Tuesday, March 26, 2019

Are Maldives Resorts disability accessible?




Please note Maldives islands are not designed for clients with reduced mobility but they do accommodate them and any requirement in prior so they will accommodate accordingly.

Nevertheless, they did have cases where people in a wheelchair came to resorts and they were able to arrange things accordingly.

However, these guests had either a person accompanying them or were able to walk a little bit, which made it easier, as especially some spaces like restaurants, bathrooms and getting around and island are mainly sand would be tricky. Some resorts have buggy so it would be easier to move around the island, and some do have wheelchairs on the island too.

Below are some exemptions to the rule:  

LATEST Addition : Amilla Maldives to become world’s first accessibility and inclusion certified resort

Wheel Chair accessible  / YES
Hurawalhi
Villa and Public Areas
Sun Aqua Vilu Reef
Wheel Chair accessible
Paradise Island Resort & Spa
Guests can use wheelchair in the resort except beach area
Shangri -La's Vilingili
One of the beach villas (Two Bedroom Villa) nearest to the main facilities is designed to be wheelchair accessible villa.

This villa is equipped with full facilities for guests with limited mobility allowing even wheelchair users unrestricted movement around them. A ramp, an Easy-access doors, fixtures and fittings in the rooms, bathrooms and toilets in a layout and height enabling easy operation and movement.
Coco Collection Resorts
All of their resorts are wheelchair friendly
HIH
Wheel Chair accessible
JA Manafaru
They can provide the ramps to have the access to the restaurants, except of the White Orchid and the Water Villas
Four Seasons Resorts Maldives
They do have Wheel Chair accessibility at both properties. They can arrange a ramp in the Villa as well as arrange Beach Wheel Chair as well.
Baros
Yes possible
St Regis
The Overwater Villas would be more wheelchair friendly than Beach Villas as there is not sandy path/walkway here.
Sun Island Resort
Wheel Chair accessible
Lily Beach
Wheel Chair accessible
Hideaway Beach
Wheel Chair accessible
Sheraton
Wheel Chair accessible
Westin Maldives
Wheelchair Friendly Hotel
Villa 147 is equipped for wheelchair movements
Public washrooms equipped for wheelchair movements
Arrival jetty equipped for wheelchair movements
Angsana Velavaru
Island is wheelchair accessible and friendly. For the villas and outlets, if required they will be installing ramps.
The Sun Siyam Iru Fushi
The resort is wheel chair friendly as do have disabled-friendly villas in the island and they can provide ramp builds with enough slope to slide wheelchair in and out the villa, our I-spas (bathtub) in the villas also have a hand shower.
On the other hand, once the booking has been confirmed, they will need more details of their condition so they can prepare in advance the necessary adjustments to make their stay more comfortable. Also note that they have a limited stock of wheelchair in the island so they will need to be informed in advance so we can arrange the wheelchair (beach type).
LUX North Male
There are certain areas that is difficult for wheelchair accessibility, they would require to be informed in advance for us to prepare the ramps & railings but please note that certain areas would still not be wheelchair friendly.

Cheers!


Thursday, February 21, 2019

Last Minute Bookings – MALDIVES




The Maldives has been a friendly destination to the markets that are last-minute travelers. Example most Asian and Middle Eastern travelers inquire prior but mostly book last minute.

In the past few months, I have personally had the greatest difficulty getting availability for last minute bookings for the Maldives. This is a great turn of even for resorts in the Maldives having a great turn over in terms of occupancy.

The last-minute markets will have to slowly change their trends and adapt now to the destination. For the next two, three months already availability is a problem and resorts are sold out.

Destination number wise great news!!!!

Markets that book last minute have to be educated by us as the trend of Maldives is evolving especially this year 2019.

Last minute bookings, please push your clients to book prior to secure their bookings.

The Maldives is a bucket list travel goal, overturn to educate our clients and business partners.

These are my thoughts, what about you?


Monday, February 4, 2019

Mankiwwa




Mankiwwa the Social Change application of Sri Lanka. If you have not heard of Mankiwwa as a Sri Lankan you should. It's a mobile application that you can lodge complaints and social services. This is made for citizen empowerment to report anything from a roadside water leak, illegal garbage dumping, taking it all the way to a roadside accident or a robbery.




Mankiwwa has won so many social accolades over the past year. Getting them noticed in the social change and digital infrastructure circles of Sri Lanka.



This is not the reason why they are silent heroes, it is because they travel all over Sri Lanka trying and getting appointments with local authorities to educate them of the application and trying to sign them up. It is because they are empowering citizens silently where they already have users reporting such incidents and local authorities having a spark of light to green light the application.



They also have been taken note by Child Protection in Sri Lanka. They are trying hard to change Sri Lanka one person at a time, one authority at a time.

NOT ALL HEROES WEAR CAPES


Cheers!


LISWITH