First day in Maldives
Due to our flight only arrived to Maldives at 10pm Maldives time, therefore we can't catch a seaplane transfer to our vacation destination because the last service to check in for seaplane is 3:30pm because seaplane can only operate on daytime. For this reason, we need to spend a night in a hotel in Male, the capital city of Maldives, where only about 10 minutes ferry journey from Maldives International Airport.
We booked the hotel named "The Boutique Inn" from agoda.com, it is at an affordable price and they also provided free airport return transfer to and from their hotel, which saved us a lot of trouble, especially for a late arrival, so we didn't need to ask around for transportation at airport.
Our flight arrived to Maldives on time, we spent some times for immigration process because there was a queue, but it was smooth anyways. For any valid passport for half year, you can get an immediate travel visa from Maldives government to stay in Maldives for 30 days, which is more than enough to us.
Honestly, arrival hall of Male International Airport isn't big or grand, it is just a simple space, baggage claim area just goes ahead from immigration area, then exit of airport is just took a U turn from immigration checkpoint. I see a notice mentioned that will be an expanded new airport for Maldives in 2014, it maybe will develop as Penang International Airport.
Though Maldives airport isn't as grand as other countries, it is still able to attract tourists from all around the world, this is how special they are, a beautiful pearl will never be undercovered forever.
After exit, there were some Maldives tourism representative who past us a small Maldives flag, and there was a group of people playing Maldivian music and preformed Maldivian dance, which was quite entertaining while we waited for our guide who will responsible on our hotel transfer.
From airport, we took a ferry for about ten minutes to Male, the interesting part is the ferry will turn on their light when collecting fare and then it will be off after collection completed. After arrived to Male Port, we need to transfer a taxi to our hotel, which took about only five minutes through some small lanes.
During check in, hotel helped me to check my seaplane transfer for next day, result is I need to wake up at 4:15am for breakfast and then transfer to airport as we need to check in at 5:15am. Well, I did request for the earliest seaplane transfer but I didn't know it would be as early as this, I was a bit regret for my request because we won't get enough rest in Male before transfer to next hotel. That time, I also worried if sky would still be dark, so we couldn't take good pictures at early morning.
Roomboy took us to our room, my first impression to the room was it is clean. However, when I was taking shower, I sensed that was some drops of water from upper level bathroom, it should be some pipe leaking. Anyways, I was still fine with that because of it's affordable price. But, I always felt several parts of my body itchy when we were middle of sleep, we assume it was mosquitoes at first, but itchy feeling was never stop until woke us up, then we only knew there were some bed bugs on our bed, this is thing that I cannot bear, I would rather pay more for better environment.
After SL complaint to reception, the hotel moved us to another room but the room look a bit dirty as floor was sticky when we stepped in, bed sheet also felt sticky like someone slept on it before, so I guess that might be staff's room and they moved out for our stay but they didn't have enough time to clean it up.
Actually, I quite enforce on hotel's cleanliness, therefore I couldn't sleep well at all for the rest of my night, the only thing in my mind was I wished time past fast, so that I could transfer to next hotel as soon as possible, now I only felt lucky that I requested the earliest seaplane.
The room that with bed bugs problem is 303, I wish that they can do some pest control in their hotel after this incident. However, SL and I decided never stay in that hotel if we have chance to visit Maldives again because for sure their ventilation is the cause of bed bugs, which will be hard to fix unless they renovate their rooms.
Maldives flag that we recieved at Male International Airport
Maldivian dance at Male International Airport
We booked the hotel named "The Boutique Inn" from agoda.com, it is at an affordable price and they also provided free airport return transfer to and from their hotel, which saved us a lot of trouble, especially for a late arrival, so we didn't need to ask around for transportation at airport.
Our flight arrived to Maldives on time, we spent some times for immigration process because there was a queue, but it was smooth anyways. For any valid passport for half year, you can get an immediate travel visa from Maldives government to stay in Maldives for 30 days, which is more than enough to us.
Honestly, arrival hall of Male International Airport isn't big or grand, it is just a simple space, baggage claim area just goes ahead from immigration area, then exit of airport is just took a U turn from immigration checkpoint. I see a notice mentioned that will be an expanded new airport for Maldives in 2014, it maybe will develop as Penang International Airport.
Though Maldives airport isn't as grand as other countries, it is still able to attract tourists from all around the world, this is how special they are, a beautiful pearl will never be undercovered forever.
After exit, there were some Maldives tourism representative who past us a small Maldives flag, and there was a group of people playing Maldivian music and preformed Maldivian dance, which was quite entertaining while we waited for our guide who will responsible on our hotel transfer.
From airport, we took a ferry for about ten minutes to Male, the interesting part is the ferry will turn on their light when collecting fare and then it will be off after collection completed. After arrived to Male Port, we need to transfer a taxi to our hotel, which took about only five minutes through some small lanes.
During check in, hotel helped me to check my seaplane transfer for next day, result is I need to wake up at 4:15am for breakfast and then transfer to airport as we need to check in at 5:15am. Well, I did request for the earliest seaplane transfer but I didn't know it would be as early as this, I was a bit regret for my request because we won't get enough rest in Male before transfer to next hotel. That time, I also worried if sky would still be dark, so we couldn't take good pictures at early morning.
Roomboy took us to our room, my first impression to the room was it is clean. However, when I was taking shower, I sensed that was some drops of water from upper level bathroom, it should be some pipe leaking. Anyways, I was still fine with that because of it's affordable price. But, I always felt several parts of my body itchy when we were middle of sleep, we assume it was mosquitoes at first, but itchy feeling was never stop until woke us up, then we only knew there were some bed bugs on our bed, this is thing that I cannot bear, I would rather pay more for better environment.
After SL complaint to reception, the hotel moved us to another room but the room look a bit dirty as floor was sticky when we stepped in, bed sheet also felt sticky like someone slept on it before, so I guess that might be staff's room and they moved out for our stay but they didn't have enough time to clean it up.
Actually, I quite enforce on hotel's cleanliness, therefore I couldn't sleep well at all for the rest of my night, the only thing in my mind was I wished time past fast, so that I could transfer to next hotel as soon as possible, now I only felt lucky that I requested the earliest seaplane.
The room that with bed bugs problem is 303, I wish that they can do some pest control in their hotel after this incident. However, SL and I decided never stay in that hotel if we have chance to visit Maldives again because for sure their ventilation is the cause of bed bugs, which will be hard to fix unless they renovate their rooms.
Maldives flag that we recieved at Male International Airport
Maldivian dance at Male International Airport
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