Alright, let me tell you about my time going through Malé International Airport. It’s quite the experience, especially since it’s like, the main gateway to paradise, right?
Getting There and Checking In
So, we got dropped off. First thing you notice is, well, it’s right by the water. Pretty cool view to start. Walked into the departures area. It wasn’t huge, felt a bit compact compared to some big city airports I’ve been through. Found our airline’s check-in counters. There was a bit of a queue, not terrible, but you know, typical airport shuffling.
The actual check-in part was straightforward. Handed over passports, dropped the bags. The staff were polite enough, seemed efficient. Didn’t have any issues there, which is always a good start. Got our boarding passes and headed towards immigration.
Security and Immigration Shuffle
Next up was immigration. Another line, naturally. Seemed like they processed people reasonably quickly. Officer looked at the passport, stamped it, and waved me through. Then came security screening. Belt off, laptop out, the usual drill. It felt a bit busy, kinda crowded in that area, but we got through without any fuss.
Inside the Departure Lounge
Once we were airside, we had some time to kill. Walked around the main departure lounge. Honestly, it felt smaller than I expected. There are some shops, you know, the usual duty-free stuff, souvenirs, things like that. Had a quick look.
- Shops: Mostly standard airport stuff. Prices seemed quite high, maybe because it’s an island and everything’s imported? Decided not to buy much.
- Food: Looked for something to eat. Options felt a bit limited. There were a couple of cafes and maybe a fast-food type place. Grabbed a coffee and a snack. Again, felt pricey for what it was.
- Seating: Finding a place to sit was tricky. It was pretty packed, lots of people waiting. We eventually found some seats near our gate area.
One thing that was really nice, though, was the view from the windows near the gates. You could see the turquoise water, boats, and even some seaplanes taking off or landing. That part definitely reminds you where you are.
Waiting and Boarding
We just sat and waited near our gate. Watched people, watched the planes. The atmosphere was okay, mostly holidaymakers heading home or to their next stop. They eventually called our flight for boarding. The process was okay, lined up again, showed the boarding pass, and walked down the airbridge onto the plane.
Overall, getting through Malé airport was… fine. It did the job. It’s not the fanciest or biggest airport, and it can feel a bit crowded and expensive inside. But the views are something else, and things seemed to run reasonably smoothly. Just managed expectations, got through it, and headed off.
