Maldives (Hulhumale) Aug 2017 D-6

Day 6 (Final Day) 11th August 2017 - A long day for us in Hulhumale as our flight departure time is at 20.55 from Male Airport to Kuala Lumpur. UI Inn extended our check out time from 12.00 to 13.00pm. As all eatery outlets are closed on Friday for prayers from 12.00 to 13.30 so we had a belated lunch at UI Inn's café. After the lunch, we took an airport bus from Hulhumale and arrived at the airport around 15.00. Our flight was delayed by 1.5 hr and by the time we boarded the plane, it was around 22.30 ! 

At the Male airport, I picked up quite a fair bit of tourism information about Maldives from the various information booths / counters. This could help me in planning a better travel itinerary should I make another visit to Maldives in the near future ! 

1) Early morning swim at the Eastern Beach, Hulhumale, showing off my 67 years old (belonging to a new "young old" generation) half bare body in Maldives ! Good on you, KM !

Lost & Found. Two aliens from outer space landed on the Eastern Beach of  Hulhumale. One male one female ?

Super fine sands 

Crystal clear water, a leaf submerged under water 

2) Free breakfast & coffee at UI Inn's café & restaurant

3) Warning to tourists not to wear bikinis along the public beach area ! 

4) Early morning C.O.C.O.N.U.T sceneries at Eastern Beach, Hulhumale, you will go nuts admiring the sceneries here !

Fresh coconut water awaiting you to quench your thirst 

5) A late lunch (13.30) at UI Inn's café & restaurant due to Friday prayer as all eatery outlets are closed from 12.00 > 13.30. Each of us paid US$4-4.50 + service tax for this set lunch + coffee

6) Took an airport bus at around 15.00 from a bus stop near UI Inn and arrived at airport Bus Stand No 1 (in white canopy), located besides the front entrance of Velana International Airport, departing to Hulhumale town every 30 minutes & vice versa.

7) Public ferry ticket counter at Velana International Airport, located besides the front entrance of the airport, a short 10  minutes public speed boat ride to the opposite Male city. Public speed boat to Rasdhoo atoll costs US$40 per  pax one way (1hr 15 mins). 

8) Seaplane Information Booths at the Valena International Airport. Our hotels quoted a 15 mins Seaplane ride to Rasdhoo atoll costs approx. US$260 per person one way ! 

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9) Velana International Airport, Male

10) Maldives Resorts & Villas Promotional & Information Booths at Velana International Airport, manned by resorts representatives to provide ground support, booking for overnight stays, airport transfers etc.

11) Aggressive Advertising & Promotion of Maldives Resorts at Valena International Airport, just get ready to part away a fistful of your US dollars ...... and see the sunny side of Maldives...... and say hello to the sun, sand & sea and last but not the least, have a Maldivian delicious meal under the stars in a water bungalow or villa for an overnight stay ! A warm welcome and greeting to all international tourists as soon as you land in Maldives !!!

12) Luggage temporary storage in Airport - US$6 for a normal size bag for 24 hrs storage and a large luggage costs double the price

13) Airport check in for our returning flight departing Male at 20.55 arriving Kuala Lumpur at 06.00 (flight delay). Our Air Asia flight was delayed for 1.5hr so a long wait at the airport departure lounge, so the best thing to do is to watch international TV news in order to pass time .......

14) Arrived KLIA2 at 06.00 and we had our morning breakfast (Noodles -Rm9.50) at the airport before taking a Skybus (RM6 senior) to KL Sentral to board a LRT train to our Subang Jaya / USJ home. Welcome Home ! KM & KC & wife !!! Not sure we score some brownie points on this Maldives visit but I am happy, maybe one more visit to Maldives in the near future focusing on atoll visits or overnight stay. Rasdhoo ? Maafushi ? Adaran Select Hudhuranfushi ? Paradise Island Resort ? Let's keep our Maldives dream alive ..... it will nice if I could make one more trip to see the sunny side of Maldives again !