So I contacted Club med France direct and was quoted 56,000 Baht pp for 4 nights in an OW bungalow but excluding flights which are around 25,000 pp. So for 162,000 Baht per couple for only 4 nights with the first night almost over when you arrive, just in time for a late dinner, is getting a bit expensive we thought. That is all inclusive though and includes 3 meals a day, snacks if you want them and all your booze including wines of so so quality. Even top shelf is free as are cocktails and everything from morning till night.
I should add that Bangkok Airways only have 2 flights a week. They are Thursday leaving Bkk at about 5.30pm and arriving at 7.30 (four hours fifteen minute flight with a 2 hour time difference). Coming back the flight leaves on Sundays at 10.30pm and arrives 5am. Not nice times but that is all there is. More about that in the trip report.
So Terry and I spent a long time on the net looking at alternatives and I happened on this one. There is a new resort that has just opened. It is called Lilly Beach Resort and is on a small island about 30 minutes by seaplane west of the airport island Male. I emailed the web site and got back an email brochure and price list. It looked vaguely possible even though the prices quoted were higher than Club Med so I sent them another email and gave a contact phone number along with details of what we wanted.
I was a little surprised to get a call back from them only 15 minutes later and the guy was willing to negotiate the prices a little for a Lagoon Suite. We really wanted a week but would rather have had the Over Water suites than the Lagoon Villas so I tried it on. The lowest season quoted on the price list for the Lagoon Villas per night are $840 USD (28,500 Baht) and the Water Villas which we all really wanted are quoted at a massive $1400 USD (48,000 Baht) per night. That is for 2 people but no flights but it includes everything that Club Med had (i.e. food and booze) plus some free trips thrown in.
To begin with he agreed on a 40% discount for the Lagoon Suites (from the published rate) bringing it down to $504 a night but we really did want those Water Villas. He eventually agree that we could have a guaranteed upgrade to a water Villa but with only a 30% discount from the Lagoon price making it $588 per night per couple. That included all taxes and surcharges as well. So we were now down to under 10,000 Baht a night per person in the best rooms with everything included. The advertised price for the water villa worked out at 24,000 Baht a night per person. The deal was too good to turn down and we paid by credit card for 6 nights.
One draw back is the Bangkok Airways Mali arrival time of 7.30pm. This meant that the Seaplanes had all finished for the day as they won't fly at night. There is only one hotel on the airport island and it is a typical rip off airport hotel. Standard rooms were $257 US with a free breakfast. They were adequate and not much more I can say about it. Don't play pool in the bar as they want $5 a game. There is a free complimentary bus service to and from the airport and the trip is about 2 minutes.
So we had booked Bangkok Airways Sunday out and Sunday back with the first night in the Hulhule Island Hotel, which is an necessary evil and then 6 nights at Lilly Beach. Now you have all the price details here is the trip report.
Our Bangkok Air flight left 20 minutes late and arrived almost on time. Male airport is very small and the formalities are quick and easy with seemingly very polite and happy immigrations and customs officers.
A word of caution. Do not take any alcohol into The Maldives. All you bags are scanned and it will be confiscated.
We were outside with our luggage in 15 minutes flat and the Hulhule bus was easy to find and waiting for us so we were in the bar by 8.30pm. Food adequate, rooms adequate and that's all I am saying on the place. It is a necessary small evil which you don't need with Club Med who take you over to their island by speed boat in 30 minutes even at night.
I had a local phone number for a Lilly Beach agent to call when we got there to find out the time of the seaplane for the next morning and I was given a choice of 6.30 am or 12 pm. I opted for the early flight just to get there and start enjoying the holiday which everyone agreed on.
We were met by the Lilly Beach agent at 6.30am and you check in at the seaplane desk outside the main airport. After check in they take you the 10 minutes by coach to the seaplane terminal.
Beware if you have travelled business class and have more than 20 Kilo of luggage each as they charge extra (or try to but they will negotiate). Our surcharge was $56 and they settled on $20. The seaplane was paid in advance to Lilly Beach and cost $300 return per person extra. We were not charged for overweight luggage at all when we left to come back from Lilly.
The check in was fast and easy and we arrived at the seaplane terminal escorted by the agent. There were about 25 Twin Otters parked at the docks. With Lilly Beach you get automatic entry to a nice air con executive lounge with drinks, coffee and food but we hardly had time for this as our plane was ready to go within 15 minutes.
The Twin Otter is a reliable work horse and holds about 16 people. No air con and bloody hot while you are waiting to taxi but in the air it cools down. For a 30 minute flight no problems at all. It taxied out for about 5 minutes into the protected harbor and seemed to be off the sea in seconds.
http://www.malediventraum.de/start
