South Asia – Done and Done

Sunset over the Betwa River in Orchha, India

We've just wrapped-up the 86^th day of our honeymoon with flights out of South Asia to Europe. So far we’ve traveled about 34000 kilometers (21000 miles) on our honeymoon. Much of the distance has been covered in the air but quite a bit in busses, trains, cars and countless tuk-tuks and rickshaws. We’ve spent the last 41 days in South Asia and have made some awesome memories and friends along the way.  Nepal, Maldives and India were all really good to us but we’re excited to move on to our next adventures.  The below is a brief summary of our last 6 weeks and a quick update on budget and health.

Nepal
We spent the majority of our time in Nepal and are definitely thankful for it. While in Nepal we trekked, rafted, jungle walked and relaxed; all the while trying to immerse ourselves in the culture and customs of the local Nepali people. Our second day in Kathmandu brought us to a Hindu temple where we witnessed cremation ceremonies on a river that flows to the Ganges, this was a bit of a culture shock but definitely very interesting and something that shouldn’t be missed.

Trekking in the Annapurna range of the Himalayas was one of the highlights of the trip so far and possibly one of the highlights of my life, at least so far. Unsurpassed beauty, decades old trails, welcoming villagers and amazing company are just some of the memories we’ll take from our trekking. Seeing how the local villagers lived in the mountain villages was really a source of inspiration. We passed so many kids on the trails who had to walk a long while to school each day, most with smiles on their faces. Spending some time in the Himalayas caused me to appreciate my own life and all of things we’re blessed with on a daily basis. This was the case for all of Nepal though. We really enjoyed our stay there and would definitely go back.

Maldives
There’s not much more I can say about the Maldives that I didn’t say in our Paradise articles one and two. We had an awesome time and want to go back sooner than later, preferably today if possible. Next time we’re going to shoot for an island farther away from the main islands as we want to fly on the floatplane. This was the “official” portion of our honeymoon and it was well worth it.

Wishing I was back here

India
You don’t just visit India, you smell, taste, touch, hear and feel the subcontinent. It really is an assault on your senses (some not all good) but a place not to be missed. We spent 16 days in India, managed to see a wild tiger, saw quite a bit of temples, palaces, forts and ate some very good food.

Our overall time in India was great but we did have some rather unpleasant experiences. From the few unpleasant experiences we’ve learned quite a bit for next time. We’ve learned that India train travel is probably not for us. We’ve learned that tourist police are not to be trusted as one stole some money from us, the only theft we’ve had on our entire trip. We’ve learned to stay away from the corn flakes in small hotels. We’ve learned to try and be a little more patient and understanding of individuals despite leering, rude comments, hygiene and just overall nastyness of some people. Of course unpleasant experiences are to be expected with any long –term travel and we try to take them in stride.

Our Tiger Crew at the Jehangir Palace in Orchha, India
From left to right, Pamela, Dave, Carol, Linda, Steph, Liz, Yaddu

The food here was great in India and we had many-many good and big meals. Had you told me that I was going to gain weight here in India I probably wouldn’t have believed you. We didn’t eat much western style food while in India but we sure pigged out on the local cuisine. I’m going to miss the daily curries and naan. We also didn’t get any type of food borne illnesses, no case of the Delhi Belly or anything resembling…I know that’s a bit too much information but hey.

Pamela having a big jump in front of the Taj

What’s Next
Europe and the Middle East is next on our agenda. We’ll be making some short stops in Athens and Paris before heading to Turkey, Jordan, Egypt and the U.A.E.  In between all the sightseeing we’ve booked ourselves a week at a Dead Sea resort in Jordan for some rest and relaxation.  We have quite a bit on our agenda in the Middle East and will probably be exhausted by the time we board our plane for Los Angeles a few days before Christmas.

Budget and Health
We’re still pretty much on track with our budget. Booking the extra days at the Dead Sea resort put us a couple dollars above our daily average target but we think it will be worth it. Otherwise we did really well in the Maldives, considering it was the Maldives and didn’t spend too much on souvenirs in India.

As for health, we are both doing well considering we’ve been on the road for a while.  Unfortunately I (DW) have some small eye infection, supposedly caused by dust, which I have to use eye drops for the next two weeks and can’t wear my contact lenses. Nothing to be concerned about though.

Thanks for reading and we hope you enjoy! Stay tuned…

Cheers for Now -

Pamela and Dave

Paradise - Part Two

Having leaps of fun in the Maldives

It’s with a sense of sadness that we report our “official” seven night honeymoon in paradise is over! We’ve had a wonderful time here in the Maldives and feel it’s definitely been the best part of our trip. Time went by so-so-so-so fast as it always does when having such a good time. Sitting here in the Malé airport (eating chocolate candy bars for breakfast) we miss our island already. We smile though because the memories we’ve made will last forever in our hearts and minds.

Enjoying our private pool.

We spent our seven full days on the island very-very comfortably. Whether it was chilling in our plunge pool, lying on the day beds at the Anchorage Bar, snorkeling around the island, playing pool, or just watching the rolling waves of the ocean from our deck, we loved every minute of it.

Ready for a night out on the island.

We did have a few  special events worth writing about. I (DW) held the first annual Villa 407 hermit crab races from our backyard. The winner got itself a new shell if they wanted it, none of them took the prize.  Pamela participated in a two hour cocktail mixing course at the Anchorage Bar on Sunday. During the class she got to make a Passion Mojito, Apple Martini, Chocolate Martini and a fourth which eludes our memory. I had a good time taking pics of the course and smoking a nice Cuban cigar.

Dinner out on one of the daybeds at the Anchorage Bar.

On Wednesday night we were treated to a really nice dinner at Sea Salt restaurant with our new friend Ursula who also happens to be the resorts General Manager. We each had mouth-watering lamb cutlets accompanied with awesome potato puree, an astonishingly good fried beetroot and goats cheese starter and an apple crème brulee to top it all off. We were very impressed with Sea Salt’s atmosphere, the food and especially the company.

Beautiful sunsets

 Thursday night the Sheraton treated us to a romantic private honeymoon dinner on the beach. We sat by candlelight about 2 meters from the water’s edge while the staff at Sand Coast restaurant served us a nice piece of tuna, a Maldivian specialty, following by a wonderful chocolate cake for dessert. It was a really nice way to spend the evening.  Also of note is the awesome breakfast buffet at Feast restaurant. For just $24 USD  you get enough food, good food, to fill you up for the rest of the day!  At least we did…

Our candle-lit private dinner on the sand.

Pamela enjoying dessert during our honeymoon dinner.

The Friday morning departure came way too fast. We woke-up for the sunrise, had a last minute dip in our pool then caught the 7:15am speedboat to the airport. It’s so cool taking a boat right to your departure area. Although we were very sad to leave, we take solace in knowing that we’ll come back, hopefully many times. To sum our honeymoon up , we’ve felt incredibly lucky and spoilt each and every day on the island. It’s just a shame we had to leave so soon.

We had a lot of fun.

A lot of fun indeed.

Click this link for Paradise – Part One: http://pamelaanddavertw.blogspot.com/2011/10/paradise-part-one.html

All of our pics (there’s a lot) from the Maldives can be found here: https://picasaweb.google.com/117257906652666550268/Maldives?authuser=0&feat=directlink

What’s Next
We’re off to Delhi, India for a 15 day Tiger Safari. This adventure will take us to three different national parks so our chances of spotting wild tigers are high. While in India we’ll also stop at the Taj Mahal, the palaces complex of Orchha,  Kama Sutra temples, Jaipur and many other interesting spots along the way.

I’m sure we’ll have heaps to write about from our next adventures so please stay tuned.

Cheers for Now -

Pamela and Dave

Maldives, we did it and so can you.

We had always dreamed of going to the Maldives but were always afraid of the costs involved with such a trip. Growing-up in California my tropical vacation was Hawaii, Mexico or the occasional trip to the Caribbean. Since moving to Sydney we’ve gone to Fiji and Queensland for our tropical escapes. Don’t get me wrong, all these places are beautiful and amazing but they’re not the Maldives. From the moment we first caught sight of the atolls from the airplane window we’ve been hooked.

Our first sighting of the atolls from the air.

In retrospect we always presumed places like this were out of our price and vacation time range for most Americans. After spending a week here we can safely say that the costs weren’t as much as we thought they’d be and the time it takes to get here is not bad considering the reward at the end of the journey. This is especially true for something as important as your honeymoon. This article is just a little FYI on the logistics of our trip which will hopefully inspire you to start planning your own trip to the Maldives.

Twilight is a great time in the Maldives.

White sand beaches seamlessly merge with crystal blue water

Getting Here
Malé (MLE) is the capitol city and main entry point for the Republic of Maldives. Although the airport is technically on a neighboring island called Hulhulé which is about one kilometer away from Malé.  The airport here is supposedly unique as it’s home to the only runway in the world that both starts and ends in water. Getting here can be kind of rough depending on where you’re coming from in the world. There are many direct flights to Malé from Asia and the Middle East and some direct flights from Europe. Unfortunately for us coming from the US or Australia (where we're from) it means connecting at least once.

We were coming from Kathmandu, Nepal and thus had to fly to Delhi via Jet Airways then connect to Sri Lankan Airlines for a flight and overnight stay in Colombo, Sri Lanka. From Colombo we took the 60 minute Sri Lankan Airlines flight to Malé and were checked into our resort by 9am after an eye-wateringly fast speedboat ride from the airport. It was our first time flying Sri Lankan and we thought the service and quality were both very good.

It’s definitely possible to get one connection flights from the US and Australia but it’s best to book way ahead of time to cut down on long or multiple connections. We took a quick look at prices today (13-Oct) and the cheapest round-trip flights for dates of 11-Nov to 19-Nov, 2011 are coming in at $1450 USD from Los Angeles to Malé (2 Connections) and $1331 USD from Sydney, also with two connections. As you can see the prices aren’t too high, even searching less than a month out. Booking much farther in advance you should be able to book one-stop flights with Malaysian Airlines for a similar price.

Over Water Bungalows at the Sheraton Maldives

Staying Here

The Maldives are famous for the overwater bungalows and there are plenty here to choose from, even quite a few that won’t break the bank. If you’re planning to visit this place then our best advice would be to do plenty of shopping around well in advance.  Talk/chat/email to travel agents, especially agents here in the Maldives, and get several quotes before making a decision. When getting your quote also make sure you ask the agent to include the speedboat or seaplane transfer in the final price. If booking on your own you’ll need to make sure you confirm the transfer arrangements, and price, with the resort you’re staying with.  Resorts close to the airport will have a speedboat transfer, ours cost about $80USD pp/rtn, and resorts farther away will require a seaplane transfer which can cost up to $500USD pp depending on how far away the resort is from Male’

Our seven nights here were spent at the Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort and Spa which is located about 15 minutes by speedboat from Male’ airport. We were in our room within 40 minutes of landing at the airport, this was a big plus as we’d spent the previous night in the Colombo airport. Our particular room type was an Ocean Villa which sits right on the Indian Ocean and comes with a private plunge pool which was great because it's so hot here. The room was awesome and well worth the money, especially considering it’s our honeymoon. Of the 176 rooms here at the Sheraton there are 20 Ocean Villas which are more in the higher end of the price spectrum, but there are still 156 other rooms of different types and price ranges. Taking a quick glance at Kayak.com today we found rooms here at the Sheraton for about $220USD per night if you booked well in advance. Sometimes it can be hard to find a hotel room in Sydney for that price.

Eating Here
Once you get here you'll definitely need to eat and drink. We spent an average of two hundred dollars (US) a day on food but everyone is different and you may spend more or less depending on your taste. I (DW) personally don't drink alcohol so that saved us a ton of money right there. If budget is a big concern then look for places with breakfast included or consider a half-board plan that includes breakfast and dinner. We found we ate so much in the breakfast buffet that we weren't hungry for lunch and instead ate an early dinner. You can do some research ahead of time on the restaurants at the resort and factor that into your budget if the cost of food is a concern.

The Sheraton treated us to a romantic dinner on the beach. If coming for your honeymoon then check with your prospective resort to see if they offer a honeymoon bonus.

Playing Here
You're here and you've slept, ate and now you're ready to play. Many resorts will include complimentary water sports such as snorkelling, kayaking or sailing. Other resorts will charge for all of these activities and much more. If you're an avid snorkeller you'll want to find out if the resort has a house reef or if you need to book a snorkel tour to get out to a reef. We'd highly recommend booking a resort with snorkelling onsite, ours had free snorkelling but no reefs and a $50 USD pp charge for a two hour reef snorkel trip. If you're really into watersports and stay at a resort without a house reef then I'd plan on budgeting another $50 to $100 per day for activities. Of course your interests might be like ours and which include lounging around and doing a whole lot of nothing, in that case budget for a couple bottles of sunscreen and a hat. 

Wrapping this up, you've seen how you can you can get here, stay here, eat here and last play here. All for prices that aren't too incredibly high, at least they're lower than what we originally thought. I hope you can learn from our experiences when planning your Maldives vacation or honeymoon.

We loved it here so much that we’re already thinking about ending our year long honeymoon back here. Crazy, huh? Next time we might try someplace a little more isolated that requires a seaplane transfer, maybe the W Retreat and Spa as it looks amazing. In any case we’ll be sure to research and book well in advance to take advantage of cheaper hotel rates and flights.

Cheers for Now -

Pamela and Dave

Paradise - Part One

 

Endless ocean vistas with breathtaking sunrise and sunset opportunities . Private pool villas. White sand beaches  to yourself. The clearest water you’ve ever seen. Falling asleep to the sound of lapping waves. Bubble baths with plenty of room for two.  A hammock swaying in the wind. Candle-lit dinners in the sand.

Seriously, this place is that beautiful.

For Pamela and I any one of the above could mark a special occasion or unforgettable memory. Here in the Maldives we are lucky enough to get it all and more, a lot more. It has been a lifelong dream of both of ours to visit the Maldives. We both know our seven nights here will be the highlight of our 12 month honeymoon and we're enjoying every second of it.  Our stay is just half over but the reality of this place has surpassed even our best dreams.

Taking a twilight walk along the beach.

We're lucky enough to be staying at the Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort and Spa. The resort sits on a private island encircled by the beautiful Indian Ocean. Our room type is an Ocean Villa which comes complete with a very private plunge pool and deck backing right-up to the ocean. The deck faces East and the sunrise views are outstanding, definitely worth drawing the curtains to watch. Much more on the resort in part two of this article.

This is the view from our bed.

Our five days here have been filled with nothing but relaxing activities. Whether it’s lounging in or beside our pool, snorkeling around the island, eating excellent and sometimes exotic food, playing billiards in the bar or just strolling on the beach, we’ve done nothing but relax and take it easy. Although I think we have about another thousand pictures to go through before we leave on Friday.

Pamela in front of the over-water bungalows at our resort. Walking around the island can take a while as there are so many awesome picture opportunities.

The Shine Spa at our resort is on it's own island.  

Nuts and bolts about our experiences here (and getting here) will come in the next article. We just wanted to share some pics and a quick update from the Maldives. We feel so blessed and fortunate to be here and hope all our friends and family can one day experience this place. It’s been an amazing honeymoon with hopefully many more amazing things to follow.

Pamela decked out the very large free standing tub for a relaxing bath. She was in heaven!

Cheers for Now –

Pamela and Dave
Special Thanks - 
Thanks so much to our friend Justin Malcolm and the great crew here at Sheraton Maldives for helping us organize this amazing villa and making our stay so memorable. Also a special thank you to our parents for helping make this dream a reality.