[Seaplane Trans Maldivan Airways DS 3.JPG]David Slotnick/Business Insider * I recently had the chance to spend five nights in the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island, a unique luxury resort in the Maldives, thanks to a pile of Hilton hotel points I'd been saving up. * To get to the resort, which is located on two private islands, you have to take a seaplane from the Maldives' main international airport in Malé. * The hotel arranges the seaplane for guests through Trans Maldivian Airways, a unique airline that exclusively flies seaplanes. * The airline flies about 50 de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter planes modified to land and take off on water. * It was my first time on a seaplane, and I had an absolute blast. Here's what it was like. * Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories. MY WIFE AND I LANDED AT MALÉ AFTER A 90-MINUTE FLIGHT FROM SRI LANKA, AND DISEMBARKED ONTO THE TARMAC. WE WERE NEXT TO THE TERMINAL BUILDING, SO WE WERE ABLE TO WALK RIGHT OVER INSTEAD OF GETTING ON A BUS. David Slotnick/Business Insider ONCE WE WERE THROUGH CUSTOMS, WE FOUND A REPRESENTATIVE FROM OUR RESORT, WHO BROUGHT US TO A DEDICATED SEAPLANE CHECK-IN AREA. David Slotnick/Business Insider OUR HOTEL REPRESENTATIVE CHECKED US IN, WHILE THE STAFF FOR THE SEAPLANE OPERATOR — TRANS MALDIVIAN AIRWAYS — WEIGHED OUR BAGS. David Slotnick/Business Insider There's a strict weight limit for bags, since the planes are so small and it's important to keep them balanced and stay below weight limits. If your luggage is above weight, you can pay an excess baggage fee — it's fairly inexpensive — but if your plane is full and bags are too overweight, there's a chance the airline may have to deliver your luggage to you at the hotel on a later flight. SEE THE REST OF THE STORY AT BUSINESS INSIDER SEE ALSO: * The most reliable SUVs, pickup trucks, sedans for 2020 * Greece's national airline is undergoing a massive brand overhaul to be more Greek with the help of a world-class design firm * Delta and United flight attendants reveal how they spot victims of human trafficking SEE ALSO: I SURVIVED A 17-HOUR FLIGHT DELAY ON UNITED DURING A 13-HOUR BUSINESS CLASS TRIP FROM NEW JERSEY TO INDIA. HERE'S WHY THE ORDEAL ACTUALLY MADE ME APPRECIATE THE AIRLINE.
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