First it was Belinda Chee’s wedding – now all about her HONEYMOON!
10 Dec
Belinda & hubby Joe on their honeymoon
8tv Quickie host Belinda Chee tied the knot recently and unless you were living in a shoebox… you would of heard of the beautiful wedding that was held at the Shangri La here in K.L. I’ve known Belinda since from Kuching days as we had many mutual friends in common. Just like me, she’s another gal in a long relationship who got around to walking down the aisle. I’m so happy for Bel because she really is as nice as she seems when on television :) I asked her about her recent honeymoon in the Maldives and this is what the new Mrs. had to say:
How long have you been married for and how is life so far?
Officially, we’ve been married (on paper) for a year now! But our wedding ceremony and reception was held only in October 2009. So far, everything’s going well. I don’t feel any different being married to Joe compared to when I was just dating him, so I guess that’s good! :) He’s still my best friend, it’s just that now, we have a piece of legal paper to show our love for and commitment to each other!
Which destinations were on your shortlist?
We both wanted an island holiday for our honeymoon because we both love the sun and the sea! Initially, I’d really wanted to go to Bora Bora or Hawaii. But due to time and monetary constraints, we decided on Maldives instead, which was also shortlisted as one of the places to go.
Chaaya Lagoon Hakura Huraa in the Maldives
There are so many amazing resorts in the Maldives. Was it a case of decisions paralysis?
We went to a local Maldivian agent from the start, so he actually helped us narrow our choices down based on our budget. In the end, we only had to choose from around 2-3 different resorts.
Chaaya Lagoon Hakura Huraa - huts overlooking the water are the most popular to stay in
How did you end up booking your resort?
We booked Chaaya Lagoon Hakuraa Huraa based on the agent’s recommendation and because it suited our budget and had an all-inclusive package. We were actually the first Malaysians guests they’ve received! The agency we went through was Retreat Holiday Maldives and Mr. Ahmed Shiyam (shiyam@retreatholidaymaldives.com) helped us with everything. We got to know of this travel agency through a friend from Maldives.
Hmmm… and what does one do in the Maldives!
Belinda went diving alone... while Joe snorkeled from above :)
You can do a whole bunch of things or nothing at all!! And that’s the beauty of it! You can go on excursions, like scuba diving, snorkeling, deep sea fishing, island hopping, etc. But if you just want to relax and do nothing but sit by the beach the entire day, it’s up to you!! For us, we went on one snorkeling excursion, I went diving once and that was it! The rest of the time we just spent doing nothing and stuffing our faces with food!
Romantic dinners? Was it lobsters all the way?
Our package was an all-inclusive package so breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner and supper were provided daily. But we paid for a romantic Lobster dinner by the beach and were given a complimentary bottle of red wine as we were on our honeymoon. On other days, since breakfast, lunch and dinner were served buffet style, we had plenty to eat… there were lots of variety (seafood, meats, salads) and the menu is slightly different everyday! Because Maldivians are essentially what we in Malaysia would call Mamaks – Indian Muslims, we were served lots of familiar foods as well, like Roti, Dhal and Nasi Bryani.
Favourite parts of the holiday!
Dive in the amazing ocean OR have a peek from the safety of your room
My favourite part of our honeymoon was just being able to relax and spend time with each other after the chaos of the wedding. We both just chilled by the beach most days with a good book and not thinking or worrying about anything at all! And gazing at the star-filled night skies with Joe, discussing our future together, that was the most memorable part!!
Any advice on choosing a honeymoon destination?
Make sure it’s a place both of you would enjoy. Also, it’s your honeymoon, so perhaps choose a place where you can spend quiet time just being together. Don’t jam-pack your honeymoon with so many activities that you don’t have time to spend with each other!
omg so nice^^!! but it costs a lot ya? i heard from my friend everything is in US dollar..
It is in USD. BUT… guess what! The US dollar has been on the way down… so it is a somewhat cheaper ‘USD’ :)
Hey, you only live and get married once right! Well, hopefully :)
is dat belinda chee from 8tv??
Oh my goodness the Maldives looks soooooo beautiful!! No wonder everyone is honeymooning there. I love the photos Belinda took. WOW.
Wow, my hubby and i was thinking to visit Maldives as welll…Do you mind to tell which travel agent give you the fair deal?
Kammy – depends on your budget. Last time I went I used ‘Atoll Paradise’ who have all the best resorts… professional and gave me a free upgrade to a 6 star resort :D If you’re going to Maldives I say go all out because it’s so magical. Altho besides sunbathing and swimming with the manta rays – I spent much of my time reading a book from their library!
Hi Steph.. May I know if malaysian require VISA to travel to Maldvise?
thanks
I am booking with Atoll as well,, wonder how come they upgrade you to 6 star resort.. which resort you stay previously? Heard of Anantara Dighu?
Best Regards
May
Hey May,
No you don’t need a visa – but be prepared to be a little sleepy because the flight times from Malaysia to Male are all like at midnight! Unless you are in biz of course, then I imagine you may get some rest.
It was just my luck that I was upgraded to be honest. I guess we originally booked Anantara and if it was full – then they needed to shift us somewhere. I stayed at Naladhu. Beautiful and very private.
Others on my list to try were the W, Soneva Fushi and Reetha Rai.
https://www.atollparadise.com/maldives-11-OneAndOnlyReethiRahMaldives.htm – Reetha Rai looks really beautiful and is part of the One & Only group.
https://www.atollparadise.com/maldives-155-WRetreatMaldives.htm – Steph Carrington (whose wedding we covered in WGA – got engaged to her hubby during their holiday at the W. She said it’s amazing.
Soneva looks lovely as well and I hear Madonna stayed there. So, kiasu as it is – if Madonna likes it – it’s gotta be good. She’s the ultimate diva ;)
Hey steph..
thanks ^^ hehe.. yes, kiasu as it is, which stephanie chai chosen anantara before, shud be not bad. I already book my honeymoon there..
Thanks for infor I have been checkin ur side since the first day I plan for my weddin, pretty useful tools and interesting side to cheer up the bride with full day google-ing~~ even after my wedding, i still drop by sometime..
hence, you can conclude urself make a very successful wedding guide ^^
Hugs
May
Cool… I just got back from my honeymoon in Chaaya Lagoon Hakuraa Huraa a week ago, and I never know Belinda Chee went there too for her honeymoon! Perhaps we’re the second or third Malaysian couple in the resort, as they can hardly remember any from Malaysia for the past 2 years. =)