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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

what do we do?????!!! straw poll!

21 replies

mrspink27 · 29/03/2005 20:45

ok here is the problem,,,
going on our dream holiday to the maldives on sunday... thats 5 days away! and taking dd1 and 2, kind of a delayed honeymoon.
holiday firm rang today... wont name them but hey twist my arm and i will! to say cant go to our carefully researched resort due to incomplete building work! but they are offering an alternative which doesnt have any of the things we need. i.e separate room for grown ups to sit and veg after children have gone to bed, kids club, laid back chilled out feel etc...
have phoned around a few other travel companies and have had a range of opinions on whether to travel from .... why wouldnt we send you, what building work... to.... not booking there till september, 1 swimming pool, 1 restaurant shut, mosque being built, 85% complete?
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!
feel like crying, laughing and everything else in between?
what do we do... this has cost quite a lot of very hard earned and saved money.... do we go and risk it... or cancel, or take alternative and hope its ok? or try and find another destination or what???
HELP!!!!

thanks in advance!

OP posts:
80sMum · 29/03/2005 20:54

Oh dear, I guess they're still trying to get everything rebuilt after the tsunami. Must have been devastating to the islands, as they're so low-lying. Well, it's your call. I should think the hotel owners are probably pretty desperate to get tourists back: I've heard that numbers are down 70% on this time last year. Apparently, this is a lovely time of year to go - and it sounds like you'd not have all the crowds - but on the other hand there's bound to be a lot of building work going on which could spoil things a bit. If it's a really important 'once-in-a-lifetime' holiday for you maybe you should think again and cancel this one. It sounds as though you want everything to be perfect (and why shouldn't you?) and it doesn't look like it's going to be.
Don't know if that's much help. Sorry, I'm a bit of a pessimist (realist?)!

gingerbear · 29/03/2005 21:00

what is the name of the alternative? Have a look on the net. If you accept the alternative, demand they throw in extras or a part refund.

This happened to us - also in Maldives, we had booked for two weeks at one resort. The first week was overbooked, so the travel company offerred us an alternative, plus an upgrade to a seaplane transfer and two gourmet candlelit dinners. We had a two centre holiday and it was great.

Original poster
mrspink27 · 29/03/2005 21:06

supposed to be going to Bandos, which is really good for children, and have been offered Kurumba instead. As i said it is technically an upgrade, but doesnt have all the childrens facilities, after all why do you go on a honeymoon?
have spent all afternoon on this one and have googled till my fingers ache!
will be demanding compensation whatever happens... go from... sod it lets go...to what happens if its awful and we dont follow travel companies advice... then we dont have a right to complain?!

OP posts:
RTKangaMummy · 29/03/2005 21:08

we went to BANDOS andwas going to recommend you ask to go there

will think about it and come up with answers later on

If you want a reason to say you neeed to go there

say beacuse of de compression chamber and medical clinic and doctor on island as they havone there and not many others have those facilities

RTKangaMummy · 29/03/2005 21:10

There are several restaurants there were you on all inclusive?

Original poster
mrspink27 · 29/03/2005 21:25

no we were half board, dh decided that for the difference in cost between hb, fb and ai that we wouldnt spend that much on food etc.
the travel company will still let us go, but they are strongly advising that we dont...due to building work, just had another call back to say work is 85% complete, and another to say work will be finished on friday
who do you believe? really fed up with all this... dont mean to moan btw, but really need this holiday, last one was cancelled due to c section, one b4 was cancelled due to family health problem.,.. cant contemplate not going...just stuck between a rock and a hard place

OP posts:
Original poster
mrspink27 · 29/03/2005 21:25

apparently 1 pool is shut, no beach villas and harbour grill is closed.

OP posts:
RTKangaMummy · 29/03/2005 21:31

Unless they have changed it since 2002 there is only 1 pool

will check with DH but if harbour grill is the half/full board restaurant it is not that brill

so would advise going to others anyway

we went bed and breakfast

does it say which rest you eat in for full/half board

RTKangaMummy · 29/03/2005 21:33

phone up the island direct

They are very very friendly and at least you will hear exactly what is happening

RTKangaMummy · 29/03/2005 21:34

Bandos Island Resort
Tel: +960 440088

Original poster
mrspink27 · 29/03/2005 21:43

thanks so much ..the restaurant for our meals will be the main one, and as far as the pool i think it must be new one... which is why it is shut! dh will ring tomorrow, we have emailed tonight but obviously there isnt anyone in the sales department right now, cant think why!

OP posts:
RTKangaMummy · 29/03/2005 21:53

Phone the resort now to reception there will be someone on main desk now

The restaurant that you have to pay for next to the pre paid one is deffo brill

RTKangaMummy · 30/03/2005 16:43

Any news??????

Original poster
mrspink27 · 30/03/2005 19:47

thanks for asking!
talked to resort and travel company.... grrr. kuoni! there,,, named them! resort people have been fabulous as you said they would be. they have emailed us a map and reassured us as best they can... obviously its in their interest for us still to come... and we have decided to just go and hope for the best.
kuoni have said "no compensation" apart from £50 each which is standard in these cases.
hayes and jarvis and cosmos have both said they are still sending people and all should be fine. so fingers crossed!
the resort have said that the harbour grill etc are finished and they are just re fitting the kitchen now which should be complete by the 1st April, and the renovations are all internal to the beach villas, they have offered us a room on the far side to the building work and have been great. apparently any work is fenced off anyway.
will report back on our return! hoping its going to be fab!

OP posts:
RTKangaMummy · 30/03/2005 21:19

Missed this earlier

Am sure the people on BANDOS will be brill

we loved them

They were absolutley lovely

KUONI

RTKangaMummy · 21/04/2005 17:12

Thanks for CAT

Glad you had such a deffo brill time

It is totally brill place

dyzzidi · 21/04/2005 17:17

could you not check for the hotel on www.tripadviser.co.uk to see if anyone has been there very recently and posted remarks. It might be worth a shot if you find they have had an enjoyable holiday despite building work.

RTKangaMummy · 21/04/2005 17:22

They have already been and had a brilliant time

dyzzidi · 21/04/2005 17:26

Sorry was that someone who has been recently RTK ????

dyzzidi · 21/04/2005 17:28

Sorry RTKM I get it now I am definately having a Dyzzi day today

RTKangaMummy · 21/04/2005 17:29

dyzzidi Sorry that was rather rude of me

mrspink27 who started the thread

came home last week

And it was brill

She sent me a CAT

will email you soon

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