[Amyth Prabhakar]

Originally Posted by SnS_12

True. That is why I either take a costing from them on my travel preferences or do my research first and then ask them if they can better it. At the end of the day they want to do business too so they offer competitive pricing. Plus my father-in-law has been booking through them for over two decades and being a smaller firm our requests are attended timely and in a professional manner.

One can personally handle uncertainties and difficult situations up to a certain extent but in the situation I was in it would have just added to my stress more if I had to deal with these guys directly.

We had planned our Singapore trip months in advance and with my dad’s health condition were busy running between doctors to see if we could avoid a bypass surgery. I just cannot imagine myself in such a situation speaking with Airlines, hotels and the Cruise company explaining them my predicament over emails or worst expensive international phone calls and that too two times in a row.

Also, the Air France fiasco happened just a few days prior to our travel date and I am sure if i had to deal with them directly over emails or phone calls in such a short span of time it would have costed me my two weeks trip to Europe and I would have had no choice but to book an expensive last minute flight with another airline if available for the dates I wanted.


That is why in some unavoidable situations which life throws at you a good travel agent could be your saviour both mentally and financially.

Absolutely agree with your views as the situations that each one of us will have to deal with, will be totally different and in such scenarios, it's best to delegate it to someone who is proficient at handling such things

[sidparekh]

FULL DISCLOSURE: I sell travel for a living.

This is a very great, accurate and to-the point explanation for the current procedure for visiting the Maldives, apart from the last part where it may differ slightly depending on your arrival (air)port in India.

Kandima is a great value for money resort, providing top-class experiences at a reasonable price.

Couple of points from my side for those planning to visit in the near future:
1. In this Pandemic situation, try working with reputed offline travel agents, most of them will definitely provide you a better deal than booking.com/direct resort bookings etc. as they have access to special contracts/rates for the Indian market which the resorts have provided to boost Indian tourism in 2020-21.

2. Everything in the Maldives is eye-wateringly expensive. If you’re someone who enjoys a few cocktails at sundown or a couple beers at lunch, opt for an All-Inclusive Resort/Plan. Even if you’re a foodie who enjoys world cuisine, premium All-Inclusive Resorts often provide great dine-around offers in their specialty restaurants.

The Maldives has become one of the favourite getaways recently for celebs and commoners alike, and frankly, helping keep a lot of people in business. Cheers!

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by sidparekh

FULL DISCLOSURE: I sell travel for a living.

Couple of points from my side for those planning to visit in the near future:
1. In this Pandemic situation, try working with reputed offline travel agents, most of them will definitely provide you a better deal than booking.com/direct resort bookings etc. as they have access to special contracts/rates for the Indian market which the resorts have provided to boost Indian tourism in 2020-21.

2. Everything in the Maldives is eye-wateringly expensive.

Thanks for the helpful tips.

1. I am finding Holiday packages on MakeMyTrip, TravelTriangle much cheaper than if I book the hotels and flights separately on Expedia, Agoda etc. Is this because they are Indian agents and have access to special rates for the Indian market? It seems prices for Maldives have skyrocketed in a month, the same package for December 15 is now 50% more for January 15.


2. I found Seychelles eye-wateringly expensive exactly one year ago, I was told Maldives was a cheaper alternative

[sidparekh]

Originally Posted by Foxbat

Thanks for the helpful tips.

1. I am finding Holiday packages on MakeMyTrip, TravelTriangle much cheaper than if I book the hotels and flights separately on Expedia, Agoda etc. Is this because they are Indian agents and have access to special rates for the Indian market? It seems prices for Maldives have skyrocketed in a month, the same package for December 15 is now 50% more for January 15.


2. I found Seychelles eye-wateringly expensive exactly one year ago, I was told Maldives was a cheaper alternative

1. Indian online-only agencies do get good rates from time-to-time but it may be very resort-specific at times. Please do read the inclusions/t&cs very closely before you pay TravelTriangle is only a consolidator, it’s more like a Russian roulette when it comes to which actual travel agent you end up dealing with.
Yes, most properties had special rates only upto December 2020, and slowly rates and occupancies are both returning to normal levels.

2. Both Maldives and the Seychelles being island countries with little or no local production, import most consumables and hence the high markups. But the Maldives scores higher as it has resorts for every size of wallet, while still allowing you to experience its natural beauty.

P.S. Prices for all services you read at resorts in the Maldives are subject to 23.2% (10% service charge+12% GST), so bear that in mind as well.

[DreamcarFerrari]

We were subjected to thermal screening and pulse oximeter tests and were set free to go on a home quarantine for 14 days.

Thanks for the great travelogue. I have a small query, I’m returning from Maldives on 15th via Bangalore. I have a connecting domestic flight with a layover of 2 hrs 50 minutes. How much time did it take for all the COVID-19 checks and immigration?. Is this layover time sufficient during this new normal.

[Amyth Prabhakar]

Originally Posted by DreamcarFerrari

Thanks for the great travelogue. I have a small query, I’m returning from Maldives on 15th via Bangalore. I have a connecting domestic flight with a layover of 2 hrs 50 minutes. How much time did it take for all the COVID-19 checks and immigration?. Is this layover time sufficient during this new normal.

I guess it is more than enough. It depends on the number of flights that land on that particular day. When we landed in Bangalore, we had to wait at least 15-20 minutes in the aircraft itself before disembarking as the ground staff support wasn't immediately available and the authorities had to clear off the passengers from the flight that had landed earlier than ours. The tests don't take much time. The screening takes about a minute or two per person if everything is alright. And for domestic transits, 3 hrs is a lot of time, even if there are some uncertain delays.

[bsdbsd]

What a lucid, detailed and fantastic travelogue. Hats off to both of you for undertaking this much of planning and preparation to make it happen. As a family man with two kids, Maldives seems out of my budget as they insist on taking two rooms since they are now both 14+. Your article cemented my assumptions and gave me a great idea of expenses involved. I feel I can pull off a 25 day USA trip in 5-6 lakhs rather than making it to Maldives, which is 1.5 hours from my house (Bangalore). :-).

[srikrishna717]

This is a spectacular place ! Wow, you have clicked some amazing photographs. This sure looks like a great experience end to end. I was wondering about food, and since you mentioned there is a guy from Udupi who took care of vegetarian food, was greatly relived.
Thanks for sharing

[Amyth Prabhakar]

Originally Posted by bsdbsd

What a lucid, detailed and fantastic travelogue. Hats off to both of you for undertaking this much of planning and preparation to make it happen. As a family man with two kids, Maldives seems out of my budget as they insist on taking two rooms since they are now both 14+. Your article cemented my assumptions and gave me a great idea of expenses involved. I feel I can pull off a 25 day USA trip in 5-6 lakhs rather than making it to Maldives, which is 1.5 hours from my house (Bangalore). :-).

There are thousands of resorts in Maldives to choose from and there is one for every budget. You can probably take a look at Bandos, Aadaran Fushi and Sun Island resort. Bandos is closer to airport but not the other one. However the Sun Island is also a budget friendly destination despite being about 80 km from airport. Also choose the ones that are accessible by speed boats as they will budget friendly.

Water villas are expensive wherever you go. So you can also choose other accommodation types which drastically brings the cost down.

Take a look at these budget friendly resorts:

1. Paradise Island Resort and Spa
2. Bandos Island Resort
3. Sun Island Resort and Spa
4. Thulhagiri Island Resort
5. Reethi Beach Resort
6. Olhuveli Beach and Spa Resort

[Thunder70]

A superb write-up for your wonderful vacation. Actually, I felt like I also came with your vacation that much detailing you provided.
As someone said in the trailing post many Bhpians had already checked the rate of tickets and resorts as i did

[bsdbsd]

Originally Posted by Amyth Prabhakar

There are thousands of resorts in Maldives to choose from and there is one for every budget. You can probably take a look at Bandos, Aadaran Fushi ....

This is extremely helpful. Thanks for taking time to understand the issue and suggesting options. If I ever finalize on a trip to Maldives, surely I would let you know as it would be due to your inputs and an incredibly detailed travelogue.

[DreamcarFerrari]

Originally Posted by Amyth Prabhakar

[*]Have the Arogya Setu App installed on our phones with status showing up as GREEN

Sorry for the second post, for most of the things you mentioned mandatory except this Arogya Setu app. There is no clear guideline regarding this app.

Is it mandatory for air travel. Did anybody check your green status. My 3 year old daughter doesn’t have a phone, should I carry an extra phone for her?

[Amyth Prabhakar]

Originally Posted by DreamcarFerrari

Sorry for the second post, for most of the things you mentioned mandatory except this Arogya Setu app. There is no clear guideline regarding this app.

Is it mandatory for air travel. Did anybody check your green status. My 3 year old daughter doesn’t have a phone, should I carry an extra phone for her?

Yes, it's mandatory for all International passengers returning to Karnataka. They did ask but did not check. They might do a random check and ask you to show. Who knows ? So better be safe than sorry and avoid getting into trouble at airports. They might ask if one is from other state and don't have a residing address at Bangalore.
Kids are exempted from this I guess but I suggest you call the airlines and check with them.

Check the guidelines: I have highlighted them in yellow.

The below rules are applicable only for Karnataka. If you are travelling to other states, pls check the respective state guidelines.

[Foxbat]

Originally Posted by Amyth Prabhakar

Yes, it's mandatory for all International passengers returning to Karnataka. They did ask but did not check. They might do a random check and ask you to show. Who knows ? So better be safe than sorry and avoid getting into trouble at airports. They might ask if one is from other state and don't have a residing address at Bangalore.
Kids are exempted from this I guess but I suggest you call the airlines and check with them.

Check the guidelines: I have highlighted them in yellow.

The below rules are applicable only for Karnataka. If you are travelling to other states, pls check the respective state guidelines.

Attachment 2101948

Attachment 2101946

I read these regulations online also and got even more confused regarding the need of a RT-PCR test on the way back from Maldives via Bangalore to Hyderabad.

Point 7 says if you have no symptoms and want to take a connecting flight to another state you will be allowed if you agree to quarantine yourself for 14 days. That means no Covid Test needed from the resort? My MMT agent is saying its $175 at the resort which will be a substantial cost for 2 people.

[Amyth Prabhakar]

Originally Posted by Foxbat

I read these regulations online also and got even more confused regarding the need of a RT-PCR test on the way back from Maldives via Bangalore to Hyderabad.

Point 7 says if you have no symptoms and want to take a connecting flight to another state you will be allowed if you agree to quarantine yourself for 14 days. That means no Covid Test needed from the resort? My MMT agent is saying its $175 at the resort which will be a substantial cost for 2 people.

Yes, what your MMT agent said is true. It is very expensive in Maldives. If it is a 5 star resort, expect the costs to be even higher. It was around USD 200$ that was quoted to us.

It depends on the state guidelines to which you are travelling to.
If your state demands it, then they will ask. If not, then it is not required.
People having connecting flights, will have a separate queue.

There is no need to get it done at Maldives as it is very expensive.

If at all it is required at Hyderabad, then you can get the test done at Bangalore airport for a nominal cost or at Hyderabad airport. I am sure there will be test centers setup at airports.

However this might impact your connecting flight schedules if you are getting it done in Bangalore and have a connecting flight as you will have to wait till the results come.

So,Check with Rajiv Ghandi International airport and your airlines. Ask them if they have the test center there. They should be able to give you more clarity on this. I am not the right person.

Telangana Rules:

It looks different than Bangalore's rules.

Looks like your state needs a negative RT-PCR Test report. You will be exempted, only if you carry it from Maldives.

So double check with airport and airlines. Ask them and check if you can get the test done at Hyderabad airport. If they say yes, you can avoid doing it at Maldives and undergo the tests at airport. However you will need to wait till the results come out.