9th July

Packed and all ready to go to the Maldives to celebrate our tenth wedding anniversary. We checked in at Manchester Airport and then headed off to the escape lounge to get away from the hustle and bustle of the airport.

Checked in at the Escape Lounge and I’m very impressed with the service from the front desk as they explained what was included in the package. The food and drink choice was also very good and the lounge was very peaceful and comfortable. We could now sit back, relax and have a glass of wine with a few snacks before boarding.

I would really recommend a lounge before you travel, it is the right way to start your holiday. My wife is very calm where as she is normally nervous about flying but for once Lisa is totally relaxed and ready for a well deserved holiday, especially putting up with me for all these years. We are flying on the new airbus 380 with Emirates airline! I can’t wait; hope it lives up to expectations.

Very good flight the service was fantastic and the seats were nice and comfortable with a decent amount of legroom. The choice of entertainment was by far the best in flight entertainment we have experienced. The flight from Manchester goes via Dubai and it broke up the flight as you had a couple of hours in Dubai airport which is an experience. Due to the flight going via Dubai it is a great opportunity for a twin centre holiday with the Maldives. Your bags get checked all the way through so there is no need to worry about your luggage.

We arrived at Male and collected our bags. The weather was nice and hot. We were met by our tour operator Kuoni who escorted us to the Maldivan Air Taxi.

We checked our bags in then jumped onto the mini bus which took us around to the back end of the island to the seaplane terminal for our sea plane transfer. We did not have to wait long for the transfer. We were off, the seaplane transfer is a great opportunity. Some islands only offer speedboat or seaplane. If you come across an island which does both I recommend you take the seaplane.

10th July

Diamonds Thudufushi Beach & Water Villas (2 night Stay)

Set on a white sand island within the turquoise waters of a shallow lagoon, Diamonds Thudufushi Beach & Water Villas offers luxurious accommodation and outstanding levels of service. Located on the south-western rim of Ari Atoll, just a 35-minute seaplane flight south of Male’ International Airport, the resort is secluded and tranquil, providing optimum privacy in unspoilt surroundings. There are also daily snorkelling tours with the instructor at 11:00am & 4:00pm plus other activities available on the island.

From the moment you arrive you are met by guest services who are very welcoming with a drink and a cold towel. Check in was very casual and relaxed plus also very efficient and friendly.

We had a beach villa which is spacious and has an outside shower and big wardrobes for clothes and lots of shoes. As per usual my wife filled both wardrobes and I get a few hangers (typical). The funny thing is she hardly wore any shoes on this trip as they say in the Maldives ‘no shoes no news’. We were also located a hop, skip and a jump away from the ocean.

For dining the beach villa guests are allocated the main buffet restaurant on the island.  The water villa guests get the new A La Carte over water  restaurant.

Beach villa guests wanting to eat at the over water restaurant will need to make a reservation plus there is an additional $50pp charge to dine there.

Food was very good with a good choice on a daily basis at the main buffet restaurant.

Evening atmosphere very relaxed with a little music to lighten the mood. Service was excellent, very friendly and charming.

Water Villa guests get A La Carte dining and room service for breakfast which is a unique selling point. continue reading…

Wednesday 4th May 2011

Leighton (and the girls) in St Lucia

I find myself travelling down to London on Virgin Trains the night before my trip to St Lucia. I stopped at the Sofitel which is connected to the North terminal at Gatwick airport the night before to catch my early flight. The Sofitel hotel was very nice, my room was a decent size and my bed very comfortable; it’s very convenient as it is a few minutes walk to the British airways check in desk inside the north terminal. Click here for more information regarding booking airport hotels.

Thursday 5th May 2011

I woke up before my early morning wake up call as I was excited about my trip. Up at 6:00am… I have not been up this early for a long time!

We meet Chelcie Lewis from the St Lucia Tourist Board, who where hosting our trip, at the BA sales desk. The St Lucia Tourist board had invited its top 10 agents on the trip. Chelcie handed out our boarding passes and we were treated to Club World (business class). Our flight was at 10:10am so we had a few hours to spare as we went through fast track security. We had use of the BA lounge which was very comfortable and relaxing, away from the hustle and bustle of the airport. I would recommend a lounge before you travel as you can sit back and relax and enjoy the refreshments. Click here for more information regarding booking airport lounges.

Boat Trip

At 13.10pm we arrive at St Lucia ahead of schedule. The weather outside looks delightful. I was feeling very relaxed and raring to go after my first experience in Business Class.  We collect our luggage and meet up for our complimentary transfer to the Landings Hotel where we will be staying for two nights. The driver was very good, telling us all about St Lucia and its history.

The journey to the North of the Island takes 90 minutes through the hills. The views of the island are stunning and the most spectacular I have seen. If you are not the best traveller by road, there is the opportunity to travel by helicopter and I have been told that this is the way to travel as the views are amazing. You will also fly over the famous Pitons.

We arrived and checked in at The Landings. The resort is stunning and very luxurious. I shared a 3 bedroom suite with two others, it was like a mini apartment and it is a great location for families, friends and groups. I had the bedroom which had the Jacuzzi straight outside my room… result!

We then all meet for a few drinks in the lobby to get acquainted before we head of to ’Blues at the Beach’ for our evening meal. The evening was great, the food was very nice and the local drink, ‘Piton’, went down very nicely. After the meal we listened and danced to some Blues music, the entertainment was very very good. I tried to stay up late to get myself used to the time zone.

Friday 6th May 2011

I awoke early so I decided to get up and have a jog… only kidding; I took stroll along the beach instead. The sky was clear and the sun was rising. What a beautiful day we are going to have.

Breakfast & then Site Inspection at ‘The Landings’

The Landings

Situated on Rodney bay, in the northwest of the island overlooking Saint Lucia’s most breathtaking beach and with the islands only private harbour. The resort is ideally located for all the superb restaurants and shops in the Rodney bay area. The Landings offers a great self catered holiday with the convenience and facilities of a modern luxury resort. Great location for water-sports plus you can also enjoy the complimentary membership of the St Lucia Golf & Country Club.

The resort has two & three bedroom villa suites with a few one bedroom suites. Each suite is beautifully furnished and finished to a high quality. All bedrooms feature an en suite. Many suites offer a private plunge pool which I was lucky enough to get.

What you need to know…

• Quality Accommodation, prime location on St Lucia’s best beach.
• Accommodation: 122 rooms.
• Luxurious suites are great for families or even small groups.
• Complimentary shuttle to Rodney Bay where you will be able to sample some great local restaurants.

We meet the driver and then transfer to Rendezvous for a site inspection accompanied by cocktails and canapés.

Rendezvous Site Inspection – All Inclusive

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Click here to book Excellence Playa Mujeres from £1269pp

On arrival we were met with a nice cold glass of champagne and a cold towel. The bell boy took care of our bags and we where taken to the Excellence Club where we had a private check. The service was excellent  Once we arrived at the Excellence Club for check in we were presented with another glass of champagne. The Excellence Lounge was very nice and it provided computers with internet access which was great as we could speak to our son on face book whilst we where there, it had a small bar area and hot buffet style snacks which were regularly changed throughout the day.

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Click here to book Dreams Punta Cana from £879pp

Hotel & Room

We stayed in a Deluxe Room which had two sizeable double beds. It was evident the room had been recently been refurbished and the use of bright colours helped create a fine, bright ambiance. The modern air conditioning unit had it’s own remote control which enabled us to set the room temperature to that which most suited us.

The amenities were typical of a 5* property and included satellite tv, CD/DVD player, i-pod docking station, coffee maker hairdryer etc. There we even bathrobes & slippers ! Room service is provided 24 hours per day

The mini-bar, which was re-stocked on a regular basis, contained beers, soft drinks and bottled water.

My wife was very pleased to find a hairdryer in the room. Even though she had taken her own with her, the low voltage in Dominican Republic meant it would not work to it’s full potential.

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Friday the 12th Sept 2008

Set of to London Heathrow really excited about my trip to the Maldives. We set out on our long awaited trip. We boarded our Sri Lankan flight at 21:35 and arrived at Male airport the following afternoon at 12:10 pm local time. The flight time was 11 hour.

Saturday 13th September 2008

Arrival of flight UL502 into Male Airport. The airport in the Maldives is very unusual as the airport is literally almost the whole island. All the resorts are reached either by speedboat or sea plane depending on the distance.

Once you have passed through immigration and collected your luggage and made you way through to arrivals you will be met by your Grand Agent who will direct you to the speedboat which transferred us to Kuramthi Village which was an hour and half transfer. This is where we stayed for 2 nights. continue reading…