alanslegal

Excellent report and great photos!

By the way, the water in front of the Conrad Maldives Lounge is no longer there - the water is now reclaimed and all you see is sand and soon, a new terminal building. To see the seaplanes and water, you need to look hard left

JohnRain

How about that, chongl:
You teach me how to shoot proper photos and I'll give you one of my three Vettel outfits (the other one is reserved for Madone59). Deal?
Loving this report by the way...

thibderoc

JohnRain : Pics from your TRs and from your Instagram account are already very good

Chongl : Love the report too... Can't wait for the next post

chongl

Interesting tidbit, Bretteee. Where might that Strogonoff have been? Just wanted to file that away for the next time I'm back in Tokyo

Yes, the steak is probably close to $300 per person depending on which beef you choose (Matsuzaka, Omi, etc.), size of the cut, and how many ways you split it. We had 3 people versus 2 last year, so it helped cut down on cost. We didn't order any drinks either

I recognize your name from the Conrad Maldives thread in the Hilton sub, alanslegal. Are you there enjoying a nice getaway right now? It sounds like they are redoing the terminal area along with the quiet zone pool? We departed just before the maintenance was supposed to begin

Deal! But do the outfits say "I brake for animals" as a reminder of his on-camera banter during interviews the last few years, or is it an outline of his two palms up after ramming Ham at Azerbaijan?

In all seriousness JohnRain, your photos and reports are fantastic. From a photographic standpoint, I think we all strive to capture the incredible moments that DanielW is able to do time and time again, but he just has that eye and ability over us mere mortals. That's one reason I read all his reports to see how he frames his subjects/scenes, and how he chooses to edit them to enhance the storytelling. I'm nowhere close to that level of proficiency, but as with anything, just going out and practicing does wonders.

Now all I need to do is organize a beach bonfire with Madone59 the next time he's in San Diego, assuming you hold up your end of the deal

Definitely agreed on JR's pics and TRs!

Thank you for reading, thibderoc

chongl

The next morning, we had the breakfast buffet at Atoll Market. This was the closer option as the resort is split into 2 main islands, with the beach villas on the main island where reception and the main pool is located. We would try Vilu when we moved to the water villa, where a smaller breakfast selection is offered, but with an a la carte option.





Lots of selection to cater to the diverse guests that come here













Sushi and salad





Pancakes, waffles, and crepes





Other



Omelete station





Fruit



Hot selection of fried rice, noodles, curry, etc.





Noodle bar, which I enjoyed quite a bit





Ice cream



Yogurt and drinks, including daily blended smoothies



After absolutely stuffing ourselves, we decided to take the long way back to our villa by walking the circumference of the island. We came across the main pool area first, where we spotted this guy and a few others in the very shallow water



Looking back at the seaplane departure area







Main pool



The walk back towards 137



Everyone has their own private lounging space and direct beach access



And a few hammocks here and there









The stroll after breakfast turned out to be a big mistake since we hadn't put on sunscreen yet, and the heat/humidity had us breaking out into a sweat. Luckily, the private plunge pool was perfect for cooling off. We also ended up doing a little bit of snorkeling by the house reef before returning to the villa. Come lunchtime, we called for a buggy to pick us up and drive us to the reception area, where it's only about 50 yards to Rangali Bar, adjacent to the main pool.

Chicken tikka and chicken biryani were both delicious. One thing I learned while I was here was that despite the high prices, the food is actually very appetizing





Afternoon tea was complimentary for us as diamond members. There was a small selection of sandwich bites and pastries. Coupled with some English breakfast, it was a fantastic way to spend the afternoon taking in the view.







We stuffed ourselves (unintentionally) and skipped dinner for the night, but once again, there was another picturesque sunset to end the day. A little bit of tropical house music turned out to be a great pairing as the sun dipped below the horizon, and day 2 came to a close.













Next installment: moving to the deluxe water villa and Ithaa undersea restaurant

offerendum

Yeah, thatīs a place you can spend a few days. Nevertheless I have no intention to visit Maldives soon.

brodielayne

I have full intentions, and this great trip report just improved my chances. Nice work Chongl. ^

Dsm2m2

Great Photos! Can I ask what camera you are using?

Duke787

Awesome pictures and TR. Which did you like better Maldives or Bora Bora (from your earlier TR)?

Just got engaged a couple weeks ago so of course I'm already plotting out honeymoon options and what I need to do to get us there and Maldives vs Bora Bora is decision #1
​​​​

chongl

I agree, it's not a destination for everyone, offerendum. 6 days was definitely enough for us, maybe 1 more at the most. To each their own, but I can't fathom how some people are able to spend 2 weeks in a place like this doing mostly nothing.

It is a beautiful place that exceeded our expectations. Hope I see a report from you when the time comes, brodielayne.

Thank you for reading, Dsm2m2. I used mostly my Sony A7RII, with occasional shots with a Sony RX100 Mark IV or my cell phone. Even though the A7RII is mirrorless and smaller than a traditional DSLR, it's still pretty conspicuous.

Congratulations Duke787! The short answer is we liked the Maldives more. Long answer below, if you feel like reading it

As dumb as it sounds, we went into it really hoping to dislike the Maldives. From CONUS, Bora Bora is a much closer flight, and we had originally decided on going there in 2016 because we made a guess it would be the better place, but boy were we wrong. What made Bora Bora stand out is the landscape/scenery with Mount Otemanu smack in the center of it all. Most of the resorts are on the motu surrounding the central island, so space is a little more limited. Whereas in the Maldives, each resort has their own private island, or islands (2 for guests and 1 for staff) in the case of the Conrad. The open space where you can wander is very expansive on Rangali and there are more restaurants with a seemingly larger selection. You feel as though the occupancy rate is about 30% with how infrequently you run into people (unless you're at the main pool). One could argue that the Intercontinental isn't at the quality/service standard of a Conrad, but all the staff were even more helpful, friendly, and seemed genuinely engaged with you at the latter. I know they converted the Hilton in Bora Bora to a Conrad, but I don't know how that has affected the service and hard product there. You'd still be limited by the resort size though.

Overall, the food, rooms, pool, size, and staff were superior in the Maldives. Bora Bora allows you to get a feel of the local life if you wanted (renting a scooter and riding the circumference of the central island was a great experience) and our resort had cultural immersion activities that taught you how to open coconuts, make hats/bags out of leaves, etc. Both are obviously fantastic destinations to experience, but the wife and I both looked at each other and agreed the Maldives were better within a few hours of arriving at the resort

lhrhappy

Ever see Office Space?

offerendum

My problem is the political situation. I donīt like travelling to fundamentalist islamic countries.

brodielayne

I would encourage you to give the Conrad Bora Bora a look. I was upgraded into the Presidential suite, so I cannot really make a fair comparison as that room was so amazing. The service was spot on, yet I'm afraid to go back as I'm not sure a lesser room would offer the same experience. Guessing a sunset water villa would be a good compare at Conrad Maldives. Once I go I'll be sure to do a report.

chongl

Yup

Fair enough ^

You have pictures of that Presidential suite posted anywhere? I'm sure they stepped things up when it transitioned from a plane-jane Hilton to a Conrad. Any notable stuffed animals there?

jtav559

@chongl , was the Conrad Maldives all inclusive? Interested in that and how HHonors status factored into your stay.

BTW, pics look great! Feels like I am there. Keep it coming, great TR!