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It’s almost never sunny in Paris

Is Air France Premium Economy worth it? (Flight Review | Paris CDG to Montreal | Boeing 777-200)

Hyder January 2, 2024

In this trip report, I'll review my last flight in Premium Economy on Air France from Paris CDG Airport to Montreal, Canada. Having flown Air France multiple times travelling back and forth to Mauritius, they’re still one of my favourite airlines despite the issues I’ve had with them over the years and they are significantly better than Air Canada. I also flew Air France’s Premium Economy earlier this year if you want to check out that review as well.

Some of the links below are Amazon affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I may receive a small commission from sales of certain items. Thank you for supporting the blog.

Priority Check-in and Luggage Drop Off

This benefit may or may not be worth it for you depending on the airport you're flying out of. Some busy North American airports can have very long lines for luggage drop off, specially if you're using the lines of Delta, Air France's partner.
Having upgraded last minute while I was already airside after security, I was not able to use the Skypriority luggage drop-off line at the Check-in counter. While the line was not particularly long, it would've saved me about 15 minutes of waiting.
Next time, I would upgrade before arriving at the airport because there was no one in the Skypriorty line and luggage drop-off would've been a breeze.

Priority Security

Depending on which airport you are flying out of, you'll likely have a dedicated Skypriority or Premium security line that you can use for faster access. This is really going to depend on how busy your departure airport is, sometimes it can save you an hour or more while other times it's not any faster than going through the regular security line.
When flying out of Paris, there are dedicated Skypriority lines everywhere at Paris CDG Airport that are accessible to Premium Economy Passengers. Most times I’ve gone through security in Paris CDG, the security line was usually short. However, I have transited through Paris CDG Airport before where the security line took over an hour to get through.
In those cases and if you hate waiting in line or have a very short layover, access to the Skypriority line is absolutely worth it. It also makes a difference if you are carrying a heavy backpack like I was. It makes the experience a little exhausting. If you can, I always suggest travelling with a rolling carry-on, your back will thank you!

If you are visiting France, you can purchase your eSIM on the Airalo App so you're connected as soon as you land and can call your Uber, use Google Maps and WhatsApp without searching for WiFi. If you sign up with my referral code C0887, you’ll get $3 USD off your first purchase!

Lounge Access

Unfortunately, Air France Premium Economy passengers do not benefit from complimentary lounge access. Air France probably wants to avoid overcrowding their Premium Lounges but they should offer some deal for lounge access. Your only option here is to pay the normal price. I feel like having lounge access would make paying for premium economy significantly more worth it, specially if you have a layover in Paris where you can shower, have lunch with an open bar and even take a nap at Air France's Lounge.

Boarding

You'll be assigned to Zone 2 boarding, which boards just after business class although they don't usually separate the Zone 1 & 2 boardings. Economy is usually Zones 3,4,5 but since it's a single line, people start lining up from up to an hour before so you may easily have to wait for atleast one to two hundred passengers to board first. Even if you are in Zone 3, the line is so crowded that you are not getting past everyone to board. I always enjoy this priority boarding perk. The stress of not having to line up early or wondering if you'll find enough space in the overhead bin is worth it to me.

I always leave an AirTag in my suitcase so that before boarding, I can track my luggage location using the Find My App to make sure it’s loaded on the plane (AirTags only work with iPhones but you can also use a Samsung SmartTag or a Tile). They are also useful to locate your luggage in case the airline loses them). In this case, the app showed my suitcase was just outside the gate so I was worry-free.

Boarding on this flight was speedy. The priority line was very short (around 10-15 people max) compared to at least 100 for economy and you can usually show up even after boarding has started and they'll let you right on without having to wait.
If you show up later during boarding, the line is usually empty but they keep it open for business and premium passengers so no worries there.

Cabin

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My flight was on the Boeing 777. While I tried to search for the layout on Seatguru to help me pick the best seat, I couldn't find this layout on their site (this plane had 4 rows in the Premium Economy Cabin).
I sat in the bulkhead row and right away I noticed there was no personal TV on the wall unlike my last Air France flight. The TV was in armrest instead. The bulkhead row provides a lot more leg room but at the cost of having to watch TV staring down as the arm is too short and the screen does not rise up to eye level. The worst part is you cannot use the TV during takeoff and landing because it has to be stowed away. The cabin is arranged in a 2-4-2 layout.

Amenities

At my seat were a pillow and blanket. The blanket we large and thicker than the one offered in economy. In between the two windows seats were a pair of noise cancelling headphones. I always travel with my own Sony Noise Cancelling Headphones as they do an excellent job at turning the engine rumble and cabin noise into a quiet whisper but the Air France ones they did look sturdy and they tend to work very well from prior experience.

A flight attendant passed by after takeoff to hand out complimentary amenity kits. These included a single use toothbrush, toothpaste and socks.

Basic Wifi for messaging is complimentary for ALL passengers

Once boarding was complete, we took off on time. A glass of Champagne on a tray was served immediately after takeoff along with a refreshing towel. A cabin crew member soon came by to ask if everything was ok and to let her know if I needed any help. I mentioned that their headphones port was splitting the sound unevenly and she quickly took note of it.
She provided some information on which lavatories were available for us and to feel free to walk around through the cabin during the flight. This is as a big improvement over my previous Air France Premium Economy flight where I was pretty much ignored for the first hour. The Premium Economy cabin had 3 lavatories available for the small cabin; a decent ratio as I rarely had to wait for more than 1 person to use the washroom.

Food

Lunch was served soon afterwards. After a subpar experience on Air Mauritius, I was pleasantly surprised by the meal on this flight. I had salmon risotto with bread and camembert cheese followed by a lava cake for dessert. Wine and beer was available with lunch but sadly no gin and tonics. For the digestif, mini Cognac bottles were served. Although the service was more personal and much quicker than economy, this is generally the same meal that is served in both cabins so nothing extra for flying premium here. By the time the pilot announced the lunch service for economy, the premium economy cabin had already been served lunch.

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Seat

I thought that these seats were similar to the other Air France Premium Economy seats but I was very wrong about that. While the seat is indeed very spacious, it reclines inside a hard shell. In fact it felt more like the seat slid down and forwards rather than reclined. It's hard to describe, it kind of feels like you're falling forwards and it's hard to sleep in that position. I kept waking up and my head fell forward throughout the flight since I didn't bring my travel pillow with me. It maybe works if you bring one and lean against the window but overall I didn’t manage to sleep comfortable. The seat next to me was empty and I found it more comfortable to rest my feet on them and sleep sideways despite the immovable armrest sticking up under my thighs. This seat needs a serious redesign!!

This Boeing 777 is noticeably louder than the A350 I had just flown on. The plane also felt much older. Since there were so many empty premium economy seats, I have to wonder if my flight was originally on a newer Boeing 777 without Premium Economy that had to be swapped for maintenance and that's why they didn't have enough time to sell all the seats in this cabin.

Snack

About 2 hours before landing in Montreal, we were served a snack consisting of a sandwich and drinking yogurt with choice of tea or coffee. It was nothing to write home about but the sandwich was better than the muffin and slice of cake they often served.

Overall, this premium economy flight was much better experience than my previous Premium Economy Experience on Air France. Although the plane and seat were not as good, the food and service was better. Of course their Business Class is an elevated experience with a lie-flat bed but I don't consider that necessary on a 7 hour flight.

CONCLUSION - WAS IT WORTH IT?

✅ FOR

  • Spacious Seats - Enjoy wider seats with ample legroom

  • Priority Check-in, Security and Boarding lines make the entire experience so much more calm and hassle free.

❌ AGAINST

  • Seats not comfortable for sleeping when “reclined”

  • No complimentary lounge access

  • Standard economy food offerings may disappoint some travellers.

The big value proposition here is skipping the lines for luggage, security and boarding while having wide, comfortable seats. If those are not important to you, it’s unlikely that you will find it worth your hard earned dollars.


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Whale shark shot on the DJI Osmo Action Camera

5 Reasons Why The DJI Osmo Action Camera Is Great For Scuba Diving! (A long term review)

Hyder December 30, 2023
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This post is for non professional photographers or for people who love to scuba dive as a hobby and do not want to lug around big and heavy camera equipment with lights onto dive boats. It's for regular scuba divers who just want to capture their dives in an efficient way while travelling light.
When I was searching for a decent compact camera to bring on my dives, there wasn't a lot of information specific for scuba divers. At the time, I was hesitant to buy a DJI camera because I had only heard about GoPros which were much more expensive. However, DJI is popular for making the best drones on the market and my DJI drone works well and has great image quality so I decided to buy the DJI Osmo Action camera and I have loved using it ever since. While there are now newer versions with improvements, the original is still an excellent option with a lower price.

The following is a review based on my personal experience and I am not a professional product reviewer. I paid full price for my DJI camera. Some of the links below are Amazon affiliate links. This means that, at zero cost to you, I may receive a small commission from sales of certain items. Thank you for supporting the blog.

So below are my 5 reasons why I think DJI Osmo Action is great for scuba divers! (and snorkellers too)

1. No red light filter required

If you've been on a dive boat, you've probably noticed other divers with a GoPro and a red square on their camera. This is because water absorbs red light as you descend and that is the reason why your underwater footage often looks very green! To offset this, many people add a red light filter in front of the lens to add back the lost colour.
With the DJI Action Camera, there is no need for all that because it has a built in underwater mode. Simply go into your settings on turn on the underwater mode. The icon looks like a little fish and voila! It will properly white balance your underwater footage by correcting for the lack of red underwater (it essentially adds a red/purple tint to your videos, which when used underwater, makes the colours appear normal). The main reason I don't recommend using a red light filter is because it adds an additional layer of glass that reduces the amount of light available. An action camera’s sensor is already small so the last thing you want is to reduce the light when filming in less than ideal situations like underwater and with potentially poor visibility.


2. Long lasting battery

The DJI Osmo Action has a long lasting battery which according to DJI, lasts for for up to 63 minutes when shotting at 4K/60fps. If you are doing 2 dives, which is very common at many popular dive tours around the world, that means a single battery is enough for both dives unless you are planning to film your entire dive from start to finish. I usually have over 50% battery remaining after 2 dives. But I think the most important reason for having a single battery that can last 2 dives is my next point, which is that it leads to


3. Reduced lens fog!

You might be wondering how long battery life leads to less lens fog? If you've been scuba diving in tropical countries, you know that these places tend to have very high humidity. Unfortunately for your camera, this extra humidity in the air can often fog up your lens during a dive as the warm air inside your camera housing condenses when operated in the colder water. The fix I found is to always seal/close your camera housing while you are inside your hotel room with the AC on high so no humidity makes it inside your camera case. (also works inside the car). This has always worked for me and I never need to use any fog strips. However, they key here is not to open your dive casing until you are done using your camera, this means no changing batteries while you are on the boat because as soon as you open the case, the warm humid air makes its way inside, ready to ruin the videos on your next time. So that’s why in my opinion, having a single long lasting battery is key!

4. Quick Record

One of the great features of this camera is that you can start recording even if camera is off. The camera has an auto off function that turns off the screen then puts the camera in standby to save battery. If you press the record button while the camera is off, it will turn on and start recording right away. Thus, you can leave it off during your dive to save battery and immediately start recording when you come across something interesting.


5. It does not freeze!

One of the cons of owning a GoPro is that they can sometimes freeze. I’ve read this online and also asked Divemasters about it. As a scuba diver, this is a big no no for me because once the dive starts, I cannot open the camera to take out the battery and wait for it to restart. With my DJI Osmo Action, I thankfully haven’t had this issue during the years I’ve owned it.

Cons

The one downside I have noticed is that the angle is not as wide as a GoPro. This applies to the original DJI Osmo Action but has been fixed in the newer DJI Osmo Action 3 and DJI Osmo Action 4. The wide angle is important if you shoot yourself in close range in selfie mode (like vlogging) but otherwise it’s not a big issue.

For a more budget friendly option, you can check out the Akaso EK7000 although the image quality, battery life and video stabilization are not as good but it is what I used before I could afford a better camera.

Good to Know

I often shoot in 4K resolution which is high enough that you can take screen captures for still photos from your videos. The camera itself is waterproof to 10m according to DJI although I would never use it without an underwater case (I use this one).

So there you have it, 5 reasons why I think this camera is great for Scuba Divers! If I missed anything or if you are thinking of buying one and have any questions, let me know below!

Sample Images I shot with the DJI Osmo Action

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Fulidhoo-Maldives-Scuba-Diving-Sharks-Screenshot_20221122-214104_Photos~2.jpg Fulidhoo-Maldives-Scuba-Diving-Sharks-Screenshot_20221122-211535_Photos~2.jpg Bull Shark Dive MexicoPlaya Del Carmen-16.jpg Fulidhoo-Maldives-Scuba-Diving-Sharks-Screenshot_20221124_214539.jpg Mauritius Scuba Diving_20230409_095539_Photos~3.jpg Mauritius Scuba Diving_20230409_101351_Photos~2.jpg Fulidhoo-Maldives-Scuba-Diving-Sharks-Screenshot_20221122-211648_Photos~2.jpg Fulidhoo-Maldives-Scuba-Diving-Sharks-Screenshot_20221122_214435~3.jpg Fulidhoo Maldives _Fulidhoo Maldives 1122-205357_Photos~2.jpg

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Air France Lounge Review (Paris CDG Terminal 2E Gates L)

Hyder December 27, 2023

In this post, I review the Air France Lounge in Terminal 2E at Paris CDG Airport. There are several lounges in Terminal 2E and not all of them have nap rooms. Read more so you can choose wisely!

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View of Fulidhoo Lagoon from my room at Luau Beach Inn

Exploring the Real Maldives: A review of Luau Beach Inn and Fulidhoo Island, Vaavu Atoll

Hyder December 27, 2023

Introduction

If you're seeking a genuine taste of the Maldives but a perfectly manufactured experience at an overwater bungalow on a private island does not mesh with your idea of travel (or budget), then meet Fulidhoo Island. This hidden gem offers a different experience that goes beyond the glossy brochures and high-end resorts.

In case you are not familiar with the Maldives, there are 2 types of vacation you can take; one is what you’ve probably seen on Instagram with overwater villas that easily cost over $10,000 USD for a week. These resorts are located on uninhabited private islands and are often reachable only by seaplanes. The other type of vacation is to stay on a local island at a still decent hotel for less than a quarter of that price. In this post, I’m going to talk about the second option.

Fulidhoo is the type of Island where you can see children playing carefree after school on the beach. The atmosphere is lively and peaceful. You'll find yourself chatting with local fishermen as they clean their catch with patient nurse sharks circling nearby for a free snack. You can easily find many hotels/guesthouses online on popular booking sites. Most will arrange a speedboat transfer to get you from Male Airport to the hotel. I have also dedicated a section below to comparing the costs if you’re on a budget.

Speedboat Transfer

The speedboat docks are located very close to the arrival section at the Male Airport. When you make your reservation at Luau Beach Inn, they will contact you to arrange your speedboat transfer to get to Fulidhoo from Male. At Male Airport, we were in contact with a representative via Whatsapp from the Speedboat company who greeted us at arrivals and showed us the way to the boat.

If you are not familiar with Whatsapp, it’s a text and calling app similar to iMessage except it works on any smartphone. The app uses data to communicate. I recommend setting it up before you leave home so that you can receive the confirmation sms before turning on flight mode.

Before arriving in the Maldives, you can purchase your esim ahead of time on the Airalo App and install it so you're connected as soon as you land and contact the hotel on Whatsapp without searching for WiFi. If you sign up with my referral code C0887, you’ll get $3 USD off your first esim purchase!

At the docks, we waited for a couple of other passengers. Our luggage was loaded in the front of the boat and locked away for the ride. Then we went off in the blue!

The speedboat schedule was as follows but always check with your hotel as it may change.

Airport To Fulidhoo: Saturday – Thursday 10 AM & 4 PM, Fridays 9 AM

Fulidhoo To Airport: Saturday – Thursday 7:30 AM & 1 PM, Fridays 6:30 AM

Note that this means if your arrival time is after 4 PM then you will need to stay in Male overnight. Also take note of the reduced service on Fridays. This can also be an issue if your international flight is departing Male very early in the morning on your return trip. The transfer costs $40 USD per person. I’ve written a separate section for budget and cost breakdown below.

Arrival at Fulidhoo

As the boat approached the shore, I spotted large stingrays making their way over to us. Right then, I knew this was going to be a special place. Luau Beach Inn is run by Linda and Ablo. Linda had been in contact with us since we made our reservation. She greeted us right at the dock and walked us to the lobby, she was so lively and welcoming. She’s one of those people with a charming vibe that makes you smile whenever you’re around them! Linda ensured our luggage was promptly transferred from the boat to the lobby.

Arrival at the Fulidhoo Island Dock

As we arrived, we were greeted by friendly stingrays who approached the boat

Fulidhoo’s stunning lagoon

LUAU Beach Inn

Luau Beach Inn Entrance

Luau Inn is located directly on the beach, right in front of an amazing white sand beach. After check-in, we visited our beautiful room that came with a balcony (although we didn’t use it much due to the mosquitoes). I recommend bringing bug spray and lots of sunscreen from home.

The people here are warm and friendly. The entire staff is very kind and helpful. During our stay, we got to chatting a bit and learned many of them had come from Sri Lanka or India to work here in the tourism industry. I had also accidentally dropped and cracked the waterproof housing of my action camera. Ablo contacted his parents in Male and asked them to check at the store if they could obtain a replacement case and have it delivered to us at Fulidhoo! This unexpected kindness exemplifies the genuine care extended to visitors at Luau Inn. Linda helped us plan our week of activities and diving. The weather forecast was not reliable so she forecasted the weather for us based on her master skills of checking the clouds on the weather map combined with the wind speed and direction. Surprisingly, she was correct and it rained on the days she warned us not to book any boat trips.

Keep in mind that there are no electronics shop here. There are also no ATMs so bring cash if needed. I booked most of my activities through the hotel so I paid with a credit card at the end of my stay but if you do other activities or want to eat somewhere else, you’ll need cash. Most shops will accept US dollars.

FOOD

Luau Beach Inn includes a free breakfast buffet that is served at the rooftop restaurant. Lunch and dinner are also served here and are a la carte. I found the food delicious with plenty of local dishes like Maldivian curry made from locally caught fish with roti (similar to flatbread) but softer, more pliable and flakey. Some pasta and spaghetti options were also available. Unlike private resorts that all add an additional 22% for service and tax to the advertised price, Luau’s prices already include all additional charges. As the Maldives in under Sharia Law, no alcohol is served here (this does not apply to private resorts). While I was searching for a hotel to stay at, I also checked reviews of Kinan Retreat nearby and The Pearl Guesthouse but in the end, I decided to choose Luau Beach Inn because the food seemed of much higher quality and I was definitely not let disappointed!

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ACTIVITIES

The main road

The atmosphere at Fulidhoo is very laid-back. It only takes a few minutes to walk around the island. The main road behind Luau has some souvenir shops and some cafes. You can watch the sunset on the West side of the island (at the end of the road) in the evenings. You won’t find any cars here.

You have plenty of activities here like leisurely walks around the island, kayaking, tanning or renting jet-skis. While I did not see any snorkelling spots on the South of the Island, the Northern side seems like a possibility although there’s a risk of strong currents. Paddleboards are also available for rent. There are several beaches right in front of Luau Inn where you can swim.

Note that because the Maldives is a Muslim country under Sharia Law, women are not allowed to wear bikinis at the beach. There are specially designated “bikini beaches” for tourists. Please ask at the front desk if you are unsure. (These rules do not apply when you are at a private resort)

The nightly fish cleaning ritual by local fishermen attracts nurse sharks and stingrays, creating a natural spectacle for guests to enjoy. I went every night after dinner. You’ll spot the stingrays in the shallows from the beach at the start of the dock. At the end of the dock visitors can observe the local fishermen as they clean their fresh catch under the shimmering moonlight while nurse sharks eagerly await their evening feast. This scent trail of chum attracts large nurse sharks to the area!

Nurse Sharks

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The nightly nurse shark “feeding” feels like a tourist attraction but rather the fishermen here are just cleaning their catch and throw the head and bones in the water.

Stingrays

In addition, Fulidhoo is also known as Stingray Island. Every day, boats bring loads of tourists to feed and touch these creatures. Although I chose not to participate in the feeding, as it appeared unregulated with numerous tourists touching the rays, you can still enjoy the view as a spectator. Similarly, nurse sharks also make an appearance. According to what the locals tell me, they do not benefit from this as the tour operators are the ones making the money. Further, they disturb the peace of this quiet island multiple times throughout the day. According to the locals, the stingrays are now dependent on the tours for food and will die if the tours stop feeding them.

Fulidhoo Maldives 1124_114507.jpg
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The stingray feedings have turned into an unregulated mass tourism activity with many tours arriving throughout the day

The stingray feedings have turned into an unregulated mass tourism activity with many tours arriving throughout the day

Excursions (off Island)

Scuba Diving with Nurse Sharks

Watersports and Excursions offered by Luau Inn

Passion Paradives Price List

In my opinion, Scuba Diving is the Ultimate Activity here. I wrote another detailed blog post about the best dive sites. You can book directly with Luau’s in-house dive shop called Paradives. They are located behind the lobby.

Luau offers many tours bookable at the reception. There is a large map of the area along with different activities that you can sign up for. They offer a Sandbank tour where you can have lunch on the Sandbank and it includes snorkelling with sea turtles. They also offer snorkelling trips to Shark Point to swim with nurse sharks. There is also a Dolphin Watching trip but Linda did not want to run the tour unless the dolphins were spotted otherwise we'd come back disappointed. We very much appreciated the honesty and not having wasted a day of our vacation.

During our week of diving, , I was unable to take any underwater photos or videos after my waterproof casing broke. Our divemaster Anna lent me her GoPro to take some of these stunning pictures below and I was so incredibly grateful for her generosity!

The Turtle Snorkelling Excursion

Chilling at the Sandbank

Chilling at the Sandbank

There was only us and 1 couple on the Sandbank

There was only us and 1 couple on the Sandbank

The Stunning Beauty of the Maldives

The Stunning Beauty of the Maldives

dji_fly_Fulidhoo+Maldives+1122_001644_574_1669103951233_photo.jpg
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You can snorkel with Nurse sharks at Shark Point

You can snorkel with Nurse sharks at Shark Point

DRONE

If you have a drone, make sure to bring it with you. You can fly right over the beach in front of Luau. Fly often as you can spot bait balls of fish, sharks, and stingrays in the water. There is no airport on the island and no seaplane flights so you don’t need to worry about airplanes. You need to fill out the form from the Maldives Authority before arriving. I recommend taking your drone on excursions as well to snap some impressive shots like this one below of the Nurse shark tailing our boat.

Maldives Fulidhoo Luau Inn Jetski.jpg Fulidhoo Shark Point Nure Shark Drone DJI.jpg

BUDGET

You might be wondering if you can you do the Maldives on a Budget? While it won’t be as cheap as places like Thailand, the answer is Yes! If you are looking for the overwater bungalow on a private island experience, there is no way around that. Those will easily cost you thousands of dollars. But if you are looking to visit the Maldives for a chance to enjoy some of the best scuba diving in the world, you can still achieve that by staying at islands like Fulidhoo. Below is a breakdown of the costs and a comparison to the prices for a resort. I am using The Westin Maldives prices for comparison.

Price ($ USD)

Private Resort

Speedboat Transfer

$40 pp each way

$500 Seaplane Flight

Hotel – Luau Inn

$97/night

Starting at around $500 per night

Scuba Dive (1 Dive)

$66

$146 (almost 3 times the price)

Snorkeling Boat Trip

Starting at $35

Food

Starting at $10 per meal. Free Breakfast

Breakfast alone costs over $30

As you can see, the prices are significantly lower at a local island compared to a resort. I’ve also included the price lists below.

Fulidhoo Maldives _1999.jpg Fulidhoo Maldives _2001.jpg Fulidhoo+Maldives+_2034.jpg

About Fulidhoo…

As I mentioned above, The Maldives is a Muslim Country under Sharia Law. This means no pork or alcohol allowed unless you’re on a private island and swimming or walking around in Bikinis is restricted to the Bikini Beach only. While I was not personally bothered, I know some people would never dream of going on vacation if they cannot have alcohol. I also heard about boat bars which allows you to come onboard for a drink but that might be more for the very popular islands like Maafushi.

The local mosques announce the call to prayer from their speakers five times a day. The earliest one starts before sunrise, which means if you are a light sleeper like me, you will find yourself waking up every day at around 4 am. The call to prayer is followed by the prayer 10 minutes later. The mosque is located right next to Luau Beach Inn and the speakers are loud enough to be heard all over the island. One of the speakers faces directly onto the rooftop restaurant so I’d suggest asking for the schedule at Luau to avoid dining during those times.

The pollution

As much as I loved Fulidhoo, there are good and bad sides to everything. It wouldn’t feel right to only write about the positives while ignoring the negatives. Fulidhoo, like many islands, struggles with plastic waste. Local islands in the Maldives often burn their waste. During our trip, we could see the rising smoke and smell the fumes of burning plastic. Luau Inn takes a commendable step towards sustainability by eliminating the use of plastic. We were given metal water bottles as a gift on arrival. Walking around Fulidhoo, specially on the North side, we could see a lot of garbage dumped on the beaches. From what I was told, drinking water is shipped to the island in plastic bottles.

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Fu%3Blidhoo+Beach+Garbage.jpg

The island is disappearing…

If you’ve ever doubted that sea levels are rising, a visit here will clear all your doubts. Here you can truly see the effects of climate change as they attempt to prevent the island from disappearing. Talking to the locals, they mentioned that the beach had disappeared before and the water came up to the lobby of Luau Inn. As the sea levels rise, the government has hired crews to pump up sand from the deep ocean floor to rebuild the beach. This has been done before at Fulidhoo but it only lasted several months until the beaches were taken back by the sea. The beaches on the North side of the island are pretty much completely gone.

Fulidhoo is in a race against time as it tries to rebuild its disappearing beaches in a bid to slow the effects of rising sea levels

In the top right of the image, you can see the ship connected to the floating pipe pumping up sand from the ocean floor

The beaches on the North side have eroded away

The beaches on the North side have eroded away

Sand is being pumped up to rebuild this area that was once a beach but is now under water

Sand is being pumped up to rebuild this area that was once a beach but is now under water

During our stay, it was a common sight to see these huge excavators driving past us on the beach

During our stay, it was a common sight to see these huge excavators driving past us on the beach

Fulidhoo+Maldives+1120_154035.jpg
The rock wall is not enough to prevent the sand from eroding

The rock wall is not enough to prevent the sand from eroding

When’s the best time to visit?

We visited mid to end of November and we did receive some rain. Earlier during the trip, we had more rainy days than at the end. I personally would avoid going during the rainy season. The dry season is supposed to run from December to March (this is also the high season so expect higher prices).

Conclusion

In the heart of the Maldives, Luau Beach Inn and Fulidhoo Island stand out as a place to experience the authentic Maldives. It's a place where genuine hospitality comes together with some of the best scuba diving in the world. From swimming to watching the fishermen feed the nurse sharks, I will forever treasure my memories of this place. But don’t wait too long to visit as the island is disappearing. This place is definitely on my list of places to revisit and I can only hope it will still be there when that day comes.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask below!

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In Travel, Reviews, Diving Tags Nurse Sharks, Stingrays, Maldives, Fulidhoo
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