We started to look at operators offering last minute holidays. We picked Holiday Island in South Ari Atoll. Everything was great, apart from possibility for paying more for shorter flight through Dubai. We sticked with original plan to fly to Düsselforf, then to Abu Dabi and finally to Male. That was major pain. All together, with waiting for about 3 hours in Male for local flight (about 30min) to Maamigili and nice experience with boat ride to next island Dhiffushi, it took about 23 hours.

View of Male from "airport island". When I took this photo, I had no clue we will get there on our last day and see it nicely up close. Well, nothing about being there was nice - it was loud, ugly and more smelly than places we have seen in India. Or, maybe I forgot how smelly India was. I pity travellers who experience just this side of Maldives.

Local flight was pleasant, occasionally offering glimpses of other islands. Most memorable part was that after getting off we were lead directly to waiting boats (without seeing our luggage) and went to our resort. We were offered seats and while paperwork was handled, our luggage arrived.

Here we come! Last 200 meters.

Look back...

Reception area.

We were accommodated in bungalow No 191. Not bad inside. Also sea is just 6-8m away. But beach was full of sharp shards from corals. And Zuzka hated the view - island with airport and with some ship scrape yard.

It was nicely hidden in foliage and beach started immediately.

Did we pay for this?

Fortunately, Zuzka overheard receptionist telling somebody if they don't like their accommodation, they can ask for a change. So we did. But it took a few days, due to "Come tomorrow, we will see if anything is available", "Manager is not here tonight, try tomorrow".

Finally, we got to bungalow 169, at opposite direction. It was about 100m to water (half of that was in shade) and we did not have direct view of sea, but it was much better.

You could ask "What prevented you to go to other side, from your first bungalow?. Well, it was not laziness. On island, where there are only 2 sun beds per bungalow, we had feeling we are entering private property of another holiday makers.

Our second accommodation. Notice clean and swept sand. They did that every morning.

Well, accommodation is settled. Let's go for dinner and see other eating/drinking possibilities. (I did not take a camera to breakfast or dinner, so cannot show what we ate. Even if I took it, when I see the food, I forget about taking pictures until it is too late ;-)

Restaurant

Bar. I did not spend much time there. I was going there only to buy water ($4 per bottle!) and to use only WiFi on island.