MALDIVES DEAL: overwater bungalows for 23,333 Amex points or 70,000 Radisson points

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• BJ says:

  17 Aug17 August 05:48

  Yawn, overwater villas are so passe Rob, even @TripRep has been to one of those…

  • Vit says:

    17 Aug17 August 06:41

    +1 😴

    • Freddy says:

      17 Aug17 August 08:29

      I agree, please could we have more corporate bland city hotel articles with a points bonus to enable me to go to another corporate bland city hotel in the future

      • cinereus says:

        17 Aug17 August 10:34

        Bland corporate city hotels are actually way more interesting than the current faddish fetish with tedious rip off Maldives over water properties. There are dozens of superior places in the world to go for luxury beach villas.

        • Eire says:

          17 Aug17 August 21:30

          Would love to hear what they are, if you can list a few? Been looking at a trip to the Maldives for a honeymoon.

      • The Savage Squirrel says:

        17 Aug17 August 18:44

        Although if you’re in the middle of New York, Paris or Tokyo then the blandness of the hotel is not a great worry as you’re not short of things to do away from your accommodation. I think Rob did well to last 5 days in a Maldives villa as I’d be bored witless after 3, but it’s good that we all like different things 😀

  • BJ says:

    17 Aug17 August 10:57

    Well, I didn’t expect all that, I was only intending to tease TripRep about undersea villas! Personally, I’d like to go myself but probably for 5 nights only, or probably to try and get a more local perspective running around on boats etc out of Male if that’s possible as opposed to seaplanes. I think it is the sort of place that is worthy to be on many people’s bucket list from a nature, geography and environmental perspective if nothing else. I also disagree on value for money, high-end resorts are possible at reasonable cost and/or effort as this and previous articles have shown. Let’s put it this way, I’d feel much happier paying up 70,000 Rad points for this than the 70,000 Hilton points I am very likely to blow on the rather tired Hilton Tokyo.

    • Dubious says:

      17 Aug17 August 17:56

      “ probably to try and get a more local perspective running around on boats etc out of Male if that’s possible as opposed to seaplanes”
      MLE is not the only international airport in the Maldives. There is a second one in the south and at least another one being developed in the middle.

      These open up the possibilities of B&Bs in some of the less congested islands.

  • Mikeact says:

    17 Aug17 August 12:46

    I agree, particularly when there are so many fantastic places to visit around the world…. a bit like going back to Dubai year on year..why on earth. But then, thank goodness we’re all different. My wife and I will continue to visit places off the beaten track.

• Chris Heyes says:

  17 Aug17 August 07:53

  Not my idea of a good hols stuck in a resort, but each to his/her own lol
  I’ll pass

  • Anna says:

    17 Aug17 August 08:18

    It’s great if you love diving or snorkelling, but yes there are easier places to get to for that tropical paradise experience!

    • cinereus says:

      17 Aug17 August 10:35

      Why is it great? The diving isn’t even that good and massively overpriced.

      • Anna says:

        17 Aug17 August 13:19

        Ahh, it’s 20 years since we went. First venture out with a snorkel into the coral garden I saw spotted eagle rays, hordes of massive trigger fish and baby black tip sharks. OH had his one and only sighting of manta rays while diving. The next island had a tuna canning factory on it and every afternoon at 4 pm a pod of spinner dolphins came past for the scraps disgorged into the sea daily.

        • Hugh Jardon says:

          17 Aug17 August 18:08

          Ah, The Maldives! a truly nascent shimmering pearl amongst the crystalline waters of the Indian ocean, a divers delight, a scuba sensation, warm waters , a hot sun and then back to the welcoming embrace of ones fellow travellers to describe tales of snorkelling daring do, before retiring for a cup of cocoa with the OH and the latest tome from Kerry Katona.

  • Secret Squirrel says:

    17 Aug17 August 13:57

    All depends what you want from a trip. If you want complete relaxation then Maldives is a good place to go.

    • mutley says:

      20 Aug20 August 11:30

      HFP Readers Is the Maldives is worth the extra cost of the seaplane for a family of four ( two teenagers)?

• Marcw says:

  17 Aug17 August 08:36

  As time goes by, these offers are going to be juicier. Don’t book know unless you are travelling “soon”. If you plan to travel next year, book after Christmas when the resorts will be desperate to get any cash.

• pauldb says:

  17 Aug17 August 08:43

  On the plus side, the villas accommodate 3 adults and 1 under-12 so it’s a more standout deal for families.
  Rates already seem to be lower than quoted in the article, more like $5-700, and may combine with Radisson’s Mastercard 3for2 offer.

  • Rob says:

    17 Aug17 August 08:53

    Those rates I quoted were February 2021.

• Andy says:

  17 Aug17 August 10:14

  I’m unfortunate to not be sitting on a stash of MR points, but fortunate (maybe) to have snagged 10 days using a BA 2:1 (out in J and back in F) around the third week of March … I’d love to hear more about “ some attractive (and fully cancellable) cash deals on offer” Rob … BA’s own deals look more attractive than last time I visited with many offering free transfers etc too.

  • Macca says:

    17 Aug17 August 11:24

    Me too. I’d appreciate knowing what Rob was referring to with these attractive cash deal. Thanks!

    • Rob says:

      17 Aug17 August 13:00

      I was referring to the opening rates the Radisson is offering.

  • Danny says:

    17 Aug17 August 13:55

    There’s a broker for rooms in Maldives hotels who I used last year, Alex at islandii.com who lately has been sending out a lot of bulletins about cheaper cancellable rates, although I haven’t looked into the details as I’m not planning on going back anytime soon.

• Andrew (@andrewseftel) says:

  17 Aug17 August 10:30

  I am sitting on a decent chunk of Radisson points, although not quite enough for a week. How long do MR transfers take?

  • Genghis says:

    17 Aug17 August 16:13

    2-3 days. My last transfer was week before last.

    • RussellH says:

      17 Aug17 August 16:43

      Sounds like they have speeded up a lot then.
      All mine took over a week, but have not done one recently.

• Spk says:

  17 Aug17 August 14:50

  Any recommendations for an infant / kid friendly resort? I know we are a minority, but having missed out the opportunity to go there for honeymoon and facing a couple of decades before my kid moves out (by which time maldives could literally be under water), we thought we could do a 3-4 day stay to relax and tick the box.

  • mr_jetlag says:

    17 Aug17 August 16:25

    Kurumba is the oldest resort still operating and has pivoted to family friendly holidays. Short boat ride from Malé airport as well is an advantage. Relatively good value for the Maldives.

  • Nocnoc says:

    22 Aug22 August 08:07

    Hi we brought our then 5 month old to Kanuhura and thoroughly recommend it, stayed in a beach villa rather than think about him crawling over the side of an overwater villa. He wasn’t eating solids then but staff did often come over and ask at mealtimes if they could get him any food, seemed they were very accommodating to babies. He loved the main pool and the sea. It’s a resort that takes children but there is still unlikely to be many kids, think there were four families the week we were there, the rest were couples, honeymooners and retirees and family groups with grown up kids. There’s two bikes provided to each villa for getting around and ours came with a little seat on the back for the smallie. As you have so much space in your beach villa, everyone keeps to themselves and dinners are on the beach, tables spaced well apart ( I was there a couple of years ago pre Corona).

• Matthew says:

  17 Aug17 August 16:51

  Why do people feel the need to say “to be honest” when making a statement? Does it mean they are lying the rest of the time?

  • Dubious says:

    17 Aug17 August 18:01

    Well to be honest Matthew we do it to annoy you 🙂

  • Will says:

    17 Aug17 August 23:46

    In the age of taking offence, it’s a polite way of saying if you don’t want to know the score look away now.

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