A - I got these prices from Sun Island, July 2007 -
A glass of beer - US$4.00
A glass of wine - US$6.50
A glass of whiskey - US$5.25
Q - Just a bit concerned about your comments on which bars we will be able to use on all inclusive, i downloaded the all inclusive list from the Sun Island website and it reads that we can use all bars, on the beach and by the pool, is this correct
A - Sorry if this wasnt clear. On AI you CAN drink house spirits, beers, wines and soft drinks in:
* Main Bar
* Pool Bar ( its IN the swimming pool, so you have to swim up to it)
* Beach Bar ( other end of the island, next to jet ski hire)
you CANNOT drink (for free) in the Club Green Bar
Also, the restaurants only serve beer and wine for "free", so you cannot have vodka and cokes, gin & tonics etc with lunch.
Bear in mind that all the speciality restaurants like the Italian & the Thai, and pizza room service charge you for **all** drinks - even soft ones, wine and beer - even if you are AI.
Q - Is there a kettle or fridge in the rooms? I will be staying in a super deluxe room.
A - Kettle in every room and a mini bar - not really a fridge, but you could keep a can of coke cold in it if you really wanted to.
Q - I am also only Full Board and not All inclusive as this was all Virgin would offer. They said that they had too many complaints regarding the time restrictions on the drinks on all inclusive so it wasn’t offered to us. Anyway, what I am trying to figure out is whether if I upgraded to All inclusive it would be worth it and it would cover things like flippers & snorkels etc?
A - Virgin are talking crap. The times are fine - the Ai bar runs until about 1am, which in that heat is late enough! Virgin are more concerned with making more money out of you and not making so much of a margin on AI guests. Ask about upgrading when you get there, and you will get a cheaper deal than any UK travel agent can offer you.
2 - no, AI does not include snorkels, fins etc. They cost about 5 quid a day if you want them.
Q - Are any trips worth taking do you know – I do like to have a boat trip when I am abroad.
A - YES! If you go AI you (normally) get 1 trip included. Others cost around 40 quid each. There are trip sin boats every day - som eto other islands, some fishing, some sight seeing etc. You can book them at reception.
Q - Just wanted to ask you at the end of our stay can we settle our bill in cash?
A - yes of course - you can pay in cash when you check out, but it means you have to keep that cash safe during your journey and your stay. There is a safe in your room.
Q - Did you see any people out there that weren't in couples? My friend and I have been friends many years. She always wanted us all to go together so that is
what my friend and I are going to do. A two girl party, just mates. Is this going to cause a problem?
A - You will have a great time - no one will care if your a two girl couple, friends, "special friends with favours" or anything else. It really wont matter. Even the room boy doesn't care if you give him a few bucks. ;-) Its not all hetro couples walking along the beach - you will find families, kids, shirt lifters and single-tons on Sun Island - its all so relaxed, its quite normal. No one will take a second look at 2 girl friends chillin' on Sun Island.
Q - What is the mosquito situation. What type of repellents (if any) do we need. i.e. bands, sprays, plugs in's etc. (Is Malaria any problem at all, it doesn't seem to be)?
A - There is no still water, hence no mozzies. Beaches are sprayed a few times a year to kill any nasties. According to the World Health Organisation, Maldives is officially malaria free, and Im sure they are right. I didnt see/hear a single one all the time i was there. By all means take a small spray if you wish, but i doubt it will get much use.
Q - What is the situation regarding safe deposit boxes. (We are in the standard (deluxe) rooms).
A - ALL rooms have a good size safe secured by digital combination lock.
Q - Do they do DIET soft drinks (coke etc.) in all inclusive (AI), as we all live on this stuff.
A - Yup. Diet coke certainly, possibly a diet lemonade. Bear in mind it may not be "branded" drinks ie Coca Cola /Schweppes, but will certainly be an equivalent local brand.
Q - From your feedback do you think the transfer by sea plane is worth it. We were going to go by boat but after reading your site, I am not quite so sure? I don't think it will take much to convince us to try for the sea-plane.
A - Yes. Do the plane! after 11 hours in a tin can from Heathrow, do you really want to be trapped in a speedboat for 3 long, hot bumpy hours?
Q - Do the AI bods get any discount if eating in the al a carte restaurants?
A - Yes. You get a 20% voucher. Ask your normal waiter at least one meal time in advance. NB! the a la carte restaurants charge you for every drink, even if you are AI. Fact. So...if your used to drinking a bucket of wine at the normal restaurant (for "free") and then go the italian or the thai restaurant, be warned that ALL drinks are chargeable. And that, my friend, is why we did this only once! It does not mention this on the paperwork when you book, but if you read between the lines, it very carefully states that "all inclusive drinks" are available in several places including the MAIN restaurants....if you go a la carte, you pay for every glass of wine. (Hint - drink them dry in the main bar - free- then stumble to the restaurant to save yourself a second mortgage)
Q - Can AI bods take the pool towels to the beach. i.e. do we need to pack any?
A - Don't pack towels. Its a waste of space and weight. There are SO many towels in every corner of Sun Island, you can tie them all together and they form a line long enought to reach from the Maldives to Eastbourne! Every single place you could want a towel, there will be hundreds of clean towels either in racks or handed out by the staff.
Q - Do they take credit cards on the island if we run out of dollars?
A - yes, certainly. NOWHERE takes cash! repeat - NOWHERE. Its a cashless island. NO CASH. No cash points. No notes, coins or gold bullion. The only thing you will need it a few 1 and 5 dollar bills for tips. EVERYTHING else (drinks, shop purchases, trips, diving, massage, room service, sun tan lotion etc etc etc) goes onto your room bill. You settle your room bill when you check out in travellers cheques or credit card. There is no surcharge for card payment.
Q - Can I hire fins for swimming? I have mask and snorkel, but our fins have rotted
A - Yes, you can hire fins. I have a feeling you can only hire them with the mask and snorkel, but its very inexpensive. I didnt take my fins or have any need to hire - its pretty shallow until far, far out in the sea - knee hight some tides, nipple height at others (well, im short, so to me its nipple height, to normal people its waist height!)
Q - I would like to request a double bed if possible, as opposed to twin beds – to whom should I address it to get the best response?
A - im sure a double bed is no problem. Its hot, so probably not snuggling weather! Email the hotel directly on info@sun-island.com.mv
including your name and date of arrival and any booking ref you have from your tour operator.
Q - Can you suggest any little luxury that I could take as a gift that would also earn me brownie points with the Room Boys?
A - Room boys work really hard. By all means bring them something very "english" as a token if you wish, but US dollars - and the exchange rate - truly are their best friends. As a comparison, what you and I would spend on dinner for 2 in a nice restaurant would get these guys a decent holiday in Sri Lanka / India. Perhaps postcards of your home town, a bottle of HP sauce or a UK music cd might be a nice handout.
Q - Can you remember what TV channels are available – we are all inclusive, which I understand gives me the pay channels too?
A - yes, as an Ai guest the pay channels are "free" - however, these are FILM pay channels, not NAUGHTY pay channels (none of those, muslim country) Theres at least one english news channel, a general english channel and films and sport are shown in original language. I have sky at home and dont remember seeing any channels i recognised, or can remember the name of.
Q - I have been waiting for your Spa section to be updated, but looks like I’m gonna run out of time – any quick pointers you can give me?
A - the Ammaru Spa at Sun Island is just THE best place on earth! budget around 100 dollars each for one of the many massages available. there are some shorter ones around 60 dollars, (ie a neck and shoulder massage) but pay the extra and you get a full hour of the best massages possible. You and he will LOVE it. Save up a few more dollars and go for the couples "Loabi Loabi" massage.....wont spoil the fun for you, but defo worth it. Its a massage you have at the same time, next to each other, with nice professional touches thrown in. Have it in the morning / early afternoon and dont make any plans to do anything the rest of the day .... ;-)
Q - I have to say I am a little gutted about the lack of all inclusive drinks, will husband and me be able to get a few drinks to sneak back to our room at night? I was hoping to sit outside my room at the end of the day and chill. Also can you get all inclusive drinks on the beach anywhere ? I did not really want to hang out at the pool all day.
A - Its frowned upon to take drinks out the bar, but you might manage it once or twice. Alternatives are:
- Minibar in room (expensive but convenient)
- Fill mineral water bottle up with wine from the restauarant and walk around with that - raises far less suspicion even though your evian is now a slight yellow colour.
- Order a pizza room service ( cheapest one is about 10 quid, so not too bad compared to london!) and add 4 bottles Pinot Grigio to the order. (You have to pay for this wine, even if you are AI) Feed pizza to fish, drink wine. Problem solved.
Dont be too worried about AI drinks - in summary, you can get unlimited beer and wine in the **restaurant**, you pay for anything else. in the **bars** you get wine, beer or house spirits and mixers free. So you pay for Baileys, Jack Daniels etc - anything with a brand name.
in answer to your last point, there are 3 ways of getting drinks when on the sand.
1 - the pool is very large, and about 10 meters from the sand and close to reception. this Pool Bar has a swim up bar where u can drink whilst staying in the water.
2 - the MAIN bar is next to the pool. 10 meters from sand with outside tables and decking. The waiters will serve you on any of the outside tables
3 - the BEACH bar is the otherside of the island, up where you rent canoes & jet skis from. This bar has table and loungers outside situated in the sand. You can get beer, wine and house spirits here on all inclusive.
Q - Can i buy duty free Vodka in the UK and take it with me to Sun Island?
A - Nope, absolutley not. Its a strict muslim country, no booze allowed EXCEPT those for sale on resorts and taxed to hell by the government.so..you can buy a bottle of vodka at Heathrow and take it with you, but all your lugage will be hand searched at Male. They will confiscate any booze they find.
If you declare it ( ie, dont hide it and go walk upto a customs officer with it in the plastic bag) they will store if for you in a bonded warehouse free of charge. They give it back when you check in to go on your homeward flight.
If they find it hidden (ie under a towel in your suitcase) then thats smuggling, and your gonna see the inside of the police station and not make it to Sun Isand. There is no embassy in Maldives, so your in for a long, hot wait.
So, as much as it would save you money, its a huge risk. Buy the vodka, hand it in at Male and drink the booze at Sun Island - thats the only safe way.
Q - I was just wondering if you knew what plug adaptors I would need to take. I bought a world wide one from Boots today but I wasn't sure if I was able to use it in the Maldives. I wouldn't know what I'd do without my hair straighters.
A - ok, sun island is pretty switched on when it comes to this. (pun intended...) When you arrive, they know what country you are from from their arrivals list.
As an excellent bit of customer service, they will put the relevant adaptors into your room for you - so if you come from the UK, they will put adaptors in that will fit our 3 pin plugs.
I forget what the native sockets are like - i was too relaxed to look! - but please dont worry about your hair straighteners - you will be fine and curl free courtesy of the hotel supplied adaptors.
A - Assuming this is a woman asking, the answer is most definitley "no" Swimwear and very small bikinis are fine, but it would be most inappropriate to go "breasts out" on this muslim island.
Q - Do they supply beach towels?
A - Yes! plenty! dont waste precious suitcase space packing one. Every single place you may want a towel ( jacuzzi, sports centre, beach, bar, etc etc) they will have an abundance of towels for your use.
Q - Is there golf on Sun Island?
A - No.. There is a bar called the Club Green Bar, but there is not a single hole, flag or golf club on the island.
A - No. You send washing or ironing to Housekeeping and they do it for you ( at a small charge - about £1.20 to wash, dry and iron a t shirt)
Q - How do i get around the island?
A - Hire a push bike! They are rusty old mountain bikes without gears or lights, but for a quid a day you cant complain. People do ride them in the dark without lights, and there are no safety barriers around the over-sea walkways, so take care!
Q - Can you upgrade to a Seaplane at Male?
A - Yes. BUT if you prebook, its confirmed. If you just turn up, you have wait until there is a space. Depending on the heat (and your personality) this may or may not be a good idea after a 3 hour checkin and 11 hour flight. HINT - If you fly MyTravel, by this time you are ready to kill the Pope with your bare hands and a blunt pencil.
Q - Should i book a water bungalow?
A - Hmm... if someone else is paying, YES! I did a Water Bungalow because this is the only time i will get to have a holiday of a lifetime. You get a private balcony and steps to the sea. Any other room, you get a lounger on the sand, and everyone can walk past and see your creased bits getting tanned. Call me old fashioned, but i like to get my wrinkley bits burnt in my own private space. If you turn up and try to upgrade, it just depends on availability. Up to you. If you want a water bungalow, book and confirm one. If you want to take your chances, take your chances and maybe save a few quid. Simple.
Q - Im All Inclusive. How much money should i take?
A - Aint no such thing as AI on this island. See my All inclusive pages. If you have a few Baileys, a massage and cheeky pizza & wine room service each week, bank on £200 per couple per week extras. Take 5 and 10 dollar bills for tips on top of this.
Q - We were wondering what we should take in the way of currency to settle the bill at the end of are stay. We understand that they charge everything to your room but is it best to pay by card, cash, or travellers cheques?
A - Everything gets charged to your room - none of the shops or bars take cash. All room bills are settled in dollars and it makes no difference how you pay. There are no charges for paying by card. We took cash for tips and paid bill by card which worked fine for us. If you dont fancy taking cards with you, they do accept Travellers cheques.
Q - Do you know if they sell beach/reef shoes there, and if so, any idea of the price?
A - Beach / reef shoes are available in the shop, but the range - and sizes - are limited. They start around 20 dollars / ten quid a pair. If you find something that fits comfortably in the UK, I would suggest getting them and taking them with you.