Malé Beach Travel

Maldives Sharing: Highly Recommend Centara Grand Island and My Travel Agent!! 🌟 I went to the Maldives in May~ After picking and choosing islands for ages, I finally booked Centara Grand! 🥳 Room type: 2 nights in a Duplex Beach Villa + 2 nights in a Club Sunset Water Villa with a pool 🏊♂️ All-inclusive on a quasi-five-star island ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Over 12,000 RMB per adult Our trip was for two adults, and those five days and four nights on the island were pure relaxation—total "lie-flat" vacation mode 😌 The all-inclusive package comes with one free offshore activity: either whale shark snorkeling or a sunset cruise (choose 1) 🚤 I picked the sunset cruise: sailing out in the evening, watching the sunset paint the sea while sipping champagne… so romantic 🍾🌅 The island has four restaurants with different vibes: a buffet, Italian, teppanyaki, and Thai 🍴 Travel guides raved about the Thai spot before I went, and wow—my taste buds were conquered! 👅 Authentic flavors that hit the spot, every dish was a (taste bud surprise), and we cleaned our plates completely. Easily the most amazing food experience of the trip! Snorkeling time: Mornings are best 🌞 🤿 Snorkeling spot tips: Beginners, start from the shallow water in front of the water villas to get the hang of it. Then head to the deep water via the stairs behind the diving center—so many fish there! 🐠 It’s smart to hire a dive guide in deep water (20-50 USD)—safety first! 🛟 Diving gear must-haves: Strongly recommend a full-face snorkel mask—breathe through your nose, super easy! 😮 My husband insisted on a half-mask with a tube, and he kept choking on seawater… total suffering 😂 2mm snorkeling socks are enough. And always wear long-sleeve tops and pants—otherwise, sunburn in seconds! 🔥 We brought thin long-sleeve surf suits, which were perfect. The water’s warm this season, so they felt great~ If you go when it’s cooler… Don’t forget gloves! We skipped them, and our hands got so tanned 😭 For underwater photos, skip the fancy stuff—a 100+ RMB waterproof phone case from Taobao works amazing! 📸 Great quality, unbeatable value! Pre-trip essentials checklist ✅ ✓ Meds: Mosquito repellent, stomach medicine, Banlangen, ibuprofen. I didn’t use any (no mosquito bites either!), but better safe than sorry! 🩹 ✓ Disposable underwear: Lazy person’s BFF! Change daily, zero hassle 🧦 ✓ Outfits: Big straw hat is a must—cute for photos and sun protection! 👒 Rent or bring a GoPro—game-changer for underwater shots 🎥 ✓ One pair of slippers is enough! Walking barefoot in the sand villas feels so good—everyone does it 👣 ✓ Wifi tips: Full coverage on the island, but Male city has weak signal (hotels have it though). Grab international roaming in advance! 📶 ✨ Honest experience: Five days and four nights were way too short! Centara Grand isn’t a 6-7-star luxury island—rooms aren’t huge or "Instagram-famous"—but they’re cozy and comfortable. The snorkeling value? Unbeatable! 🤩 Totally worth it for your budget, and I’d 100% go back! P.S. Shoutout to my travel agent! 🙌 So lucky to find someone this reliable—she locked in Centara Grand for me, and the snorkeling, food, and stays were all on point. When I had a last-minute luggage issue before departure, she fixed it in a flash. Thank you, thank you, thank you! 🙏 #Maldives #CentaraGrandIsland #IslandTravelEssentials