Arrival at Male, Maldives

After touchdown at Male airport, you walk out the plane and the hot humid air hits you.  Its a small airport, so you walk from the plane, across the tarmac to Immigration where you fill in a form (why on earth they couldnt give you this form on the flight to avoid the delays is beyond me)

You get to Sun Island by either speedboat or water taxi plane.

If you REALLY want to spend 3 hours in an enclosed speed boat after flying for 11 hours with a 3 hour check in at Gatwick, please help yourself, but I can't think of anything worse.  I met people on holiday who hated this bit so much they were going to pay the extra and arrange a water taxi plane for the return journey.

Arrange a water taxi plane (either before you go, or when you arrive) and you will find the transfer to Sun Island much more comfortable.

From Male you wait until the next planes departure to Sun Island and then board it on a floating jetty.  Theres normally one plane per hour, so you won't be waiting too long, and you can get beers and fruit juices at the water taxi airport for a few dollars.

The plane flies about 40 minutes to Sun Island and lands at a jetty.  A dhoni ( local wooden boat) then takes you and your luggage from the jetty to Reception where you get given a map, your room keys and shown to your room.