In December 2022, Grace and I embarked on a grand trip spanning 5 countries and 1 city-state. In a series of posts, I’ll take you through our 28-days trip across Jordan, Egypt, The Maldives, Malaysia, Singapore, and Dubai. The Maldives was the spark for this whole trip. It started with a deal voucher to a 5-night stay, then into brainstorming other countries, morphing into this elaborate trek.
The Deal
One November day, 2021, I got a TravelZoo deal for an all-inclusive, adults-only, 5-star resort in the Maldives. This “Save now, travel later” and fully-refundable voucher seemed too good to be true. So I bought it on the spot. The voucher for a 5-night stay in an overwater villas cost $3,129, with a saving of $1500 on the retail value. Subscribe to TravelZoo to get these deals in your inbox. Voucher was good for Nov 2021 until Dec 2023.
The voucher included:
- Unlimited use of snorkeling and non-motorized watersport equipment
- Choice of one excursion per person for 5- to 7-night stays; two excursions per person for 8-12 nights; and three excursions per person for 13 nights or more: Sunset fishing, dolphin cruise, OR snorkeling excursion (excursions are non-transferable)
- Choice of one activity per person for 5- to 7-night stays; two activities per person for 8-12 nights; and three activities per person for 13 nights or more: 50% discount on 1 spa treatment, 30-minute jet ski safari, OR 1 tank dive for certified divers (excursions are non-transferable)
- Inter-island transportation (this is provided to all guests through the resort)
- Complimentary Wi-FI and access to Male’s Moonimaa Lounge (also accessible via Priority Pass).
The Resort
The Maldives is a collection of islands in the Indian Sea, south of India. Mercure Kooddoo Maldives Resort, owned by Accor Hospitality, is the only resort on Kooddoo island. Travelers funnel through Male airport (MLE), then hop on puddle jumpers to the smaller islands. The resort was built in 2016. There are 5 levels of accommodations: beach villas, beach villas with pools, overwater beach-facing villas, overwater sunset villas, and finally overwater sunset pool villas. This is an honest review of my experience and I do not receive any compensation for posting this.
The booking process was painless. I emailed Mercure directly with the voucher number and a request to book from Dec 18th to the 23rd. Mercure confirmed the stay within 12 hours. I booked our international flights and gave Mercure our arrival and departure so that staff could organize the inter-island plane from Male to Kooddoo Island. They thanked me for the information and added that to our file. We asked about the excursions and scuba diving. They directed our inquiries appropriately and answered all our questions. This communication was a good sign of things to come.
Flights and Visa Requirements
Tourist visas are granted for all nationalities on arrival to the Maldives, free of charge, provided that the passport has more than 1 month validity. All travelers must fill out a Traveler Declaration within 96 hours of arrival. The form is submitted electronically via IMUGA, and you show the email confirmation upon arrival.
- Read the Maldive immigration website for all requirements and the fine print.
- IMUGA website: https://imuga.immigration.gov.mv/ (click on “Traveller Declaration”)
- The Maldives is included in the Google Fi international data plan; calls are extra.
Roundtrip flights from IAD start at $1,000 and can go for as much as $2,400 when advanced planning is not your forte.
Inter-island flights are coordinated by the resorts with local air carriers. While there were multiple flights to Kooddoo Island in particular, Mercure was not able to tell us which flight we’d be on when I first booked our stay and they themselves admitted they won’t know until <72 hours before.
The Weather
The winter on the East Coast is the perfect time to escape to the Maldives. The weather was glorious in December. A light chill in the evenings but brilliantly sunny and hot in the daytime: 78-84°F throughout the week with a real-feel of 10° higher of dry heat. The sand is heavy and doesn’t mix with the currents, making the warm waters crystal clear. If it weren’t for the sunlight bouncing off the waves I could make out the abundant sea life. During our stay, we were blessed with just a single rainstorm, which passed as abruptly as it started. The dry season runs from December to March while the wet season runs from May to November. when you may experience strong winds, rain and occasional thunderstorms.
Tipping
I collect local currency, so I’m kicking myself for not getting any Maldivian Rufiyaas. The resorts accept most major currencies, so carry lots of ones. If not, ask the staff to make change. We tipped $2 per day per room for hotel staff, $5 a person for the excursions, and 12% of our dive costs to our wonderful dive master.
The Transit
We arrived at Male International airport at 3:15 PM from Egypt and made it through immigration effortlessly and exited the secure area. We met a Mercure representative who guided us to the Moonimaa lounge, located 500ft from the international arrivals hall. Our inter-island flight was 6:30pm, yet the wait was unbearable, like watching food leave the kitchen knowing it’s not yours. We snacked on a spread of appetizers, cheeses, meats, and fruits, and had some coffee and juices. There was no alcohol available as a Muslim-following country, except where it is permitted at the resorts.
We were finally called at 6pm for the <1 hour inter-island flight. We proceeded to the domestic terminal. We arrived in the dark shortly before 8 PM, but staff greeted us eagerly and helped us with our bags. We zoomed aboard a golf cart directly to the front desk. From there, the check-in manager sent us straight to our room, to come back in the morning for the welcome orientation and to walkthrough our document packet.
The Room
We were unit 206, near the end of the boardwalk. Our round villa had a queen-sized bed, two chaise and coffee table on top of a see-through glass floor section to peek at fish hanging out by the villa supports. The large bathroom featured two sinks, enough vanity space for three women, and a sleeper couch in case life ever got too difficult. There are two patio spaces: one enclosed and the other open. The open patio space faced South-East out to the ocean, where we caught gorgeous sunsets on two lounge chairs. Down the staircase is direct access to the ocean, our very own berth for snorkeling the bay. The enclosed patio space contained separate outdoor shower and bathtub. The outdoor shower and bathtub combo was our favorite surprise, we didn’t take a single shower indoors.
The perks brought out my inner man-child: Daily snack refills of full sized chocolate bars (my weakness), various savory chips, cookies, etc. Two wine bottles, 375mL of Jack, gin…, and daily beer buckets. Customizable minibar, refilled once per day with daily beer buckets of your choice.
Scuba Diving and Other Entertainment
Both of us opted to complete our scuba Open Water certifications at the Suvadiva Dive Center, a PADI certified dive center, located on premise at Mercure Kooddoo Resort. It cost $325 for me to get a refresher, complete additional coursework, and perform the remaining skills dives, whereas it cost Grace $275 to perform all the certification dives. For Grace and I to do the same in a muddy lake in MD, it would have cost us over $1000. Definitely get scuba certified on your next tropical holiday.
The Maldives is known for some of the clearest waters in the world. The marine life on Kooddoo Island is vibrant and diverse. Crystal clear waters let us easily see 100 feet all around us, spying manta rays, turtles, reef sharks, sunfish, and lionfish, just to name a few. Even on our snorkeling runs off our villa, we saw such sea life, with the addition of a scary moray eel.
We spent non-dive mornings at the gym, working out to eat more. The gym was housed in an octagonal hut larger than our villa, with plenty of wood-paneled floor space, dumbbells going up to 50 pounds, a single adjustable bench, medicine balls, 2 bicycles, 2 treadmills, 2 elliptical, and mirrors all around. Room-temp reusable glass bottles of water and towels were available. The gym was attached to a much larger locker room which I thought was wholly unnecessary. There are several of these public showers available: next to the gym, at the dive center, and near the main bar.
The resort also has a spa, an Italian restaurant, a buffet style restaurant with nightly themes, a full bar with heavy finger-food from 3-5pm, a game room that I never saw anyone in, a boathouse for water sports, and a cute gift shop for any last minute needs. Yes, the shop has reef-safe sunscreen but be expected to shell out $45.
The boat house has two stand-up paddle boards and a number of kayaks free of charge. For a fee, they also have jet-ski rides. Snorkeling gear can be picked up at the dive center.
We skipped the spa and opted to use our activity vouchers for additional dives and the sunset fishing trip, which I highly recommend. Armed with spool of fishing line, we hung off the side of the boat. I started baiting my own hook, but quickly handed the responsibility back to the staff as my potential catches nabbed the bait off the hook before I could reel them in. I ended up catching a small and a medium sized fish, while Grace came out with an 8 pound red snapper. All guests were given an allotment of the day’s catch for the resort kitchen to prepare to our liking; we took back the red snapper and selected the sashimi presentation.
The Food
There are three places to get food in the resort, excluding the villa mini-bar. Alita serves up international and local cuisine eat-til-you-drop style. Vista is the full-service, overwater Italian restaurant. The Neapolitan-style pizza was decent but the pasta was sub-par, yet it was nice change-of-pace to the buffet-style dining at Alita. The last place to get food is during happy hour, or between 3-5pm, at the main bar.
The most memorable and delicious meal was the red snapper sashimi. Knowing that we caught the fish made each bite that much more rewarding. Definitely do the fishing activity.
Seashell Haven
Grace is a seashell nerd – she rattles off different types of seashells like an Italian listing different pasta shapes. There are so many gorgeous seashells there; I’ve never seen cone-style ones. While collecting seashells in an ice bucket is not out of the ordinary, taking those seashells out of the Maldives back home is illegal. Hermit crabs use the seashells as new homes, and hermit crabs are important agents that prevent beach erosion; you win hermit crabs. Grace spent the last day spreading seashells along the beach, making some kids very happy.
Summary
By this point, you better have the Maldives on your list for next destinations. While I don’t particularly advocate for the Mercure Kooddoo resort, nor do I get kickbacks recommending them, use this guide to make sure you get the best value for your money. From the available activities, to the stocked mini-bar, to the food and drink, and finally to the amazing service, the Mercure Kooddoo Island resort has it all.
The long road leaving Male
Leaving the resort and the Maldives was the exact opposite as arrival, just infinitely more difficult. The day started off well – we packed and waited for resort staff to pick up our luggage via golf cart. Freed of our luggage, we spent the rest of the morning combing the beach, taking final photos, and drinking by the pool. Resort staff found us by the pool for our inter-island flight to Male.
We arrived at Male international airport 3 hours before our next flight – oh boy did we need all that time. Throngs of people were leaving at the same time as us. Lines snaked through the security screening and the emigration check, and lines finally thinned at the secondary security screening in front of our gate. There were some lounges in the secure area but none on Priority Pass nor via Amex Platinum benefits. Grace settled for an overpriced $18 caesar salad and market sandwich while I got airport-priced Burger King whopper and chicken tenders.
Yummy Treks 