The fabulous Maldives

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It's been five long years since my last opportunity to add to the visited countries tally. After such a long time without a new travel experience, I got to thinking the chosen destination deserves to be somewhere special. So then, which country remains at the top of the bucket list? It proved to be a bit of a no brainer, and the winner is... the Maldives! From extensive experience flying here and there during my travels, it was a pleasure to fly out from Sydney with Singapore airlines again after so many years. I'm pleased to say that the service is still superb, this is without doubt one of the best airlines in the world. The flights took off on schedule; the food and drinks and attention to detail of the cabin crew first class, with entertainment and a blanket and pillow supplied. It was like stepping back in time as I had become used to below par airlines in recent years that can't stick to a schedule or come even close, charge like wounded bulls even for a water, and offer no entertainment. I suggest several airlines are just awful nowadays, and I had almost forgotten what a professional airline can offer to ease the tedium of flying. It's a seven-hour flight from Sydney to Changi airport, and a further 5 hours on to Male, the capital of the Maldives.

So here I am, in a world-famous travel destination and delighted to be here. I booked in for three nights in the capital to commence a month long stay on the atolls, and even at the airport navigating customs was a breeze, getting sorted with a local SIM card and local currency a breeze, as was the taxi ride to the hotel. It helps to ease the anxiety of arriving late at night in a new country when everything goes smoothly, and I was thrilled to check in to my hotel for the evening just before midnight. As always, my motivation levels to explore are super high, so in the morning headed out towards the harbour to commence day one in a new country. Male is interesting, and a big feature is a ferry from the airport to the main jetty in the city centre that only takes a few minutes and costs next to nothing. There are also a multitude of speedboats at the various jetties that line the harbour heading out to the luxury resorts or local islands, even travelling to different atolls. It all seems well organized, and the people are kind and helpful with travel advice in excellent English.

I think I consulted google maps once or twice during the first day, but everything for tourists is handy and easy to stumble across. Male features intriguing mosques, a stunning park, interesting museums, and a few artificial beaches that look very nice. This is a conservative muslim country, and the dress code is quite strict for foreigners. The local islands feature their own bikini beach for foreigners who wish to strut their stuff, but the rest of the country is very traditional. I enjoyed an excellent first day on the island and headed to a resort near the airport for a few beers over sunset, as this resort is the only place where alcohol can be legally served to tourists on the main island. I'm prepared for a dry month during my visit but did feel the need to celebrate the first day in a new country after so many years, that is until I saw the bill. They charge like crazy for a beer, it's just not worth the price and hassle of trying to track one down to be honest. I have one slight complaint if I may, it always frustrates me overseas where prices - whether it be for a room, for a meal, for a drink etc are quoted without taxes. And in Maldives, you can add close to around 25% including all the taxes. Just quote the price all-inclusive is my gripe, but anyways human beings are remarkably adaptable creatures, and you soon get used to the lay of the land...

Villingili island is a short ferry ride out of Male, and highly recommended for a day trip to explore the little island and relax on the beach. There's not a lot going on, but it's pretty and serene without all the traffic that the capital entails. After a few days of exploring Male I headed out on a speedboat to the first of the island-hopping destinations planned for the trip. Gulhi is less than an hour south from the capital on the speedboat, and I checked in to a nice resort on the island to commence four days of rest and relaxation. There is the mandatory bikini beach where tourists go to laze around on the white sand or in the azure waters of the Maldives - the pace is slow and the people relaxed and friendly. There was a day tour I was particularly interested in, however as a solo traveller one is always at the mercy of others. My plan is always to give staff a heads up on what interests me, and just see if it comes together during any given stay. I had resigned myself to missing out this time around when the staff collared me on the final morning, and said a trip was on for the day. I informed them that the ferry to Maafushi departs at 4:00pm, but that was not to be a problem. The boat trip was excellent with friendly travellers, and four separate stops for snorkelling. The fish were colourful, unusual, and plentiful. The nurse sharks the biggest I've seen, provoking quite a deal of consternation when they swim by super close. One of them even opened his mouth and flashed his pearly whites right in from of my mask... Holy Molly! There were also several stingrays gliding around gracefully. The coral gardens were excellent, and the sandbank stopover for lunch super cool, despite an unfortunate mishap for my drone. Thank goodness for insurance is all I will add on that topic.

The next island Maafushi is bigger and more famous than Gulhi. I enjoyed my stay of five days, with more dining options and a prettier bikini beach. The island was crammed with Europeans with a surprising number of Eastern Europeans, and nearly two weeks in I haven't met another Aussie. Holidaymakers seem genuinely amazed when I tell them I'm from Australia, but it's all part of the fun of being on the road. The resort was excellent, the staff kind and friendly, and the food in the various restaurants superior to what's on offer on Gulhi, which is in the early stages of tourist development. My initial impression of the Maldives are positive, the legendary private resort destination for the uber rich is now spreading her wings so the local island populations can reap the economic benefits of an expanded tourist industry, and not just the big corporations. There is a long way to go, but with such a pristine marine environment the potential for growth is enormous. The level of construction on the islands I've visited so far is encouraging, and the impression gained from visiting the atolls clearly shows you don't need to be uber rich to visit this beach paradise, basically all of you should be here now!

"Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer." Unknown

As I continue my travels, until next time it's signing off for now

Tom

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Comments

[D MJ Binkley]

Traveling again
It is good to see you exploring the world again. The Maldives has been on our list for a long time but we haven't made it yet. Soon we hope. Thanks for taking us along.

[Tom Rooney]

You're welcome
Thank you for the lovely comment team.

[Ake Och Emma]

On visiting Maldives
We visited the Maldives briefly in 2012. We would have liked to travel around by ourselves. But when we read about it we felt that we weren't interested in going through all the troble with organising such a trip. So we flew into Male, spent a few days in a resort and flew out again. Not at all the way we want to do things but that time it was the best option for us. /Ake

[Tom Rooney]

Maldives
Thanks for the comment. Try to visit the atolls if you get a chance. It's really beautiful!