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Our $27,000 Vacation to the Maldives for ~$4,300 & How You Can Do It Too: Part 9 – Breakfast Options at the Conrad Maldives

  • Million Mile Secrets

    • Signing up for credit cards through partner links earns us a commission. Terms apply to the offers listed on this page. Here’s our full advertising policy: How we make money.

    Update: One or more card offers in this post are no longer available. Check our Hot Deals for the latest offers. Emily Jablon:  Daraius and I used our miles and points to have a fabulous honeymoon in Bora Bora.

    We heard that the Maldives Islands rivaled the beauty and splendor of Bora Bora, so we planned a trip to decide for ourselves!

    The Maldives is known for its luxury resorts, and most resorts have their own private island.  There are beautiful white sand beaches and crystal clear blue water.  The islands also have fantastic snorkeling and scuba diving!

    We booked 5 nights using Hilton points at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island.  The Conrad Maldives Rangali Island is a 30-minute seaplane ride from Male, the capital of the Maldives.  We booked this trip to make the most of our Hilton points before the Hilton devaluation last year.

    A Lovely Breakfast by the Beach

    Our $27,000 Vacation to the Maldives for ~$4,300 & How You Can Do It Too Index:

    The Maldives are located in the Indian Ocean, just south of India.  Getting to the Maldives is a long journey, but the trip is definitely worth it!  Daraius and I have been to many beach destinations such as Bora Bora, Maui, and Kauai on miles and points, but the Maldives tops them all!

    Traveling to the Maldives is also very expensive, but you can do it for much less than the retail cost!  This trip would have cost us ~$27,000, but we only paid ~$4,300!! These series of posts will show you how you can also take a trip to the Maldives on miles and points!

    Eating at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island

    Food is very expensive in the Maldives.  To save money, you can try to eat 2 big meals a day.  You can also bring your own food, but be aware of weight limits.  The seaplane airfare includes strict weight limits and you will be charged extra if you are over the weight limits.

    If you want to save money on breakfast, I’d suggest packing some granola bars, dried fruit, and nuts.  The food is very expensive in the hotel, averaging $30 a dish for a basic meal, such as a sandwich or hamburger.  And the portions are also a bit small, which makes sharing difficult

    You can save even more money by taking advantage of the free breakfast which you get with Hilton Gold and Diamond status.

    The easiest way to earn Hilton Gold status is by signing-up for the Citi Hilton HHonors Reserve Card, which gives you Hilton Gold Status for as long as you have the card.  This is a valuable benefit if you stay in lots of hotels.  If we had to pay for breakfast each day at the Conrad Maldives, it would have cost us hundreds of dollars.

    In this post, we will review the Vilu Lounge and the Atoll Market

    Vilu Lounge

    For breakfast our 1st day, we met at the Vilu Lounge, which is located on the smaller, more residential island.  It’s in a beautiful location right by the beach.  Breakfast here is pricey, but we didn’t have to pay because we were Hilton Diamond members. 

    The Vilu Lounge Has Menu Service and a Small Buffet

    We were so lucky to be sharing a meal together in such a beautiful place!

    You Can Almost Swim Right up to Your Table

    Since we were Hilton Diamond members, we could have breakfast for free.  Hilton Gold members also get free breakfast.

    Get Free Breakfast With Hilton Gold Status

    We ordered from their iPad menus.

    Conrad Maldives Is High Tech

    They offered a fairly large selection of made to order foods, including eggs benedict, eggs Florentine, and various omelets.

    Order Eggs Any Way You Like Them

    You could also choose from up to 4 side dishes to go with your main course, in addition to having waffles, pancakes, and a traditional Japanese breakfast.

    Sides Dishes Included Bacon, Sausage, Hashbrowns, Grilled Tomato, and More

    Inside there was a small buffet area.

    And If the Menu Isn’t Enough There’s Also a Buffet

    You can help yourself to anything that’s on the buffet, even if you ordered from the menu.

    My Mom, Connie, Getting Fruit From the Buffet

    There was freshly baked bread…

    Wheat, White, and Whole Grain Breads

    Maldivian tuna salad, chapati bread, and sliced meats….

    Or Choose Pastries and Local Food

    There was cereal and fruit salad.

    There Were 7 Kinds of Cereal Including Coco Pops (Called Cocoa Krispies in the US) and Frosties (Known Back Home as Frosted Flakes)

    There was whole fruit as well as sliced fruit and yogurt.

    Yogurt and Fresh Fruit for a Light Snack

    There were several different kinds of milk and apple juice.

    4 Kinds of Milk for Your Frosted Flakes

    And cheese.

    The Cheese EPelection Was Sparse

    They also had still water, sparkling water, and Prosecco.

    Make a Mimosa!

    They even had newspapers in various languages.

    Read the Daily News While You Enjoy Your Meal

    The view from our table was beautiful since we were so close to the water.

    You Don’t Have to Worry About Waiting in a Long Line or Fighting for a Table

    Daraius’ dad, Rustom, ordered eggs benedict.

    The Eggs Benedict Looked Tasty

    He was anxious to dig in!

    “Enough With the Pictures Already!  It’s Time to Eat!”

    Daraius ordered fried eggs and bacon.

    Daraius Has a Predictable Breakfast Choice

    I got waffles.

    But It Was More Like 3/4 of a Waffle…

    My mom and Mark ordered omelets.

    The Omelets Were Filling

    Everything was delicious!  And the big breakfast filled us up so that we could have a light (and cheap!) lunch.  We went back to the Vilu Lounge a few days later to try another breakfast.

    The Meal Was Complete With a Fabulous Ocean Breeze

    I ordered pancakes with maple syrup and bananas.  They were very tasty!!  The portion was a bit small though, so I’d recommend getting separate dishes and not sharing.

    I Recommend the Pancakes Over the Waffles

    My mom got a ham and cheese omelet.

    You Can’t Go Wrong With an Omelet

    Mark, my stepdad, ordered poached eggs.

    The Poached Eggs Looked Nice and Fluffy

    Daraius ordered a regional Maldivian specialty.

    Feeling Adventurous? Try Some Local Food for Breakfast

    And Rustom had scrambled eggs, bacon, and ham.

    Or Stick With the Classics

    Again, everything was very good!

    Atoll Market

    Although we had 2 excellent breakfasts at the Vilu Lounge, we decided to also try Atoll Market.  Atoll Market is located on the main island and is close to the swimming pool and activities desk.

    Want a Big Buffet? Try the Atoll Market

    The restaurant was located under the palm trees which gave it a nice ambiance.

    The Atoll Market Is Larger Than the Vilu Lounge

    A lizard wanted to join us for breakfast, too.

    Our Little Friend Had Trouble Finding Breakfast Because She Didn’t Have Hilton Gold Status
    Atoll Market offers a HUGE buffet.  The buffet usually costs $100 per person, but it was free for us because we have Hilton Diamond status.  You also get free breakfast with Hilton Gold status, which you can get with the Citi Hilton Reserve card.

    It was almost too big for me, and I preferred Vilu Lounge because my food was made to order and I felt safer with my fish allergy.   Almost everyone else preferred the buffet though because of its large selection of all kinds of food!

    There was so much food that I felt like I was in a large Las Vegas style resort.

    There was freshly cut fruit…

    The Food Seemed to Never End!
    …including watermelon, figs, and apples.
    You Could Also Try Star Fruit at the Atoll Market Buffet

    Whole fruit…

    Apples, Bananas, and Oranges…Oh My!

    There was fresh juice of your choice…

    Fresh Juice Made to Order!

    You could choose the following fruits and vegetables:

    Make Juice With 6 Fruits and Vegetables

    I was excited to try my apple and carrot mixture!

    Apple and Carrot Juice? Yes, Please!

    Also on the buffet were hot foods.

    There’s No Shortage of Hot Foods on This Buffet

    The hot food selection was expansive.

    Wait…Am I in Las Vegas??

    There was a wide selection of hot food from different Asian countries.

    You Could Choose From Chinese, Japanese, and Indian Foods

    There was also fish.

    The Large Selection of Sides and Garnishes to Go With the Fish Included Wasabi, Ginger, and Soy Sauce

    Eggs and sausage…

    You Could Also Have a Traditional American Breakfast

    mushrooms, baked beans, and bacon…

    Warm Side Dishes

    hashbrowns, pancakes, and waffles….

    Load Up on Carbs for a Long Day of Fun in the Sun

    and an omelet station.

    Ask for a Made-to-Order Omelette

    The pastries looked divine…

    I Was in Heaven With all the Pastries!

    I couldn’t wait to try a few!

    Which One to Choose…?

    The buttery, flaky croissants were especially good.

    I Never Pass up a Good Croissant!

    Next to the pastries, there was cereal.

    There Was a Lot of Cereal for Kids and Adults Alike

    Yogurt…

    Grab a Yogurt If You’re on the Go
    …butter, Nutella, and peanut butter…
    Even in the Maldives, You Can Get Your Peanut Butter and Nutella Fix
    …and fresh bread.
    Bread to Go With Your Spread

    There was cheese….

    Pass the Cheese Please
    …that looked very good!
    I’ll Try a Little of Everything!

    There were sliced meats…

    A Skimpy Sliced Meats Selection

    and sushi…

    I’m Going to Just Slowly Back Away From All This Fish!

    You could get local tuna salad……

    There Were Also Maldivian Breakfast Options
    …and make your own salad.
    Eat Healthy and Have a Salad

    You could choose from lots of ingredients.

    You Could Make a Good Salad With Their Selection of Fresh Vegetables

    There was such a big selection that it was difficult to decide what to eat!

    Is There Really More Food?!

    There was also honey…

    Does Honey Get Much Fresher Than This?

    Daraius loaded up on Asian food…

    Daraius Loves Asian Food…the Spicier the Better!
    …while I ate packaged foods to avoid a possible allergic reaction.  I’m sure I could have asked the chef to prepare something separate for me, but I was perfectly happy with my croissants and yogurt (and peanut butter and Nutella!!).
    Don’t Worry, I’m Getting Seconds

    How You Can Do It Too!

    Our favorite way to get to the Maldives from the US is with American Airlines miles on Etihad or Qatar Air.

    If you’re willing to book separate award tickets (i.e. 1 award ticket from the US to Hong Kong & another from Hong Kong to the Maldives), you could even fly on Cathay Pacific or Malaysia Air using American Airlines miles to the Maldives.  

    Here are ways to get lots of American Airlines miles.  And here’s my series on using American Airlines miles.  It could also be worth using an award booking service to book the flights for you.

    You can also use Alaska Airlines miles on Emirates or Cathay Pacific. And folks say you can get the Alaska Airlines credit card multiple times.

    We used United Airlines miles because we wanted to go to India first.  But folks who only want to fly from the US to the Maldives would likely use American Airlines miles or Alaska Airlines miles.

    1.   Using American Airlines Miles

    Link:   American Airlines Award Chart

    A flight from the US to the Maldives costs:

    You can use American Airlines to fly many different ways to the Maldives, including on Etihad, Sri Lankan, Qatar, Cathay Pacific and Malaysia Airways.  If you want to book on Etihad, first find the available flights on the Etihad website and then call American Airlines to reserve the tickets.  See this step-by-step guide for more information.

    2.   Using Alaska Airlines Miles

    Link:   Alaska Airlines partner award chart to Middle East

    From the US to the Maldives you’ll pay:

    You can book Emirates flights on the Alaska Air website, except for Cathay Pacific, which has to be reserved by calling Alaska Airlines customer service.  See this post for more ways on using Alaska Air miles to get to the Maldives.

    And folks say you can get the Alaska Airlines credit card multiple times.

    3.   Using United Airlines Miles

    Link:   United Airlines award chart

    To fly from the US to India, you’ll pay:

    Here’s a post on how to use United Airlines miles.

    And here’s how you can get the airline miles and hotel points for your trip to the Maldives!

    Bottom Line

    The Vilu Lounge had excellent made to order dishes.  There wasn’t much of a buffet, but I liked that it was a smaller, more private setting.  Also  it was closer to the beach.  Everyone else preferred the Atoll Market because of the huge selection.

    Breakfast at the Maldives is NOT cheap and you could pay $100 per person each day!  But if you have Hilton Gold or Diamond status, breakfast is free!  If you don’t have Hilton Gold status, you can get it by signing-up for the Citi Hilton Reserve card.
    Editorial Note: We're the Million Mile Secrets team. And we're proud of our content, opinions and analysis, and of our reader's comments. These haven’t been reviewed, approved or endorsed by any of the airlines, hotels, or credit card issuers which we often write about. And that’s just how we like it! :)