This post is not sponsored however I was hosted by FlyScoot (flights) and Club Med Kani (Maldives Accomodation) and Ibis Bencoolen (Singapore Accomodation).
Some of you are aware that I had a chance recently to head to the Maldives to experience all it has to offer for families and let you know about it. I am fortunate that I get to experience these kind of opportunities through the blog and this would have to be one of my highlights over the years. I often travel to places after reading and researching them online and it’s not uncommon to feel a little like they didn’t really live up to the brochures if you know what I mean. One thing I will say about my time in the Maldives is it absolutely lived up to the brochures as it was a truly beautiful, magical place.
If you don’t know where the Maldives is it’s in the middle of the Indian Ocean surrounded by water. The closest country is Sri Lanka and by close I mean a few hours by plane away. It’s kind of crazy to think about it when you are there. We literally spent 6 days on a sand island that was 1km long by 400metres wide.
When going to destinations such as the Maldives it can be quite an expensive exercise to fly there but lucky I have good news. Hubby and I love to travel however when you combine that love with 2 adults and 3 kids overseas holidays can be quite expensive. A friend of mine a few years ago mentioned the airline Scoot to me and I have never looked back.
They are Singapore Airlines budget airline carrier and operate to more than 60 destinations. I personally think they are great and have had no complaints flying with them on a number of occassions! The good news about Scoot is they fly to the Maldives. You have to fly to Singapore first and then change planes and off to the Maldives you fly. If you do decide to have a short stop over in Singapore be sure to check out what we did during our 2 night stay recently here.
From memory in the past we have paid around $219 per person per flight return to Singapore and then from Singapore to the Maldives you can pay as little at $115 per flight per person. I often buy my Scoot flights for the family when they have a sale on as that is when you can get a really great price so it’s worth keeping an eye out. Their fleet are all new 787 dream liners so are modern and new, just without any frills. You pay a bit extra for food, baggage and entertainment or you can go without, it’s your choice. I took this photo below of their coloured light cabins because I thought it was pretty awesome.
Once we got to the Maldives we were hosted by Clud Med Kani. I have never done the Clud Med thing before so this was a first time experience for me. I didn’t really know what to expect but after 6 days in the Maldives I think I am a convert.
The Club Med offering is an all inclusive package for your holiday. It includes accomodation, food, alcohol, activities, kid’s clubs etc. The reality is going for a holiday at a destination like the Maldives can be a very expensive exercise. Due to the fact that it is in the middle of nowhere it costs quite a bit of money to build, maintain, bring in food and workers to the destination. As a result of this at a normal resort you would be looking at paying $150US per person to go snorkelling, $8US for a soft drink, $25US for a cocktail and the bill just keeps getting bigger and bigger every time you do anything outside of sleeping in your bed which you already paid for.
The great thing about staying at Club Med in a place like the Maldives is you know exactly what the end bill is going to be months before you even go. This allows you to plan and save which is great. Obviously holidaying in a lower season is also a good idea as you can get some great deals to help keep the costs down. The other thing I love about Club Med is you pay per person, per bed not per room. So for us as a family of 5 it is great as we get 5 beds for our family all connected to each other and we didn’t have to pay for 6 even if there was a spare one in our room.
Club Med Kani was set up as a fantastic place to bring children. The section we stayed in during our stay was family central. There were families from all over the world and I personally loved being surrounded by the cultural diversity amongst a bunch of people all there for the same reason. To have a fun and relaxing holiday with their family.
There are so many activities to do at Club Med Kani for both you and your kids plus they have an onsite kid’s club. Twice a day they do snorkelling trips out into the reef and you are welcome to go as many times as you like as part of your all inclusive package. There was daily sailing, kayaking, nightly shows, Zumba, yoga and the list goes on.
We also had the chance to spend the afternoon working with Marine Savers to help restore and replant broken but perfectly fine coral in the reef … global warming has taken a huge toll on the coral and projects like this are ensuring the reef continues to exists. Being a part of doing some good to help make this happen was a highlight of the trip.
The island is actually split into two sections. There is an adults only part of the resort which is where you will see the overwater bungalows. This adults only part of the resort also had it’s own private beach. So if you were looking to head to the Maldives without the kiddos for some “special time” with your partner then you probably want to book into this section of the resort. It is a bit more expensive but it’s also a bit fancier.
For those looking to really get away from the kids we also had a chance to do a day visit to Club Med Finolhu which is on a seperate island and is completely kid free. It’s very fancy and quite popular for honeymooners or anyone looking for a really special getaway. It’s the kind of fancy where every single villa has it’s own private pool.
It was pretty tough going over there and I may have also partaken in a fancy massage where I got to watch fish swimming by at the same time haha.
Overall the Maldives was truly a magical place and one I would add to the bucket list for sure. It really was as beautiful as all the videos and brochures I had watched.
I also want to say a massive thanks to Bupa Australia for covering us with their international travel insurance (gifted). I never leave home without it and they provide great coverage and competitive prices for both their members and non-members.
When I sit here and write this it still feels like a dream. One day I hope to go back and once again relive the magic of the Maldives.
