One Week in the Maldives – Travelogue Part 1
Destination and organization choices during COVID
The idea to visit Maldives came naturally during the Covid19 epidemic in the winter of 2020-2021. In fact, we originally had plane tickets purchased for the Philippines for the same dates we were in the Maldives. We waited until the end (until a month before our flights), but unfortunately the Philippines never opened their borders to tourists. So we decided to redirect to another destination. And since the winter was going away, and we already have a habit of going somewhere in a warm place in the middle of winter, it turned out that the most popular destinations at that time and the easiest from the point of view of travel, pandemic, tests, quarantines were Zanzibar and Maldives. My whole Facebook was full of photos from people who are either in Zanzibar or the Maldives.
In the end, we decided that we would go to Maldives. The dates were from 21.02 to 02.03.2021. Two things influenced our choice. The first was that I found extremely favorable prices for overnight stays in the Maldives Resort, which otherwise cost many times more, but about that a little later. 🙂 I even booked our overnight stays through Agoda.com (with free cancellation) before we even bought the plane tickets. In general, the travel organization started exactly 1 month before the trip itself.
I want to emphasize that I have never had any strong burning desire to visit the Maldives, because it has always seemed to me that they are quite an expensive, sterile and boring destination. But did it really turn out that way? Resorts are sterile, yes. Everything is done there are Western tourists and is at a high level of cleanliness and service. In the Covid pandemic, this was the safest place in the world. Dear Destination? Well, yes, it's definitely expensive, but we found super bargain prices, so we didn't have to sell organs to afford the rest 🙂 Boring? Even to me, who whenever I'm on a trip I wander for hours and kilometers to the left and right and I don't stop, I wasn't bored and I was probably able to rest for the first time during vacation 🙂
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The second thing that influenced our choice to stop at Maldives in front of Zanzibar was covid the situation there. At that time, Tanzania (where Zanzibar Island is located) completely denied Covid's existence and accordingly there were no restrictions.
In the Maldives, however, the anti-epidemic measures at the end of February 2021 were expressed as follows:
– All tourists had to provide a negative PSR test at the airport upon arrival, done up to 92 hours before landing
– filling out a health declaration online up to 24 hours before landing and again 24 hours before departure
– the resorts were Only available from local people and tourists who provide a negative PSR test. Any day trips from local islands to resorts or from resorts to local islands were stopped.
- after staying at the resort, we had to be taken to the airport and not moved from there
- after a local stay island, a PSR test was required when leaving the island
- face masks were mandatory for all outdoor and indoor people. In principle, they were also mandatory for tourists, but at the resorts there was no problem to be without a mask. At the resort, the entire staff was 100% of the time with an outdoor and indoor mask.
At first I thought of dividing our stay by spending a few days on a local island to get to know the local culture and then transfer to the resort. However, it turned out that when we set foot on a local island, we undertake to do a PCR test when leaving it again, otherwise we cannot leave the local island and that is why we gave up.
A little bit of general information about Maldives
Maldives are the smallest country in Asia in terms of population and territory. Its population as of 2020 is about 530 thousand people, of which nearly 1/3 are foreigners who have come to work in tourism. Workers mostly come from India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh. The Maldives consists of as many as 1,190 islands, divided into 26 groups, called atolls. Of these, about 200 islands are inhabited by local people and about 150 are the islands-resorts. The average altitude is notice - as much as 1:50 meters, and the highest point is only 2 meters and 30 cm! This makes the country the lowest country in the world. The capital Male is the only city in the Maldives and is located on the largest island.
The time of the Maldives is +3 hours compared to Bulgaria, i.e. are 3 hours ahead. The currency of Maldives is called Maldivian Rupee, but we neither saw nor touched live Maldivian banknotes because we paid for everything by card.
The local population professes Sunni Islam and Islam is a requirement to obtain citizenship. The Maldives is one of the 13 countries in the world where atheism is illegal and punishable by death. The other such countries are: Afghanistan, Iran, Malaysia, Mauritania, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, UAE and Yemen.
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Airline tickets and flights
We traveled with FlyDubai airline as our plane tickets cost 508 euros/person for a round-trip ticket from Sofia to Male with attachment in Dubai (Terminal 3). On the way we had 12 hours at the airport in Dubai, while on the way back - only 6 hours. As a matter of fact, the plane tickets with Emirates (which are said to be much better than FlyDubai) were only 20-30 euros more expensive than ours, but I decided that our tickets are expensive enough according to our ideas and that we do not want to We give more money.
Our ticket included 1 piece of checked baggage + 1 hand luggage (small suitcase) + women's/laptop/photo bag or backpack. For the first time in years we traveled with a suitcase and did not carry heavy backpacks on our backs 🙂
We had a total of four flights and they were all on time +/- 15 minutes:
On the way from Sofia to Dubai - flight number FZ-1758, departs from Sofia at 14:30 and lands in Dubai at 21:15.
From Dubai to Male - flight number FZ-1569, departs from Dubai at 9:55 and lands in Male at 15:10.
On the way back from Male to Dubai - flight number FZ-1570, departs from Male at 23:30 and lands in Dubai at 03:10.
From Dubai to Sofia - flight number FZ-1757, departs from Dubai at 9:40 and lands in Sofia at 1:25 p.m.
The duration of each flight was between 4 and 5 hours, and on each flight the same thing was happening at all: about an hour after takeoff, the food was served, which was a choice between vegetarian pasta and garnished chicken. Food was quite disappointing and poor, but we still used it. They also offered water in 100 ml boxes.
Because of the pandemic stewardesses and stewards looked like surgeons because they wore disposable garments, gloves, masks on their mouths, and some even safety glasses. The presentation about what was done during an evacuation was quite fun at the moment when they had to remove their medical mask first, then put on the oxygen mask and then put on the medical mask again. After which the same action had to be repeated in the second language. The same thing was done when the stewardesses and stewards had to demonstrate how to use the whistle that is attached to the life jacket.
All four flights were on Boeing 737 planes, which accommodate about 200 people and we were a little disappointed that they were not one of the big planes with 2 paths and 3 columns of seats. On the plane, the Bulgarians who went on vacation to Maldives prevailed. Apparently there was some group with a travel agency. Many of the Bulgarians with whom we were on the way, we also traveled on the way back.
Something that struck me looking out the plane window was that the southeastern part of Turkey absolutely everywhere I looked was covered with snow. It looked like we were flying over Antarctica or Greenland. Uniquely beautiful!
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12 hours stay in Dubai Terminal 3
Upon landing at Dubai International Airport, we found ourselves at Terminal 3, which is one of the largest terminals in the world in terms of floor space and passenger traffic. The mere fact that it took 25 minutes to be transported by bus from where the plane landed to the terminal building speaks volumes. Once we reached the terminal building, we followed the “Connections” signs, went through another carry-on baggage check, and headed toward the business lounges. We had a 12-hour layover at the airport. We’d decided not to leave the airport and go for a walk around Dubai at night, since we weren’t sure if they’d then require a PSR for our next flight.
We have a Diners Club Credit Cards, thanks to which we have free access to some of the business lounges at airports around the world. As soon as we left the airport in Sofia, we tried to enter one of the two salons there - Pliska or Preslav, but unfortunately both did not work, since at this time of the year the restaurants in Bulgaria were closed 100% due to Covid restrictions.
However, there were 2 lounges in Terminal 3 of the Dubai Airport that were working and we were allowed to visit. That's how we did 🙂 First we went to the Marhaba Lounge which is located near the Gate B21 on the fourth level. It is reached by elevator. Entering there, we initially noticed that there were various sandwiches and salads or even taken - nothing special. Only after eating these did we see that there are also cooked hot dishes. We quickly realized that we had played. 🙂 In this salon there were many comfortable armchairs where one could rest while on the road. After 3 hours our free stay expired and we headed to the other salon, which was almost opposite. 🙂
The second salon is called Lounge@B and is located next to Gate 24B and McDonald's, on the fourth level and is again reached by elevator. There was a QR code there, which by scanning and seeing the menu on which you can order a meal. Everything we ordered was really very tasty made and every dish looked as beautiful as in an elite restaurant. A free massage chair was also available in this salon, as well as comfortable armchairs where one can rest. My only remark was that the lighting that was right next to these armchairs was quite unpleasant if one was trying to sleep. So after we ate and drank in one lounge and then ate and drank again in the other lounge, it was finally time to get on the next flight from Dubai to Male.
Go to the next travelogue for the Maldives – Maldives Travelogue - Part 2
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