Staff Educational: Dubai & The Maldives
Date Posted: 29/06/2023
Dara, from our Social Media Team was one of the lucky few selected to join the trip last month, along with ten other agents from different areas of the business. Dara couldn't wait to get back and share everything she got up to on her trip!
The journey began from Newcastle airport flying direct to Dubai with Emirates. The journey is just under 7 hours, with plenty of space in economy class, you are provided with a pillow and blanket for extra comfort. The service onboard is nothing short of perfection. Serving a three-course meal along with complimentary drinks, the cabin crew were on hand for anything we needed. There is a huge selection of things to watch throughout the journey on ICE - the multi award-winning inflight entertainment system with over 6,500 channels on demand, including 2,000 movies, live TV and sports and child friendly content with over 150 kids channels and up to 100 video games, so you are never short of entertainment. As Emirates Skyward members, we also had access to chat apps like WhatsApp and Messenger for free with the onboard Wi-Fi. Before we knew it, we had landed in Dubai ready to begin our trip.
Day 1.
We had a short stay in Dubai, with so much to explore. We began our day with breakfast in our hotel, Centara Mirage Beach Resort followed by a site inspection. Located right on the beach along with multiple pools and an onsite waterpark, this hotel is perfect for any families visiting Dubai. Accommodating families of up to six and offering three age-specific kids clubs this is the perfect resort for bigger families along with a relaxing spa for some well-deserved me time for adults. In the afternoon we met with our wonderful tour guide, Angelina who showed us around three different hotels, Hyatt Place Dubai, Aloft Al Mina Dubai and RIU Dubai. All three are great hotels with RIU being a firm favourite among the group. Another fantastic option for families. It offers 24-hour all-inclusive stays with 3 swimming pools and a children's pool plus an amazing on-site water park.
In the evening we headed out on a Sand Dunes Jeep Safari. This isn’t one for the faint hearted but is a must do for any thrill seekers. Making sure we got the perfect desert photo our drivers stopped twice for us to take some pictures in the desert. Following the safari, we arrived at a camp in the middle of the desert for a traditional barbecue with entertainment included. Away from the hustle and bustle of the city we really got a taste for traditional Dubai. We sampled traditional delicacies and enjoyed entertainment including henna art, traditional dancing, and sand boarding.
It was a short but fantastic stay in Dubai. We headed back to our hotel ready for our journey to the Maldives in the morning.
Day 2.
It was time to begin the journey to the Maldives. Everyone was beyond excited as we headed to the airport for our flight to Male. Flying with Emirates again we had a seamless check in and headed for departures. We boarded our flight and after such a fantastic experience on our first flight we couldn't wait to settle in ready for our journey. A shorter flight this time of 3 hours 50 minutes but still receiving a 3-course meal and complimentary drinks throughout. Just a short few hours later we had arrived in Male.
After a lovely relaxing flight, we had landed in Male where the views coming into land were like something out of a dream. We met with our host, Danish who escorted us to our speedboat transfer to head to the first resort of our trip, Meeru Island Resort & Spa for a two-night stay. Our transfer took around 35 minutes but can change depending on sea conditions. It was beautifully calm and the views out at sea were second to none it felt like no time had passed.
We arrived to the warmest welcome from staff playing the drums and singing as we made our way from the speedboat to reception. We were met with a homemade iced tea that you can only get on arrival and isn’t available anywhere else.
We stayed in Jacuzzi Beach Villas which gave us the best of both worlds, having a private jacuzzi and the beach right on our doorstep. We met for dinner in the evening with the resort mangers and talked about all the things the island can offer. After a busy day we were off to bed ready for another exciting day the next morning.
Day 3.
We began our day with breakfast in one of the two all you can eat style buffets with so much choice, from full fry ups to pancakes to the most amazing fresh fruit. With our belly’s full we began our site inspection of Meeru. With six different room categories there is an option for every preference. If you have a passion for diving and prefer a less fuss option. The Garden Rooms are perfect for this, but you will need to book well in advance as this is hugely popular among other explorers. This resort is also perfect for families as they offer Two-Bedroom Villas which accommodate up to 3 adults and 2 children.
Following on from our site inspection we had some free time to explore the island ourselves. We used this opportunity to test out the pools and sample some of the island’s drinks. We opted to relax by the pool and try the island’s famous frappe which is an absolute must try for anyone visiting the island.
After a relaxing couple of hours by the pool it was time for us to board our sunset punch cruise. This was possibly the highlight of the whole trip. We set sail just before sunset in search of some dolphins out at sea. We were beyond lucky to see so many dolphins during the excursion, it was truly a once in a lifetime experience. To make it even better this excursion is included in the all-inclusive package!
Day 4.
It was time to check out after a superb stay at Meeru Island. Our next stop was Kagi Maldives Spa Island. This resort is one of the smaller resorts and is perfect for anyone who has a love for wellness and complete relaxation. With sustainability at the heart of the resort, Kagi is continuously expanding their efforts for reduce their environmental impact. Experience a la carta menu options included in your all-inclusive package along with unlimited drinks and snacks all day and night.
During our day visit to Kagi, we enjoyed a cocktail making experience and we were given access to their Lagoon Pool Villas for day use. These villas were simply breathtaking. With the option of the private pool or ocean straight from the terrace we didn’t know which one to dive into first!
In the early afternoon we joined the resort managers for an a la carte lunch. Advertised as “A mixture of nutritional and tantalizing international cuisine” we began with a selection of sushi, followed by the most perfectly prepared grilled fish of the day, and finished the meal with a medley of fresh fruits.
After a short but sweet visit to Kagi Island, we were refreshed and ready to head to Kuredu Island Resort & Spa for a two-night stay. To get to Kuredu we took a seaplane transfer arriving onto the island in the early evening. We were welcomed with a refreshing drink before we began our site inspection. Kuredu is one of the larger islands we visited and has twelve different room categories meaning there is something for every preference. With it being a larger island, we took advantage of the buggies to get around, with ‘Buggy Stations’ dotted all over the island we were never waiting more than a few minutes for a buggy.
Day 5.
Today was our busiest day yet! We visited FIVE different islands and had site inspections at each one. We began with Innahura which has three room types, sunset beach bungalow, sunrise beach bungalow and a family bungalow. This island is just so peaceful and a complete all-rounder and one of the groups favourites.
Jawakara was next. This island is still under construction and is due to open in August. It was amazing to be able to see it in progress and it's one to keep in mind for anyone planning on visiting Dubai in the next couple of years.
Then we were onto Komandoo, a smaller resort that has a peaceful feel to it. We were welcomed with fresh coconut water served straight out of the coconut. The island encourages you to go barefoot so many of us did for our tour. Once you have visited the island 4 times you get a personalised sign outside your room with your name on it which we all thought was a lovely touch.
Kudadoo is a private island resort with only 15 water bungalows and WOW it's like nothing we have ever seen before. They say they live by the 3 A’s: “anything, anywhere, anytime.” This resort is serious luxury and had everything included. Including all diving, snorkelling and even wine and cheese tasting.
Hurawahli was our final stop of the day. We were all in agreement that this was our favourite resort of all. It does have a higher price tag as it is 5 star but it is definitely worth it. We were invited to stay for sunset cocktails followed by seafood night at the buffet. We then got to see their ultra luxurious underwater restaurant named 5.8, where guests can enjoy a 7-course meal, it will set you back almost $400pp. This restaurant is hugely popular with guests so for anyone planning to visit Hurawahli make sure to book well in advance.
Day 6.
We were onto our third and final resort for our last night before our journey home. Our final night was at Vilamendhoo Island Resort. We took a seaplane transfer from Male airport which takes approximately 40 minutes. We were welcomed onto the island with fresh coconut water and met with the resort managers who gave us a rundown of the resort, this was followed by a quick refresh and onto dinner.
On our final morning before our journey home, we had a site inspection followed by some free time. We had been advised by staff in other resorts that Vilamendhoo has the best house reef in the Maldives for snorkelling and scuba diving. This could not have been truer with the chance to see turtles, schools of jacks, napoleons, black tip reef sharks, eagle rays in the blue and many more it truly is a bucket list destination.
And just like that it was all over. It was time to pack up and begin the journey back to Newcastle after an unforgettable trip with memories to last a lifetime.
