The Best Maldives Family Vacation at an All-Inclusive Resort in the Maldives (Travel Diary)
The Maldives is always top-of-mind for a stunning vacation getaway.
So we decided to take the best Maldives family vacation right before the lockdown.
Unbeknownst to us, that would be the first and the last vacation we’d take for a while.
What made us book flights in the first place?
Shafeen’s parents have always been supportive of us in all the years we’ve been together. What better way to thank them than to create an unforgettable travel experience for them.
Our intention with this trip was to express our gratitude as well as build more life long memories.
In this post, we talk about our Maldives family vacation, how we got there and what we did while there.
We wanted an affordable luxury option so we began saving for this trip a year before booking our tickets.
The best weather and the best time to visit the Maldives is between November to April.
We had postponed the trip twice before finally booking the flights for February 2020 which is still high peak season. We had to plan the trip a certain way to ensure optimum comfort while traveling with aging parents.
Finally, the day came and we set off from San Francisco to Dubai first. We spent 4 days in Dubai and then headed off to the Maldives from DXB airport.
Get our full Dubai itinerary HERE.
We landed in Hulhumale and had a 2-hour layover. We picked up our luggage and walked over to our designated counter at the hotel. The representatives weighed our bags and we were taken to our bus. The bus transports people to their designated terminal lounges.
We rested in the seaplane terminal which was a short drive from the airport. While waiting, we grabbed a few coconut drinks and took in the landing and takeoff of numerous Trans-Maldivian sea planes.
We had arranged our seaplane transfer through our hotel as taking a boat would’ve taken too long.
We booked our stay with Centara Grand Island Resort. The resort offered an all-inclusive option that was attractive and affordable for all of us.
We booked our stay for 5 days and 6 nights to fully indulge in our time together in the Maldives.
We wanted to treat my (Shafeen’s) parents to a luxury retreat where they would get to relax and rejuvenate without breaking the bank.
Maldives Family Vacation: BOOKING
Centara Grand Island Resort is only 25 minutes by seaplane transfer. It offers luxurious amenities with spectacular views and great service along with a variety of cuisines.
We booked a beach villa for 3 days and an overwater villa for 2 days. We booked the overwater villa specifically so they could experience what it feels like to be on an overwater villa when in the Maldives.
The beach villa was a two-story ocean view room which we enjoyed more than the deluxe water villa due to the ease of access to the beach and the main breakfast and lunch restaurants.
Maldives Family Vacation: Arrival and Stay
We arrived during the evening to our resort so all we did was get settled in and have dinner.
Day 2
Day 2 started with us waking up at sunrise and having breakfast. We then walked around the resort to find some cool and private spots to take our Instagram photos.
The rest of our day we spent under palm trees on the beach and snorkeling with baby sharks.
Day 3
Day 3 we all went on a sunset cruise which is included in the package. All activities are included in your package to try once on your stay. If you’d like to try an activity a second time, you’ll have to pay an additional fee.
Centara offers Continental, Vegetarian and Asian buffets. Their Reef Buffet Restaurant is where you’ll be having breakfast and lunch while you can reserve your dinner at suanbua Thai restaurant and Azzuri Mare Italian restaurant.
We had dinner twice at their Thai restaurant (highly recommended) and once at their Italian restaurant which we weren’t too fond of. If not for the food, go for the views and ambience.
We didn’t get a chance to try their Japanese cuisine as they have it every few alternating days.
Day 4
Day 4 we went to a nearby local island called Dhangethi where we toured the whole island and learnt about their history, local culture and way of living.
We came back for some lunch after which Waseem and I tried the banana boat ride. They also have stand-up paddle boarding, snorkeling, diving and paddle boats.
Day 5
Day 5 we all spent getting spa service and lounging at the Coral Bar and Lounge for afternoon tea.
We later headed out for line fishing during sunset. This was so much fun! Taking in the sunset while fishing together was an incredible experience.
Check out our YouTube video to see who was the only one who caught a fish out of the whole group.
We later returned to have dinner at the Reef restaurant and relax again at the Coral Bar to watch the traditional Boduberu dance and play some games in their E-zone. Yes, we’re all big kids!
Day 6
Day 6 was our final day where we had breakfast before being picked up by our seaplane transfer back to Dubai.
We were all so sad to leave because our time in the Maldives was short yet, unforgettable.
It’s so important to travel as a family while you can. This was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and the memories we have now created as a family will live forever.
We will be creating an in-depth Maldives Travel Guide in the near future, so if you have any questions that need to be answered, please leave them in the comments below.
Stay Adventurous Friends,
Wherever you go, don’t forget to wander!
Check out these Postcards from the Maldives
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