There is no set schedule but expect to leave somewhere in the vicinity of 0730 to 0900, perhaps 0930 at the latest.

I will be visiting mid-October...is it possible to go on a Whale Shark excursion from the St. Regis?

For this kind of question I suggest emailing the resort.

Did a Whale/Dolphin cruise, didn't see either. No one else signed up so it was just the two of us. Ended up being very cheap but kinda boring.

Looks like the StR Maldives is getting a 66' Azimut motor yacht. Very nice. Thanks to @MikeFromTokyo for the tip.

:cool::cool::cool::cool:^^^^

Hi All,

New to flyertalk, and am thankful to have found this thread with all your insights!

I will be going there late Nov. and I feel most of my questions about the resort has been answered, however, was wondering if anyone had any tips/recommendations on doing visiting Male en route to/from the island?

Were you able to leave your suitcase at the lounge and was it easy to get out of the airport and spend a few hours in Male?

Thanks in advance!

Definitely able to leave bags at the lounge and head out to the city. They will also arrange a free guide for you.

Flight award availability being what it is may have us arriving 3 nights before our stay here (can't change the Vommuli dates as it was booked under an award promo). Is there anywhere close to MLE that doesn't require a sea plane transfer and is worth staying for a few days ?

You could try Jumeirah Vittaveli. 5-star luxury resort, expensive but only a few kilometres southwest of MLE and I think far enough away that you won't be bothered by passenger jets flying overhead which is something you should consider when staying close to the capital.

Reserving Activities and Restaurants
 

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There is nothing worth visiting male for. It is only good for a one night stopover. Would recommend Sheraton which is around 10-15 minutes speedboat ride. Never stayed there but it looks ok and definitely better than staying on the mainland

Thanks, as a plat, it looks the Sheraton is the best option. Snagged a BRG rate there for 3 nights. Still debating whether or not to lengthen the stay at Vommuli for 2 nights on points instead (spending the first night near airport). :D

Also, Orientale and Whale Bar menus are posted upthread in post #420 if someone wants to update the wiki (I'm still short on posts to update the wiki)

Done.