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Published: March 7th 2016
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“OMG !!! Is this for real?” This was the first thing I asked myself as soon as I saw the ocean from the window seat in the flight that I was about to set foot in the Maldivian soil. This was the first time that I went to Maldives and not even 5 seconds since I landed in this magical islands I fell in love with the beautiful ocean, the beach and of course the atmosphere of the country. Since I got there early in the morning (around 7am) I decided to check in with the hotel and then start my adventure by looking for a place to have breakfast. Even though the hotel provided us breakfast I decided to have something from outside because that’s why I came here in the first place, to try out new things such as food, culture, traditions and people. I didn’t have a map in my hand so me and my mom decided just to walk around the street and explore and find a place to eat when we find a diner or a cafe. But just as soon as you go in the streets in “Hulhumale Islands” you don’t have to worry about
finding food or clothes or electric appliances or whatsoever because there are big shops and markets in every corner. After breakfast we decided to go to the main Islands “Male” and we went to the ferry terminal where it’s the only way to get to the main islands. As a matter of fact to get to any island you have to use ferries, sea planes or some other way of transportation system which are being used in the ocean. Being born and raised in Sri Lanka I was all used to taking the bus and sometimes the train (for long distances) to get to one city to another. So this travelling style in the ocean was a whole new level of experience for me and I wouldn’t mind using a ferry or a sea plane or speed boat if I want to go to another city or so. It feels adventurous and you are actually trying out a new thing while vacationing in a foreign land.
The main island “Male” is a little bit similar to the cities in Sri Lanka and had a few Sri Lankan products in the markets, but still there was a uniqueness
The white sand bank in the middle of the ocean
look at the color of the ocean...isn't it amazing? added in there as well. The people were friendly and were very helpful with giving instructions and directions of the roads that we wanted to go. Both me and my mom did a little bit of shopping here and there for about 3pm and bought some snacks to have it in our backpacks when we are going on around the islands and decided to go back to the islands where our hotel was and decided to take a nap since we haven’t gotten a good sleep in a while. And in the evening when we woke up we decided to see the night life of the islands. In the Hulhumale islands we didn’t see much night life so we just walked around and got to know a few locals and a couple of other tourists and shared some stories with them till about midnight. It was a wonderful experience to share and exchange stories about different cultures and traditions and it makes you realize the things that you have and you don’t have in your country.
Day 02 started a little bit early because we decided to hit the beach which was right behind our hotel, early
in the morning because I didn’t want to get caught in the crucial rays of the sun. Since Sri Lanka is a sunny country I’m not really a “Sunny” friendly person even though that I love beaches :-D . So we went to the beach around 6am which was the perfect time for a morning swim and the water was so warm and you feel like you are in a hot tub. In my opinion it’s just the thing that will start your day in a more refreshing way.
After having a long swim in the ocean we decided to go see the dolphins, to do some snorkeling and some other sight-seeing. So we got hold of the hotel information desk got some advice on the do’s and the don’ts and we headed our way with the guide. First up was snorkeling. I’m not a swimmer nor have I done snorkeling before in my entire life but I decided to go on with it because I always wanted to do snorkeling and see the beauty of the ocean with its tropical fish and the corals. The hotel assigned a guide to me for snorkeling since I’m not
At the airport
I just looove the color of the water :) a good swimmer and I started my first adventure since I touched Maldives with snorkeling and it is one of the biggest achievements in my life. All this time I thought that I will never be able to snorkel but I proved myself wrong and I’m proud of myself for proving myself wrong. I did get little sea sick when I came back since I’m not used to the salty water and the wind but it only lasted for about an hour so all was good. After the snorkeling fun we headed down to see the white sand bay which truly felt like a slice of heaven because it was just so beautiful. A small strip of island which has got white sand surrounded by turquoise water sounds like a small paradise… well it WAS a small paradise.
After seeing the beauty of the ocean we went to a small fishing village where the villagers had organized us a delicious lunch with the fish that they had fished and it showed all of us how welcoming the villagers were. :D
Then finally as the latter part of the agenda, we headed down further to
the sea to see dolphins in the same boat. This was another thing that I wanted to do for a very long time. And I’m glad I checked it off from my “to-do” list as well. I was able to see a lot of dolphins up close and personal and got lucky enough to get them on video so that I can watch it and cherish those moments for the rest of my life.
And another thing that I want to highlight was the freedom that you feel when you are walking in the streets. In Sri Lanka when you are walking in the streets, the loud honking noises and the traffic is a highly common thing but in here there was no honking, no traffic and no wreck less drivers at all. If you are looking for a vacation spot where you want it to be calm and quiet then these islands would do the trick. I promise you that. :D
On the day 03 we were getting ready to go back to Sri Lanka. When I first booked the tickets I was worried that we might get bored if we stayed there
more than 3 days because from what I have heard about Maldives there was nothing much to see there other than the big ocean. BUT I WAS WRONG !!! 03 days was not enough to see Maldives at all and NO it’s not an island only with a big ocean to see. You can experience the peoples friendly hospitality, the amazing food, the freedom when you feel when you are walking in the streets, and of course the big ocean with the shades of blue, green, turquoise and sometimes purple as well. If I had a chance to go back there in the near future I would definitely go back without thinking about it twice or any sort of a hesitation. That’s for sure.
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