 |
| Admiring a rainbow in the Maldives |
Summary
Our Dubai/Maldives trip was one of the more ambitious/luxurious trips we've done and one I didn't think was achievable/affordable before. We spent 4 days in Dubai and 8 days in the Maldives. Total out of pocket: $8312.59.
Travel Notes (All prices below are USD unless otherwise noted)
Travel Visa
- For Dubai, US citizens with passports do not need a visa provided the following:
- Original passport signed by the bearer, should not expire within six (6) months from the expected time of arrival in the UAE.
- Confirmed round-trip airline ticket or airline ticket to other destination(s).
- More information can be found here.
- For Maldives, a 30 day free visa is provided if the following criteria are met:
- Should posses a valid passport with Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) -(standard ICAO Annex 9, chapter 3.10.1) and should have at least 6 months validity
- Have a valid ticket to continue the journey out of Maldives
- Have enough funds to cover the expenses for duration of the stay in Maldives. (US$100 + $50 dollars per day) or a confirmation of reservation in a Tourist Resort or a Hotel
- Caution: Full thirty day visa is not a right of the passenger to claim, but lies at the discretion of the Immigration to issue not more than thirty days and any period less than thirty days.
- More information can be found here.
- We had no issues in either country.
Airport
- Used Hilton LAX for parking through Cheapairportparking.
- DXB is massive. There are many, many stores to visit for the avid shopper.
- There is a nice Conrad lounge when you land in Male. Representatives from the hotel will take you straight there. You can get a nice free massage while waiting for your seaplane.
- On the return trip we did not have time to use a lounge, but there does appear to be a lounge for Priority Pass members.
Travel
- The seaplane from Male to the hotel was $1680 round trip for the four of us. I arranged it with the Conrad before arriving. It stopped at one other hotel and took around 45 minutes.
- Uber was our preferred mode of travel in Dubai. We tried the train and the free shuttle to the mall, but Uber was most comfortable and convenient to get around.
Accomodations
- JW Marriott Marquis Hotel Dubai
- We had Titanium status for the stay.
- I was going to use points but the AAA rate was only $130.37 a night after taxes so we went with that.
- We did not get upgraded to a suite for the first night but I asked again on the morning of the 2nd day and we were moved to a very nice suite!
- Breakfast was in the lounge and was a very nice spread. They even had fresh honeycomb!
- Conrad Maldives
- We had Diamond status for the stay.
- We used 380,000 points + 3 free weekend night certificates + $84 in hotel green fees.
- Point redemption value was about 1.4 cents.
- We were upgraded to a Spa Overwater Bungalow which had a connected room with massage tables. We used it as a 2nd bedroom for the kids to romp around in the morning.
- The Majaa kids club was outstanding. Best we've encountered yet. You could schedule and drop off the kids to get some couples time. The girls loved it and use the gifts they received (backpack, hat) to this day.
- Breakfast was in the main restaurant and had an wide, tasty buffet offering.
- Grand Hyatt Dubai
- We had Explorist status for the stay.
- Used a free night certificate. They were nice enough to grant access to the lounge and gave us an upgraded room.
- Breakfast offering here was more sparse but was welcomed.
Entertainment
- The Dune Bashing/Sand Boarding/Camel Riding/Bedouin Camp experience is one of the most unique I've experienced. Highly recommend it.
- I had hoped to visit the souks but the heat was oppressive. We visited the new ones that were indoor but they were not as impressive as I imagine the old souks are.
- Mostly snorkeled and swam at the Conrad.
Mobile/Internet
- We had mobile plan coverage in Dubai.
- The Conrad had decent Wifi. It was amazing to sit in such a remote location and be able to surf the web...
Laundry
- We hand washed our clothes in the Maldives and hang dried them.
Local Currency
- We got a small amount of AED in DXB for tipping purposes but credit card acceptance was widespread.
Food
- In Dubai we visited chain restaurants in the mall and surrounding areas.
- We packed a whole suitcase of ramen and dried food for the stay at Conrad Rangali. We would fill up at breakfast and then snack on the suitcase food. There was also a daily tea and happy hour which we attended every day.
- We did have dinner at the Sunset Grill one night which came out to $139.36.
- My wife and I also had lunch at Ithaa, the underwater restaurant. That came out to $517.44.
Security
- We felt very safe at both Dubai and Maldives.
Tipping
- We tipped our guides for the Dubai tours. For our sit down restaurant meals we tipped 15%.
Language/Culture
- English is widely spoken in both Dubai and Conrad Maldives. We had no trouble with language at all.
- We were wary at wearing more revealing clothes and holding hands in Dubai, but saw instances of both pretty widespread in the tourist areas.
- Most people we met were from India or Pakistan (UAE nationals are only ~11.5% of the population). Studying up on the geography/culture of those 2 countries allowed me to have good conversations with the locals.
Trip Videos
No comments:
Post a Comment