Ellandhoo by Cinnamon Experience

 Maldives

Maldives - crystal-clear turquoise water, white sand and palms. There is hardly a person on Earth who doesn't know these beautiful islands.The first association when hearing "Maldives" is paradise, the romantic and luxurious vacation. One of the most popular destination among honeymooners and couples.

Maldives is a nice place to celebrate any occasion. This article is a full itinerary of our last trip to Maldives, step by step.

Getting there

The direct flight from Singapore to Male, a capital of the Maldives republic, is about 5 hours and it cost us 2000 HKD per person.

Tip! Maldives is a Muslim country so any alcohol is strictly prohibited there. No way to buy it in a duty-free shop or anywhere in Male. As I mentioned before Male is a city where all locals live. It is not a paradise. You have to go from Male to the islands.

Accommodation 

Maldives consists of 26 atolls. For your information atoll is a ring-shaped coral reef. After getting to the Male International Airport you have to go to your hotel. Most hotels is a whole island. And each hotel provides transportation.

There are two options to get to your hotel:

- by speed boat (cheaper)

- by sea plane (more expensive but more picturesque and faster)

The price depends not only on the type of transportation but also on the distance from Male. The closer to Male, the cheaper is the price. The further, the more expensive. But as you can guess the nature will be more beautiful further away.

Tip! Pay attention to the transportation cost when booking your hotel.

Tip! Speed boats and sea planes usually operate from 7 a.m till 4 p.m. So if your flight is at night or evening be ready to stay one night in Male. Hotels there are not expensive. Our hotel cost us 39 USD per night. Plus you can choose type of a transfer from the airport. There are two options - 10 USD per person for a hotel private car or just 1 USD for a free shuttle bus from the airport. We chose the first one.

The next morning we had a transfer to our island - Ellaidhoo, which is located 42 km from Male. And it takes about 25 minutes to get there by seaplane. 

Just from the first minute after taking off you feel as if you are going straight ahead to the Paradise. It is hardly possible to describe all the beauty and the power of the ocean. Even in cloudy weather the scenery is breathtaking. The water is crystal clear and so transparent around the islands with all hues of blue.

We landed just in the middle of the ocean. And look at this! How wonderful the ocean is!

This colour of water is very similar to what we see in Fiji islands deep in the ocean.

A fantastic view of our private island. 

As I mentioned above we chose Ellandhoo by Cinamonn Hotel with all-inclusive package. The most popular type of rooms in Maldives is an overwater bungalow.

When we have been to Adaaran Club Rannalhi Hotel we had an amazing water bungalow with direct access to the ocean, private terrace, sunbeds and infinite view. This time we chose a beach bungalow surrounded by palm trees, just on the beach with a private terrace.  

The bungalow is newly renovated with classic modern design.

Just one step from our bungalow is a nice beach with white sand and clear blue water.

What to do?

The answer - SUN, SEA, SAND - REPEAT:)

The main activities are:

- snorkeling

- diving

- swimming

- sunbathing

The island is pretty small and you can walk around it in maybe 15 mins.

There is a wonderful infinity pool overlooking the ocean.

Here marine life is everywhere, you can easily watch sting rays and reef sharks without snorkelling.

One of our favourite activities was playing billiard.

Well, Maldives is a paradise island and it is worth visiting at least one time in your life. And believe us, 3-4 days there is enough to escape from all the hustle and bustle, to forget all your problems, to relax and to enjoy beautiful pristine nature.

Our way back to the airport was by a speed boat. When arrived to Male it seemed the weather felt sad we were leaving the paradise...