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Published: February 14th 2023
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A world tour benefits most from involving all kinds of experiences in all kinds of places, at least that's what I began to think the moment the entire trek had started. Luckily then, I was able to work a budget-conscious trip to the Maldives into the equation, and that kind of episode came with impeccable timing, with the unhurried pace of island life being the perfect antidote to city life and the general headlong rush of getting from A to B and C to D in a bid to cram all sights into a relatively short time frame. The first night in this multi-island nation started on the airport-located island of Hulhumale, and with a couple of spare hours in the morning time to check out the sights, it revealed a few features which the nation is famed for, namely beaches, and a scattering of shopping options. Hot on its heels came a 4-night stay on the island of Thulusdhoo, classed as a 'local' island, and reachable by speedboat, which was as much of a part of the thrill as it sounds. Though the island has relatively basic infrastructure, such as unpaved roads, no high-rise hotels, and only limited dining options,
the real star turn on the island were the sublime beaches which hinted at a castaway style setting where you benefit most from doing nothing but unwinding and escaping the stresses of a working lifestyle. This is the nation's prime surfing location, with offshore breaks in the immediate vicinity of the island, yet the limited number of visitors at the time of visiting suggested that excursions were available subject to demand, and there would be instances in which you'd feel like you had the entire island to yourself. Quite bizarrely, Thulusdhoo is also the location of the nation's only Coca Cola factory, though we have the heightened post-covid restrictions to blame for lack of factory tours being offered at the time of visiting. Aside from beachcombing, one favoured activity on the island is to explore the relatively limited terrain by rental bike, so as to get a full feel for what constitutes the full extent of island life, and if you're as fortunate as myself, discover a secluded beach in the process. Following on from the stay in Thulusdhoo, another speedboat transfer back to the airport and then onward again ushered in the stay on the island of Maafushi, another
'local' island, but this time around with more of an established tourist layer in place, which unsurprisingly gives it the title of being the Maldivian island which offers the greatest number of excursions. In the case of Maafushi, it appears to have developed at a more complete and rapid rate than any other local island, and this is evident in the presence of high-rise hotels, variety of eateries, and nightspots. Beaches here might have been eclipsed by Thulusdhoo, but it felt like Maafushi is still very much a getaway resort island with an myriad of options to either disconnect, or conversely get immersed into an activity of sorts which you might readily associate with beach and / or island life. A snorkelling excursion is an absolute must, if only for the sheer variety of what is worked into the mix, and in this case, snorkelling was combined with dolphin-watching, a sandbank visit and an overall feelgood factor which came as part of the package, generated in no small measure by the viewing of some of the world's most impressive marine life. One somewhat unusual quirk of Maafushi is the existence of the nation's jail, tucked away at one corner of
the island, suggesting why a stay on this island occupies a more affordable bracket when it comes to overall cost of stay. As a closing statement, a 2-night stay in the island nation's capital city of Male was more of a curiosity than a necessity, and although the urbanization which totally fills the island it is located on is not at all typical of the rest of the islands in the archipelago, it does have an eerie kind of urban buzz which seems somewhat out of place, but not without charm. The city's chief attraction is the waterside mosque which is unusually-shaped, but warrants a couple of photos all the same. Shopping options here are the nation's finest, as are the dining options, where an Indian influence prevails, but the existence of an artificial beach serves to suggest that you wouldn't stay in Male for the beach options, especially when the rest of the nation has some of the world's finest. On a final note, it is worth pointing out that stays on local islands made the Maldivian episode highly affordable, at least in sharp contrast to the huge price tags you would associate with the more exclusive resort islands, and my overall verdict is that you really don't get what you pay for, at least, not proportionally speaking, and as I left the nation with a huge sense of satisfaction to have experienced it comprehensively at a wallet-friendly price, the world tour had by now really gathered so much momentum that it felt like anything anywhere could, and indeed quite likely would be achieved in the months ahead.
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