When i booked the air tickets to Maldives, i am pretty sure i would have to seek out alternatives on hotel accommodations as there is absolutely no way i am going to spend over S$500 a night on those exclusive beach resorts.
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My research brought me to Maafushi, a local island south of Male said to have over 30 different hotels / guesthouses, with prices that were way more comfortable on the pocket. I eventually booked with the three-level Kaani Beach Hotel due to its high Agoda review score.
Hotel
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Let's rewind to the day of arrival. A whole line of staff from the various hotels / guesthouses were waiting at the jetty and holding on a wooden sign bearing the hotel they represented. After welcoming you and placing your luggage at the hand pulled trolley, it would be a nice, less than five minutes stroll to the hotel.
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A nice glass of juice shall be waiting to quench your thirst as the reception staff performed the check in procedure while another operation staff gave a short briefing to all the newbies.
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Like the above (no bikini), and of course information like breakfast timing, the use of beach towels, the briefing time for the various excursions scheduled for the next day etc.
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Free usage of the snorkeling kits, life jackets and fins! I personally don't feel comfortable sharing snorkeling kits with other people; buy your own if you could.
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Utilise the bicycles to cycle around the local island! To us, it was a great mode of transport for us to explore Maafushi and we make full of use it to visit the police station and health centre when i fell sick.
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Do keep a look out on the upcoming excursions on the whiteboard easel stand at the reception. Those looking to share in the expenses of speedboat (which cost usually USS$175) back to Male to catch your flight can also check out the board periodically.
This would be a more sophisticated board to look at even though i didn't really see much update and it can be confusing since it lists down all excursions and not necessarily the one that has been given the go ahead to take place.
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Collect your room key and most importantly, the details to unlock the free WIFI which had a pretty decent speed. Please note that there is a maximum limit of two devices which you can use to log on to the network.
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Note: No elevator!!!! Do be assured that the friendly Maldivian staff would help you lug it up and it's helpful to note that i am only on the second floor! Furthermore, the stairs were definitely not on the same scale as the ones we faced in Misty Villa!
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I had opted for a room with balcony and what i didn't expect was a common balcony! What's the use of a balcony you ask? Well, i would need to dry my beachwear and that's almost on a daily basis!
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Close proximity to the local life - another advantage was how close we were to a souvenir shop and a local convenience store with prices that didn't give me a heart attack!
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Our twin beds - nothing much with basic amenities like a flat screen television (channels like National Geographic etc were available), mini safe, mini fridge, hot flask for our instant noodles and coffee, wardrobe etc. Aside from air-conditioner, there was a ceiling fan which i appreciated a lot when i was down with fever.
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Washroom that came equipped with a hair dryer! There were also complimentary bottles of shampoo, bath gel and body lotion. Frankly, it would be beneficial to include aloe vera gel for sunburnt skin too!
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Rain shower!
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There was a sun deck on the roof where you can tan your skin although i don't require understand why when the bikini beach (the only beach on the local island where you can wear bikini) is just right outside Kaani Beach.
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View from sundeck where the bikini beach is demarcated by the fenced up area. I was supposed to check out the reefs at that area on my last day but my weak body prevented me from doing so. :(
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I am grateful that rain never fell on the six days i was in Maldives. Well, if rain does fall, i know i can seek respite in the recreation room where i would be thrashed endlessly by Alex in pool.
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There was even a small karaoke system to belt out classic oldies!
Breakfast
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Now, let's talk about our daily breakfast at the spacious, ground level restaurant. As with most complimentary breakfasts by hotel, i was honestly not expecting much.
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Frankly, i was all ready to grab my usual toast with jam and butter when i thought i should give the Maldivian breakfast some chance. Turned out it was the best decision i made!
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The fish curry was mildly spicy yet flavourful, the mushrooms were great additions to the pita bread but it was the coconuts with onions and tuna that took the cake for its unique, infused flavouring!
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I was so impressed with it; i thought there should be a better to eat it. Not sure if it is authentically Maldivian but put everything on the pita bread as above.
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Roll it up and eat it like a popiah! It was so so good!
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Breakfast on the second day - at least i am not seeing a regurgitation of the same food everyday! It wasn't as delicious as the one i had on day one although still decent enough.
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In the event you got sick of the food, go for the perfectly made sunny side up! Alex had four of them every single day! You also opt to have omelettes.
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View when you look out of the restaurant.
Excursions / Tour Packages
I faced a lot of problems when i was researching on what to do in Maldives as i often could not find the pricing and as you know, they can take a huge chunk of your overseas expenses. Hence, i am going to share with you the price lists for some of the excursions offered by the hotel.
We took package one for our first excursion which lasted from 9.30am till about 2.00pm. Do keep in mind that there are excursion agents (shops etc) in Maafushi and you may check them out to compare the prices.
This was the one i was supposed to take on my last day but had to opt out as i fell immensely ill and could hardly step out of the bed. Some of you might be curious about the entrance fee and i shall explain shortly.
Many of the excursions involve travelling to exclusive islands and staying there for an entire day where you would be recognised as guests with no rooms. Entrance fees would help to defray the resorts' cost and in some instances, include lunch or even unlimited drinks at the lounge.
Entrance fees to those resorts differ and some can go all the way to US$150 per person and this might not even include the transportation cost to bring you there. In our trip, we visited two exclusive islands and i would share more soon.
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Location
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North Maafushi Island
Prices
US$595 for five nights
Booking
Via Agoda.com
Additional Information
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Oh, remember to wash your feet to ride yourself of the sand before stepping into the hotel; the last you want is to have sand all over your bed when you sleep!