My first thought about the Maldives was that they're a bit boring, at least for me as a more active traveler, and maybe overpriced, but still beautiful with their sandy beaches and dreamy overwater bungalow resorts. Well, my experience has proved that visiting these breathtaking atolls is a must at least once in a lifetime.
The Maldives consists of approximately 2,000 small atolls in the Indian Ocean, of which only 218 are inhabited. The country’s total area is 298 km². The main economic sectors are fishing, agriculture (bananas, papayas, mangoes) and shipping. During the fishing season, half of the male population goes to the Indian Ocean and catches 40,000 tonnes of fish annually. Until the 26 July 1965, when the Maldives became an independent country, it was administered by the United Kingdom, and on the 11 November 1968, after the death of Sultan M. F. Didi, it became a republic (Wikipedia).
In our case, choosing the islet was very easy, since my partner had been there not long before on a business trip and he thought that both, the island and the accommodation, would be suitable for us. We booked seven-day holidays (six nights) during February, when it was still quite cold in Slovenia. Excitement at the change of the climate was intense. The chosen length of the holidays was perfect for us despite the long flights. What was unnecessary in terms of costs was a mandatory PCR test for both directions. We booked a flight directly from Vienna to Malé (the capital) with Austrian Airlines. It took eight hours to get there and an additional hour and 20 minutes to get back. To make the journey a little easier (at least until Vienna), we drove with our car to the chosen car park by the airport. There was a five-hour time difference (GMT+) between our country and the Maldives.
Approaching Malé airport and looking down at the small islands from about 1,000 ft and the fifty shades of green certainly took my breath away. My heart was racing as we were descending, as I was eagerly anticipating the moment I could finally experience what I saw from the air. It was a relatively short drive by sea from the airport to Huraa Island. It took us about 20 minutes by speedboat, which made everything easier. You can get the same transport service for only $10, but there are only a few lines operating and you have to stick to the schedule.
Huraa is well known in Maldivian history as the last royal dynasty to rule over the Maldives. It was founded in 1757 by Sultan al-Ghazi Hassan Izz ud-din. This dynasty is very important for Maldivian history because kings, prime ministers and many other people at important governmental posts came from the Huraa Island. There’s a mangrove swamp located in the northern part of the island and is declared a protected nature reserve. Its environment, together with its unique vegetation, provides a sanctuary for protected bird species inhabiting the place.
In a study conducted by the IUCN, ten different species of trees were identified on the island, some of them true mangroves and others mangrove-associated plants (Wikipedia).
Upon landing on the island, the route to our accommodation took us through the village and past the aforementioned mangrove swamps. We arrived early and while we were waiting for our room to be ready, we spent time on the beach right next to the accommodation, or just ten metres from the room. First of all, it took me half an hour to manage to stop marvelling at the incredibly beautiful environment. The first two days were dedicated to getting used to the natural luxury of white beaches and turquoise sea. The food at the accommodation was excellent and it was mainly seafood, fish, lots of vegetables and fruit juices, healthy breakfasts and no alcohol, which is prohibited on the islands. An interesting thing to note is that you can't be a resident of the Maldives if you're not Muslim. The best decision before departure was to buy snorkelling equipment, which proved to be a daily must-have and an indispensable prop. The underwater world of the Maldives is one of the world’s best diving and snorkelling destinations. There you can encounter incredible sea creatures that attract visitors all year round. When diving in the shallows, a young and small shark (!) swims past you all of a sudden, you spot a non-venomous sea snake on the bottom, and if you're lucky enough you can also see a stingray. We managed to see all this near the beach in front of the lodging. We were a little scared at first because we didn't know all this was possible, but later we saw that it was quite common to come across one creature or another. You just let it be, so it can swim along and doesn’t get upset. The Maldives also has lots of coral reefs, some of which are a bit smaller, like the ones at our beach which we admired through the diving goggles. The scenes of small, colourful fish are simply breathtaking. Personally, apart from the bustling seaworld, I was fascinated by flying foxes or flying dogs – a family of bats traditionally considered as the only family of the suborder of giant bats. They fly quite low at dusk and hang upside down from palm trees. Unlike other bats they don't use echolocation and instead rely on their well-developed sense of vision and smell.
Due to our accommodation’s location at the end of the islet, there wasn’t much to do in the immediate vicinity other than to indulge in the pleasures the ocean offered, so we often went for a ten minute stroll through the streets where the locals lived. Most often we landed in the only local tavern, which was located right next to the main harbour where you could come across fishing boats and boats carrying passengers. The island's inhabitants mainly live off fishing and tourism. The tavern was our pit stop for lunches and healthy drinks. It was very affordable and had good food, plus we made new friends with some very friendly waiters. The staff at our apartment was also very friendly, but sometimes you had the feeling it was all a bit faked. Just a little further down the street was another small hotel, where we met a few like-minded tourists and the manager of the hotel with whom we booked two excursions. The locals were very reserved and would often look down at the ground when you greeted them. There were a lot of children and the town had at least two schools, a kindergarten, a health centre home, and one of three small grocery stores where we used to buy drinks and sweets. We noticed a lot of the shops and some accommodation places were closed for tourists – in short, the Covid has really left a mark on the place in two years, in a negative way that is, and unintentionally devastated a once lively village in this beautiful island.
As mentioned, the manager of a small local hotel organised two trips for us. After talking with other tourists and getting good feedback about the organisation and the price, we decided to go for it. The first trip was dolphin watching. We took a small boat with another couple from Estonia, just before the sunset. We drove into the strait between the interior of the atolls and the open ocean. For some time, we didn’t spot any dolphins, but the boat ride across the colourful sea was beautiful.
But we were lucky that day. In the distance, we saw a pod of dolphins. After approaching them, they started jumping out of the water. The young dolphins were real acrobats and it seemed they wanted to show off, he he. There were a few other boats around us, but it wasn’t bothersome. We took countless photos and videos, but what we saw live was unforgettable. The next day, we set off snorkelling on a coral reef. We drove for 20 minutes from the coast with a couple from Finland. Miruza, the manager, was our guide. When we arrived at our chosen spot, we put on our flippers and masks and jumped into the water. It took a lot of courage to make the jump because none of us knew what awaited us below. Once in the water, we were amazed by the rich animal kingdom. At first, spotting a few-metre-long shark made me panic a bit, but having in mind that sharks are harmless to humans, I managed to relax. After swimming, taking photos and filming our encounters with sharks for less than an hour, we got back on the boat and returned to the island full of impressions and adrenaline. Both trips were unforgettable.
We took part in quite a few nice events that were included in the price of our stay. As mentioned above, alcohol is prohibited in the Maldives, so, one evening they organized a trip to a boat that was anchored in the middle of the sea where alcohol was allowed. In addition to cocktails, there was also music, so we had quite a unique dance party in the middle of the sea with a bunch of really nice Russian girls. The host also organized a campfire evening and hired a group of local traditional musicians. Experiencing indigenous music had a special charm, especially on the beach and by the fire. On our last night, we enjoyed dinner on the beach with two excellent musicians playing on their guitars. The beautiful ambiance of lights and the roaring waves left a special, romantic impression on us. After dinner, we also danced to the unforgettable scenery. Every element was absolutely dream like.
The Maldives, a synonym for a dream destination and all it promises, has more than positively surprised us. We were filled with experiences and memories that will always warm my heart. We will certainly return to this paradise on earth.
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