“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” -MT
I and my husband got married last January 2018. As a honeymoon gift to ourselves, we decided to take a short trip to Maldives on May 2018. It was one of our “To-Do’s” in our bucket list because we thought visiting such an amazing place is like entering a paradise. We love travelling to different places especially those away from the hustle and bustle of the big city. Though we haven’t visited a lot yet, but we are planning to explore more of what the world could offer.
We requested different travel agencies such as Holiday Factory, HolidayMe, Tabeer Tourism, Musafir for a quotation so we can choose who could offer us the cheapest yet best packages for our short vacation. Finally, we have decided to purchase from the Holiday Factory and book our trip online at https://www.holiday-factory.com/book/home. We have been in touch with their agents and they were very helpful to answer all our queries. And honestly, we are grateful we booked with them as they are very accommodating until the end of our trip.
The Package
The package we have chosen was for 4 days 3 nights (4D3N) which costs us around AED 2500 or USD 680 per head. It includes our stay at a 3-star hotel named Coconut Tree Hulhuvilla Beach, Hulhumale, Maldives with free Maldivian breakfast and a 7-hour flight from Dubai, UAE to Male, Maldives through Sri Lankan Airlines with a stop over at Bandaranaike Internatinal Airport, Colombo, Sir Lanka. Leisure activities not included.
Confortably sitted at Sri Lankan Airlines 
Arrival at Bandaranaike International Airport, Sri Lanka for a short layover 
Menu for lunch by the airline
The Itinerary
DAY 1: The City Tour
We left Dubai at 11:50 pm and reached Colombo at around 7 am. We have had a short layover of less than 2 hours and proceeded with the next flight. Lastly, we have arrived at Male International Airport at around 10 am. We were shortly picked up by a Holiday Factory agent with a van and dropped us off to our hotel so we can take a short rest. We were then instructed that the City Tour will start at 4 pm. Other leisure activities were not included on the package. Therefore, the City Tour cost us 20 USD per head which we have paid separately .
Sea view near our hotel
Our hotel room
A few minutes before 4 pm, we were picked up by the driver and dropped us off at a ferry pier. He instructed us that we will be meeting our tour guide at the city which is located on another island. To reach there, we have to a ferry. The driver bought as the ferry tickets. The pier was full of local people who are amazingly generous. The place was clean and…. congratulations to me!!.. It was also my first time to ride a ferry. I thought I would be nauseous with the ride, conversely, the ride was smooth and it was really a great experience. We’ve had a chance to glance some islands from far away. It was such a beauty.
We reached the pier station at 4 and met our guide. He was really great and very informative. Surprisingly, it was a walking tour but I shouldn’t be surprised because the main spots on the city are located nearby each other so walking is the best mode to reach them. Good thing, I and my husband were working out at the gym, therefore long periods of walking is easy peasy for us.
We have recorded our first day at The Maldives and you may watch it on Youtube with subtitle:
The Grand Mosque 
The Islamic Center 
The Oldest Mosque 
Parliament Office 
The Public Square 
The Tsunami Moment 
The Artificial Beach 
Seaside Beach
It was a 4-hour walking tour and we were able to visit the city landmarks such as the Presidential Palace, Parliament Office, city schools, the oldest mosque in the city, the Islamic Center, Grand Mosque, the Public Square and a seaside beach where several people gathered to do difference activities such as grilling barbecues and fishing. The tour ended with a free dinner buffet of Sri Lankan and Maldivian cuisine at a local restaurant. It was an exhausting journey indeed but it’s totally worth it!
Day 2: Snorkeling + Lunch Buffet + Huraa Island Tour
We have purchased a package called ADVENTURE BOAT SAFARI CRUISE which cost 120 USD per head and it included:
- Day on a Yacht
- Snorkeling Equipment
- Buffet Lunch @ Cinnamon Dhonvelli
- Guided Tour @ Huraa Island
May is a rainy month in Maldives yet we were fortunate to experience a sunny day and calm ocean all day long. Firstly, we were again picked up from our hotel and dropped us off at a pier where we rode a yacht. Surprisingly, we are the only tourists to ride it plus the captain, his assistant and a guide, so there are only 5 of us inside.
We have recorded our second day at The Maldives and you may watch it on Youtube:
Snorkeling for 2-hours in the Maldivian sea was a very spectacular experience for me and my husband not only because it was our first time to do it but also because of the amazing view of the crystal clear color of the waters. It was such a wonderful view even on the seabed.
Then, we spent our lunch at Cinnamon Dhonvelli (where we will be spending our last day in Maldives) which is included on this package. The buffet lunch was really awesome! They have a vast choices of cuisine from Mediterranean, Western, Maldivian, Sri Lankan and others which I may not know of. There were a few sun-tanned tourists too who most likely came from America, Europe and Britain.
After finishing our lunch at around 2 pm, we rode the yacht for about half an hour from the resort, then we were guided to a walking tour at Huraa Island. It is actually a small village where maybe less than a hundred local families live. It is where our guide lives too. It was such a peaceful and heavenly place to stay. It was indeed a small island, we even finished to roam it for at least 2 hours just by walking! Here, aside from the villagers’ houses, we were able to pass by a private resort, which we would probably revisit on our next trip here, a shallow river and a souvenir shop where we got to drink a free coconut juice fresh from its shell.
The souvenir shop 
Free refreshment 
The private Resort 
The shallow river 
Day 3: Cinnamon Dhonvelli
We’ve spent the whole day in one of their amazing resort islands named Cinnamon Dhonvelli. We were fetched from our hotel and rode on a bigger yacht than the previous day. They offered us below rates:
- 45 USD (per head) – access to resort + lunch + softdrinks
- 90 USD (per head) – access to resort + buffet lunch + unlimited alcohol beverages
We have chosen the package including the “unlimited” alcohol to enjoy our stay to the fullest! Yay!
Yacht ride to the resort 
Lunch time 
Unlimited Beverages 
The Bar 
Relaxing time
There are a lot of activities you can do in the resort aside from taking pictures at the Ocean Villas. By the way, you may also stay in an ocean villa if you could afford to pay more. On our next visit, we would definitely try this accommodation as the scene is very relaxing and the sound of waves is like a melody to the ears. We just need to save more so we could be able to pay for it. 🙂
So there, inside the resort, there are also swimming pools for both children and adults, playgrounds for the children and cottages where you can lie down and do some tanning.
Check out our Cinnamon Dhonvelli experience in this Youtube video:
Tips!
- Always ask the seller for a lower price when buying souvenirs at the shop. They always give tourists a high price and I think that it is given anywhere. Usually, the tour guide knows where you can buy the cheapest quality items.
- Bring your own snacks or foods as you may not prefer the local foods, though, we liked it except that I do not prefer those spiced with Masala.
- Below is an example of the snack we brought. We basically cooked it using the electric kettle inside our hotel room. Have you tried it? 🙂
- Roam around your hotel to know where the nearest food shops are as well as the gym if you wish to work out. We planned to do jogging, but we didn’t want to drain our energy saved for the activities.
The day ended after 4pm. It was a short stay indeed but we do have great memories which we could keep forever. We would definitely come back to Maldives again maybe still as a couple or as a family… why not?! 🙂
We spent our 4th day by roaming around our hotel, bought some souvenirs and got to met some local people. At noon, we were picked up by our driver and transferred us to the Male airport back to Dubai.
This short trip gave us a wonderful experience and a chance to explore the other side of the world away from the city and far from work. For me, travelling makes our life longer as it enhances our mental and spiritual ability, relaxes our intellect and removes the stress away. I hope someday I would be able to bring my parents, sisters and my future children here. This kind of place is perfect for bonding the family together.
“Travel while you’re young and able. Don’t worry about the money, just make it work. Experience is far more valuable than money will ever be.”
Wonderful post! Been discussing future vacation destinations with my husband recently. Maldives is on the list and I love the idea of being able to make the trip on a budget. Stunning images thanks so much for sharing your experience.
Thank you Cynthia! It is indeed difficult to plan about travelling at the moment. Nevertheless, since we have lots of time to reflect and prepare our Bucket Lists, we can consider adding travelling to these wonderful places to our list.
Thank you Cynthia! It is indeed difficult to plan about travelling at the moment. Nevertheless, since we have lots of time to reflect and prepare our Bucket Lists, we can consider adding travelling to these wonderful places to our list.
My sister lived in Maldives for 8 months. She loved it and said it really was like paradise.
Your sister must be very lucky! We spent less than a week there and we already enjoyed a lot! What more if we spend few months there! That would be wonderful and unforgettable life experience. Would want to visit there again soon!
Maldives is one of my dream destinations! Glad to have gotten tips from you.
Happy to help CA! Hope you also achieve your dream of visiting such a magnificent place soon!
I can see form your faces that you enjoyed your honeymoon in Maldives. It is a beautiful country and Ive heard so many interesting facts about this place.
Indeed Ramil, there are lots of interesting and magnificent spots on that paradise. Our visit was quote memorable, so we will definitely revisit soon .
I can see from the photos that you enjoyed your honeymoon. Maldives will surely be in my bucket list.
We surely did Ramil! Thank you, hope you enjoy your visit there too, soon!
Someday, I’ll visit Maldives with my boyfriend. Thanks for this guide.
Hope you enjoy your visit too Arris! Good luck!
Thanks for this awesome guide, I had to half my plans of visiting Maldives due to this coronavirus ourbrake. Nevertheless, i enjoyed reading your guide
You’re welcome Utaji! This is really a depressing time of our lives. The outbreak inhibits us from doing things that we love. Hopefully, this crisis ends soon and we will be able to travel to different places again.
Your pictures look like heaven! I’d love to go to Maldives at some point. Thank you for sharing this information.
You’re welcome dear. Happy to share our travel experience to aspiring travelers so we can all discover the world together. Hope you can visit there too soon!
What a fun trip! Maldives looks like a beautiful place to visit.
It is indeed a beautiful place to visit Mom Elite! Also, it’s a nice place to spend time with your family, friends and loved ones.
This looks like an amazing trip! The Maldives are definitely on my travel bucket list!
That’s great to hear Bailey! Hope you visit there too soon! Keep adding to that bucket list, good luck!
This sounds like an awesome trip. Good price and lovely photos. Thanks for sharing.
The price is really worth it for the experience! You’re welcome and happy to share helpful information on our travels. 🙂
I knew it! you guys are Filipinos. Anyways, you had an amazing trip. I wish to have the same adventures like yours.
Sure we are Oscar! We love to discover new places and have budget-friendly adventures. Hope you visit there too!
Thank you for letting me be in the Maldives to your post. I can’t wait to travel again.
You’re welcome Marjie! Happy to share one of the greatest travelling experience that we had. And hope you visit there too!.. soon..
Your article about Maldives is really informative. I have always wanted to visit that awesome city. Thanks for sharing this Diane.
You’re welcome Neil! Hope you visit there too soon! The place is really beauiful, amazing and one of its kind.
Maldives is such a dream destination! I’m dreaming of being there, right now! And the Lucky Me pancit canton with eggs towards the end, is so FIlipino – we do it all the time! 😀
Indeed, right Shiela?! Wherever we go, we always carry food packs such as canned goods, sardines, tuna and, of course and always, instant noddles! Ha ha.. We actually cook it using the water boiler/ thermos inside our hotel room. Also, we boil eggs using the same too! 🙂
hi
firstly congrats for the marriage, it was a pleasure to know that. I liked your snorkeling videos , have always wantedt o try that . Maldives is expensive going by the amount you were detailing, one does need to save to enjoy luxuriously out here
Hello Sumit! Thank you for the greetings and appreciating my little “documentaries”. I agree with what you’ve said, one should really save funds in order to enjoy the Maldives. But, I can tell, it’s totally worth it.
It looks like you had a great trip. I really want to visit Maldives in the future.
Sure you can dear! Everything is possible, make sure to add it on your Bucket List!
wow!! thanks for these budget tips to travel to maldives, learnt them all
You’re welcome Sienny! Hope this information helps.
Maldives has been one of the most scenic and visited places for a vacation. I wish we can still visit the place after this pandemic.
Sure you can Magz! Hope you’ll be able to visit there, ’cause I’m sure you will enjoy it a lot! Not only it is beautiful, but the place is so relaxing too!
Looks like you had a blast! And it’s a really good idea to record everything! Now you have a memory that you can always look back at whenever you want.
That’s true Salmotus! I really did my best to at least record the whole tour and take some pictures too. Who know when we’ll be back there right? These are really great memories to treasure.
My dad loved Maldives. Snorkelling over there is beautiful. I havent been there sice dad passed away but your detailing about the trip was beautiful. Anyways, congrats on your wedding.
I’m sorry to hear about your dad Monidipa. And yes, that place is really wonderful, a great place to spend time with family and your loved ones. Thank you for the greetings!
Wow! The Maldives looks so beautiful. I’m adding them to my bucket list.
GOod luck Wendy! Hope you visit there soon too! I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.
Oh wow, thanks for some money saving tips because I would love to The Maldives. It is a sea paradise!
You’re welcome Aisasami! It is such a wonderful place to go.
Maldives!!! 🙂 This paradise is truly one of the best beaches in the world. The crystal clear water adds to its pristine beauty. Indeed perfect place for honeymoon. 🙂
The Maldives is really a wonderful place Don! I agree, they do have crystal clear waters, I witnessed this in front of my eyes. It is such a wonderful place, I’m out of words now. 🙂
The Maldives is really a wonderful place Don! I agree, they do have crystal clear waters, I witnessed this in front of my eyes. It is such a wonderful place, I’m out of words now. 🙂
Ang pretty mo Dianne!! ❤️ Seems like you had tons of fun! I’m a beach bum and I’ve always wanted to go to Maldives (it’s on the bucket list!) but my plans keep canceling (due to work). Thank yooouuuu for the tips!
You’re welcome Polly Amora! And thank you for the compliments! It is indeed difficult to find time to travel especially when we have to work. But for sure, you’ll find some time to go there. For sure, you will enjoy the beaches of the Maldives too!
My girlfriends and I were just talking about planning our next trip. Maldives is definitely on the list now!
Surely Mariah Krystal. Maldives is one of the places one should consider of travelling to! You would definitely enjoy your visit there with your friends. Take care! 🙂
I’ve always wanted to go to Maldives!! It’s like a paradise there!
It is definitely a paradise Lorita! You’ll forget your life issues, problems, the hustle bustle of the city… and your name too! (ha ha.. kidding) Hope you visit there soon too! You’ll definitely be amazed of its beauty!
OMG Maldives is one of my dream destination. Nakakainggit naman! The beach looks so pristine 😀
Thank you for the appreciation Blair! Don’t make “inggit”, instead, book a ticket and go there na! Maybe not now, but real soon! Chase your dreams! 🙂
The Maldives looks amazing! What an amazing trip for you and your husband.The time you spent on the yacht has me super jealous!
Maldives is superb Shelley! We just had a really good timing as we are the only passengers in all the yachts that we rode on. The experience was amazing.
I love Maldives and I really love beach and scenery view. this is one of my bucket list to visit awesome photos.
Indeed Maysz! Everything there is picturesque, you will really enjoy taking a lot of pictures and spending time with nature especially the sea.
the views are breath-taking there! what a great package deal… when this health pandemic is over I’ll be sure to visit, I so badly need a vacation!
That is so exciting to here Eloise! The package was really good, we totally recommend it if you prefer to stay on a 3-star hotel, but you may also choose whether you want to stay in a resort island or in an ocean villa. Will try those on our next visit! Good luck!
OMG!! You’re post just gave me life!! Hubby and I are wanting to visit next December, I can’t wait!!
OMG!! You’re post just gave me life!! Hubby and I are planning to go next year and trying to see the best route. I saw you guys went through Dubai.
Hello Kevine! Actually we came from Dubai as we are currently residing here. Our flight has a 2-hour stopover in Sri Lanka, then last stop at Male, Maldives. It was such a nice trip, you would surely enjoy it with your hubby! Good luck!
Oh, wow! The Maldives look AMAZING. I’ll have to add them to my ever-growing travel bucket list. It looks like you guys had the best time 🙂
Louise x
We did have an amazing time there Louise! I know you will also enjoy your time once you get there. No time to waste once you’re there! Good luck on your bucket list! I have a long one too. 🙂
Oh, my! I am very curious on how beautiful Maldives is. Every photos says that I need to visit that paradise someday. and it seems like you really had an amazing experience there.
Commenting for Elizabeth O
We really had a wonderful stay in Maldives Billy. Hope you would visit there too soon! Good luck!