I finally get to process my photos and writing the trip reports from our two weeks Southeast Asia trip that we took in early January 2018! Call me crazy but due to changes in plan and to use up the 2 free nights certificate, we had 4 days to spare before meeting with our friends in Siem Reap so I decided to pay the Maldives a visit Minus the transportation time, we had 3 days 2 nights in the Conrad Maldives (Jan. 11-13, 2018). We arrived Male from Singapore at 11:40 AM and was shocked on the number of people in line at passport control; I always thought the Maldives is one of the secluded paradise destinations. The transfer to the Conrad seaplane lounge was smooth but we didn't get to the resort until around 3 PM due to seaplane schedule.

Tips: if you are coming from a cold place like us (from Boston), make sure you can easily access a ho t weather outfit to take out before checking in the seaplane so you can change in the lounge; there's no AC in the seaplane so it can get pretty hot! Also, if you have heavy camera gears, take out the camera and hang it around your neck or hand-carry it when checking in the seaplane so it doesn't count on the weight!

Our seaplane made a stop at the Lux Resort so we get to experienced two take-offs and landings. There was no "perfect" row to sit on for the best photos because the views were somewhat obstructed by the seaplane's wings and propeller. I found either the 1st row or the last row to be with fewer obstructions; avoid row #3 almost half blocked by the engine. Once we arrived at the Conrad, 2nd shocker: the number of Chinese staffs in the resort! Our host was Tina, she's from China as well; they probably assigned a Chinese host to us based on our Chinese last name xD. We requested superior water villa 334 or 338 in advanced and got villa 334, I negotiated the upgrade price from beach villa (by points) to superior water villa for $200 excluding the 23% tax and service charge. The villa itself was not as impressively beautiful as the other overwater bungalows we had stayed in French Polynesia but the Jacuzzi on the deck was a nice touch. I felt they could’ve made the bathroom smaller to give more space for the bedroom.

I reserved Ithaa Cocktail for the next day in advance via email but when reviewing the list of activities and restaurant reservations with Tina, it wasn’t there. Luckily, it wasn’t fully booked so we were able to confirm a reservation. Also, I have requested Shanghai Tang toiletries through the Conrad Concierge App but none delivered so I had to ask Tina for it. I felt in love with the fresh tea smell but guess what, it was their last set and they ran out! I contacted Conrad Koh Samui to make sure they have it for our stay later in the trip!

We wasted no time, we changed, took our tripod and went out for photos around the quiet island and then to the main island until dinner time. We had dinner at Ufaa and it was awesome to have hot pot on the beach, although the sand was definitely not powdery soft that I have expected and it hurt my feet walking even with my sandals on! The hot pot dinner plus the dreadful $14 VOSS water plus 23% taxes and service charge totaled $261.18, the most expensive hot pot I ever had but I have to admit, the ingredients were fresh and high quality!

Photos and complete trip report for Day 1 here: 3 Planes, 2 Buses, and 1 Seaplane Rides to the Maldives! ? Miss Vacation