I hope to be able to cover more in this blog entry -- activities and expenses (which I'm sure everyone is more interested in).
(STILL) February 13, 2014 (Thursday)
I forgot to mention that we met a young Pinoy couple in the plane (same row) -- Dianne and Jes. We only started talking to each other when the flight attendants instructed all passengers to straighten up our seats because we were about to land in Male. Apparently, they will be staying as well in Maafushi Island. Dianne and Jes also got the glitch tickets. They had checked-in baggage so we went ahead. For sure we'll see them at the ferry terminal to the island.
TIPS:
- Exchange some of your dollars to MVR (Maldivian Rufiyaa) for small transactions -- ferry ticket, taxi fare, food items in the island. Gracie and I decided to have our US$50 converted to MVR (equivalent to 750 Rufiyaas). There are no ATMs in the island so it is better to do this at the airport. Keep your receipt because you can have those excess Rufiyaas exchanged to dollars again before you leave Maldives.
- Bring with you small dollar bills (US$1 or US$5), in case you forget to exchange some of your money to Rufiyaas. They don't give you loose change in dollars!
MVR is the official currency but the US dollar is accepted everywhere in Maldives.
How to get to Maafushi Island:
(1) You need to catch a ferry outside the airport to go to the capital city of Male. Fare is 10 Rufiyaas (US$0.65) and travel time is 10 minutes. The ferry leaves every after few minutes.
This is how the ferry terminal at the airport looks like. The first time I saw the water, I wanted to jump in! It was soooo beautiful!
The staff loading the bags and boxes of goods.
(2) When in Male, you need to go to Villingili Terminal. A taxi ride costs 30 Rufiyaas (US$2) for 2 passengers already. Grace's friend, who went to Maldives the week prior, was charged MVR25 (US$1.62) because he's traveling alone. The ride to Villingilli is around 10 minutes. (FYI: Dianne and Jes walked to the terminal.)
Note: If the driver will charge you $5, find another cab. That's way too much for a really short trip. $2 is fine.
Welcome to Male City!
(3) At Villingili, you need to buy a ticket to Maafushi which costs 22 Rufiyaas (US$1.43).
Gracie and I arrived at Villingilli Terminal around 1:30PM, Male time. We were early for the 3PM trip. NOTE: This is the only schedule of the ferry bound for Maafushi everyday. There's no operation during Fridays so you have to factor this in when you book a flight. However, if you refuse to spend the night in Male on a Friday night, you should advise your hotel in Maafushi so that they can arrange a speedboat to pick you up at the airport ferry terminal. That will cost you around $100 for the speedboat. (I choose the ferry!)
buying our tickets to Maafushi at Villingilli Terminal
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| The boarding area at Villingilli |
And so we were early for the 3PM schedule. But we were surprised that we didn't find Dianne and Jes in the same terminal. We were hoping they didn't hop on the wrong ferry or get lost somewhere else. The couple arrived 30 minutes after we got there and we found out they walked all the way from the Male terminal to Villingilli.
this was posted in the boarding area. 2nd stop is Maafushi Island (left column).
Our ferry arrived at 2:30PM and passengers started boarding at 2:45PM. We left at exactly 3:00PM. The trip to Maafushi will last for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
this is the ferry that will bring us to Maafushi
The four of us :)
Getting to Maafushi takes a while (1.5hours) but the view of the Indian Ocean will take your mind off the long wait. It was really fascinating!
1st stop - Gulhi Island (one of the inhabited islands)
the water is very clear as well
one last photo with the driver before we arrive in Maafushi
I see you..
And we are finally here. Welcome to Maafushi Island! The staff of the hotels lined up at the port to welcome their respective guests.
Here are our bags. The hotels make use of wheelbarrows to carry the bags.
This is Arena Beach Hotel.
(Gracie and I are actually booked at Arena Lodge Sky.)
Preparations are ongoing for the pre-Valentine's Day buffet dinner at the hotel
table set-up for 2 people
NOTE: All published room rates are subject to 18% tax (10% service charge and 8% goods & services tax.) Factor this in when you are preparing for your budget.
When we arrived in Maafushi, we were led to Arena Beach Hotel. This, apparently, is the newest of the 3 Arena hotels in the island. Arena Lodge Sky, where we were supposed to stay, offers the lowest rates among the three. (The other one is named Arena Lodge). After emptying our glass of fresh orange juice (welcome drinks), we were told by the manager-on-duty that the hotel was fully booked! WTF! Gracie had to explain to him the complicated process of reserving and paying for the room. Leaving us room-less was a huge problem! But to resolve the issue, Arena offered to transfer us to Shadow Palm, which is like 5 steps away. At first, Gracie and I were complaining. We've suffered enough inconveniences already for the day! But upon learning that Shadow Palm's rooms are more expensive, we both agreed to stay there. Anyway, the manager promised to transfer us to Arena Sky as soon as a room becomes available (which is the following day).
After dinner, Arena announced that they have a surprise for all the guests. Then a group of young Maldivian men, clad in a traditional costume, filled up the space in front of the hotel. They started to hit the drums and played Boduberu music.
some of the guests joined in the celebration
It was indeed beautiful folk music. At around 12:30AM, Gracie and I decided to call it a night because tomorrow is a big day.
A Happy Valentine's Day in Maldives! :)
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Summary of Expenses for Day 1:
Ferry to Male - USD$0.65
Male taxi to Villingilli - $1 ($2 for 2 pax)
Ferry to Maafushi - $1.43
Sandwich - $1.62 (25 rufiyaas)
*I got hungry while waiting for the ferry
Dinner - $15
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TOTAL - USD$19.70
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