Still in disbelief that we were actually in one of the most sought after beach destinations in the world, me and my buddy lounged on the al fresco dining area of Clear Sky Inn, our home in Hulhumale. We were having a nice time listening to an acoustic duo performing contemporary songs after our lovely dinner. We lounged and enjoyed the company of Maldivian crowd who were having their coffee night as well. It was our first night in Maldives and we’ve been mentally preparing for an eight-day hiatus from alcoholic drinks, and a mocktail of Red Bull Mojito I was sipping calmed my spirit.
Me
and my buddy were at the peak of our two-month Beach Hop Asia 2016 summer
backpacking trip. After exploring some islands in Malaysia, Thailand and Sri Lanka, I was thrilled to finally set foot on the paradise of Maldives.
Planning
for a great DIY Maldives getaway can be hard especially if you’re on a tight
budget. We had eight days and after so much planning and re-planning, we
finally came up with an exciting route that will let us experience the
postcard-worthy scenery and local Maldivian culture at the same time. I made a
rough DIY Guide on Backpacking in Maldives on my previous post which will
definitely help those who are on a tight budget.
Coming
from Ibrahim Nasir International Airport, we were collected by a van that
brought us to our transit hotel on the same reclaimed island of Hulhumale. We
were only be spending a night at Clear Sky Inn for we will be exploring the
nearby atolls in the next few days. FYI, the Maldives consists of 1,190 coral
islands that is grouped into a double chain of 26 atolls (a string of closely
spaced small coral islands) spread over 90,000 square kilometers in Indian
Ocean.
We
were then brought to our inn in minutes (we paid extra for this service). After
we processed our booking, I exchanged Maldivian Rufiyaa and found that
they have competitive rates compared to those they have at the airport.
Clear
Sky Inn is a boutique hotel located in Hulhumale (the first reclaimed island in
the Maldives where Ibrahim Nasir International Airport is located). It is
conveniently located near the airport and is two minutes away on foot to
Hulhumale Beach making it the perfect accommodation whether for transit or hub
for Maldives excursions.
The key to our room was given to us and then we settled immediately. Our Superior Room (check for discounted rates here) had all the basic necessities for a comfortable stay. We had a huge queen-sized bed, AC, TV with local and international channels, seating area, in-room safe, coffee and tea-making facilities, mini bar with fridge, wardrobe closet and a private veranda.
|
| Superior Room |
 |
| En suite toilet and bath |
After
our two-week curry diet in Sri Lanka, we were both craving for fast food
comfort food so we ordered All Meaty Pizza (MVR145 | US$9.42) and Grilled Beef
Steak (MVR140 | US$9.09). Everything was good especially the pizza. All
cravings were fully satiated on that hefty dinner.
 |
| All Meaty Pizza (MVR145) |
 |
| Griled Beef Steak (MVR140) |
 |
| Red Bull Mojito (MVR65) |
 |
| We were serenaded by a cool acoustic duo that night. |
I
slumped into the bed right after the catching up sesh and slept calmly, recuperating
from our accumulated exhaustion the past month. We woke up to the sound of our
alarm clock that signaled our departure. I quickly packed my rather unpacked
backpack and headed to Sky Café Restaurant for the complimentary breakfast while taking my morning nutritional needs, Prodigy 5.
I
went outside Clear Sky Inn while waiting for my meal to arrive. Hulhumale was
deserted and the gentle waves broke the serene morning. There’s this feeling
inside me that I needed to explore the neighborhood but the brief time we had
wasn't permitting me to do so. That was a mistake ‘coz we never went back to
Hulhumale after our island getaway.
Saying goodbye to the island that welcomed us during our first hours in Maldives, we grabbed a taxi and headed to the port area where we took a ferry to Male to hop into another ferry for our local island adventure. Our stay at Clear Sky Inn was short but definitely sweet and I am definitely sure that we will come back again, hopefully in the near future.
Clear Sky Inn (check for discounted rates here)
HM
Lot 11118, Male International Airport,
Hulhumale,
Maldives, 23500
Contact
Number: (+960) 335.0300
Email
Address: info@clearskyinn.com
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