Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled to the Maldives early on Wednesday, hours before he was due to submit his resignation and while many of the protesters who had pressured him for months were asleep.

In the dead of night, the 73-year-old Rajapaksa caught an Antonov military plane along with his wife, Ioma, and two other passengers including a bodyguard. Maldivian authorities initially refused to clear the plane to land, Nikkei Asia has learned, but granted clearance after the intervention of their ex-president and incumbent speaker Mohamed Nasheed, apparently on request from Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

Sources in the Maldivian capital of Male confirmed to Nikkei that Rajapaksa's plane landed at Velana International Airport at around 2:50 a.m. local time, and that a special security detail was dispatched to welcome the Sri Lankan president. It was unclear where and how long Rajapaksa would stay in the Indian Ocean island state, a dream destination known for its idyllic blue waters and luxury accommodations.

From the Maldives, Rajapaksa is expected to head to Dubai with his wife, according to a close confidant. "All necessary arrangements are in place," the confidant told Nikkei.

Rajapaksa's departure ushers in an uncertain era for a country where many have been demanding his resignation with cries of "Go Home Gota." Protesters blame him and his government for the country's dire economic crisis, its severe shortages of fuel, food and other essentials, and its lack of foreign reserves. Sri Lanka defaulted on its foreign debt for the first time earlier this year.

Rajapaksa and his family are also dogged by suspicions of corruption, though they deny all such allegations.

The crisis took a dramatic turn over the weekend, when demonstrators managed to occupy the presidential residence and office, prompting Rajapaksa to finally agree to resign. Prime Minister Wickremesinghe also said he would quit to make way for a new government.

Rajapaksa has been in hiding since then and has not addressed the country.

The once-powerful president known as "the Terminator" appears to have been determined not to stick around to find out what would await him post-resignation.

This was at least his second attempt to flee the country within 24 hours, after an earlier try was thwarted by immigration officers at the country's main international airport, according to sources. Officials prevented his brother, former Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa, from leaving on Tuesday, but he too left for the U.S. early on Wednesday. Basil holds U.S. citizenship.

Another attempt by the president to obtain a visa from the U.S. Embassy failed after his application was rejected, sources said.

Although most in Sri Lanka were asleep when news of the president's flight broke, a few night owls took to social media to express their anger, branding Rajapaksa a "coward." One tweet says the Maldives is no longer a friend of the Sri Lankan people.

Meanwhile, although protesters appear to be getting their wish with Rajapaksa's resignation set to become official, the turmoil throws into question the prospects for already difficult bailout talks with the International Monetary Fund. On Sunday, the fund said it hopes for "a resolution of the current situation that will allow for resumption of our dialogue on an IMF-supported program."