The Maldives, a place that is on almost everyone’s travel bucket list and Cheralee and Jaryd got to experience it first hand for their honeymoon!
Crystal clear water, sea bungalows and absolute bliss – their honeymoon sounds like the perfect chill time after the stress of wedding planning.
Cheralee and Jaryd share with us today more about their honeymoon, including a trip in a sea plane! Get ready to be whisked away to the tropical Maldives…
Hooray: Maldives! We are so jealous!
C + J: The pictures do not do it justice. The turquoise water, sea life and 5 star resort, was everything we dreamed of and more. It was even better than we imagined. Being able to wake up each morning to the sight of the beautiful ocean and being able to hop into the water and snorkel around our villa on Cocoon Island was incredible.
Hooray: Tell us more about how you got to the Maldives.
C + J: We had 3 flights in total, excluding our sea plane to our island. We flew from Durban to Johannesburg, Johannesburg to Dubai ( 8 hours ) and from Dubai to Male. ( 4 hours )
Once we reached Male we caught a shuttle to the Male sea plane transfer terminal. We then caught a 45 minute sea plane flight to our resort.
Hooray: A sea plane!? What was it like flying in it? Terrifying or exhilarating?
C + J: The sea plane was an amazing experience, it was exhilarating! The plane is extremely small and very noisy, they give you ear plugs to help with the noise. The pilots of the planes are very relaxed; they are dressed very casually and wear their flip flops while flying as it is very hot.
Hooray: How difficult was it coming to the decision of where to go on honeymoon?
C + J: We had a few places in mind, but in the end my husband made the final decision and it was an easy one for him to make as he knew the Maldives was always my dream destination.
Hooray: So Jaryd made the final decision, did it remain a surprise for you?
Cheralee: Jaryd made the decision to go to the Maldives, he arranged and booked the whole honeymoon. He felt I had a lot of stress with planning our wedding and this was one thing he wanted to surprise me with, however being such a planner myself , I really wanted to be prepared for what to pack etc, so he spilt the beans a month before our special day.
**Hooray Side Note: We love that Jaryd planned everything, so traditional!
Hooray: Did you have a backup destination?
C + J: Yes, we did. We also considered going to Greece, however in the end, Jaryd felt that the Maldives was a once in a lifetime destination, where we could both really just unwind and relax.
Hooray: Did you tailor make your honeymoon yourself or did you use a travel agent?
C + J: We used a travel agent- The Holiday Factory, they planned our whole package for us. We would definitely advise first time travellers to use a travel agent as it does make planning your trip much easier .
Hooray: How long after your wedding did you leave for honeymoon?
C + J: We got married on the Saturday and left on that Monday. It was quite nice to have the Sunday to pack our last minute things and have a quick catch up with family before we left. 
Hooray: How long was your honeymoon?
C + J: We went for 10 days, but 2 days were spent travelling.
Hooray: 10 days, was that enough time or do you wish you had more time there?
C + J: Yes, 10 days was more than enough time to unwind and explore the beautiful island.
Hooray: If you could give your honeymoon a theme what would it be? Adventure or chill?
C + J: Definitely chill!!! We spent a lot of time around the pool and on the beach relaxing, it was so nice to just relax and read a book and spend some quality time with one another.
Hooray: What was your favourite water activity you did in the Maldives?
C + J: We really enjoyed diving and snorkelling. We saw a variety of tropical fish, turtles and lots of coral. We also enjoyed trying out the stand up paddle boards, which was something different for us.
Hooray: Your top 5 things to pack with you for your honeymoon.
C + J: Sun tan cream and a sun hat is a must! You spend most of the day in the sun and do not want to ruin your holiday by getting too burnt.
We also suggest your own personal snorkelling gear, as most hotels do not have in the rooms.
A good action camera to capture those special moments is also a good idea to pack and lastly, a good book to pass time when you are chilling.
Hooray: Your biggest highlight of your honeymoon?
C + J: Our biggest highlight was being able to experience a sea plane as we both have never experienced this before and the whole 5 star island experience- party, sleep, eat, repeat, chill.
**Hooray Side Note: Sounds like honeymoon heaven!
Hooray: Lastly, would you recommend the Maldives for other newlyweds looking for a honeymoon destination?
C + J: We would definitely recommend the Maldives to other newlyweds. The Maldives is the perfect romantic getaway to relax and enjoy each other’s company. Planning a wedding can get very stressful and the Maldives is the perfect place to unwind.
Cheralee and Jaryd, thank you so much for sharing your romantic honeymoon with us. The Maldives look absolutely amazing and we are sure you guys made the most amazing memories there!
Honeymoon Helpers:
Airline: Emirates and Trans Maldivian Airways.
Resort: First Resort Cocoon
Travel Agent: The Holiday Factory
barbara@nonstoptravel.co.za
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