Sunday, August 11, 2024
I landed in Dubai early this morning, where I had a five-hour layover. During my flight, I had been unable to nap much (sleeping for only an hour or so). I watched the Godfather Part III (recut edition), which did somewhat improve upon the plotting and pacing of the film. Once in the airport terminal, I grabbed a coffee and watched Netflix in an effort to stay awake until my next flight. I had breakfast and then proceeded to walk around the terminal for a bit so I didn’t fall asleep.
My final flight to the Maldives departed at 10:10 and I fell asleep almost as soon as I sat down. I was woken up during the meal service, but I told the flight attendant that I wanted to skip the meal so I could get more sleep. I managed to sleep for several hours during the flight, which I desperately needed.
The plane touched down in Male in the Maldives at 15:45 and we had to take a shuttle bus from the plane to the terminal. When we arrived, I made a mad dash to reach passport control and security before the majority of the passengers from my flight. Thinh had arrived earlier in the morning and had told me about the process before I left Dubai. We had a short window of time between when my flight landed and our transfer to the resort departed, so I didn’t want to waste time in long lines. I was luckily one of the first to reach the passport control desks and breezed on through. After reclaiming my checked bag, it was time to find Thinh.
Thinh had arrived in Male around 09:30 that morning and had to spend the time waiting around the airport. I was supposed to originally land at 13:00, but the change in flight delayed my arrival and thus extended the time Thinh would have to wait for me. I felt so bad that he’d been forced to waste so much time sitting around, especially since the airport wasn’t particularly inviting. Much of it was open-air, with a few fast-food restaurants, and everywhere was packed with travelers.
Thinh was waiting for me as I left baggage claim and I was so happy to see him again! We’d been apart for a month while I was traveling in Europe, and it was wonderful to be back together again. We refrained from showing any public displays of affection since homosexuality is criminalized in the Maldives (though it’s rarely enforced and resort islands welcome LGBT tourists).
Thinh already knew where to meet the representative from the resort who would help us get our transfer flight arranged, so we walked over to an area with dozens of small desks where the man was waiting. He was very nice and friendly. He took us over to the domestic check-in area and took care of getting us all checked in for our transfer flight. The resort had included our transfer from Male in the price of our stay as an incentive to attract guests, whereas many other resorts charged $400+ per person for transfers!
We had about an hour until we needed to go through security, so he then took us to the transfer lounge in a neighboring building. The lounge itself was so-so, but it did include one free meal and a drink per person. We both ordered pineapple juice and fried rice. I was glad of the food since I’d not eaten since early that morning, and I devoured my food. As we ate, Thinh told me about passing the time at the airport. There was limited free Wi-Fi, and not many places where he could sit and relax.
At 17:30, we went over to the domestic security area, which was a quick process. The waiting area was small and thankfully we only had a few minutes before it was time to board our flight. The plane was small and we were given some water with a light snack during the 40-minute flight. After landing, we transferred to a shuttle bus which drove us five minutes to the nearby dock, where we boarded a small ferry boat for the final transfer to the resort itself. It was dark and raining by this time, so the ferry ride was unremarkable.
Our resort, the Hotel Riu Atoll, was located on a tiny island and was the only thing located on the island. The ferry ride took about 30 minutes to reach the atoll. When we docked at the resort, the staff were waiting for us with umbrellas. Thinh and I waited in the reception area with the other guests while the staff processed everyone for check-in. After paying for our stay, we were driven over to our room in an electric golf cart (usually guests aren’t driven to their rooms, but this was provided tonight due to the rain).
I had booked an over-water room for our stay in the Maldives – the quintessential room for holidaying in the island paradise. The room was quite large, with a king-sized bed, a separate sitting area with a TV and a sofa, and a very nice bathroom. Oddly, the bathtub was fully exposed to the rest of the room, which I had known about when booking the room, but it just looked out of place. Outside, we had a patio with stairs leading down to the water and a lounge-bed (though we couldn’t see much since it was dark out). We were both very happy with our first impressions of the room.
We had arrived in plenty of time to eat dinner at the buffet restaurant, so we grabbed the umbrella and walked over to the restaurant after getting settled into the room. The restaurant was large and the staff were very welcoming. We each ordered a glass of red wine for dinner and then went to check out the buffet. We were both impressed with the variety of food available at the buffet and we ate quite well for dinner. We both thought that this would bode well for the next few days of relaxation at the resort.
After dinner, we returned to our room where we relaxed for the remainder of the night. We finally went to bed around midnight. The resort has, so far, lived up to our expectations. It had excellent reviews on several websites, and, for the price of our stay, it should be a luxurious resort. How wrong our first impression was…
Monday, August 12, 2024
This morning, Thinh and I woke up at 08:30 and were a bit disappointed to discover that it was still raining outside. Perhaps we had picked the wrong time of the year to come to the Maldives? We got ready and walked over to the buffet restaurant to have breakfast. This is when the first cracks started to appear in the resort’s façade.
The food on offer this morning was quite poor and limited, with much of it dried out from sitting under the heat lamps. We arrived shortly after they opened for breakfast, so I was shocked to find so much food dried out. It became evident that the staff only put out a small portion of each dish, rather than filling up the trays, which in turn led to the little that was put out getting dried out very quickly. Most disappointing of all was how the resort served their eggs. Rather than having an “egg station” with a chef preparing eggs fresh for diners, everything was pre-made and put under the damned heat lamps. Eggs are not a food that does well in such settings and they looked quite rubbery and unappetizing.
We found some food that looked alright and settled in to try and enjoy breakfast. I was quite disappointed, especially since the dinner options had been so much better – I had expected the same quality from breakfast. Thinh was not as upset as me, though he agreed that the food wasn’t very good. I had some pancakes, which were dry and bland. Thinh attempted to eat some of the eggs, but they were awful.
After finishing the disappointing breakfast, we walked over to the nearby bar that was open 24/7 to check it out. The resort was all-inclusive, so we considered hanging out at the bar during the day since it was raining. The bar boasted drinks plus all-day snacks, which I hoped would be better than the breakfast. Once inside the bar, I was hit with a four odor that was quite off putting. The ‘snacks’ available were laughable: just some picked over tiny sandwiches and nuts located in a shabby refrigerator. Neither of us felt like spending any time inside the bar, so we quickly left.
Before heading back to our room, we stopped in the nearby store to see what they had to offer (I was hoping the store would have some decent snacks). We had both expected the store to be overpriced, but what we saw was absolutely shocking. A pair of cheap flipflops were selling for $55 USD – they were more expensive than t-shirts or swimsuits!
Leaving the store behind, we were happy to find that the rain had stopped, so we went for a stroll along the beach. The view over the pristine water was beyond stunning: this was a small slice of paradise. Many guests were taking advantage of the break in the rain to get out and swim. However, the rain soon returned, which drove everyone back indoors.
Thinh and I spent the remainder of the morning in our room, either working, napping, or watching TV. It wasn’t quite the idyllic getaway that either of us had envisioned when we booked the trip. However, we would try and make the most of the situation. We took the opportunity to make dinner reservations at the two formal restaurants at the resort over the next two nights. One was an Italian restaurant, the other a steakhouse.
When we left to have lunch at the buffet, the rain had cleared up, which was very nice. We were able to really admire and enjoy the beauty of the Maldives! Lunch was another disappointment, with a poor food selection and much of it dried out (again, we arrived right when they opened for lunch, so one wouldn’t expect the food to already be dried out). I was disgusted and upset with the resort. For the price we were paying per night, I rightly expected better quality from their food. Motels in the States put on a better breakfast buffet than this resort, and the lunch was no better. I was also upset because I had wanted this to be a magical, luxurious vacation for Thinh and it was not living up to my expectations whatsoever. I was quite salty about the situation.
After lunch we went to the nearby pool bar, where we ordered some cocktails and relaxed while enjoying the view over the water. The staff came around with bingo cards for the guests to use during the upcoming bingo game being held at the bar. Thinh and I shared one of the cards. During the game, if a number was called that people didn’t have or want, we were encouraged to shout “Oooooooo!” which Thinh enjoyed very much. We didn’t end up winning anything during the bingo game, but the prizes were lame (ie. a hat, a shirt).
The afternoon was spent back at our room, where I did some work while Thinh napped. We both had to work during our stay, but we wouldn’t let that interfere with our enjoyment of the Maldives. Dinner was back at the buffet in the evening. The food was better than breakfast or lunch, which made me happy, though there were still several options that were unappetizing. I was glad that our next two dinners would be at the real restaurants, where we’d hopefully get better quality food.
The rest of the evening was spent in our room. We both had to work and, since the sun had set, there was nothing else to do in the evening. When we went to bed later, we both hoped the next day would improve upon today.
Tuesday, August 13, 2024
The rain had returned with vengeance today when we woke up, this time with very strong winds blowing across the water. When we walked to the buffet restaurant for breakfast, we got quite wet and our umbrella was damaged by the high winds. The food this morning was the same disappointing fare as yesterday, which put me in a foul mood.
With nothing else to do after breakfast, we hurried back to our room to escape the storm. Thinh and I spent the morning relaxing in the room, watching TV and working. I did some reading before taking a short nap. We were both – though me more than Thinh – starting to see the negatives in our over-water suite after being cooped up inside for so long. The bed was far from luxurious or comfortable, while the pillows were incredibly thin; the sofa was impossible to relax on for long period of time. This was not turning into an idyllic holiday that either of us had envisioned.
Lunch today was a dismal affair: the food was even more unappealing that the day before (how could that be possible?!). Thinh wasn’t nearly as upset about the food as I was, but he did agree that it wasn’t very good. The only good part was the dessert, which has a variety of small cakes and the ice cream was quite good. I think the poor quality of the food was getting to me because it had been our only distraction from sitting around in the room ever since we arrived. I took some photos of the awful food and posted reviews of the buffet restaurant online.
The rain had spoiled any hope of enjoying the beach or doing anything outdoors, so our options were to hang out in our room in-between meals. When meals become the highlight of the day, the quality of the food takes on added importance. I was letting it get to me far too much and I knew my negativity wasn’t enjoyable for Thinh; I felt bad and apologized to him for my crappy attitude.
The storm had cleared by the time we finished eating, allowing us some time to enjoy the beach during the afternoon. We took a short walk over to the area around the dock and reception building so we could get another Wi-Fi code. The code we were given was no longer working and it was with some difficulty that we convinced the staff to give us another one. Again, with such an expensive resort, one would expect things like Wi-Fi to not be so difficult.
We hung out by the pool bar again, but we skipped the day’s bingo game. The dark clouds on the horizon were beautiful to see, set against the turquoise water. The calm didn’t last for long as the clouds rolled in very quickly, bringing with them another downpour of rain. We grabbed our belongings and quickly dashed back to our room.
For dinner this evening, we had made a reservation at the Italian restaurant. Both Thinh and I were looking forward to having a normal dinner after several sub-par meals at the buffet. When we arrived at the restaurant, it was nearly empty, and it was a bit strange to be one of the only diners at the time. Thinh and I both ordered steak with gnocchi and a gorgonzola cheese sauce. Despite advertising itself as being Italian, there was nothing Italian on the menu! They had chicken, a seafood casserole, and the steak – no pasta dishes whatsoever. Our dinner included the mini-buffet at the restaurant, where they served the same food as at the main buffet. We grabbed some pizza to nibble on while we waited for our steaks.
With our dinner, we each ordered a glass of red wine to enjoy. Tonight’s dinner felt like the first romantic thing that we’d been able to do in the Maldives. It was wonderful to have a proper date night together. The steak and gnocchi turned out to be very tasty! It wasn’t fine-dining quality, but it was a vast improvement upon the buffet! Thinh did not like the gorgonzola cheese sauce, which was understandable. All in all, we were both very pleased with our meal. For dessert, there was a small buffet with several options.
After dinner, Thinh and I went back to our room, where I had to do some work this evening. Thinh went to bed early and I soon followed when my work day/night finished.
Wednesday, August 14, 2024
Our last full day in the Maldives turned out to be the best of our vacation! The weather was beautiful and the sun was shining when we awoke. There were some rainclouds on the horizon, but they quickly passed by, leaving us with a stunning day to enjoy on the island. During our walk over to the buffet for breakfast, we saw quite a few stingrays swimming in the shallow water. The water was crystal clear, so we could see all of the sea creatures so well as they swam about. Breakfast was garbage, yet again, but we didn’t expect anything different.
Taking advantage of the good weather, Thinh and I went for a long walk along the beach, walking through the gently lapping waves. Other guests were getting out to do some watersports, which had not been possible the past several days. I tried to take several selfies of Thinh and me together as we walked, but he had so many issues taking photos while facing the sun – it was hysterical! Rather than just smiling like normal, he would squint and bunch up his face, which made us both just burst into laughter. Even when I tried taking photos of just him, Thinh struggled. It was adorable.
We then walked back to our room so we could lounge out on our patio – finally! The lounge bed was covered, which provided us with some shade, but did not detract from the amazing views. We could both finally, truly, appreciate the beauty of the Maldives today! While I did some reading on the lounge bed, Thinh went into the water with his GoPro-style camera. The water was shallow enough for him to walk about, with the water only coming up to his chest. He was so cute playing out in the water this morning. Thinh was loving every minute of the day, which made me so happy. This is what I wanted for us from this trip, and we had finally got it (albeit on our last day).
We took another walk along the beach when it was time for lunch. Predictably, the food was unappealing, but we needed to eat something and this was our only option until dinner. When we finished eating, we took a walk back to the area are reception to admire the views from that part of the island. We were able to see many more fish swimming around in the water below the walkways. Thinh and I then took a walk back to our room, again strolling along the beach. I wanted to relax on the lounge bed on the patio some more. This was exactly what I had wanted from our Maldives getaway – chilling outdoors in the beautiful weather, doing some reading and fully relaxing.
Our final dinner in the Maldives was at the steakhouse and, when we arrived, we found the same waitstaff working there as at the Italian restaurant from the previous night. We quickly deduced that only one restaurant is open each day, with the staff changing from one to the other. The meal was a set menu, with no buffet option (thankfully). The appetizers were crab cakes and buffalo chicken wings, which were both very good! For our main course, we had each selected the New York steam, which was served with vegetables and rice. The steak was delicious! For dessert, we were served a chocolate brownie that was the best dessert of the entire trip. It was clear that the resort had the ability to serve good quality food, but they simple skimped as much as possible on the buffet in order to save money. Tonight’s dinner was another romantic night together and one that we both thoroughly enjoyed.
Before heading back to our room after dinner, we went over to the sports bar and sat outside while we enjoyed a cocktail. The drinks were alright, though they could have been slightly stronger. It was nice to have time to just hang out together somewhere besides our room this evening.
The rest of the night was spent back at our room, where I had to do some work. Thinh relaxed in bed and watched videos on his phone before falling asleep. I finally went to bed around midnight. We thoroughly enjoyed the day and our only regret was that the preceding days had not been as nice (weather-wise) as today had been.
Thursday, August 15, 2024
Departure day from the resort started slow and lazy. Our ferry transfer to the airport was due to depart at 14:30, so we had plenty of time to pack and get ready. We went to breakfast and ate more of the sub-par food before enjoying a final stroll along the beach. Back in our hotel room, we showered and got our things packed up. We stayed in the room until the last possible minute before it was time to check out (at noon).
With a couple of hours to kill before taking the ferry, we went to the poolside bar, where we hung out for a little while and had some cocktails. Thinh had found a tasty non-alcoholic drink that we both really enjoyed. When the lunch buffet opened at 13:00, we went there to get something to eat for lunch. Neither of us were enthused by the idea of eating at the buffet again, but we would be flying this evening and wouldn’t have an opportunity to get dinner, so we needed to eat something.
Lunch was shockingly good! This was the first time that the food being served appeared appetizing, and there was an improvement in the selection as well. We were both quite surprised by this change and wished that they had served food similar to this over the past several days – it would definitely have improved our opinion of the buffet!
We then went to the reception area to await our ferry. As we waited, two guests boarded a seaplane for their transfer to Male (we had this option as well, but it would have cost hundreds of dollars more per person). Thinh loves airplanes and he enthusiastically watched the plane take off from the water. Hopefully someday I can find somewhere to take him on a seaplane ride because I think he will thoroughly enjoy the experience.
The ferry ride back to the airport was quick and unremarkable. The short flight to Male was similar to the one we had taken in the reserve direction: small aircraft and we received a light snack for the flight. Once in Male, we navigated the chaos of the airport to find the check-in location. It was a very hectic process, but we eventually made it through check-in and passport control. At the security screening, they pulled Thinh’s bag aside and confiscated a small pair of nail trimmers he had with him. This surprised us both because he’d been able to travel on all the previous flights with them without any issue, but now the Maldivian security was saying they were not permitted.
Our flight departed Male at 19:35 for the 90-minute flight north to Sri Lanka. Thinh napped during the flight and I watched some Netflix. When we landed in Colombo at 21:35, we passed through passport control with ease and then ordered an Uber to take us to the hotel. When we arrived, we discovered the reception area of the hotel was under construction, which made the check-in process difficult.
Our room for our stay in Sri Lanka turned out to be far nicer than either of us expected. It was beautifully furnished, with a very comfortable bed, and a view overlooking the entire city. The hotel was located along the waterfront, and it was a pity that our room did have an ocean view. After getting settled, we went up to check out the rooftop bar. The bar was crowded with customers and a DJ was blasting music, making any conversation next to impossible. We walked around for a minute before returning to our room for the night.
This featured blog entry was written by Glichez from the blog Europe, Paris Olympics, & Asia 2024.
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