Joanna James
If you've finally booked your dream vacation to a private island resort in the Maldives, a paradise renowned for its pristine beaches and crystal-clear turquoise waters. As you anticipate your arrival, it's essential to be well-informed about the transportation options available to reach your secluded oasis. From international flights to domestic transfers, the journey to your private island resort in the Maldives is an adventure in itself. Here are a few tips for your travels.
Those who land at the Male International Airport for a Maldivian getaway must be aware that transfers to their hotel of choice will not be accessible after dark. This means that those who are landing at Male International Airport after 5 pm will have to book accommodation in a city hotel in the Maldivian capital for the night. As speed boat transfers and seaplane transfers are the only options at one's disposal, visitors will have no choice but to book a room in a Male hotel for a night if their plane arrives after both speed boats and seaplanes have halted services for the day.
Like any luxury hotel in Maldives, if you pick a property like Velassaru Maldives - it does not allow third-party boats to drop off visitors on the island. This is because the resort island belongs to the accommodation hub and thus boat transfers must be booked through the hotel. Speed boats hired from Male or through private tour operators cannot dock on Velassaru Island. It takes less than half an hour to travel by boat from the airport to Velassaru so this relatively short journey can be arranged with ease by phoning the resort ahead of time. The hotel will inform travellers of the transfer charges during the booking process but visitors should know that children under 2 years travel for free while children aged between 2 years and 11 years will be charged half of the adult fare.
If you wish to reach your resort within an hour of arriving in the Maldives or without delays, it is best to inform the hotels of your arrival time beforehand. The resort recommends that guests and visitors inform the establishment of the arrival time at least 3 days before they land in the Maldives. This affords the resort plenty of time to arrange a speedboat to pick you up.
While it may not be the most cost-effective way to reach the island, seaplane transfers to Velassaru Maldives can also be arranged for those who are based in other areas of the archipelago. It is important to note that due to the resort's proximity to Male and the Male International Airport, seaplanes heading out from the North Male Atoll or any other destination will touch down in the Maldivian capital where the flight comes to an end. Travellers will need to arrange for a speedboat from the resort as mentioned earlier to take them to the island proper as there is no landing strip on the isle.
Day trippers who are interested in spending most of their time within the seclusion of their resort during their getaway in the archipelago should ideally schedule this trip towards the end of the holiday. Due to the island's proximity to Male and the country's main international airport, it is only logical that tourists schedule a tour of Velassaru island right before they depart from the Maldives or alongside a day trip to Male. So it is more practical to pencil in your sojourn towards the latter half of your vacation unless you wish to make a reservation at the resort on the island and spend a few days there.
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A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
