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Honeymoon Series 1 – KURUMBA MALDIVES RESORT

by Claire Chanelle

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TRAVEL: CASHMERE TRACKSUIT – DENIM SHIRTCARDIGAN SNEAKERS SUNNIES CHANEL WOC – SUITCASE

SPOTTED ON CELEB DRESS and SUNNIES

STRIPPED PLAYSUIT

BLACK & BLUE ONE PIECE SUMARIE

BLUE BIKINI (size medium) and SUNNIES (my fave brand of sunglasses)

PRINTED BIKNI (size10) and HAT and CHANEL CLUTCH

PARIS PINEAPPLES SHORTS

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Finally it’s here and I am sharing my honeymoon trip with you. As you know we visited three countries but I will be separating the article into three Maldives posts, one Sri Lanka and one India post. Today I am sharing the first destination of our trip. I have also created a YouTube video (eek) and you can see my first ever you tube video on Sunday. It’s my first ever video so I hope you are excited? I will also be publishing the second part of my Maldives holiday on the blog.

We visited the Maldives first and the Kurumba Maldives Resort was our first destination.

To start the trip I have to mention that this was my first ever experience flying in business class. I was so excited. Before experiencing flying business I could not warrant spending so much on the upgraded tickets, it’s literally more than double the economy price but unfortunately I have to say it made a huge difference. I was sitting, actually laying down thinking how am I am ever going to travel economy again! I totally related to the saying “once you fly business there is no going back.” Let my clarify I will be going back, as much as it was a dream we can not afford to travel like this each time. Do not even get me started on the First Class BA flight, oh my gosh it was better than my lounge at home and that’s making a strong statement right there. But more of the First Class fight later. We flew with British Airways, I really love flying BA; I never have any complaints. I really enjoyed the flight, I was comfortable, Paris did’t feel anxious like he usually does and when we landed I felt rested and ready to go. When I usually fly I am full of anxiety and feel totally drained and ready to sleep. Our suitcases were first on the belt and the upgraded also means you are allowed to check in more cases for free… yesss.

I hate to admit it but the extra cost does seem worth the money and I recommend flying BA.

THAT FLYING BUSINESS CLASS RULE

Seeing as this is ultimately a fashion blog that’s take this moment to discuss that unspoken rule. I am fully aware that flying business means you make that extra effort in regards to what you wear. Once you are on the plane you hang up your outfit and change into pjs. We didn’t do this becuase I had enough luggage and didn’t want an extra outfit in my bag. I wore a cashmere tracksuit and had two CHANEL bags with me so I was hardly a total scruff bag. I did ignore the (unspoken) dress code and yes we were the only ones in the business cabin who didn’t dress smart. To read more about my travel luggage click here.

ARRIVING AT THE KURUMBA

After a dreamy flight we arrived at what can only be described as the best airport I have ever seen. You are immediately greeted with that Maldivian clear blue water. I was beyond eager to get to the hotel because visiting the Maldives has been on my bucket list for years. Of course this country is made up of separate islands therefore you have to travel via boat, sea plane or both to get to your hotel. This in it’s self is exciting. The Kurumba (don’t you just love that name) is the first island, basically the nearest island to Male where the airport is. I was relieved to know that it would only take 15 mins to reach the hotel. Paris under no circumstance was getting on a sea plane. This is really important to know when you are booking your Maldives trip. You need to bare in mind that you will fly for ten hours so if you are like us, we wasn’t keen on arriving in the Maldives to travel some more. Some islands are an hour or two hours boat journey away and of course some are so far you have to take the sea plane. Paris is beyond terrified of flying and we will not entertain the idea of a sea plane. If you feel the same then this limits what hotels you an travel to. There are over 100 resorts located in different atolls in the Maldives, it’s so hard to pin point which hotel is perfect for you. The sea plane situation should help narrow your search and maybe after you have read my two hotel reviews and seen my video you will fall in love with the Kurumba Maldives Resort and Velassaru.

We hoped on the Kurumba boat, no one else was on the boat and it felt so luxe arriving on this incredible boat. The hotel greeted us with coconut sorbet with pearl spoons, real pearl spoons. I was desperate to take this spoons home but the shop only had the folks in stock. Look out for them if you visit the hotel.

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OUR ROOM

We stayed in the Deluxe Pool Villa. This villa is bigger than my flat in London and the garden is the same size as my mums garden at home. They had covered our bed in flowers to wish us a happy honeymoon. You have your own pool which is not a plunge pool it’s a full on pool. There was an outdoor shower, generous size bathroom with two sinks, huge bed, two huge TVs and a lounge area. The terrace was big and we had a view on the beach and the ocean.

There are different rooms to choose from, click here to see the there options. 

Each room has a matching sun lounger, this means no one will touch your sun space and you can claim your loungers. We used to move ours around and find private corners. There are so many little hideaway corners where you can feel alone and totally relax. The sand is pure white and water is just like you imagine the Maldives to look.

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THE FOOD

I am not a foodie and never talk about food. I always loose weight on holiday because I don’t get hungry in the sun and I am fussy eater due to suffering from Crohn’s disease and allergies. Well this totally change in the Maldives. The food was I N C R E D I B L E at the Kurumba Maldives Resort and it’s terrible to think that this is one of the things I think about the most when I look back on this holiday. The menu’s were huge and there are 13 dining options, we didn’t even have time to try them all out. The food was beyond amazing and the coffee at the Thila was out of this world, make sure you try that. The food was so fresh and I didn’t stop eating, this was an absolute first for me. I also didn’t feel unwell which is a massive thing for me as my Crohn’s always irritates me.

Not only was I pleased with the food Paris was too. Paris and I have total opposite taste in foods, therefore pleasing us both is difficult. There is so much choice that you can not go wrong. The restaurants and food at this hotel is one of it’s strong points. This is great for obvious reasons but remember in the Maldives you are confined to your resort and what they have to offer. The Kurumba Maldives Resort offers more than enough choice and you won’t feel bored where the food is concerned.

One tip I will give you is try and book your trip as an all inclusive. We were all inclusive and we were really pleased with that choice. We had heard that is was quite expensive in the Maldives and it was. The food and drink would have totalled to a high amount if we had paid as we ordered. It’s better to book all inclusive because then you do not need to worry. This reminds me; when we had our first lunch (pictured below) I whispered to Paris “are you sure we do not need to pay for this”. The presentation and quality did not feel like is was inclusive, this hotel doesn’t have that all inclusive vibe, no wrist bands, no plastics cups everything feels luxury and the staff always remembered who you were and what room you were staying in.

This is the first time I have managed to talk so long about food.

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OUTFITS

In the Maldives you want to achieve maximum relaxation so I planned on wearing a bikini and denim shorts all week. I kept my looks relaxed and didn’t wear make up. Here are a few of my favourite looks. You can shop the looks in the credits above.

This maxi dress is from Spotted on Celeb. It was cool and easy to wear but the detail made it chic and nice for a lunch look. My sunnies are £20 from ElleBelle Attire.

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I was traveling for three weeks so I made sure I packed lotss of light weight and easy to pack bits. This playsuit was perfect for the evening and under £20.

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I loved wearing this bikini which you can buy here. The bra offers so much support and it’s a perfect fit. I usually don’t wear bikini more than once but I wore this bikini so many times because it’s comfy and good quality.

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ACTIVITIES

One of the reasons we chose this resort was because it seemed fun and active. Paris is really active on holiday, the below photo saids it all; him doing all the work whilst I sunbath. I loved, loved, loved the paddle boarding it was os much fun, we did it every single morning. This is totally free and apart of your stay.

We also went on a boat trip where we swam with SHARKS. This is a whole story on it’s own. First of all I wore a fashion bikini which was a bad idea because it fell off every time I jumped off the boat, shoulda worn my Seafolly one but lesson learnt.

Paris told me we were going snorkelling. I am terrified of the sea, I don’t know why I just feel like I don’t know what’s coming and something (a shark) will eat me. Paris assured me we would just see corals and small fish. Paris is a professional rescue diver, he is fearless (apart from planes but that is down to a family tragedy) so I just clung onto him. It was a brilliant experience, I saw so many Doreen fish. This was all fun and laughter until one of the guides said “swim slowly there is a shark” SHARK WHAT, I looked back and couldn’t see it. I then couldn’t relax and keep looking being me and that’s when I saw it, it was moving in that side ways shark motion. I shared this story on snapchat and some of you said don’t worry they are just small. I saw these small sharks at the next hotel and they were not the same, the one I saw on this trip was big, well half the size of me. This was enough to make me panic and I got back on the boat. It was totally safe and everyone else stayed in the sea. Apparently they are just baby sharks and harmless.

We did so much during our three day stay. This resort was totally child friendly but if like us you don’t have children there are plenty of romantic spots to stay away from the activities.

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THE SPA

I saved the best until last, the Veli Spa. I was so distracted by the day activities at this resort that I didn’t think about the spa. I had the biggest shock of my life because this was hands down the best spa I have ever experienced.

I love the spa, I have spa treatments at home, it’s one of my favourite things to do and every time I travel visit as many spas as possible.

Our spa treatment started off at the main spa, we had tea in our robe before we were driven to the beach. We booked a couples full body massage “spa under the stars.” If it wasn’t our honeymoon we would never have booked this treatment because it was $480 for two. I can not stress enough how amazing and incredibly perfect this was, it was a fantastic experience and totally made my stay. When I look back at my entire honeymoon this is within the top three moments. If you are traveling to such a luxury and expensive destination, trust me and book this treatment. I know it’s expensive but the experience will stay with you and it is something I will no forget.

We walked up to beds that were located on the end of a pier, we were surrounded with candles and all we could hear was ocean moving. Forget music playing, we could hear the actual ocean and feel the cool breeze. The treatment lasted 105 mins and when I woke up it was totally dark and I had no idea because the I had an eye mask on and the weather still felt warm. This was indeed a massage under the stars which I have never before experinced.

We were led to the end of the pier where I thought we would head back to the room. I saw candles on the beach with a huge cushion and candles in the shape of a heart. I said to Paris ah look at that, someone having a romantic beach night. I had no idea it was for us because I didn’t book the treatment or read the description. This was the perfect ending to the most perfect massage. It was one of the most romantic evenings of our entire trip. We popped champagne and ate chocolate covered strawberries. I will remember this night forever and I guarantee this will be a hard spa treatment to beat. If you visit this hotel and do not book this treatment… well you can’t it’s unthinkable.

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I was so sad to leave this little paradise but I was excited for the next island. Stay tuned for my next review on our stay with the Vellussaru.

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CC xx

Thank you to the Kurumba Maldives Resort for having us.

Thank you to Good Results PR for the perfect planning.

Remember the Youtube video for this trips launches this Sunday.

 

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3 comments

Adele March 16, 2016 - 2:05 pm

I’ve been to the Maldives a couple of times & for me, it is as close to paradise as you can get! I loved your honeymoon snaps Claire, you had such gorgeous beach wear (I love all your snaps!), but I’m so crap on Snapchat, I don’t know how to use it/reply, only how to watch the Snaps! Could you let me know where Paris’s pineapple swim shorts were from please?
Can’t wait for your YouTube videos – your Snaps about them have had me in stitches!
Hugs Adele xoxo

Reply
Chouquette March 17, 2016 - 10:16 pm

I have listed his swim shorts in the credits at the start “Paris Swim Shorts” There is also a photo of them in the widget under the credits, click on the photo and it will take you to the shorts. x

Reply
kate April 6, 2016 - 1:06 pm

you are so pretty i love your sexy look

Kate Dawson
Discovercoupon.com

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