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You are at:Home»Maldives»Maiden flight with seaplane on the Northern Maldives
Maldives

Maiden flight with seaplane on the Northern Maldives

Walter SchaererBy Walter SchaererMay 1, 201503 Mins Read
Maiden flight with seaplane on the Northern Maldives 1 | travel memo
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We had the pleasure of accompanying the maiden flight of a Trans Maldivian Airways seaplane from Malé in the high northern atolls of the Maldives: We landed in the luxurious Hideaway Beach Resort & Spa, where a full-blown reception committee, including a local “band”, was waiting for us. Here’s how that sounds like…

The island of Dhonakulhi, with the elegant Hideaway Beach Resort, lies over one flight hour north of the capital of Malé. Until now the resort could also be reached with a Trans Maldivian Airways domestic flight, with a layover and a half-hour transfer by speedboat.

Now that’s not bad, but… since April 2015 the island can also be flown to directly from Malé three times per day with a seaplane. The incoming flight over the many atolls is an experience in itself, as the 15-seat monoplane really flies closely above the scattered isles, thereby providing the best view of the turquoise spectacle.

Maldivian islands

Maiden flight with seaplane on the Northern Maldives 2 | travel memo
Maiden flight with seaplane on the Northern Maldives 3 | travel memo
Maiden flight with seaplane on the Northern Maldives 4 | travel memo
Maiden flight with seaplane on the Northern Maldives 5 | travel memo

Hideaway General Manager Carsten Schieck had personally taken the initiative to allow his outlying resort to be flown to directly. The fact that he has already been successfully working in Maldivian resorts for 13 years certainly helped.

In any case, local tourism managers envy the Hideaway for its busy German GM and his wife. Among other things, she works as a resort photographer and has a good eye for harmonious shots.

Island hopping in the DHC-6 Twin Otter

These planes originally developed by De Havilland Canada in 1965 are clearly not only designed to take off and land on remote Canadian lakes, but their STOL features (short takeoff and landing) make them an ideal method of air transport in the Maldives, too.

The planes, which originally fit 19 passengers, only seat 15 here to make room for all the sunseekers’ luggage. However, hard suitcases are discouraged as soft travel bags are easier to stow away.

The pilots are especially a sight to see: Their uniform consists of highly fashionable sunglasses and white dress shirts, with dark blue Bermuda shorts, and sandals if necessary so as not to burn their feet on the hot landing jetties.

But then, they always fly barefoot…

Cockpit of the seaplane
Cockpit of the seaplane
Barefoot pilot in the Maldives
Barefoot in the air: Maldivian seaplanes

The sky at your fingertips, or rather the tips of your toes…

Celebratory reception of the maiden flight

The passengers of the maiden flight were welcomed with all the local pomp: A band provided the local musical colour in the elegant lobby while resort management gathered to greet the guests and pilots.

Coconut milk and cool towels were handed out during the musical performance. It cannot get any better than that!

Reception jetty for seaplanes and speedboats
Reception jetty for seaplanes and speedboats
Maiden flight with seaplane on the Northern Maldives 6 | travel memo
Maiden flight with seaplane on the Northern Maldives 7 | travel memo
Maiden flight with seaplane on the Northern Maldives 8 | travel memo
Maiden flight with seaplane on the Northern Maldives 9 | travel memo

And the guests were then given this musical welcome:

Experience Flight
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Previous ArticleWinterwonderland in Sixt Fer à Cheval, Haute-Savoie, south-eastern France
Next Article Water or beachside villa at the Hideaway Beach Resort & Spa?
Walter Schaerer
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Walter’s extensive background in the travel industry, passionate enthusiasm for photography and a firm belief that luxury destinations can also be affordable; were some of the main factors that motivated him to create the travel blog travelmemo.com. In his day job, Walter is an online marketing manager based in Zurich, Switzerland.

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Welcome to our travel blog! Katja & Walter are passionate about one-of-a-kind travel experiences.



We aim at inspiring you to travel, too, and see your own world with new eyes. Check out more about us here!

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