Turnaround info: MLE

[Kyo]

I don't think anyone in this thread has gone/is giong to MLE just to earn miles!

*raises hand*

[Kiwi]

I don't think anyone in this thread has gone/is giong to MLE just to earn miles!

I did, well that and to visit a different airport.

[phaleesy]

Flying NRT-SIN-MALE. Where do I get my boarding pass for MALE-SIN issued? On a different PNR, so presumably NRT staff would not want to do that?

No hand luggage, so if I have a boarding pass on hand, I'd just get off the plane, walk round to departures without clearing immigration?

[Kiwi]

Try at SIN. You may or may not succeed. I'd also check at SIN that SQ is aware you are flying straight back. That may save time (I had to wait a while for someone to come through to the arrivals hall with my boarding pass).

At MLE arrivals there is a passage to departures at the far left. I am not sure how they would react if you took yourself through there. I was asked to wait in the arrivals hall (before immigration) and was escorted through.

The lounge is up a further level and is okay.

[SuperJonJon]

Try at SIN. You may or may not succeed. I'd also check at SIN that SQ is aware you are flying straight back. That may save time (I had to wait a while for someone to come through to the arrivals hall with my boarding pass).

At MLE arrivals there is a passage to departures at the far left. I am not sure how they would react if you took yourself through there. I was asked to wait in the arrivals hall (before immigration) and was escorted through.

The lounge is up a further level and is okay.

I too was not able to get my return ticket at SIN. Had the same experience as Kiwi where we had to wait in the arrivals hall.

[jhm]

So I've just booked through Vermillion a hotel in the capital, Male which is about 10 minutes by boat from the airport island. I chose one of the hotels offered - the Hotel Fresco - which is much cheaper than the Hulhule at US$129 for the night plus US$11 for the roundtrip boat transfer from the airport.

My Sri Lankan flight arrives MLE at 1:10am and Vermillion will - so they say - meet and greet at the airport. I shall see!

And so they did. A bloke with a signboard with my name and two others. I sat around waiting for about 10 minutes (whilst he was waiting for others) and then he took me to the motorboat transfer (10 minutes). And then a taxi to the hotel (5 minutes). Boat and taxi costs all settled by him of course. After arriving at around 1:10, I was in my hotel room by 2:00.

The Fresco is very basic but functional - ensuite toilet/shower, double bed, access to the net via the local telco wifi (you need to buy a card from reception or the shops - Rf 95, around US$7 for 24 hours) and aircon.

It's tucked away somewhere amongst a maze of little streets so you'll need to walk about 20-30 minutes to get to the jetty (at least, that's how long it took me meandering around to get there). A taxi back to the hotel cost Rf 25 (around US$2).

Edit: I just re-read Kyo's TR - the motorboat which I took is a "dhoni".]

[jhm]

For the return trip, the Vermillion person turned up without warning (although around the time I expected) at my hotel.

Escorted from the hotel via taxi and dhoni back to the airport. He even wanted to walk me right up to the check-in counter at MLE but I assured him I was capable of doing that! I was given a farewell gift of a set of Maldivian stamps.