farbster

We flew on a little plane (not seaplane) from San Juan to Vieques. The pilot did the same thing with her shoes/flip-flops.

Due to the balancing of weight on the plane, my daughter was in the co-pilots seat. We told her to sit on her hands and not touch a thing!

Looking forward to hearing about your resort.

SAtraveller

Thanks roadwarrier... I'm sure a lot of these places in SA look familiar to you too!

Thanks avneeshj

Thanks offerendum... it was really great. Hot!... but great.

Thanks ExpatSomchai.

Thanks Madone59.... I'll post as soon as I can.

Thanks chongl... I'd really love to go to Bora Bora. It's on the other side of the world though so I might have to wait a while.

Thanks pango9102... You definitely won't regret it, and the Conrad looks great. I'm sure you'll visit their signature underwater restaurant.

Thanks Firipu, lol it was fun to make.

Thanks nequine, it was a fantastic experience. I was a bit wary of such a small plane but it seemed less bumpy than the bigger ones.

Thanks BA5E

Thanks standch, well it was the final straw for me when I was deciding if these were surfers or pilots. But to be fair, they were the friendliest guys and very skilled.

Thanks farbster, I'm glad your daughter got to experience that. I think it's something everyone should try if they have the means.

kokinos

Fantastic photos and trip report so far SAtraveler! Really looking forward to hearing about the Lux as we are staying there in a couple months....

danpass

Great report, thank you.

Do they do seaplane tours of the islands as well? (like an aerial tour)

daKav

Out of curiosity, what is the shortest / fastest flight to MLE from JNB?

Yoshi212

Charter a plane is fastest but via commercial is on EK via DXB departing at 22:20 and arriving 14:55+1 day for a total travel time of 13h35m inclusive of an 85 m layover.

DanielW

A great start to your trip, SAtraveller. An uber-luxe Maldives vacation must be quite the experience!

SAtraveller

4. Lux South Ari Atoll - part 1 (the hotel)

Finally we landed, and despite the allure of it all it was easy to miss that it takes three flights to get there. Flying from Johannesburg rubs salt into the wound, as you basically fly in a big circle. It was really hot and humid in maldives - not as bad as Dubai but close to it. Sometimes it was really great just to fall into the pool or the sea, or enter an airconditioned room for some relief. It's fantastic weather but it takes a few days to get used to it, and to your camera and glasses fogging up whenever you exit your room.


The pier



Maldives is one of the most expensive places we have been to in the world. Apart from some selected fresh produce, almost everything is imported and they make you pay for it. Using our local wines as a standard, the markups are astronomical. You also pay upwards of 25% tax on everything, plus VAT and all sorts of tourism taxes. For this reason we went for the all-inclusive option which would classically be considered a rip off, but delivered peace of mind for the whole holiday... but more on that later.


Staff welcoming us at the pier.


Welcome drinks.


Reception atrium



After being welcomed by the staff we checked in with our personal agent and were given a private tour of the island. Lux is on an island with a circumference of 4km, and while most people take the regular golf buggies everywhere, we opted to hire bicycles to do so, or to walk. The bikes hire for $5 a day and while a minority of people do so, we found them to be a hidden gem.



We opted for a romantic pool villa, which as you would expect is on stilts in the ocean. Classically Maldives, but also compulsory for a first time visitor in my opinion. The bedroom is very beautiful as it comes with a large king bed, small lounge, double shower, closet and outdoor balcony with a rim flow pool. Lower end accommodation includes a water villa that includes a bath instead of a shower and no pool, and a beach villa. Higher end accommodation includes villas that also have a bath tub and more floor space as well as a big separate lounge. There is also a presidential suite.















There are steps running into the sea, and we used them once or twice but the sea is only about 30cm deep there and there's basically only sand - so for wildlife and other niceties we went to other parts of island. The place is really ravaged by the weather and maintenance of the hotel takes place daily to prevent rusting and general destruction by all the humidity and salt.

The service on the island is really good with friendly staff who make up your room when they see you head out to breakfast or dinner, with a nightly turndown service. The staff are also very creative with your towels when you head out ...





We then started to explore. As there was no map to be found this had to be a journey of self discovery.


The East Bar


The red telephone booth - free international calls 24/7 if you want to phone someone.


The daily fresh coconut pit stop

On the main road between the two side of the island is a daily treasure trove of 'messages in bottles' - classic bottles that were supposedly thrown into the sea and washed up. If you find them you can claim the gift inside - anything from drinks to clothing to whale shark tours. They're limited to one per guest per stay to keep it fair, but many guests hoarded theirs' to see which one was the best and to cash it in later.


The Veli pool - there are many pools and bars everywhere.








Nets over the water to lie on and watch the sunset above and the sea life below. Such a great place especially when they bring you drinks there.




Senses pool - this was our favourite. Despite the fact that the hotel was 60% full, it never felt like it and I suspect even at full capacity it would feel spacious and not congested.





The hotel really is a wonderful haven to relax and do what you want to each day. The only time it can be busy is at the restaurants during meal times, but they provide you with a reservation for that reason. Other than that, we all had a great deal of freedom and personal space on such a large island. There are hundreds of meters of powdery beach and the ocean is shallow for 300m out to sea. It's remarkable and surreal.

SAtraveller

Thanks kokinos, you definitely won't regret it!

Thanks danpass, I can't answer you factually but I doubt it. Transmaldivian is an airline so I'm not sure if they would accommodate it. Doesn't hurt to ask I guess...? You get good fly-bys of the island when you land and take-off, if that helps.

Hi daKav, another poster answered you. All three Middle Eastern airlines have good schedules to Male. Emirates has the biggest fleet though so it is also the fastest and most malleable.

Thanks DanielW, it was really great!

stu1985

Excellent stuff SAtraveller with some stunning photos - especially the ones in the most recent post!

SAtraveller

5. Lux South Ari Atoll - part 2 (food)

Of course, what is luxury accommodation without good food? As mentioned previously we went for the All Inclusive Package that activated the minute we landed on the island. I am naturally drawn to these sorts of arrangements as I am not interested in worrying about money on an island holiday. It was nice to pay for the entire vacation three months before, and then to arrive and not to worry again.

The package is not truly all-inclusive, but then, they never are. It is true that it includes unlimited food, water sports and even the mini-bar in the room. However, regarding the mini-bar you may only drink the drinks, but you are charged if you eat a packet of crisps. Room service is also not included. You can eat and drink about 90% of the food and drinks on the menu, but there is a chef's special that is usually outrageously good e.g. beef fillet, that you must pay for, and high end alcohol is not included (to be fair there are bottles of wine that cost several thousand dollars). Overall I found the wines okay-ish and I'd give them 6/10 overall. They are by no means vintage specials, but in general we drank a lot of soft drinks and had cocktails and various mixes rather than wine, which we reserved for meals. Only the sparkling wine was really horrible (popcap something or other, an abomination I'm ashamed to say was made in South Africa!), so if you want proper champagne I would suggest buying some there. The Japanese restaurant is also excluded, but you do get a 30% rebate on your final bill (and with the chef's special). The food there was outstanding and we went twice. There are many other restaurants to choose from though. Overall the package is definitely worth it... we paid off our daily package rate by midday and we are by no means heavy drinkers.

Ironically on our first night we went to a Low Country Boil which is apparently some sort of American custom. They have all sorts of specials on the island each night, and we paid the surcharge to see what this was about. One of the staff from the United States introduced the concept and we were the first group of lab rats to see if it was a good idea.








Bobbing for apples is no easy task! Eventually I lost my cool and placed by entire head under the water to get the apple, which was the key to getting a beer.

Afterwards we were given marshmallows on sticks to hold over the fire. This is common in my country too, so we enjoyed this even more.

There are two places for breakfast, but we were patrons of the East Market mainly because it was closer to our villa. Although it serves a great deal of continental food, it is more focused on Asian style food which I'm pleased to say is delicious. The stations are personally manned by chefs so when you ask for stir fry or an omelette you choose the ingredients and it is made before your eyes.



















At Reception there is the coffee bar, Café Lux which specializes in different coffees and delicacies, all of which are free for the entire resort before 08:30, but are charged thereafter unless you are on the package.







There are, of course, bars and eateries at all the pools, and there is nothing better than getting out of the pool and enjoying a drink and snack.




Delicious tuna...


... or duck.


... though this became my regular lunch.

Ici is an ice cream parlour that specializes in various forms of gelato and sorbets. There is a ton of variation and we made a pit stop there daily. On the other hand, they have a mobile bicycle Ici that drives around and can be stopped if you want an ice cream while walking down the road.



The first main dinner restaurant is Allegria which specializes in Italian food. It's close to reception and quite central. The food is good with a modern ambiance.

















On our last evening there we ordered the Snapper for Two, which meant that it was prepared next to our table. It was sensationally succulent and such a well prepared dish.









Beach Rouge as the name states, is a red-themed restaurant on the beach, with great views of the ocean. Though these views are lost at night, one can still hear the sound of the small waves and smell the salt in the air. The restaurant is very chic and has a more cosmopolitan style, with traditional restaurant food, a loud beat and a younger clientele.







I was such a sucker for their tuna steak... I had several during our stay...






Beef fillet


With a branded potato stating what you ordered

Senses, the Indian Restaurant specialized in curries and other such delicacies. We loved it, but Indian food is quite rich so we couldn't indulge too much. Stunning setting though, and adjacent to our favourite pool - so this became our lunch area most days.















Finally, there was Umami, the Japanese restaurant. It's a small place that holds about 30 people, including a bar area if you wish to sit around the chef and watch a Teppanyaki display.




Talk about 20,000 leagues under the sea...



You can go for the hot foods...





Or the sushi...







... but all of them converge on a good dessert...


Like green tea cheese cake


Or ice cream


Or a tartlet

I think it's plain to see that the quality of food on the island is really outstanding. There was so much variation and you could frequent the same restaurant every day, or bounce around on a whim. Truly luxurious and delightful.

SAtraveller

6. Lux South Ari Atoll - part 3 (things to do & views)

The resort can be whatever you want it to be. You can lie around and do nothing or spend the whole day doing activities.

This guy really loved his drone and spent more time with it than with his wife...








Catamaran for fishing. Our friends who we met at the airport went fishing one afternoon and returned with two fish. They were prepared in a restaurant of their choosing (Senses) and we joined them for a tasty meal.



We had bad luck with two tours we opted in for. Firstly, the place is home to both sea turtles and the wonderful whale shark. We went out on both tours and both times didn't see either, which was heartbreaking. If you find a new whale shark or turtle you get to name him/her but this was difficult when you see nothing

The marine biologist was severely disappointed but she gave us good lectures on the animals while on the boat. Each time we did go snorkeling with her though to try and find the animals, and we at least ended up seeing several beautiful fish and other sea creatures.

There are many incredible animals around the resort. On several occasions we saw manta rays swim past our villa as well as reef sharks (which are apparently harmless), but they are both so fast that there is really no time to get a camera.


Our boat - they are specially designed to have shallow propellers as deeper screws are a major cause of injury to young whale sharks.

Some of our snorkeling pictures...















Other animals...







Of course, half of Maldives is about the views which I'm glad to say are something out of a fantasy novel. It truly is remarkable how beautiful the world can be in certain places. You really need to lie there and actually take it all in.

Some pictures of the views...
























Looking for whale sharks






The occasional torrential storm. What amazed me about the Maldives is how it remained warm even during rain.



















On our last day we got up at dawn to take some pictures of the sunrise...





What an incredible stay. Although we were only booked for 7 nights, we enjoyed ourselves so much that we added on a few extra days so that we didn't have to leave. It's far and terrifically expensive - but do I have any regrets? Absolutely not! In fact, we plan to go every two years if possible. The Maldives is a hidden gem of beauty that should not be missed by the discerning tourist.

diningdecadence

looks awesome! and so much better than our stay at the Conrad earlier in the year.

do you mind sharing the cost of the full board/ all inclusive option?

roadwarriorafrica

Amazing.

So on the AI, breakfats at both restaurants is included, as well as all other meals (inc. coffee's, ice-cream) except the Japanese, and the chefs daily special. How much were your meals at the Japanese restaurant, and how much were the chefs specials?

What wines were included? and what were the spirits / beers like?

I have always looked at the Maldives, but the costs have thrown me off. I don't mind spending if it is good value.

TIA and thanks for sharing.

offerendum

Have to confirm it looks great