райський острів paradise island

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary, my wife and I decided to make a gift to me in the form of a trip to an exotic country. The recent celebration of his wife's anniversary in a good restaurant with a program, the purchase of an expensive dress, etc. showed that the budget of the feast can exceed the cost of a good tour.
Back in the winter, he became interested in the Maldives, largely due to reviews on TurPravda. But when seeing prices from 5 thousand dollars. for a three-star hotel, I doubted if we could go.
Having already signed the application for vacation, in fact, three or four days before departure, the tour has not yet been purchased. Several friends went to Egypt, but his wife said she would not go to Egypt for the fifth time. The flood began in Thailand. Already thought to go to the UAE, chose a hotel, the price is under 3 thousand, and the reviews are contradictory. I did not really want to swim among the jellyfish.

There was another Dominican version for 14 nights AI for $ 4.400. , but had to return after Easter
Given that they were in Egypt for Christmas, I wanted to celebrate Easter at home.
We decided to go to the Maldives. The Herathera Island Resort 4 * hotel has rooms on the TezTour website, rooms of 70 meters, Wi-Fi in the rooms, for about $ 4.500. Twelfth hour of the night, we give the command to book. There are no reviews on TurPravda, we start looking - negative reviews. Twenty minutes later, the agency called back, we also read the reviews, we postpone the reservation until the morning. As a result, we book another hotel, from the agency there used to go tourists, were satisfied.
So, HOLIDAY ISLAND 4 *, 12 nights, HB, 4053 dollars. for two. Departure from Moscow on April 9.2011.
The Boryspil-Domodedovo flight with S7 cost $ 450. for two in both directions. They took off, did not have time to finish the cakes, as the plane went down. Domodedovo airport is very large, many people have barely found a place to sit down. Wi-Fi is available. Having bought a press and cigarettes at the present, he did not find a newsstand in Boryspil in the new Terminal F.
Calling back to the hotel where you planned to spend the night on the way back and confirming the reservation ($ 150 with transfer).
We went to the registration in two hours, we thought we would be the first. And it was not here. Registration has long begun. You could go to register immediately upon arrival.
When passing through the X-ray I am forced to take off my shoes, you put on your shoes.
The TransAero flight was delayed for an hour, and it snowed in April.
Feed twice an hour. There will be 10 (! ) Passengers in one row on the plane.
They were tired, the presence in the cabin of a drunken company of divers numbering under 20 people in the same T-shirts, drinking alcohol from the throat, despite the remarks of staff, did not sleep. Stewardesses offer DVDs with movies for an additional fee (over $ 20) The headrests have monitors, but backgrounds are not included. The flight lasts 8 hours.

The airport in Mali is a separate island.
From the plane you walk to the airport, take an immigration card, fill in English. No tables or handles were noticed. At the passport control, half of the card is torn off, and the other half of the card with the entrance stamp is returned. You fill in this part and give it at the passport control on departure.
Alcohol, pornography and anti-Islamic publications are banned in the Maldives. I did not take alcohol, but threw 3 bottles of mineral water in my suitcase, not so much to save, but not knowing whether there will be water on arrival and what quality. I passed customs control without any remarks, although I think the bottles were visible to customs officers through X-rays. One passenger was robbed of alcohol for me. Muscovites, whom we later met at the hotel, carried whiskey in small sealed bottles of energy (Red Bull, it seems). Then this whiskey was used on my DN.
Alcohol was previously returned, but on May 1.2011 the law on confiscation of seized alcohol came into force.
When leaving the airport at the counter Teztura is registered, given two bottles of cold water and asked to wait for a transfer near the cafe.
Transfers, excursions in the Maldives are organized only by hotels. Then it was surprising that the guide TezTura did not try to sell us any tours.
We waited for the boat for about an hour and sailed to the hotel for 2.5 hours. Dispensed in a bottle of mineral water and a jar of Coca-Cola per person. We stopped in the middle of the ocean and stood for 5 minutes until the diesel started working again.
Upon arrival on the island we were greeted with wet towels and cold cocktails, handed out questionnaires and began resettlement. Everyone is given a map of the hotel and some materials.
The island itself is about 700 by 150 meters. There are no large buildings, only bungalows for one room and several for two rooms in the center.

We can say that each bungalow has its own piece of beach. But the best beach on the pier side (north). On the other hand (south) the beach is worse and the view of the neighboring island, where the airport is being built. Plus in the eastern part there are domestic buildings where the staff lives and a diesel generator, which is clearly noisy.
First we settled in about room 189, I'll find out what kind of bed. It turns out that twin, ie two separate beds. I remember that in one of the reviews it was written that near the bungalow with about this number is a bad place. Please change the number, easily change to number 203 with double bad, ie with one large bed. Let's go watch. Inside the room poyuzan, we go to the beach - also not very, the view is clear to the airport and near the pipe from the diesel. I approach the water and for the first time I see a small shark swimming under the shore. Left and right - on the beach no tourists.
We decide to go to the reception to change the number.
None of the staff speaks Russian at the hotel.
At the reception I show in the diagram, in broken English and sign language I explain that I want a room in the north-western part (and which is closer to Sun Island) and ready to pay extra for it. They explain that they can accommodate us in the room we want only tomorrow. For $ 20 we settle in room 129. If you go from the pier to the island, our bungalow is located on the left side. Renovation in the room is preserved, the beach is gorgeous, but the bungalow is double and the room has cardboard doors (though double, each room has its own lock). We unpack the suitcase and decide to change the room if there are very few neighbors.
The room is large. Air conditioning, fan, safe worked. The bed is large and comfortable. There are several channels on TV, one Russian. The bathroom is large, there is a bidet. From the bathroom - glass doors that open into a small yard, fenced off by a high concrete fence, where grass grows, there are laces for drying and showers!
We mostly took a shower only outside!
The room has two umbrellas, refrigerator. Two bottles of water are brought free of charge every day, you need to sign for it. At the time of departure, we left about 8 bottles in the room, we did not drink.

From the room you go to the terrace, there is a table, two chairs. Near the room are two sunbeds and two mattresses for them (numbered). You can swim on the mattresses.
In the first days after arrival, people were seen only in the restaurant. The beach was empty. It seemed that we were on the island.
But the neighbors through the wall could be heard. Not just noise, but listen to everything. Well, let's have a common wall, but why make a door, from under which the light from the next room shines through and penetrates the tobacco smoke.
At first there lived two, probably Czechs, but in two days they went home. And for another hour we lived alone. Then the Russian couple settled, but they turned out to be very quiet and trouble-free people and we did not hear them.
There were few people with yellow belts, and they usually met at bars.
In the restaurant we were assigned a separate table and a waiter. The waiter brings drinks. For breakfast coffee, tea, juices for free. Not yuppie, as in Egypt, but real fresh fruit, but you type from the machine yourself.
The choice is not very large, but everything is edible. Fruit - great. It was ice cream. If in Egypt on the third day only the smell of the restaurant makes you sick, the food seems plastic, then there is no such thing. The restaurant is open and actually on the beach, the ocean is visible. Surprisingly, the restaurant smoked. For those who do not smoke, it is very inconvenient.
The bubble when the sprite in the restaurant cost about $ 3. We usually had Perrier or San Pellegrino sparkling water for dinner for $ 6. Wine tubers cost from $ 20.
Rumors of high prices in the Maldives are greatly exaggerated. So $ 10 for a bottle of water and $ 200 for a bottle of wine is not true at this hotel.
The restaurant on the island is one, there is also a cafe, bar, beach bar, diving center, spa and water sports center. It is already dark at 7 p. m. Partygoers have nothing to go here.

You can go snorkelling right on the island. But departures are also offered. In order to sign up for the tour, there are special stands at the reception, where you choose the tour, write the name and number. If the minimum number of people has gathered - the tour will take place.
When we went snorkeling, there were only 9 tourists. The cost is $ 50. for two. It was very interesting, we saw an octopus, a turtle, a mantle, and when the instructor pointed to a 3-meter shark that swam under us - the feeling is hard to convey. And on the way back they saw dolphins.
The jet ski costs $ 75. in 30 minutes
You can also play table tennis, billiards and go to the gym for free. Tennis court is paid, about 7 dollars. per hour.
The neighboring Sun Island Hotel is owned by the same owner.
There is a free boat ride between the islands and the Holiday Island can use the Sun Island infrastructure. There is a swimming pool, Wi-Fi. Here is a guide TezTour. Bicycles were rented to explore the island. You could go straight to Sun Island, it cost $ 500. more expensive and it is positioned as 5 *. But there are some bungalows do not have their own beach, but located inside the island and there are mostly bungalows for two rooms and there are even four.
You do not need to carry cash with you. You sign bills everywhere, and in the end you pay.
For the entire hour of our stay, our bill was only $ 345. This includes jet skiing, snorkeling, water, fresh fruit, alcohol, ice cream, lunches and souvenirs.
Regarding Herathera Island Resort, I found out from the guide TezTour, she said that the hotel is normal, they invest a lot of money and you can go there safely.
At the meeting with the guide, she explained to us that on the way back we can change the transfer from the boat to the plane for 130 dollars. per person.
My wife asked me to change, but I decided not to hurry and did the right thing. The day before departure, the weather worsened, it started to rain, in addition, the vast majority of people who went home had a paid plane, and the boat - we and our Muscovite friends. Whether the weather, or did not want to drive a boat for 4 people, as a result, from the hotel to Male without surcharges, we flew by seaplane.

The total budget of the trip was 5 thousand dollars. But still in Domodedovo in dutiki it went a little, we do not pass DutyFree, we buy perfumes and cosmetics.
Very happy with the trip. Impressions are unforgettable. Of course, these funds could be used to travel to Egypt or Turkey two or three times. You can relax and sunbathe there. But the Maldives should be seen at least once.
Air and water temperature is about the same +30. The sand is white, the water is clear green and blue. The service is unobtrusive but high quality, the locals are very friendly.