Local transfers – As part of your package, shared speedboat transfers from Male Velana Airport to Dhigurah and back are included. The transfers from airport to island leave at 11am and 4:30pm daily. Upon departure, transfers from the island leave at 6:30am and 1:30pm. Speedboat transfers are very efficient and take about 1,5 hours. For an additional fee, you can upgrade to either seaplane or domestic flights (£180-£230/person/way). This additional fee is payable upon booking your attendance at the retreat. Both domestic flight terminal and speedboat terminal are right outside Velana airport. The seaplane terminal is a short shuttle bus ride away.
International flights – I have looked into various flight times for those of you who would like to book their flights early on. As a confident frequent traveller to the Maldives, I would like to assure you that the prices don’t change astronomically when flying during term times. Expected price: £800-£1000. For my recent trip I booked on a Wednesday to fly on Saturday and only paid a total £890 complete with pre-booked seats and private lounge use in Doha.
I highly recommend flying with airlines that regularly service this part of the world. I believe this is your best chance at experiencing local hospitality and making your trip extra memorable. Personally, out of all the different flights I have taken, Qatar airlines came up on top for their customer service, food quality, comfort on plane and also flight length and layover times. British Airways partners with Qatar (and Avios accounts can be linked), so should you make a booking via BA, you will be sure to end up flying Qatar.
Other partnering airlines are Virgin Atlantic with Emirates, however, from late October 2024, VA will start flying direct from London to Maldives and the flights are set to take no longer than 10,5-11,5 hours. While I cannot comment on the VA customer experience, saving hours on travel could be a great solution for you as long as you don’t mind a singular long flight.
Combining flights – Typical flight combinations to Male are 10,5 hours long leg + 1,5 hours short leg and vice versa (I have flown via Zurich, Frankfurt and Sri Lanka) but for me personally, 10,5 hours is too long for one flight. Flights via Doha were the perfect length with the long leg being only 6,5 hours long followed by an hour’s layover (just enough time to stretch and wander through the airport to your next gate and onto your next flight), then followed by the short leg of 4-4,5 hours. On the way back to London, I had a 3-hour layover at Doha, during which I enjoyed lounge access for a mere £50, where I had a delicious meal, caught up with my emails and had a delightfully refreshing shower right before getting on my second flight.
The following flight combinations (31/01-7/02) minimise waiting around at airports for overly long hours.
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31st Jan – Qatar Airways/BA – LHR to MLE – 2:55pm – 8:25am(+1) Total journey time: 12hr 30min. This flight will get you on the 11am shared speedboat transfer to the island (+1,5hrs).
31st Jan – Qatar Airways – LHR to MLE – 9:30pm – 2:55pm(+1) Total journey time: 12hr 25min. This night flight will get you on the 4:30pm shared speedboat transfer to the island. (+1,5hrs)
7th Feb – Qatar Airways/BA – MLE to LHR – 9:45am – 7:50pm Total journey time: 15hr 10min with a 2hr 40min layover at Doha Airport. For this flight, you have to take the 6:30am shared speedboat transfer from the island. (+1,5hrs)
7th Feb – Qatar Airways/BA – MLE to LHR – 7:10pm – 6:25am(+1) Total journey time: 16hr 15min with a 3hr 45min layover at Doha Airport. This flight will be perfect if you wish to take the 1:30pm shared speedboat transfer from the island. (+1,5hrs)
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31st Jan – Emirates – LGW to MLE – 1:40pm – 7:40am(+1) Total journey time: 13hr. This flight will get you on the 11am shared speedboat transfer to the island (+1,5hrs)
31st Jan – Emirates – LGW to MLE – 8:15pm – 2:55pm(+1) Total journey time: 13hr 40min. This flight will get you on the 4:30pm shared speedboat transfer to the island (+1,5hrs)
7th Feb – Emirates – MLE to LGW – 9:05am – 6:25pm Total journey time: 14hr 20min. For this flight, you have to take the 6:30am shared speedboat transfer from the island. (+1,5hrs)
7th Feb – Emirates – MLE to LGW – 6:20pm – 6:40am(+1) Total journey time: 17hr 20min with an overnight layover at Dubai Airport. For this flight you can take the 1:30pm shared speedboat transfer from the island. (+1,5hrs)
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31st Jan – Virgin Atlantic – LHR to MLE – 6:25pm – 9:45am(+1) Total journey time: 10hr 20min. This flight will get you on the 11am shared speedboat transfer to the island. (+1,5hrs)
7th Feb – Virgin Atlantic – MLE to LHR – 12pm – 6:20pm Total journey time: 11hr 20min. For this flight, you have to take the 6:30am shared speedboat transfer from the island. (+1,5hrs)
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There are also Emirates flights from Stansted; ITA Airways from City via Rome and many other flight combinations (Lufthansa, SwissAir, Turkish Airlines etc). If you are a seasoned traveller, I am certain that you can confidently put together flights that suit your needs and preferences. However, I remain fully available to assist anybody who has not perhaps flown such long haul flights and wants to get their trip just right.
RAHEL THE AMAZON 