My Maldivian Adventure Continues in Kurumba
Monday, May 13, 2013My Maldivian dream hasn’t quite ended yet! From Male, I was picked up by a speedboat from Jetty No. 6 around noon. I was so kilig that I was the only passenger in such a luxurious yacht! I was welcomed with a refreshing drink and cold towel by one of the boat men.
Kurumba, the very first island resort in the Maldives is just 10 minutes away from Male. It was established in the 70’s, back when the country had no telephones, no airports and no banks. Old black and white photos of the once-rustic resort are showcased at the lobby. After a few decades, Kurumba has now magically evolved into one of the most luxurious resorts in the Maldives. As an owner of a humble surf resort, I found this story very inspiring.
Leah, a Filipina and Sales & Marketing Manager welcomed me as I stepped out of my boat. Viktoria of the Guest Relations team toured me around the resort and its facilities while I had yummy coconut ice cream!
Guests can borrow tennis rackets and snorkeling gear from the Recreation office with compliments of the resort. I borrowed a mask and fins so I could join my beach buddies the next day. The island’s shallow circumference is protected by walls made of rocks. In between them are small openings into the deeper ocean that allow for snorkeling and diving. We stayed in the 15-20 feet deep reef encircling the island and saw amazing marine life such as baby black tip sharks, manta rays, parrot fish, clown fish, and some specie of fish that looked like it had electric blue eyeshadow on its eyelids!
Veli Spa
From our happy hour, I barely made it on time for my 6 pm spa appointment! Veli Spa was beautiful and the ambience was lovely. The Thai therapist gave me a Balinese massage. The all natural oil felt so luxurious on my skin. It was so relaxing that I fell asleep just after a few minutes. After my slumber, I was escorted to another room for my post spa treats of tea and fresh fruits.
I must admit I was first hesitant to take this cruise because I hate it when people chase after endangered or protected species. But Mady from the recreation team, who also was part of a recent National Geographic documentary about marine life assured me that the dolphins are not harmed in any way. His in-depth knowledge and genuine concern about the various marine species amazed me.
How to make this trip happen:
-Manila to Kuala Lumpur via Cebu Pacific roundtrip ticket costs about $200 USD
-Kuala Lumpur to Male 2 hours via Malaysian Airlines, roundtrip ticket costs about $500 USD
-Male to Kurumba Island is 10 minutes by speedboat, complimentary of Kurumba
-Allow a minimum of 3 hours between landing and check-in time of connecting flights to avoid being left behind.
-Whether your layover is in KL or Singapore, keep in mind that you might have to travel to a different airport for your flight to Male and allow at least 30 minutes for the transfer.
-Most flights out of Male are late at night so request for a late check-out in advance.
-A free 30-day tourist visa is granted upon arrival for Filipino citizens
-Prepare your hotel confirmation vouchers and departure ticket out of Male in case immigration wants to see it.
1 US Dollar = 15 Maldive Rufiyaa
*This information is updated at of May 2013
In search of more beautiful beaches,
Sole Sister Adi
Adi escaped from the corporate life years ago and her life now happily revolves around surfing, yoga and traveling. Her goal is to live a totally eco-friendly lifestyle and inspire those around her to do the same. She dreams of sharing her AntiGravity Yoga and Vinyasa practice in beautiful tropical destinations around the world and also to speak Spanish fluently! Her family is building Secret Spot Baler one hut at a time. Follow Adi's adventures on Wahine Yogini Travels.
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3 sole trails
i've only seen beautiful pictures of Maldives... and what a perfect getaway Kurumba is. What I know about the peple of Maldives is that they are very environmentally friendly people... they will go the extra mile to make sure that what they do is safe for their environment. I'd really love to visit this place one day.
ReplyDeleteWe hope you get your travel wish to see Maldives! Such a special kind of place to be one with nature.
ReplyDeleteThese locations are really beautiful, especially the beach. It attracts me a lot.
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