Maldives with Monique + Darryn

We first “met” Monique and Darryn when we shared their beautiful Thailand wedding day with you.
(This wedding is one not to miss, so if you haven’t read it yet, click here to do so.)

As if their wedding day didn’t make us green with envy enough, they then had to go on the most spectacular honeymoon to the Maldives! Gosh guys, could you have chosen a more perfect destination?

These two newlyweds filled their days with snorkeling and kayaking while finishing the day watching the sunset over the ocean and formal dinners at their resort.  Today they share with us their tops tips on honeymooning in the Maldives as well as Monique’s top items to pack!

Get ready to have your wanderlust set to an all-time high… 

Hooray: Welcome back Monique and Darryn, please tell us, how difficult was it coming to the decision of where to go on honeymoon?
M + D: Very difficult, we love traveling and had multiple options which we were considering. At first, Maldives seemed out of our price range but we were both set on it as our first choice.

Hooray: Whose choice was it? Or was it a surprise?
Monique: We went traditional with this one, it was Darryn’s choice.

Hooray: Seeing as you thought the Maldives would be out of your price range, did you have a backup destination or two in mind?
M + D: Yes, we were also looking at Mauritius and the Philippines, but as I said previously, our hearts were really set on the Maldives. 

Hooray: Did you tailor-make your honeymoon yourself or did you use a travel agent?
M + D: We tailor-made it and put all our destinations on a list with booking.com.  Each day, we would check the dates and see if there were any deals running. Then finally, we hit the jackpot! During the 1-hour lunchtime deal, there was a special on the Maldives resort that we had our eyes on! It was 52% off the initial price quoted – we could not believe our luck!

Hooray: How long after your wedding did you leave for your honeymoon?
M + D: We left a week after our wedding as we wanted to spend a few days with friends and family in Koh Samui and try out another city. We had initially booked to stay in Singapore for 2 days but, unfortunately, with the spread of the Coronavirus, we had to cancel and instead, extended our stay in Koh Samui.

Hooray: How long was your honeymoon?
M + D: We were on honeymoon for 7 days and 6 nights – the perfect getaway after our whirlwind wedding in Thailand.

Hooray: If you could give your honeymoon a theme what would it be? Adventure or chill?
M + D: I would definitely have to say that we had the perfect blend of both adventure and chill.
**HSN: We would highly recommend couples looking at a destination that can give you both. You need to have activities that keep you busy, however, wedding planning can be highly stressful, so you will definitely need the downtime too. 

Monique and Darryn’s top tips on honeymooning in the Maldives: 

1. Enjoy the seaplane trip
   The seaplane trip is an adventure in itself, with amazing views all the way to the island, see this as part of your experience, and enjoy it!
2. Get ready to explore
   The resort made up the entire island, it felt amazing to know that this resort was the whole island, and we were able to explore it to our heart’s content.
3. Check your flight information carefully
   Singapore airlines have 2 flights a day, one in the morning and one in the evening. If you miss the morning you would need to spend a night in Male, which is when we stayed in Umira. If you use this to your advantage, then you will be able to explore Singapore a bit. 
4. All-inclusive, ALL the way!
   ALWAYS choose the all-inclusive package! While the all-inclusive seems pricey, the expenses you will have from not doing all-inclusive will add up very quickly, and you will soon realise it would have been cheaper to do the all-inclusive option. 
5. Take advantage of the free activities
   Don’t overlook the free activities, they are insanely awesome! Just by snorkeling from our room, we were able to see Mantas, stingrays, different fish, and baby sharks. 
6. Must-do activities
   We loved the kayaking, SUP’ing, and snorkeling, so definitely add those to your “must do’s”
7. Catching sunsets
   Another activity which we really enjoyed was watching the sunset from the other side of the island, it was so romantic and something I will remember forever. 
8. Insta-worthy
   Get yourself ready for some amazing Instagram-worthy moments… the water is really THAT clear and the sand is so beautifully, white
9. Take those pictures
   While we are on the topic of Instagram, a reminder to TAKE those photos. Guys, be that extra “Instagram hubby”, and take all the pics that your wife wants, capture all the memories, you will not regret it.  
10. Research, research, research
    Lastly, don’t always go with the first travel option you see, do your research and shop around. You will sometimes find amazing deals if you just look properly – look at how lucky we were with our honeymoon deal!

And finally, Monique’s top things to pack for your honeymoon in the Maldives:

1. Bikinis
   Self-explanatory, you will live in bikinis for the next couple of days! Pack all the cute bikinis, you will want them for those insta pics! 
2. Sexy pieces
   Lingerie, or sexy undies – whatever you feel most confident in pack them in and feel sexy girls!
3. Sun protection
   Yes, we all want that sunkissed look, but the “red tomato” look is not it. Ensure you put sunscreen on every day.
   
4. Perfume, I packed one of my favs, Black Opium
   It is always nice to have a specific perfume for your honeymoon, that way you will be able to remember your honeymoon every time you smell it!
5. Body mist
   This is a great way to keep yourself feeling refreshed during those extra hot days. Also, while we are on toiletries, why not add in a small bubble bath for those days that you need a good long soak in the tub after too much sun. 
6. A GoPro or your preferred camera gear
   GoPros are amazing as you are able to take underwater pictures with them, allowing you to really capture the beauty that is the Maldives – we were lucky enough to get some beautiful underwater shots with our GoPro, we definitely recommend it!
7. Full Face Masks
   If you can splurge, then get the full face masks for snorkeling, these allow you to float easily, while still being able to see everything freely. 
8. A lilo
   If you have space in your bag, pop in a lilo for those lazy days on the ocean, you need to chill on your honeymoon too!
9. Formal evening wear
   At most of the resorts in the Maldives, you need to dress formally for dinner. I enjoyed wearing flowy outfits.
   ***HSN: These white outfits are everything, showing off those amazing tans!
   
10. A cute, sun hat
    Sun protection is so important, so sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses are a must! There are so many cute, personalised hats you can buy for your honeymoon – so go ahead, spoil yourself and buy one!

Monique and Darryn, thank you so much for sharing your honeymoon with us today. We are all now dreaming of clear blue oceans and white sandy beaches – something to help get us through the rest of this lockdown! 

Honeymoon Helpers
Singapore Airlines
Booking.com
Umira Hotel
Cocoon Maldives

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