JohnRain

Bring it on !
Fantastic pics of the Maldives, chongl. ^
Eagerly awaiting the installment about LH and all that...

Carq

Nice TR and great pictures, as usual. Congratulations on the heir or heiress.
It seems like you went to the Maldives in late May/June. I donīt know if you redeemed points or payed cash, but they have great rates for this period. I was afraid, though, that the weather wouldnīt be that good, as it is raining season.
But your pictures tell me otherwise, so did you make a selection or was the weather good throughout your stay?

chongl

How often do you go? With a user name like that, it would seem more than twice

They might even be tied up after Monza if they finish in the same order as last weekend

I wasn't able to enjoy the Porsche as much as you normally do, but I'll get there in a few more posts as to why.

I always forget how much work it is to put one of these together! It's so easy to start strong, but finishing it off really takes some effort.

Thank you, Carq. It's a baby boy

We were there in early July and were fortunate to encounter no rain whatsoever.

MaldivesFreak

Twice to Ithaa. Once for lunch and once for dinner and unfortunately both in July / August (and for both visits there are reviews on TA where you can find out how to avoid the infestations).
As for how often to the Maldives.....first visit in Dec 2011 then 5 trips since Aug 2013.

chongl

The next morning, we went to Vilu for breakfast, which is on the smaller island. There is a much smaller buffet selection, but more a la carte options.







Oysters Rockefeller and William Way





French toast after I cleaned off the oysters



Buffet selection











Afterwards, we hopped on the dhoni and borrowed some life vests for some more snorkeling





As afternoon rolled around, we walked around the smaller island until settling at the quiet zone bar for a snack. Still not happy about missing out on Etihad, I ordered the steak sandwich.









Dhoni service





A Bloody Mary and mango smoothie



One of many birds that roam the resort



Steak sandwich really hit the spot



The quiet zone pool



In the evening we went to Rangali Bar for happy hour (50% off drinks). We decided to split the Maldivian lobster, which turned out perfect. We were tempted to order a second serving, but wisely abstained. The coconut smoothie was delicious...fresh coconut water, notsomuch





Some photos during another spectacular sunset, and it was another day completed.



Back at the quiet zone



Vilu on the left















Thursday morning, breakfast was once again at Vilu. This time around, the Portree, Maldivian style omelette, and mango sticky rice were had







George or Georgina gazing on as we dined. These birds will come right up to your table and get fed by the guests consistently.



Right around this period of the trip, the wife began experiencing an abnormal amount of aches and pains in her right hip, so getting around became a lot tougher. We called for buggy rides everywhere we went, but the staff were always extremely accommodating. This further reinforced our behavior of just hanging out in the villa or out on the deck, allowing her to rest and hopefully recover (that didn't happen). The one other activity we attended was the daily feeding at Mandahoo, also where afternoon tea is served





Next post: the last few meals, an astro shot, and returning to Male

Chalkie

What a fantastic report. I really enjoyed reading about your Japan trip. It is such a lovely, interesting place. Thank you very much.

Madone59

chongl, JohnRain. Is anyone else smelling a FT F1 meet up/ trip report extravaganza brewing?? @:-)

JohnRain I have an extra Mercedes shirt you can borrow

quirrow

I believe that is because the coconut was an 'older' coconut, based on the orange-brown colour. Specify a young coconut if you're in the tropics with green colour for the freshest tasting coconut water!

The photos were great by the way, enjoyed every section of your report and the photos of those sunsets were spectacular.

Finally congrats on the baby and hope your return flight was as good!

chongl

Thank you for the kind words, Chalkie. We will definitely be back to explore more!



I think you're right...the green ones I had in French Polynesia were much sweeter and refreshing. Thank you for the kind wishes, quirrow


A new post should be up tomorrow

chongl

Thursday evening, we called up our host and made reservations for Sunset Grill. Being one of the early arrivals has its benefits, as we got to choose the table we wanted to sit at. Of course, we were waiting for another fantastic sunset, so we opted for one of the 'satellite' tables.





Cream of pumpkin amuse bouche. Not a big pumpkin fan, but the flavor was spot on with just the right amount of pumpkin without overpowering. It was simultaneously light and creamy smooth.



Bread with pesto, butter, and a white asparagus sauce



The feeding going on at Ithaa to stir up some fish activity



The beginning of another gorgeous sunset



Both of us chose the catch of the day as the main, with grilled vegetables and a side of potatoes gratin. Jackfish was a meaty fish...seasoned well and was devoured in no time. the grilled vegetables and potato gratin were excellent as well





A fabulous concoction for dessert



Dipping below the horizon



The short walk back to reception so we could get a ride back to our villa...looking back at the main bar and pool area





Shots across the bridge connecting the two islands before our ride arrives





And a shot of the Milky Way



On our last full day, breakfast was back at Atoll Market for a change. You can use your imagination and repeat more of the same old activities we've been doing the whole week. We wanted to try out Mandahoo for dinner, but with no openings, we opted for Vilu, which ended being a great choice.

Menu





Bread with roasted garlic and tomatoes



Smoked lobster empanada with tomato sauce for the amuse bouche was absolutely stunning



Fried calamari was a main but I ordered it as an appetizer



Taglioni



As the staff said, these views never get old



My spaghetti garlic and chili



Dessert



We returned to our room that night to this setup after turndown service. As a little background, we knew this Conrad had multiple stuffed animals opposed to the singular bear that many others have. Upon arrival, I asked our host for an entire set that we could take home with us, but we only received 2 clown fish. When we followed up, he said they were out of stock and hard to come by, but to give him a few days. We weren't very hopeful since things like this don't just pop up, but he managed to score us a ray and a shark! Maybe next time we can get the crab, dolphin, and the others, but it was an awesome surprise for our last night.



On Saturday morning, our final breakfast was back at Vilu...starting with a Thai omelette



We were brought a special fruit plate with mangosteen, which I never saw in any area. The staff must hog them all in the back



And another mango sticky rice



We said our goodbyes to the staff and returned to our room to pack. Just minutes before noon, we hitched a ride to reception, where we hung out until our seaplane arrived to take us back to Male.

A pano of the main pool area



Main bar



Reception



And a snack of chili popcorn shrimp with coriander aioli to hold us over



Getting nervous as the first seaplane left and we were on the second one, it was cutting things close, even with us gaining an hour from the time difference between Male and the resort





Waving goodbye



And some more cavalier pilots taking us on the short journey



View over Male airport, with second runway under construction



When we landed at the seaplane terminal, we hit the ground in a rush since there was hardly any buffer time for us to make our flight. A few others were in this same situation, so it was odd knowing that the resort asks for your departure details out of MLE before even arriving. My memory is a bit fuzzy now, but I think we had an hour or so to drive over to the main airport, check-in, and clear security/immigration before departure time, so really about 20 minutes before boarding. We were able to jump into a priority security line due to the wife's pregnancy, but it was definitely cutting it closer than necessary. Luckily, the flight was late in typical Etihad fashion and everything worked out, but it was one of the more stressful moments of the trip.

Next up: Etihad Apartment to CDG, and arriving in London

offerendum

Thatīs stunning! Also impressed by satelite table and beautiful sky-pictures^

nequine

Yes it is so cute!

Great pics and yes, that view is hard to beat.

worldtraveller73

A great report with awesome photography!!

Being fortunate enough to have visited both, I share your sentiments that the Maldives are much more special than French Polynesia; Bora Bora and Moorea included. Although the Maldives are that much farther from the Americas, there is just that much more "wow" being on an private island.

Looking forward to the next chapters. ^^

chongl

We were thoroughly impressed as well. Although we didn't get the full suite of stuffed animals, I think we'll be back to try our luck again

Thank you, nequine. Maybe Conrad Bali and Koh Samui will have to wait until after another Maldives trip

Agreed 100%, worldtraveller73. We were just inexperienced until we saw it for ourselves what a world of difference separated the two. As I said, I think we'll be back sooner than we expected. Thank you for following ^

PresRDC

When in similar situations, I tell the resort that we are on an earlier flight than we are. I don't like others to control when I get to the airport.