Honeymoon in the Maldives
Chris and I visited The Maldives for our honeymoon in December, and it was every bit of paradise we anticipated! The travel time is definitely the most daunting part of traveling to the Maldives, but in my opinion, TOTALLY worth it. We left for our honeymoon the Monday after our wedding (which was in Illinois), so we flew out of O’Hare International Airport in Chicago. Below, I’ve outlined our travel journey.
Travel
Flight #1: Ohare Airport (Chicago, IL) - Dubai International Airport (Dubai, UAE) (13.5 hour flight) *This flight was over night, so we slept almost the entire time.
Flight #2: Dubai International Aiport (Dubai, UAE) - Velana International Airport (Male, Maldives) (4 hour flight) *Male is the capital of the Maldives
*Once we landed in Male, Ayada coordinated the last leg of our trip (one short flight and boat ride). We just had to provide them with our travel information so they knew what time we would arrive at the airport in Male.
Flight #3: Velana International Airport (Male, Maldives) - Maavarulu Airport (Maavarulu, Maldives) *This airport was the tiniest airport I’ve ever seen! (1 hour flight)
Boat Ride: Maavarulu Aiport - Final Destination (Ayada Maldives Resort) (20 minute boat ride)
Including flight time and layovers, it took us a total of 31 hours to get from Chicago, IL to our resort, Ayada Maldives. WHEW! When we booked, there was no way to avoid some pretty significant layovers (especially in Dubai), but we were very comfortable spending our time in the lounges (see information on access to airport lounges further down in this post).
Traveling home, we took the exact same travel route (backwards), except we flew from Dubai to Dallas instead of Dubai to Chicago, which added 5 hours to our total travel time.
Priority Pass Membership for Lounge Access at Airports
We have an American Express Platinum credit card which includes a Priority Pass Membership. A Priority Pass Membership allows you to enter over 1,300 lounges in airports all over the world! If you don’t have a credit card that includes a membership, you can buy a Priority Pass Membership individually here, so that you will have access to these lounges! You can also download the Priority Pass App, which allows you to search specific airports and tells you which lounges are accessible with a Priority Pass Membership! They offer comfortable seating areas, and some offer free food and drinks! Access to these lounges made our layovers so much more enjoyable during our trip – especially during our layover in Dubai where we spent 8 hours at this lounge.
Covid Tests
**NOTE** Because requirements are constantly changing, make sure check current guidelines at least a week before departure!
At the time of our trip, it was required that we have a negative PCR test within 96 hours of departure (NOTE - this is a little longer than most locations require. A lot of travel locations require you to have a negative test within 72 hours, but make sure you check current guidelines.) Search the current CDC guidelines for traveling to the Maldives here.
Where we stayed
We stayed at Ayada Maldives, which is a private island resort with 112 villas and suites. We chose to stay in the Over-Water Ocean Villa, which included a private outdoor terrace, hammock, and plunge pool, as well as a beautiful view of the horizon and direct access to the ocean (we were able to jump into the ocean from our private pool!) Throughout our stay, we saw sting rays, turtles, small (harmless) sharks, colorful fish, and even dolphins from our villa! You could easily spend the entire week at this resort without even leaving your room, because the views are just so stunning. Chris and I chose to do a lot of exploring, though, in addition to relaxing!
How We Spent our Time
We spent a lot of time relaxing in our villa and in the poolside cabanas, reading and enjoying appetizers and cocktails. The island did also offer a ton of adventure, though! We snorkeled daily, spent a lot of time exploring the island by bike (each villa includes two bicycles), tried new, delicious food for each meal (the BEST mango I’ve ever had), spent a morning at the spa, enjoyed a floating breakfast in our villa pool, hired a photographer on the resort for a honeymoon photo session, attended a fire show after dark, and enjoyed a dinner on the beach.
Other activities offered included jet skiing, fishing at sunset, kayaking, a glass-bottom boat tour, and so much more! You can read all of the activities here.
All Inclusive Package
We chose to purchase an all-inclusive package, and we were so happy we did! We STRONGLY recommend this, as you will spend a lot more money on food and beverages if you do not! Because we stayed for less than seven nights (we stayed six nights, seven days), our only option was the “Crystal All-Inclusive” package. This included major perks for arrival and departure, dining, bar and lounge experiences, activities and entertainment, and complimentary wifi in our villa.
We were really happy with the package we purchased, and felt that it included everything we needed. The only things we purchased once we were on the island (that were not part of our all-inclusive package) were a photographer and a special dinner on the beach one night. We really think the all-inclusive option made the trip so much more enjoyable, overall!
The other package option (for those staying at the resort for seven nights or more) is the “Diamond All-Inclusive. You can read about both packages here!
*Note, the resort offers a complimentary breakfast for everyone each morning, regardless of whether you have an all-inclusive package or not. This might have been my favorite part of the trip! There was a huge variety of freshly prepared food each day, including an omelet bar, freshly squeezed juices, fancy coffees, a crepe station, a tons of other options! Everything was so delicious!
What to Pack
I lived in swimming suits, cover-ups, casual dresses, and sandals all week! Additionally, I brought a couple of fancier dresses for going to dinner. It is very hot and muggy, so wear things that are cool and breathable. I linked some of my must-have travel items here and here.
Tips & Suggestions
Don’t forget to call your resort ahead of time to ask about their outlets, the traditional 2 and 3-prong plugs we use here in the US won’t work. We purchased this around the world kit which worked perfectly to convert our electronics, like curling irons and phone chargers!
Highly suggest bringing a GoPro! Chris used his while snorkeling and captured beautiful footage of turtles, sharks, and the coral reef!
Bring a portable charger, especially since you might be dealing with long layovers in addition to long flights.
Bring a giant float for the ocean or pool! (Just make sure you’ll have a way to blow it up!) The water was generally pretty calm, and it would also be fun for the pool!
If first class isn’t in your budget, but you’d like a little more room on the long flight, you can pay a little extra to move your seat to the front row of the economy section. Because the international plans are so big, there are several front rows in the economy section, and they offer a TON of leg room. This was a great option for us, since Chris is 6’5”!
Visiting the Maldives was a complete DREAM and something we hope to do again in the future. Don’t let the travel time scare you, because the blue water, friendly people, amazing food, and stunning views are soo worth it! We can’t wait to go back!
Thanks for reading and sharing!
XO,
Marie Suzanne
