Maldives help/advice - for my F*** Off Cancer Holiday.

[DestinyIsAll]

This is what dd1 has called it 😊 Diagnosed with breast cancer a couple of months into the first lockdown. Finished all treatments (🤞) and had my last reconstruction op and after some dark times without feeling I could look forward and I now feel ready to do that. We didn’t properly celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary or my 50th so we want something really special.

Other than occasional weekends we haven’t been away with just the two of us since pre dc and never long haul or exotic/luxury.

I’m a bit covid wary in terms of worrying that measures might take some of the relaxed vibe away or catching it out there (more an issue for DH work wise than me tbf) but I’m so desperate for a proper get away from it all.

We usually love exploring the history and culture of places we visit and usually like alternating days of sightseeing and wandering or doing things with beach/pool days, but the Maldives is a bucket list place for me. I did worry we might miss that but with a more ‘sightsee-y ‘place I would probably risk tiring myself out, plus DH works long hours with a lot of work stress, and obviously a horrible last 2 years for him too with my health worries so I think being ‘forced’ to properly relax and rest will be a really good thing for us both.

We would like to go in the next month if we can find availability, looking at two weeks. I’ve read the north atolls will be better weather wise at this time? Maybe two islands with different vibes with a seaplane transfer?

Swimming and snorkelling will be manageable (realistically I won’t be up to much else), so I’d love somewhere with the best opportunities for seeing amazing marine life and we don’t mind a longer transfer if necessary.

We’d like the opportunity to be social in the evenings at least some of the time, so not too much of a keep to yourselves vibe for the whole trip.

It’s a special trip and probably once in a lifetime so we’re prepared to splurge but we don’t really want or need the absolute pinnacle of luxury. I think it’ll be fabulous enough just being there, but maybe some lovely or special touches that we wouldn’t necessarily pay a fortune for, and we both think we’d actually prefer a beach room rather than over water.

Just to add, we enjoy a drink but aren’t big drinkers so would appreciate advice of whether AI might be the best value still? I don’t think we’d choose AI elsewhere, as ordinarily we’d explore/eat out of a hotel complex but I imagine it’s probably a logical option there?

I’ve been having a good look but I’m overwhelmed with all the different island options so some suggestions/recommendations based on your own experiences would be very welcome. TIA. 😊

We went to Kuramathi and booked with Kuoni. It has everything you’re looking for and was truly magical.
I’m also a breast cancer survivor.
Have a wonderful holiday!

Thank you @JaneExotic
I hope you are well too. I’ll have a look at that now. 😊

I was going to recommend Kuramathi too, we are going for the 3rd time for our 30th anniversary later this year and can't wait 😀
I would definitely recommend going Select All inclusive as their restaurants are amazing.
Their house band create a wonderful atmosphere in the evening too!
I love the Maldives and I hope you have an amazing time, which ever island you end up visiting, you certainly sound like you deserve it!

Baros, Huvafen Fushi and Maafushivaruu are my favourite islands. Great snorkelling! On Maafushivaruu we snorkelled with whale sharks, manta rays, dolphins, turtles, sharks. There was even a blue whale on one of our visits! Kurumarhi is fine, but very big. We have been to Kurumathi the last couple of years because of the kids club, but if you don't have kids it's very kid-heavy.

You get what you pay for in the Maldives and the island you choose dictates everything from the standard of your room to the standard of food. And some don't have good reefs, in which case you may as well be anywhere warm.

I hope you find the island perfect for you and that you have a wonderful time! X

I’m another one in the middle section of the Maldives and breast cancer Venn diagram! I’ve been to Kuramathi before and agree it’s amazing - it’s a large island in Maldives terms though so the plus side is lots of (amazing) restaurants and choice of pools and bars etc but the downside is it can be a bit of a trek to get to where you are going, although there are golf buggy type vehicles. I’ve also been to Vilamedhoo, which is much smaller, has an amazing house reef but basically one restaurant. Before we went I thought I’d be sick of eating in the same place every day but it wasn’t an issue for us as the food is so good and so varied.

We’re going to Helengeli in a few weeks (delayed from 2020 - Covid and cancer in the meantime) which is another small island with a stunning house reef. The thing we love doing most of all is snorkelling (and the rest of my family also scuba but I’m too chicken) and that’s what sets the Maldives apart imo so I’d definitely recommend going somewhere with a good house reef i.e. one you access straight from the beach rather than needing a boat.

We’ve used Simply Maldives before, who were cheaper than Kuoni and the manager Amit is very knowledgeable about the different islands.

Mirihi

I haven’t been but it gets loads of repeat guests and almost entirely 5* reviews. Looks wonderful.

Thank you for these suggestions, I’ll have a good look.

@MadamBuxton Sorry to hear you’ve been in the same boat, no holiday pun intended 😊. Cancer diagnosis/treatment through Covid has been a particular kind of hell. I hope you’re doing well and I hope you have a wonderful time when you go, it looks amazing. It’s the only place I’ve seen that is really gelling with me as a place I feel I could really relax and recharge, heal a bit mentally too if you know what I mean.

I looked on a very helpful Facebook group today and saw Amit/Simply Maldives recommended there too.

I’ve whiled away most of the afternoon and evening going down a Maldives rabbit hole. Working out what will suit us, reading reviews and making note of people’s tips, I have started to compile a shortlist within our budget but it keeps changing and being added to 😄.

We do intend to snorkel so will definitely want an island with a good house reef and I think we’d prefer a smaller island and maybe a bit more of an adult vibe. I was just looking at Helengeli and Vilamedhoo before I read your post funnily enough.

@DestinyIsAll Yes this cancer business has been quite the adventure hasn’t it? I’m going crazy at the moment planning things to look forward to (big 50th party, holidays, gigs, my first ever festival!) all in the spirit of ‘fuck off cancer’ even though I’m not quite finished with my treatment (oral chemo) and the power of having things to look forward to is amazing

Helengeli was the first island we went to, and totally agree about the house reef; it was amazing but with just one restaurant we struggled after the first week, despite the food being really good. One of the waiters there recommended Kuramathi and we've never regretted it.
Have fun choosing!!!

Lily beach is fantastic. Great all inclusive and easily accessible reef just a few feet from the front of the island.

Have a wonderful holiday well done.

We’ve just got back from Maldives, we stayed at Lux South. I can’t recommend it enough. Wherever you stay definitely pay for AI, the Maldives is very expensive and even if you don’t drink it will cost a significant amount. We had a PCR on arrival, the Maldives are being very careful where Covid’s concerned. Weathers great now but will start deteriorating from early April onwards.

For our honeymoon we stayed at diamonds Thudufushi and athuruga which are sister islands. Speed boat transfer between them. Both have house reefs, quieter vibes more adult oriented and not the vast restaurants of kuramathi. We loved it. Enjoy your well deserved holiday x

We are here now in hurawhali which is adults only , I too have had breast cancer so this kind of holiday is just enough with opportunities for relaxation as well as activities if you are up for it
It's absolutely beautiful we didn't do the all inclusive as don't drink a great deal and although everything is eye watering expensive it's a once in a lifetime special holiday

^37JaneExotic

We went to Kuramathi and booked with Kuoni. It has everything you’re looking for and was truly magical.^

Me too and it was lovely. Was able to haggle down price with Kuoni and get upgraded rooms but other operators may be cheaper.

It's a long flight so wear comfy clothes. We went with Emirates who weere good. We stopped off at Dubai Airport which I really enjoyed looking around and had seaplane transfer to the island. The pilots took their flip-flops off to fly the plane!

Great choice of food and bands in the evening were excellent. We went pre Covid and there were lots of Japanese honeymooners there; not very many English people. People did keep themselves to themselves unless involved in an activity so you would need to make an effort and speak with people if you wanted things to be more sociable.

There were various activities - diving, early morning yoga, fishing - you could pay extra to do, or just chill on the beaches or by the pools. It was easy to find somewhere where you didn't have someone camped up in close proximity to you. And there was a little 'train' you could catch if you didn't feel like walking.

Enjoy.

We came back last week having stayed at The Residence at Dhigurah; it was beautiful! It's joined to the sister island but a 1km bridge and everyone has a bicycle which was a great idea. You could use the facilities on both islands so lots of restaurant choices.

We've just got back from Vilamendhoo and stayed in an overwater bungalow. We went there as it in the South Ari Atoll which we wanted for whales sharks and manta rays in Jan/Feb. We ended up diving more than we had intended so our week felt busy.

The house reef is good with plenty of fishy entertainment. The boats access the dock on the south side of the island so you cannot snorkel from west to east as you cannot swim across the dock. The north side may be better if you do decide against the over water villas as you can snorkel from one end of the island to the other.

As we were in the overwater villas we ate in the child-free restaurant. It was buffet which is not generally our choice but the food was good and plentiful and we repeatedly ate too much. We also visited Asian Wok and also had a fun Hot Rock meal on the beach. We didnt really see many children at all, (which was great!).

We went out on a snorkelling trip to see whale sharks and another drifting along a nearby reef drop off, and also took in a sunset cruise to unsuccessfully look for dolphins. I think there is evening enteratinment in the main bar but we didnt bother. I think there is a variety of lectures and live music etc.

FWIW I deccided on Vilamendhoo as our ideal location and hunted down the best price - finding it with Destination2, but we were not travelling out of UK so this may not be applicable to you. It all worked well and while the info they supplied was comprehensive they were not brilliant on responding to queries.

We needed a PCR which is straightforward to do before departure, but other than a daily wrist temperature check at a mealtime, Covid might not exist. Our return PCR was done at the Health Clinic on the island and was very straightforward but probably unnecessary for you if you are returning to UK.

For us the Twin Otter seaplane transfer was an added bonus to the holiday and it only takes around 30 mins. With Just 1+2 seats across almost every seat has a great view. When we booked inter-island transfers werent possible but this may have changed by now, as an alternative you could go for 2 room types and experience a beachfront and overwater week on the same island. The overwater villas certainly seemed more private on Vilamendhoo.

Like you, we wouldnt normally have more than breakfast in a hotel but there is no alternative but to eat in the resort. We found we only ate lunch twice as we were too full from breakfast or out diving, so i'll leave that for you to consider but the AI Plus also through in mini bar top up which we used and a couple of trips out. I think the resort website has the menus with prices so you can get an idea of extra cost while comparing the different board options and whaat you want/need.

I think you are pretty set on Maldives, and I am sure you will enjoy it and appreciate the enforced rest. But as it sounds like we enjoy a similar holday style I am just going to throw the Galpagos at you as an alternative idea. We sandwiched a fab small boat cruise (16 people) in between hotel stays in the Galapagos. The cruise let us snorkel (with sealions) daily, and follow some guided walks looking at the wildlife and landscape of the islands but the enforced rest and reading time as we repositioned between locations was restorative to DH who was working horribly long hours at the time. It was a brilliant balance between rest and feeling that our time was well spent.

Im still in the afterglow from the fabulous Maldives holiday so feel free to ask more questions as its lovely to look back.

TreasuredMim, genuine question - how do you haggle with Kuoni? I want to go on a family trip there next year for my 50th. It'll be me, DH and DS (who will be 11 but still loves a beach and a pool).

@MadamBuxton

I’m another one in the middle section of the Maldives and breast cancer Venn diagram! I’ve been to Kuramathi before and agree it’s amazing - it’s a large island in Maldives terms though so the plus side is lots of (amazing) restaurants and choice of pools and bars etc but the downside is it can be a bit of a trek to get to where you are going, although there are golf buggy type vehicles. I’ve also been to Vilamedhoo, which is much smaller, has an amazing house reef but basically one restaurant. Before we went I thought I’d be sick of eating in the same place every day but it wasn’t an issue for us as the food is so good and so varied.

We’re going to Helengeli in a few weeks (delayed from 2020 - Covid and cancer in the meantime) which is another small island with a stunning house reef. The thing we love doing most of all is snorkelling (and the rest of my family also scuba but I’m too chicken) and that’s what sets the Maldives apart imo so I’d definitely recommend going somewhere with a good house reef i.e. one you access straight from the beach rather than needing a boat.

We’ve used Simply Maldives before, who were cheaper than Kuoni and the manager Amit is very knowledgeable about the different islands.

We went to Helengeli in 2020. It was nothing short of incredible!

If you like seafood, make sure you book the lobster bistro.

Thanks for these replies.

@aussiegonewrong I hope you’re having a wonderful time ❤️

@wantmoretravel Thank you for that detailed info and tips, I really appreciate it.

I do really love the look of Helengeli in particular, it ticks all our boxes. Same with Lily Beach but that’s quite a bit more expensive.

I’ve spent a lot of time searching myself and with the help of a couple of well recommended independent travel agents who specialise in the Maldives, and it is booked solid 😣. I knew because of booking late there might not be much choice, but thought we’d find something. There’s literally almost nothing through March into April, just one or two not ideal resorts/islands (too big, no reef, not great reviews etc) that don’t really appeal or a few that are way out or our budget.

I’ve also looked at Seychelles, and St Lucia and Grenada as other options and the same thing. I’ll keep looking but doesn’t really look like it’s happening. If not I will definitely book for autumn or early next year. I still want to get away so maybe something less exotic for a little later this year which would still be lovely. I do like the look of Corsica for beautiful beaches.

Baros 100%, most relaxing place there is

I'm so sorry DestinyIsAll, I really hope you can find a deal that works for you.

We have booked Iru Fushi for six weeks time, they have a lot of water sports and plenty of restaurants. We've gone AI as I know the Maldives is super expensive once you are there. Would recommend looking at Sri Lankan Airlines as the do some good deals and it's a nearly direct flight ....well 10.5 hours then a 1 hour flight ....so going to be able to sleep on the long part . I hope you find a resort you like 👍

Just read your update, have you looked at Zanzibar ? Turkish Airlines are doing a good deal for £400 return

Hi OP, I just looked at Helengeli’s own website and they do have availability from 22 March to 15 April so any two weeks within that should be ok? They also have availability last two weeks of April. Not sure why the agents are saying booked solid, unless I am missing something.

Or is it the flights that are booked out?