Thank you all for your replies, your input is much appreciated. Have now got flights with Sri Lankan, outbound direct and return via Colombo, it's also dropped the price by £110 so can't be bad. However, I received a call today to say that they are having trouble confirming Lily Beach now and will hopefully have been able to do so by tomorrow lunchtime (13/4) - here's hoping.

If the worst happens and we don't get Lily Beach, at least we have the flights and we can try to find another island that appeals as much.

Thanks again, Scoya.

I wouldn't worry - our confirmation that Lily Beach was available took a couple of days to come through as well.

As we'll be there at the same time guess I'll see you at the main bar on the decking over the beach !

Tracy

Thanks for your positive input Tracy, still awaiting confirmation, have been told that I'll know something by Saturday. We're looking at booking this through The Holiday Place in London as they came up with the better flight options and price (obviously) - and what they're saying is that Lily Beach isn't full it's just that the rooms have been booked out to other tour operators and they will only hand the rooms back in September if they haven't sold and Holiday Place are trying to get a room from a tour operator that hasn't yet sold their allocation - if you get my drift.

Will let you know the outcome - here's hoping to good news. Scoya.

Not sure if this is of any use to anyone?

Virgin do Lily Beach in their brochure too. Been on their website and it works out £2252pp without any discounts. They fly from Heathrow using Qatar airlines and some of the dates that were available were 18/12 and 25/12. Leisuretime an independent travel agents I used gave me 10% of my brochure holiday price. If they or any other agents are willing to give the same my reckoning is that the holiday should cost roughly around £2030pp. If I've got it right I think this may be a good price???

Happy hunting Folks

Hi sandra
When do you go.
Look forward to reading your trip report.

Joe

Hi Joe

we leave on sun 1st May. I was going to ask you if there is any way we can get in contact with relatives in England while staying at Lily Beach. Our grandchild is due to be born this week and if it doesn't happen then I am hoping we can contact my son while we are away to find out if everthing is o.k. Hopefully it won't come to that and we can crack open the champagne this week. Both my husband and I have mobile phones but i believe they don't work in the Maldives. Is the only communication through the internet? Do the mobiles work at Male? We could always use the good old fashion carrier pigeon but I don't suppose you find many of them in the Maldives either.

Sandra

When we were in the Maldives (Kuredu, not Lily Beach) we found that people could text us on our mobile, but we couldn't reply or use them to take or make calls. (Like you we were waiting for important news).
We had a phone in our room, but it cost $5 a minute!!
The other option would be to see if Lily Beach has email... could you relatives email to let you know the news? I'm sure the office would pass a message on.....
Good luck & enjoy your holiday.....

Thanks for the info Rosieh.

that will be great if my son can text me and even send me a photo. Lily Beach do have an e-mail address so thanks for that suggestion.

Sandra

Hi sandra
Mobiles do work on Lily Beach as long as they are Tri Band, calls work out rather expensive but as your awaiting the birth of your grandchild it may be worth it.
other options are to direct dial from your room, the bill will be added to your room for payment prior to checkout, the Island has an internet room so you can keep in touch one way or another.

Happy Hols

Joe

Thanks Joe thats great news. Not sure if my phone is a tri-band but will speak to my son and try to get something sorted out.

Will do a trip report on my return.

Sandra.

Actually phones don't need to be tri-band. my very old dual band Nokia worked fine at Lily Beach at Christmas. My calls were charged at £1.50 per minute so it is pricey. You can receive text messages but can't reply to them. I had loads of texts asking if we were OK after the Tsunami and as I couldn't text anyone (and neither could my hubby on his new tri band Sony Ericsson) I had to ring everyone back instead - my phone bill came to £76 plus VAT !!

Thanks for everyones help & suggestions

I will make sure I have a lot of credit on my phone before I leave (I have pay-as-u-go). I would rather pay £1.50 a min from my mob than $5 a min from the phone in our room

Sandra

does anyone know the website for lilly beach resort???

Here it is

http://www.lilybeachmaldives.com/start.htm

Have to say, the picture are not enhances at all - everything is very accurate to how it is in the flesh.

Hi micmamob

No i don't think you are sad. We will definately be taking little bits from home. Other half says mini tubs of pringles. I will want chocolate, but won't it melt.? May buy it there instead. May even take my teltley with me too. Never thought of that. I bet you can't wait

Julie

Hello julie

yes I'm getting very excited now. Some last minute shopping to do and we're all set to go. I will be packing my tetley teabags and I'm going to take mini eggs and coated chocolate and hope they won't melt like a bar of chocolate will. Joe said things can be expensive to buy from the shop at Lily Beach so I thought it best to go armed with as much provisions and toiletries as deemed necessary.
Got lots of dvds, playing cards, books, magazines and cds to keep me occupied. Glad I don't need to much in the way of clothes or there's going to be no room left in my suitcase.
I looked on the website for the weather in the Maldives and its not looking to good for this week, hope it improves for next week.
This week I am celebrating my sons eighteeth, hopefully the arrival of a new grandchild and to finish the week off a holiday to Lily Beach. Can't be bad eh!

Sandra

Hi sandra,
just to let you know that the weather information that we receive here, for whatever reason, bares no resemblance to the actual weather there, which is a nice thought.

Regards

Joe

Hi Sandra

Its a busy time for you. Hope all goes well with your grandsons arrival. At least you will be able to relax at Lily. It seems ages until ours. I doubt if our chocolate will last till we get there. It will probably be eaten on the plane on the way.

Sorry ive just put "your grandsons arrival". Dont know what made me put that. Do you know what it is ?