Conrad Maldives Review: a Breathtaking 5 Star Resort in the Maldives
In planning a trip to The Maldives, you quickly become bombarded with an overwhelming number of options for accommodation. In fact, because The Maldives is made up of over 1000 islands, resorts have entire islands all to themselves! While it may seem hard to choose, Iโm sharing exactly why the Conrad Maldives should jump to the top of your list.
With two islands โ one of which is adults-only โ endless activities, one-of-a-kind restaurants, a fabulous spa, and a truly breathtaking location, the Conrad Maldives is certainly a top 5-star resort in the Maldives. In this Conrad Maldives review, Iโm sharing our experience with a number of incredible restaurants (the good and the bad), our stays in a beach villa and sunrise water villa, plus a look at excursions, our couples spa experience, and budgeting and packing tips!
Where is it?
Like I mentioned above, each resort has its own islands, so Conrad Maldives is located on Rangali Island and Rangalifinolhu, although both are referred to as Rangali Island in my experience.
Itโs about 25 minutes from the capital city of Malรฉ, where international flights will fly into. From there, youโll catch a seaplane transfer to the Conrad Maldives.
First Impressions
While I typically start hotel reviewsโ first impressions with the lobby, the Conrad Maldives begins way before that! In fact, from the moment you land in Malรฉ, youโre whisked away by a staff member in a private car to the seaplane transfer lobby building, which is separate from the full international airport.
There, youโre shown to the Conradโs private lounge, which everyone can access. Right off the bat, you can tell that youโre in for a treat. Greeted with a cool towel, fresh snacks, and water, youโll wait here until your seaplane is ready.
The lounge is lovely with lots of comfortable seating, ocean views, and even showers.
We were there during the morning so they had breakfast nibbles out including croissants, yogurt, fruit, nuts, and cereal and milk. Nothing super fancy, but it was a welcome sight after surviving off airplane food for the last 8 hours (we flew in from Istanbul International Airport).
At this point, youโll settle your seaplane transfer bill and once itโs time to depart, a staff member will take you to your gate.
Overall, the service really impressed us from the moment we touched down in Malรฉ. It was so luxurious to be able to relax immediately knowing they had everything under control.
Related read >> Everything to know about your seaplane transfer in The Maldives
Seaplane Arrival
Once you arrive at Conrad Maldives via seaplane, instead of going straight to the lobby, you arrive at a small terminal on the water that the seaplane can access. Youโre immediately greeted by staff of the hotel, ร la White Lotus.
We were handed coconuts to drink from and introduced to our concierge, who gathered our luggage and arranged a buggy (golf cart) for us to take us to our room, which yes, was ready immediately when we arrived.
Despite the gloomy drizzling weather, I already was in heaven with the service. Their attention to detail and care is what really set them apart.
Lobby
While we didnโt end up visiting the lobby until a day later than our arrival, it was certainly lovely. Set in sand, the island vibe was apparent throughout.
There were plenty of places to sit and relax with large couches and chairs. The lobby staff were all friendly, although we only really ever needed to speak with them to arrange buggy transport around the islands.
Food and Drink
Part of what sets apart resorts in The Maldives is their isolation. That means that you canโt just pop over to Malรฉ to dine at a local spot. Youโre locked in to whatever restaurants (and prices) they have on site.
Given that I was traveling there on a budget (as much as possible) and I know you probably arenโt the heir to some royal line in France, Iโm going to assume you are, too. Iโll share where we ate, where we didnโt, and how it all went!
And a note here that you do need reservations for most restaurants on the property. You can arrange with your concierge when you arrive, or if you are visiting during peak season (winter), I recommend emailing the resort ahead of time to make reservations. Theyโre great about responding to emails!
Ittha Undersea Restaurant
Starting with the most unique restaurant on the property and in the world, Ittha, the worldโs first ever undersea restaurant!
Thatโs right, the whole place is underwater! Itโs a see-through dome that allows you to dine with the fish and sharks and rays, should they pass by.
It seats only about 20 people and the kitchen is above water, so there are servers who act also as runners to bring the food to and from the restaurant.
Given the uniqueness of this restaurant it was one of the must-doโs on the property and still is in my opinion. However, you donโt need to eat an expensive $500 dinner here. Yes, seriously, itโs $500 per person.
In fact, I recommend you donโt. Instead, opt for their visiting hour, which happens daily from 11 am to 12 pm and costs $140 per person. Alternatively, they often have Hilton Honors Experience redemptions where the same experience costs 25,000 Hilton points per person. The visiting hour comes with champagne and light canapรฉs.
Not only is the visiting hour cheaper, but the views are the best because the dome is freshly cleaned. While they do clean the outside of the dome before each meal service, if you arenโt there immediately after, it will accumulate some natural ocean grime, blocking your view a bit.
Itโs not detrimental, but it does distract from the beauty when youโre literally being actively covered in fish poop. Just my opinion, though.
Otherwise, this restaurant is absolutely amazing! With underwater views, it really feels like youโre in an aquariumโฆor a reverse zoo ร la The Twilight Zone.
We watched fish go by and learned from our server what they were called. We saw a few sharks, too!
We did pass by the restaurant from the outside (above water, obviously) at night and saw that it was lit up, so I think if you visit during dinner, there are lights to still see passing fish. Of course, visibility by sunlight during the day will be best!
One tip is to bring sunglasses as it is SO BRIGHT in there. Like, ants under a magnifying glass, sans fire.
Sunset Grill
The next restaurant we tried was Sunset Grill, which is an open air restaurant that sits over the water, right next to Ittha.
The highlight as the name indicates is that this restaurant has some incredible sunset views, and while it was a little cloudy while we were there, the sunset was still magnificent!
The food was delicious, as well! In fact, my husband said this was the best fish heโs ever had! It was the catch of the day and though I ordered a (delicious) steak, I definitely wished I had gotten it, too. Both entrรฉes were about $60 each.
The mashed potatoes were creamy and flavorful with a hint of garlic and truffle, and my vegetables were cooked to perfection with a buttery finish. Yum!
My biggest gripe was that we had to pay for water, which was all the more annoying because you get free water in your room daily. It was $16 for Voss and $14 for Evian. And surpriseโฆto our plebeian palates, they tastedโฆlike water.
Overall, the vibes were romantic and beautiful, the food was incredible, but the price point was slightly painful.
Cheese Fondue Night
Each night, there were themed dinners and certain restaurants that were open. Meaning, you couldnโt visit each restaurant every night and each themed dinner event didnโt happen every night.
For example, the Fishermanโs BBQ only happened on Wednesday nights and KOKO Grill was only open on select days of the week. When you arrive, your concierge will help you with the dining calendar.
Anyway, we wanted to do one of the fun dining experiences and splurge a bit since it was our honeymoon. Still, that nagging responsible voice in the back of our heads just couldnโt let us opt for a $300 per person dinner, of which there were many.
So, being the bougie on a budget travelers we are, we opted for the most inexpensive experience dinner โ the Cheese Fondue night at Cheese & Wine Bar. It was $150 per person and I still couldnโt tell you if it was worth that price point, but Iโll share our experience regardless.
First of all, the Cheese & Wine Bar is an intimate space that seats 10 people where the tables are high top and the floor is covered in volcanic sand imported from New Zealand! It not only feels amazing on your bare feet, but is naturally cool so should the climate control of the room (that stores the wine) falter, the sand will maintain the cool temperature. Yay science!
As for the actual dining experience, it was a set multi-course menu where each course featured cheese. The appetizer was an asparagus cheese soup with sliced pears.
The fondue was a blend of 3 or more cheeses and it was so rich, creamy, and delicious. They served it with potatoes, sliced meat, pickled vegetables, and bread, for dipping. They also offered to replenish each dipping food should we eat it all.
And for dessert we enjoyed a mousse served in a chocolate shell and paired with mango ice cream.
Iโm not a fancy eater, so I canโt tell you how luxurious this was, but for me it felt luxurious. It was decadent, entertaining, and truly delicious. Again, Iโm not sure that I would pay $150 per person to do it again, but the one time was lovely, romantic, and worth the splurge.
Rangali Bar
We also ate a couple dinners at Rangali Bar, which was one of the only ones you didnโt need a reservation for and one of the few with ร la carte menus. This restaurant was simple with lots of outdoor seating both on and off the sand and indoor seating, as well, which was nice when it rained on us one night.
The menu is quite varied, but as with everything, pretty expensive for what it is. We ate here twice and I got the butter chicken both times, which was $50. It was a hearty portion and was served with raita and naan, so thereโs that. The reason I got it twice was because it was truly the best butter chicken Iโve ever had.
One of the perks of The Maldives is that itโs near India, so many of the staff are from India, and based on that butter chicken, Iโd bet the kitchen staff as well! I couldnโt resist since itโs my favorite type of cuisine. Yummmmโฆjust donโt look at the bill.
Overall, Rangali Bar has some great food and is the most cost effective choice compared to the $300 per person set menu options.
They did have a happy hour daily from 5 โ 6 pm for drinks, although you could order food at that time if you wanted. They closed daily from 6 โ 7 pm to set up for dinner service.
Atoll Market
One restaurant you probably canโt avoid is Atoll Market as this is where the breakfast buffet is every day. You can also get ร la carte breakfast items as room service or from Vilu, a restaurant on Rangali Island.
Breakfast at Atoll Market was what I looked forward to every day. Iโm a breakfast fiend and this buffet was easily the best Iโve ever had, rivaling the extravagant ones in Istanbul!
They had EVERYTHING โ American options like pancakes and waffles, a made-to-order omelet station, Indian breakfast items, lots of breads and pastries, sushi, Chinese cuisine, Maldivian breakfast, a juice bar, and cold items like yogurt, cheeses, fish, meats, olives, fruit, and more. I mean, is this heaven??
Breakfast was $60 per person, although if you are a Hilton Honors member it is free! You get Gold status automatically with the AMEX Platinum card here. Score!
The restaurant itself was large with lots of indoor and outdoor seating and again the floors were sand, for the ultimate relaxation!
While we didnโt opt for these themed dinners, Atoll Market is also where they had dinner buffets every other night including Maldivian, International, Asian, Mediterranean, and Arabian nights. Those were $160 per person.
Vilu Restaurant
The final place we dined, if you can call it that, was at Vilu Restaurant, an Italian restaurant on the adults-only island. In fact, we didnโt really dine there as we were only there for the Hilton Honors Happy Hour each day from 4 โ 5 pm.
They served a cocktail and mocktail of the day, wine, and beer, with canapรฉs for free for Hilton Honors members. And anytime we could capitalize on our free perks, we absolutely did so.
The space was really nice. We especially liked that it was on the beach with great views of the water and the covered area with couches was perfect when it rained.
Other options
There are a ton of restaurants that we decided not to try, mainly due to their price point and nothing to do with the menu options. Everything looked delicious and given our experiences with the other restaurants, Iโm sure they were.
Just so you know what they are, the other restaurant options are:
- Mandhoo Spa Restaurant (themed cuisine around the elements โ earth, air, fire, etc., not periodic elements ๐)
- Ufaa by Jereme Leung (Asian cuisine โ ร la carte for lunch, set menu at dinner)
- The Quiet Zone Bar (sushi and other bites)
- Koko Grill (Japanese teppan)
- Special events: Eco-Licious ($270 pp), Fishermanโs BBQ ($370 pp), Wine Cellar ($385 pp), Lobster and Champagne ($385 pp)
Pools
Aside from the pool you may have at your room, there are two pools adults can access. The first is open to everyone of all ages and is the Main Pool. It overlooks the water and is a gorgeous deep blue with lounge chairs in and out of the shallow water. There are palm trees surrounding and itโs just perfect for relaxing. Families can access this pool.
The other pool is The Quiet Zone Pool and we actually never felt the need to go here. Itโs the adults-only pool, but it was out in the sun built over the ocean. For us, we preferred the shade and the sound of the trees.
Fitness Facilities
When they have everything, they really have everything! Not one, but two fitness centers โ one on each island complete with cardio equipment, strengthening machines, and space for floor work. The gym on the adults-only side also had a wide variety of weights and more weight-lifting equipment.
Both had the most incredible views and free water bottles and apples.
I only exercised once (itโs a vacation, sue me), but my husband who was still recovering from a surgery frequented both and they had everything he needed to continue his physical therapy.
Internet
We had no problems with the internet although we really only used it to stream our TV services.
Accessibility
I would say in my experience, the property itself wasnโt the most accessible just given the nature of it with the sand and boardwalks. However, I do think they can be accommodating with buggy service, accessible rooms, and whatever else you may need. I wouldnโt count it out without asking before booking.
How to get around the islands
There are a few ways to get around Rangali Island.
Walk
Of course you can walk around both islands freely. You donโt even need shoes if you donโt want them. However, in my experience the ground wasnโt always beautiful soft sand, so Iโd recommend flip flops.
Not to mention that the boardwalk that connects the two islands gets extremely hot to the touch during the middle of the day. Protect those tootsies and wear some sandals.
Buggy Service
One amenity that truly came in handy was the buggy service aka the golf carts. They made the experience extremely convenient, which was super important because unfortunately, we both caught colds. I was extremely lethargic for a couple days, so being chauffeured around was not only appreciated, but necessary.
To arrange the service, you could call or message the front desk or your concierge. They could pick up and drop off at your room and anywhere around the property you wanted to go. If you needed a buggy from a restaurant or anywhere else, you could just ask anyone and they could arrange it for you.
Such service!
Boat
There was a boat that traveled between the islands. It doesnโt answer to anyoneโs beck and call, but should you see it at the dock, you can hop on and theyโll take you across.
However, if itโs on the other side, you have to wait for it to come back, which they wonโt do until someone on that side wants to go for the ride.
All this to say, the boat is fun and easy, but not the most reliable depending on where it happens to be docked when you need to get across.
Night Activities
There was always something going on at night. The ocean views pretty much cease to exist because it gets so dark. However, donโt miss walking the boardwalk between islands at night because you will see manta rays!
We went every night and only did not see them twice.
Itโs fun to spot them with other guests and get excited together!
They also have live DJs and bands who perform, so you can enjoy some music at night.
Finally, we loved stargazing. Because itโs so dark, the stars are easy to spot. Give your eyes 20 minutes to adjust to the darkness and youโll notice even more.
Water Sports
You will never be bored here if you donโt want to be. The water sports center has options like a catamaran cruise, jet ski, inflatables ride, surfing, pedal boats, kayaking, parasailing, wakeboarding, water skiing, windsurfing, stand up paddleboarding, and Xโjetblade!
Everything is pretty pricey, as expected, at around $125 per activity but as low as $55. They can certainly be fun additions to your stay!
Excursions and Dive Center
There are also plenty of excursions to check out that are mostly run through the Dive Center. Some of these include activities like coral conservation, dolphin cruises, guided snorkeling tours including with whale sharks and manta rays, and more.
While we are both certified to dive, we both caught colds and since our sinuses were unable to equalize under pressure, we couldnโt safely dive. Instead, we decided to snorkel with manta rays.
We absolutely LOVED this excursion. It was $195 per person plus taxes, but it was worth every penny!
We took a boat with others on our excursion and let our guide find the mantas. Once he did, we hopped out of the boat and observed manta rays eating plankton! It was seriously a once-in-a-lifetime experience!!
One thing I really loved was that at the Dive Center, you could borrow snorkel gear for free during the entire duration of your stay. They even moved our equipment for us when we transferred rooms midway through the stay.
Thereโs a house reef to snorkel at and itโs amazing. There are so many species of fish you can observe as well as sharks, clams, and beautiful coral reef! Thereโs a lifeguard on duty and theyโll guide you on how to get to the most fruitful parts of the reef. Theyโll also put dish soap in your mask so it doesnโt fog up.
Mandhoo Spa
Whatโs a honeymoon without a couples spa experience? Okay, you can do whatever you want, but for us, we love a good spa moment. In fact, the day after we got married, we booked a Korean spa experience in Los Angeles. Heaven.
The Conrad Maldives has two spas, in fact โ Mandhoo Spa and an Overwater Spa, where the former is the larger of the two with lots of options and the latter is more for expensive treatments.
We went with Mandhoo Spa and had the best time! We were welcomed with a refreshing drink and cool towel, while we waited for our Maldivian Indigenous Spa Treatment to begin.
We chose this treatment because we could do it together and because it was a Hilton Honors Experience redemption. It cost over $500 per couple or 100,000 Hilton Points.
The actual experience included a foot wash, full body scrub, an outdoor shower, massage with hot coconut sticks, and scalp massage. It was a 90 minute, super relaxing and grounding experience. It was incredible and I left there completely and utterly calm. We both did!
Room Reviews
We stayed in two rooms during our time at the property. First, we were in a beach villa on Rangalifinolhu (the island for all ages), then we moved as planned to a sunrise water villa on Rangali Island.
I absolutely loved both of these rooms for different reasons, so letโs get into it!
And, if youโre already sold, you can book your stay here!
Beach Villa Review
Our concierge informed us that the beach villas had just been refurnished in August 2023, just 4 months prior to our stay. And let me tell you, it was so nice!
The ceilings were high, which made the space feel even larger than it already was.
There were two bathroom areas โ an enclosed one and an open double vanity with an outdoor shower.
Also outside on the front door side was a swinging bed that you could lay down on and take a napโฆmay or may not have crashed here once the jetlag hit me.
There were two sitting areas with a couch and coffee table in each, a high definition TV mounted on the wall, and counter top with a mini fridge, snacks, and drinks.
The closet was a walk in with plenty of space for two suitcases, ample hangers, and enough drawers to unpack a bit.
The bed was a king size and much to my pleasure, they had a pillow menu! I got to sleep on my favorite ergonomic pillows, which was so appreciated!
What I especially loved about this room was the sky light, floor to ceiling windows, and creative partitioning that allowed you to let in as much (or little) light as you wanted. You could wake up with the sun or turn the room into a full on cave!
Out back, our patio had two lounge chairs and a table and chairs, as well as an overhead fan. From here you could walk straight out to the beach, where we had more lounge chairs and an umbrella that were ours to use alone!
You best believe we spent a lot of time at the beach, because if you have private beach access and donโt use itโฆwhat are you even doing?!
Sunrise Water Villa
Everyone who dreams of visiting The Maldives is dreaming of an overwater bungalow, Iโm pretty sure. This bucket list destination really catapulted this style of hotel room to the top of everyoneโs dream list and now so many places offer it that you certainly donโt need to go to The Maldives to get it.
However, I can say, it lives up to the hype. The squeals I squelt when we first stepped up to and inside this villa!
We chose the sunrise water villa because it was the most affordable for our budget. These rooms are less expensive because they face the sunrise, not the sunset, which in all honesty wasnโt a problem at all for us. Iโm not sure if itโs the time of year we visited (December) or the direction that our room faced, but we couldnโt even see the sunrise until it was well into the 9 oโclock hour because of the partition walls outside (more on that in a minute).
The villa itself was to die for. It opened immediately to the kitchenette area with the mini fridge, snacks, and drinks.
To the right was the bathroom, which was equally impressive, although different than the beach villa. Where the beach villa had an outdoor shower, the water villa had a huge bathtub next to a window looking out at the stunning turquoise water.
The bathroom also had a rain shower with adjustable and removable shower head, a double vanity, and a water closet.
The bed was a king and was centered in the room, on the other side of the kitchenette counter. With a large fan overhead, a seating area at the foot of the bed with a TV, and a desk to the right, which sat over a glass part of the floor where you could watch the sealife below.
Of course, the highlight is the outdoor deck. Here, we had a small pool that was jacuzzi size fitting two people comfortably. It had a tiled bench and was an infinity pool that went right up to the edge of the deck to overlook the ocean. A DREAM.
Also outside was a table and chairs, lounge chairs, umbrella, and stairs that descended straight into the ocean for private access! At the top of the stairs was a spray shower nozzle so you could wash your feet and body upon returning to your room from the pool or ocean.
I appreciate the design of these rooms as well because there are walls that extend between villas to block you from your neighborโs view. It made the space feel private and romantic, which was especially appreciated since we were celebrating our honeymoon!
The door to the deck was a full floor to ceiling glass window and sliding door, so I was grateful that they had blackout shades everywhere. The only light that would come in the room each morning was from the glass floor, actually!
Amenities in Both Rooms
A couple things about both rooms to share. First, while the TVโs were large, we couldnโt broadcast from our own devices no matter what we tried. It happened like that in both rooms, so even though we downloaded some TV to watch, we could only watch on our own devices.
On a positive note, the climate control was super easy to use and worked very well. As did the remotes for fans, shades, and lights. It was kind of a lot to figure out because there were SO many switches and remotes, especially in the beach villa, but nothing we couldnโt handle.
Which room is best?
In comparing the two rooms, the beach villa felt more cozy despite its larger size because of all the spaces to enjoy. It almost felt like a full beach house that you didnโt have to leave. Whereas, the overwater villa was stunning in its own right, but because of its smaller size, we felt more obliged to leave on occasion to enjoy the beach and sunset views.
The other factor in deciding is which island you prefer to be on. The main activities are on Rangalifinolhu including house reef snorkeling, the water sports center and dive center, breakfast buffet, shops, tennis, spa, and some restaurants. Rangali Island felt more romantic since there werenโt any kids running around, but it was a trek to get back to the other island.
For us, we enjoyed that travel time. We got to walk the island, ride the boat, or take golf carts around. It made us slow down even more, so I didnโt mind. There is something to be said for getting to walk to and from your hotel room easily though. If you head to the beach and forget something, you can just run back to your room, for example.
If youโre deciding between the two, if you prefer beaches, Iโd opt for the beach villa and if you prefer to admire the views from a pool, go with the overwater bungalow.
Additional Amenities at Conrad Maldives
One thing that truly impressed me about not only the rooms, but the resort as a whole was that they thought of EVERYTHING you could possibly need aside from the clothes on your back.
They provided a beach bag in every room, sandals and robes for each person, umbrellas should it rain, bath towels and beach towels. Plus, glasses, teacups, saucers, silverware, a coffeemaker, tea kettle, and still or sparkling water that were replenished twice daily.
Both rooms had refillable toiletries and everything you could possibly need in the bathroom including a loofah, shower cap, toothbrush and toothpaste, and comb.
Rooms were cleaned daily and turn down service was also provided daily, often with local treats like coconut cookies!
They even offered to spray the room with bug repellent should you notice any mosquitos in your room. Although, they assured me that they spray between each stay anyway.
Still, you can expect that many things do cost a pretty penny, as most extras do at 5 star properties. For example, snacks in the room were around $18+, sunscreen was $20+, bug spray (for your body) was $15+, etc.
Honeymoon Perks
When I was planning this trip, I found super outdated information on what to expect when celebrating your honeymoon at Conrad Maldives. Of course, itโs a big deal and one of the main reasons people travel to The Maldives, so the hotel staff is happy to celebrate with you and does everything to make your time special.
I had read that you may get restaurant vouchers, a spa treatment, and may need to show your marriage license.
Hereโs what we really experienced, just so you know, too. And Iโm not saying any of this to appear ungrateful or that I was expecting any special treatment, just that Iโm a planner and really wanted to know what to expect! Especially because I didnโt want to pre-book an experience that was already being planned for us.
When we arrived at our room, the bed was decorated for our honeymoon with flowers and leaves, as well as a personalized souvenir wood burned cutout and stuffed manta ray! It was super cute!
They also provided a complementary bottle of white wine, fresh local fruit, and handmade basil mint macarons. YUM.
We felt so celebrated and it was the most lovely way to kick off our stay! And we didnโt need to show any proof of having been recently wed.
FAQโs
How much does Conrad Maldives cost?
The most important question, I know. Itโsโฆnot cheap. But, you knew that going into this.
In fact, Iโve written an entire post dedicated to answering how much the Maldives costs. It breaks down EVERYTHING including lots of tips for traveling to The Maldives on a budget.
We paid entirely with Hilton points as two redemptions โ one for each room. Both rooms were the most inexpensive of their kind (beach and water villas) and the cost was $900+ per room per night, or 120,000 Hilton points per night, where the 5th night on reward stays is free.
It adds up. Plus, you have the seaplane transfer, which is an unavoidable $600+ per person roundtrip, food, and excursions/activities.
How to save
Naturally, we did everything we could to save on this trip. Our status as Hilton Honors members got us a lot โ daily happy hour with free drinks and canapรฉs, daily breakfast worth $60 per person, and the room redemption itself. Our status is one of the main reasons we chose this resort in the Maldives for our travels, but there are other ways we saved!
The other HUGE thing we did to save on food costs was to pack dehydrated meals. We packed 7 days worth of dinners including Mountain House meals (the fettuccine alfredo was our favorite) and plant-based protein rich ramen. It saved us thousands on food, literally!
I also recommend bringing a LifeStraw bottle as itโs unclear if you can drink the tap water in the Maldives. This also helps reduce those pesky water costs at the restaurants. You can also always get free water bottles from the gym! This is true at most hotels.
Along that note, we found apples in the gym as well, which was always a welcome (free) snack.
Another free thing to capitalize on is their free 30 minute photo session. You get to work with a private photographer who will snap your photos and at the end you can keep two for free! Of course, there are lots of packages to purchase more, but youโre guaranteed two free ones. Score!
Are there mosquitos in at the Conrad Maldives?
Yes. Those bastards are everywhere. I did bring my โbug stuff,โ which is my new favorite type of deterrent because itโs natural, rubs on, and is packable! No slightly-too-large-for-carry-ons bug sprays needed.
I also love Bugables, a citronella bracelet/anklet that has saved me on multiple occasions.
In my experience, while there were mosquitos, they werenโt overwhelming. The rooms were sprayed between stays so we had no problems inside and the beaches were pretty clear. The main culprit were the more tropical jungle-y areas in the centers of the island during sunset and nighttime.
What to bring to Conrad Maldives
As youโre packing for The Maldives, donโt forget these essentials:
- Sunscreen (reef safe and nano-free) or UPF swim shirt and shorts/pants
- Bug repellent (bugables and The Bug Stuff are faves)
- Bathing suit
- Comfortable flip flops (I wore these Fit Flops everywhere!)
- Cover up (I have this one โ size up for ultimate relaxed fit)
- Sun hat (try a roll up one thatโs best for packing)
- Food (no pork allowed in The Maldives)
In the planning phase? These will help:
My Travel Essentials
- Travel Insuranceย โ Going on an international trip? Donโt forget travel and medical insurance with SafetyWing.
- Travel Card โ If youโre new to travel hacking, fear not! My favorite card for beginners gives you $750 in rewards when you spend $4,000 in the first 3 months, plus lounge access, 10x points on hotel bookings, and free TSA pre-check!
- Get Your Guideย โ Check out Get Your Guide for a one-stop-shop for booking travel activities.
- Booking.comย โ This is my favorite hotel search aggregator, specifically for reading reviews. On Booking.com, the reviews can be searched for keywords like WiFi, breakfast, pool, amenities, etc.! So helpful!
- Anti-pickpocket bag โ Worried about having your valuables swiped? PacSafe makes the best travel bags with zippers and straps that lock and with mesh steel enforced fabric.
- Give the Gift of Travelย โ This is the perfect gift for travelers in your life! Tinggly allows you to gift experiences around the world, perfect for birthdays, weddings, or anniversaries.
- Staycation Ideaย โ Check out Resort Pass, which gives you day passes to resorts so you can use their pool, spa, and fitness center, a great staycation idea!
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