Conrad Maldives – Rangali Island

At Conrad Maldives on Rangali Island, every day felt like I was experiencing Groundhog Day - except, on an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean

There’s a certain idealization I had about visiting the Maldives. For one, I thought it would be a better alternative to going to Bali. Plus, I’d always been curious about the waters of the Indian Ocean. So, when the time came to plan a vacation after the party I threw in Big Sur, California, the only thing I could think that would bit fitting was a week in the Maldives, with an extended stop over in Dubai.

Arrival

After a rather short two hour flight from Dubai to the main island of the Maldives, to say I was excited and slightly scared for what awaited would be an understatement. The good thing about the Conrad Maldives is that they have a lounge right at the airport in Male. So, as we waited for our flight time with Trans Maldivian Airways, I relaxed in the lounge while eating snacks and watching local television.

When it was our appointed time, we were escorted to our seaplane and flown to the Conrad Maldives.

Introduction

The Maldives, an archipelago of 26 atolls in the Indian Ocean, is renowned for its stunning natural beauty. Flying over the Indian Ocean, you really see how incredible all of the atolls are, as hotel islands.

Our flight was relatively short. We landed and were escorted to the check in lounge. Here, we were given the over view of the resort, introduced to our butler and enjoyed coconuts with straws in them. The delicious liquid tasted exquisite.

We were then escorted to our two bedroom Grand Water Villa, number 410. I was in awe. Crystal-clear turquoise waters gently lapped against the villa. It truly looked like the definition of a serene and idyllic paradise.

On first view, it was overwhelmingly, brilliantly, blindingly beautiful. The outdoor hot tub, with steps directly to the ocean was incredible. The overwater bungalows provided luxurious accommodations, allowing us to immerse ourselves in the tranquil surroundings and enjoy breathtaking sunrises and sunsets over the horizon.

I tried to capture the moments of the week as beautifully as I could, from behind my camera.

Restaurants

Now, I’m going to tell you what I WISH someone had told me. You DO NOT have to tip. A service charge is already built into your final price. Do not let that tip line give you anxiety like it did me. I tipped absurdly too high (Los Angeles standards) during the week because nothing online did not give me guidance. Screw that.

Breakfast At Atoll Market

This was the spot for complimentary breakfast, every morning. I will say, it offered an interesting array of international foods to please a wide array of clientele.

Ithaa Undersea Restaurant

Honestly, it was okay. I felt that I had a better experience, staring at the fish at the Georgia Aquarium. The food really was not outstanding, by any means. But again, I’m from Los Angeles. Now, the concept of eating underwater is cool and was one of the reasons why I booked the Conrad Maldives. But, it was a big “meh” in real life.

Ufaa By Jereme Leung

This was decent Chinese food. The bao was okay, along with the other dishes.

Mandhoo Spa Restaurant

This was the best dinner during my time at the Conrad Maldives. We dinned over water and enjoyed the presented food. But, a bottle of water to drink was $15. The slice of cheesecake was $21. The chocolate brownie was $22. Things get pricey – quick.

Rangali Bar

This was on some bullshit. I hands down believe that no hotel in the Maldives should have live singers that sound like they’re struggling through karaoke. We got that – in spades. Dinner here was a series of moment, to say the least.  With drinks being around $30 each.

Plus, a guy drunk and got into a loud argument with another member of his family, while at the Bar.

Dinner at Atoll Market

Again, this was mid AF but good. However, the price for dinner for two – with one margarita and two sodas was $351.12. In. United. States. Currency. The. Fuck.

Stay

I’m going to be honest – I should have booked three nights at the Conrad Maldives and two nights at another hotel island. Not only was the hotel going through a major construction during the time of my stay. But, for the price you pay per night – there’s pretty much NOTHING complimentary to do, beyond the snorkeling gear and breakfast at Atoll Market in the morning.

And you’re shit out of luck unless you book specific dining options weeks before you arrive.

Beyond that, I felt that I was bleeding money left and right. The arranged trips were absurdly high. On principle, it was just something I could not rationalize paying that amount of money for.

For example, the Big Game Fishing excursion was $550+ per hour, minimum two hours and maximum six people. $1,100 for two hours on the ocean – when the average time for a good trip is four hours, making it $2,200, is on some wasted money timeline in a dimension I don’t live in. Now, it would be one thing if that fishing excursion included having your catch prepared by a resort chef. But, did it? Nope. Additional charge.

As for the al la carte foods, the prices on the menus were in USD, and they were high – even for being on an island that catered to tourism.

Honestly, the best part of the week was walking with my partner from one part of the atoll to another. But, you can only do that so many hours a day before you’re just out of things to do.

Another thing I found interesting was that the television had channels from the United Kingdom, India, Germany and beyond. During a particularly boring day, it was entertaining to flip through and watch the odd fishing and international cooking show.

Turns out that I’m not particularly built for extended island life. I started to get irrationally irritated on the fourth day. By the fifth, I was counting down the hours until I boarded the flight back to Male.

The problem is, I HATE FEELING TRAPPED. Especially, on an island in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The Conrad Hilton is VERY ISOLATED and felt EXTREMELY QUIET.

The happiest day of the week was when I arrived. The second happiest moment? When I left.

Checking Out: Always Check Your Hotel Bill!

On the glorious morning of check out, I requested a physical copy of the bill to review it. It’s then that I found NUMEROUS mistakes on my bill, totaling a little over $1,000. To say I was annoyed was an understatement.

Plus, I had to argue with getting Hilton Honors points on my hotel spend. The hotel tried to tell me that I couldn’t get it done, due to booking the hotel through AAA.

As a Hilton Honors Diamond member? Don’t fuck with me or my money. The manager lied and said that he would follow up with “headquarters” and “check on it”. Yeah, sure.

But, after getting the incorrect charges taken off my bill and walking toward the seaplane terminal, I felt relief as the end credits for my personal showing of The White Lotus: Maldives Edition began, in the screen of my mind.

Back in the United States, I later spent an hour on the phone on the Diamond line, getting my points – with an additional bonus of a few more thousand points –  due to the inconvenience of the matter.

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Afterword

It’s funny – looking at my notes and writing about this trip a few years later, I still remember everything in vivid detail. 2021 is so close, emotionally for me. But, what struck me most as I reviewed my journal about this trip is the following ruthlessly honest note:

“It was when we were flying over Greenland that I realized how many times I wanted to commit suicide this year, to see my mom again. To be held by her, see her face, and hear her voice again.

Right now, I feel so happy that I didn’t. But, the pain is so strong. The question of self worth is so strong – along with the question of my identity. 

Yes, this is my life. I am living the result of the greatest dreams of my ancestors. And –  I need to remember that. Moment to moment – this is what my mother wanted. My grandmother. My great grandmother. They wanted me to travel and live a rich and fulfilling life. I must remember that.

My mother is not gone. She’s with me, in a different form. I can’t see her – but, I will never forget her.”

Day by day, literally some times only by minutes, I survived.

Maybe, being at the Maldives was too much silence. Too quiet. Because I didn’t want to deal with the brute force of the grief.

But, in the quiet moments during the week, like listening to a rainstorm and watching water fall from the sky and into an impossibly turquoise ocean, I’m grateful for the moments I could allow my grief to relax and allow the wonders of Earth to water my soul.

“I’m going to try and explain this the best that I can – this place is transformative because it gives you the space to clean your energy, your intentions in life and be present in the very essence of the moment.”

For that, I’m grateful.

But still, I would highly suggest staying here a max of three days and then flying to another island for two more, to make your Maldives trip the best it can be.

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