SEAPLANE TRANSFER TO THE DIAMONDS THUDUFUSHI RESORT

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Day 18: MALÉ - HYDROAVIÓN TO DIAMONDS THUDUFUSHI (WATER VILLA)

Monday, July 8, 2013

Today we don't need the alarm to sound, although we had it set at 6 in the morning. Today we start the day at our private doors to paradise where we already begin to intuit what awaits us. Today is the day we will make the expected transfer by seaplane to the Diamonds Thudufushi resort.
There is no doubt that Sri Lanka has become a before and after for us, but we know for sure that Maldives It will also become, before and after, the “relax” concept that we have enjoyed so far.
Shortly before 7 in the morning we went down to breakfast at the lounge of our hotel in Male, the Ripple Beach Inn and recharged our batteries for what awaits us!

Views from our room in Male

Yesterday we completed with our hotel and with E-Two Travel (August 2015 Update: this agency closes its doors for retirement) that would come to pick us up at 9 in the morning, so this early morning helps us to get to know the surroundings of the hotel and get an idea, although very basic of what Malé is.
The idea is that on the day of return, that we have the flight at 11 at night and we already intuit that they will “leave” us of the resort in the first hour, take advantage to know the capital of the Maldiva's Islands.

With the stomach already toned and a camera in hand, we will enjoy the surroundings of our hotel in Male.
We are not going to deny that the color of the sea already lets us see that we are in a heavenly place, but at the same time, the surroundings, the buildings, some of them practically in ruins, make us see that this part of the island is not precisely the paradise we see in travel magazines.

Views from our room in Male

Time at the moment seems to be behaving and although we have a few clouds, the sun begins to appear.
It is one of the things of Maldiva's Islands that don't show Maldives it is limited to paradise, luxury, resorts, water bungalows ...
We are more than an hour touring the streets of this area of Malé and we will not deny that we have a good memory. Who knows if in the future we will not return and spend more than a few hours here ...
A few minutes before 9 in the morning, we return to the Ripple Beach Inn and an E-Two Travel guy is waiting for us at the door, who accompanies us, with the hotel owner, in the car to take us back to the airport from Malé, where the seaplane transfer to the resort.
In about 15 minutes we are in the area of the seaplane airport and we cannot deny that at the moment we are arriving we already begin to have butterflies in the stomach.
We pick up our backpacks and go to the check-in area that they indicate according to our flight schedule and resort and once there after weighing the bags, they allow a bulk of 20 kilos per person, plus one hand of 5 kilos, they give us the "boarding" ticket.

Our tickets to reach the Diamonds Thudufushi !!!

Here we have to say that we have read everything, from people who have been made to pay for overweight, to people who have gone with 3 bags and have not told them anything.
We carry a pair of backpacks of 15 kilos or so, a pair of handbags, with about 7-8 kilos each and I, apart from a bag.
They have not told us anything, not even weighing it and seeing that we were passing by, they have given us our ticket without having to pay any excess baggage.
From here, they indicate a bus, where we have to ride and that will take us directly to the Malé Airport Terminal from where the seaplane transfer to the resort.
We say goodbye to the owner of the Malé hotel and our E-Two receiver and get on a bus that is going to burst with people.
We take a quick look and come back to meet those “honeymoons” we saw when we arrived at Maldives.
In less than 5 minutes they leave us in an exclusive terminal for seaplanes, where we have a large living room with comfortable sofas, free Wi-Fi, bars, shops ... it shows that this is becoming the prelude to what we imagine awaits us !!

Malé Seaplane Terminal

Waiting to embark towards paradise!

The seaplane transfer to Diamonds Thudufushi It is scheduled for 10.30 in the morning, but shortly before 10 in the morning, they call us by public address so we can get ready to board.

Male Airport for Seaplanes

Transmaldivian Hydroplane

Now this is starting to smell like a real paradise!
We wait in the part where the seaplanes are another 5 minutes and comes to find us a guy who takes us directly to what will be our transfer to the Diamonds Thudufushi.

Waiting to embark on Transmaldivian Hydroplane

Embark on the Transmaldivian Hydroplane

We are entering the seaplane, helped at all times by the crew and choose the seats. With Roger we prefer to sit one behind the other, to have both windows and enjoy what we intuit will be a spectacular flight!
They give us some safety rules and explain that before arriving in Thudufushi, we will stop at Athuruga, who is the “twin brother” of this resort.
It is only worth taking off and as soon as we see ourselves in the air with the windows dotted with water, flying over Male, we look at each other knowing that we are fulfilling another traveling dream that we thought would not be "so easy" to achieve.

Incredible views on the seaplane ride to the resort

As soon as we leave Malé, a few minutes later we begin to see a sea of an intense blue, dotted with atolls that give us the entrance to what will be our particular paradise these days.

Incredible views!!

Enjoying

The weather seems to be improving at times and although there are some clouds, it does not seem that it will rain, although on the internet they say the opposite, as it has happened to us in the rest of the trip ...
Among the passengers we see several who lay their heads, white as a wall and hold the bags in their hands with a worried face.

We continue with incredible views on the seaplane ride to the resort

An awesome flight!

We cannot say anything else that the flight is always quiet and that we are enjoying it as children, without feeling dizzy or anything like that at any time.
The truth is that from now on, it will be very difficult to express and tell everything we are living and feeling, so we believe that it is best to combine few words with images, which although they do not show the totality of what we live, They are a good sample.

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Seaplane from Male to Diamonds Thudufushi

When we have 30 minutes in the seaplane transfer to the resort We make a stop at Athuruga, where the seaplane lands right next to a wooden platform, in the middle of the sea where a couple of couples who stay here get off.

Arriving in Athuruga

Diamonds Athuruga from the Hydroplane

In the distance we see a boat approaching to pick them up and take them directly to the resort.
If the Diamonds Thudufushi is half of what we have seen Athuruga from the air ... we are in paradise!
We take the flight again and we have these dream “landscapes”, dotted with atolls that remind us of every moment that we are in the Maldiva's Islands.

Maldivian concept of the pilots… flying barefoot !!

In less than 20 minutes, we see in the distance some "white houses on the sea" that warn us that we are arriving at the Diamonds Thudufushi.

Incredible views of the Diamonds Thudufushi on the seaplane ride to the resort

Approaching Diamonds Thudufushi on the seaplane ride to the resort

The seaplane transfer to the resort It is ending and as we descend and see the resort in the distance, we are happier to have made the decision to book this and not another.
The seaplane descends again and almost without realizing it we find ourselves floating over the sea and getting up to go down to the wooden platform.

Platform where it leaves us by seaplane

We collect our backpacks and while they help us get off the seaplane, we can't stop looking at what we have in front of us: a little paradise ...
We see a typical boat approaching Maldives, a dhoni, who will take us to the doors of Diamonds Thudufushi.
The sensations on the floating platform are incredible, the truth is that they are difficult to capture here and we cannot say anything else, that it is an experience, that if you can, you have to try to live once in a lifetime.

Hydroplane views from the dhoni

As soon as the dhoni arrives, a part of the staff receives us, among which is a girl who speaks perfectly Spanish and is the one who “will take care of us” during the 6 days we are here.

Approaching Diamonds Thudufushi on the dhoni ride

On the boat as we approach, they ask us how the trip went, they give us some strokes of the resort and in less than 10 minutes we are approaching the small pier of the Diamonds Thudufushi.

Views of the Diamonds Thudufushi beach from the dhoni

Diamonds Thudufushi beach from the dhoni

As we got closer, we could not stop thinking that although in the photos we had seen on the internet it had already seemed wonderful, seen live and direct, this image is far exceeded.

Views of the Water Villas of the Diamonds Thudufushi on the way in dhoni

It is spectacular.

Approaching paradise! Diamonds Thudufushi from the dhoni

Just down, they tell us not to worry about the bags, in our case, backpacks ... and the only ones that come like this pasan and they pass us to the reception, where they serve us a fruit juice and give us a brief explanation of the resort.

Jetty of the Diamonds Thudufushi from the dhoni

Arriving at Diamonds Thudufushi

We have hired a Water Villa for the first 2 days and the rest a Beach Bungalow with the idea not only to try the 2 options, but also to reduce the budget allocated to this “complement” to the trip to Sri Lanka.
They tell us that the Water Villa will be available for approximately 2 in the afternoon and they ask us to stay while in a Beach Bungalow, where we can have drinks, take towels ... lie down ... do what we want until the time of entry into the Water Town.
As soon as we enter the Beach Bungalow we put our hands to the head… We are in paradise !!

Views from the complimentary Beach Bungalow

Complimentary Beach Bungalow Company

We have the room on the beach and we are in paradise, we believe that this word we will repeat hundreds of times in the days we are here!

Beach in front of the complimentary Beach Bungalow

In time it looks very good and although we have looked again on the internet and kept indicating that it was raining, here it seems that they do not pay much attention to that.
We spend time flying between we scrutinize the entire room, we go for a walk along the beach ... and we look delighted at what we have for us these coming days.

Enjoying the complimentary Beach Bungalow

Shortly before schedule, at 1 noon, they call us by phone to let us know they are coming to get us to take us to our Water Villa, number 21.
We have been very lucky!
On the reservation we asked for a Water Villa at the Diamonds Thudufushi, which had sunset views and was one of the last and has respected our request.
He comes to pick us up a stroller, kind of golf, which takes us directly, through the water walkways to our accommodation in Maldives.
As we approach and walk the catwalks, we cannot stop smiling ... this is incredible.
Now, writing and remembering what we feel, we cannot take off again, the smile from our mouth.
When we enter the Water Villa we cannot believe what we have in front of us. It's huge ... not big ... it's huge!

Our room at the Water Villa

Details of the bathroom in the Water Villa

Here we make a small paragraph and it is that in the coming days we do not think it will be useful to explain everything we do these days, since it will be practically nothing 😉 and we do not think it has much interest for you.
So we prefer to tell things about the resort, the rooms, how we reserve everything ... etc, interspersing these explanations with pictures of the different days.
That said, we continue ...

It's a little after 2 in the afternoon and we have entertained ourselves a little more than expected at the Water Villa, so we left quickly, without even changing our clothes and going straight to the restaurant on the water, which belongs to us for being staying at the Water Villa del Diamonds Thudufushi.
We have not said that the Diamonds Thudufushi is all-inclusive, something that we were looking for in this stay, although we had not recommended it too much. This is another thing we will talk about later ...
In the restaurant on the water as soon as we enter and point to the table we have assigned, we have the same reaction as when we arrived, when we entered the Beach Bungalow ... surprise and above all feel that we are in paradise.

Our table at the Restaurant on Water

In this restaurant, exclusive to the Water Villa and which can be accessed if you are staying at the Beach paying a supplement, they serve a fixed menu consisting of 3 dishes plus a dessert and the drink you choose.

First course at the Restaurant on Water

Main course in the Restaurant on Water

Third course in the Restaurant on the Water

The quality is excellent and the quantities are just to get out of there with the desire to continue enjoying the resort.
After the meal we take an express, yes, yes, a true express in Maldives!! In the same restaurant and after resting for a while and before returning to our Water Villa, we pass by the beach bar to have another coffee and enjoy the sand and the views we have from there.

Stroller waiting for us at the Restaurant on the Water

Shortly before 5 in the afternoon we return to the Water Villa and we have little time to lie in the sun, so we take the opportunity to also place some clothes in the huge dressing room we have and take some snapshots of what will be “our house” the following days!

Way of the Water Villa

Our terrace of the Water Villa

Ready to sunbathe on the terrace of the Water Villa

Water Villa Terrace

Sunbathing for a while on the terrace of the Water Villa

The photos we make of the Water Villa, we can say once we have seen them, that they do not do justice to what it really is, it is impossible to explain, or show in photographs, what we really see.

Water Villa Terrace

Water Villa from the terrace

Rest area on the terrace of the Water Villa

Water Villa Terrace

At 7 we have met with the staff of the Diamonds Thudufushi resort to continue explaining all the options we have in the resort, facilities, excursions ... etc.
But before this, we can't help scratching the clock for a few minutes to continue taking pictures and enjoying our paradise.
It seems that they are going to throw us right now and we want to take advantage of everything in quick motion!

Enjoying the terrace of the Water Villa

Stairs leading directly to the sea on the terrace of the Water Villa

First dip in the Water Villa

Enjoying the sunset on the terrace of the Water Villa

Reading time on the terrace of the Water Villa

A little before the hour, we go to the bar where we have a drink and we already see that at this time of the afternoon they have popcorn, pizza, different canapés, nuts at the bar ... many dishes to choose from to kill hunger a little until dinner time
At 7 o'clock we go to the reception and there we have a good time knowing all the facilities that Diamonds Thudufushi has and all the things we can do these days.

Island road from the Water Villa

Water Villas views

We take a look at the excursions they have and Roger is one day snorkeling and another one on a trip to a nearby atoll to also snorkel.
I, how could it be otherwise, I look for the massages they have and I have already looked at a couple who recommend me and I leave pending until tomorrow to choose the day to enjoy them.
Shortly after 9 pm we return to the restaurant on the water and after an incredible dinner and an express, which will become our "usual" here ... we go to the bar for a drink.

Having dinner at the restaurant on the water

Desserts in the restaurant on the water

One of the things that attracts us a lot is that 90% of people from dinner time dress "gala", there are not too many people staying at the resort, but there is, has not left the heels and party dresses 😉
Now we understand those giant suitcases that passed through the baggage belt at the Male airport!
We will continue with kaftans me and Roger with their shorts ... and of course our inseparable sandals that have accompanied us throughout the trip to Sri Lanka and Maldives.
If one day we return at Maldiva's Islands, without complementing with another place, we will bring some party dress so as not to clash so much 😉
Although we have to recognize that no one looks at you here and everyone goes to his roll, so you can not feel uncomfortable at all.
At 11 pm we return to our Water Villa and the first thing we do is go to the sun loungers that we have on the terrace.

It gets dark at the restaurant over water

This is one of the many things that make us feel very lucky.
We have millions of stars on the roof ...
Sleeping with everything open, facing the sea, watching the stars is something priceless.

We are in paradise!

The bed, being of wood, is conductive of the sound, and just by resting our head on the pillow, we not only hear the sound of the waves outside the room, but we have what we feel in our bed, under the room .
Today has been an intense day, today has been a special day. Today we are in a paradise called Diamonds Thudufushi.