. Lol
Once we reached Maafushi harbour, we bought fresh fish from a fisherman who just came back from the sea. Brought the fish back to our guesthouse, and got the guesthouse staff to cook for our lunch.
Day 4: Day trip to Adaaran Prestige Vadoo Resort
Prior to our trip to the Maldives, we have decided that we wanted to get a taste of the Maldives resort island experience at least once and we made it happen through local tour from Maafushi.
There were day trips offered to these islands ranging from 3 Star - 5 Star. The island we chose was the 5 star Adaaran Prestige Vadoo Maldives. For USD100 per pax, our package included round trip speedboat transfer, admission fee, access to the beach chairs and pool, towels, snorkelling gear, “unlimited” selected drinks, and a lunch.
It took us about 30 minutes speedboat ride to reach this resort. Once we arrived at the gate of the resort, and were offered cool towels, directed to their floating bar, offered a welcome drink and a short briefing. We were given towels and wristbands that signified our status as day-trippers.
After the briefing, we walked to the beach area and parked ourselves on a comfy reclining beach chair, under shades of trees, and gazed out at a truly astonishing view. I was in awe when I saw the water villa I thought I could only see in magazines.
Adaaran Prestige Vadoo was small but stunningly beautiful. We couldn't stop taking photos and this is when a gorgeous couple from India came and asked if we could help them take photo. We instantly clicked and our group of 4 suddenly became 6 (We still keep in touch until now). We really had fun taking photos at the beach.
Our lunch at the resort
While in the resort, we are only allowed to get our drinks from the Beach Bar. They served unlimited selected beverages for day trippers.
In the afternoon, we grabbed our snorkeling gear and slowly swam away from the shore. The water is crystal clear on the shoreline and we're amazed on how many different species of fish are swimming by.
At the very end of the day, we were able to see shark feeding that the resort does every evening.
Just like that, our day at the resort was over. We had a wonderfully relaxing day at the resort island and had a chance to experience everything else the resort had to offer.
Kissing the sunset goodbye
_Day 5: See you again Maldives _
It was our last day in the Maldives. We went around the island for the last time, took more pictures at the Bikini Beach and bought some souvenirs for our loves ones.
Favourite coconut tree in Maafushi
At 2.30pm, we gathered at habour and leave Maafushi for Airport. We went to the airport tired but with happy heart and full of memories. I felt sad that our Maldives trip has come to an end but all good things must come to an end.
Cute boarding pass
Our flight from Male was at 8.55pm and landed safely at KLIA2 at 4.30am. We dozed off once we got our room in Kuala Lumpur.
