From our arrival we were stunned by the beautiful surroundings. Maldives is more than just beautiful beaches. It has a diverse underwater life which brings swimming at a whole new level. Swimming with sharks is an unforgettable experience. Amazing colourful corals, turtles, dolphins, manta ray. This islands are paradise!
GETTING THERE
By airplane. Once arriving in the Maldives at the Male International Airport you will be greeted by a resort or hotel representative who will take you to your speedboat or sea plane transfer. These transfers must be arranged through your hotel at time of booking. There are no public ferries or water taxis available at the airport, so booking your transfers ahead is vital.
Many people think of the Maldives as a luxurious destination. Well, that’s not totally true. This paradise it’s also possible to enjoy at a lower price. We booked our hotel on a local island called Maafushi and it was the best decision ever. Staying on a local island has given me an insight into life in the Maldives that very few people have experienced so far.
Be respectful of the religion!
Maldives is a Muslim country. That means that you’ll have to follow a few extra rules especially when visiting the local islands. Be sure to cover up your shoulders, chest and knees! If you wander how will you enjoy the tropical weather and that crystal blue water, don’t worry.. tourists have their own beach, called Bikini Beach. In every local island, you can expect to find at least one Bikini Beach.
SNORKEL
The water of the Maldives is home to an abundance of marine life so diverse and snorkelers can be delighted in close encounters with plenty of tropical fish, as well as manta rays, sharks, turtles and some colourful corals. This waters are full of colorful fish and the anemone gardens are able to sustain many different species of marine life. There were hundreds, possibly thousands of fish. About the size of my hand and they travelled in schools. It was amazing!!
While at most spots, we did see the most fish we have seen anywhere else and we saw an amazing number of fish. The reefs were being severely affected by global warming and we saw for ourselves a brand new bleaching event in the southern part of the country.
The reefs we snorkelled in the Maldives are hard corals, a mix of table, finger and brain corals. There were a few soft corals like leather coral, but not sea fans or rods like you see in other parts of the world.
I have snorkelled with many colourful fish before at several different spots in the Philippines, Indonesia, Costa Rica and Panama but I have never had the opportunity to swim with turtles and mantas. So here it was my chance. They weren’t afraid of us and they kept swimming among us, perfect opportunity to interact with them and snap some nice photos. It was amazing!
I couldn’t get over how blue and clear the water was. It certainly isn’t the type of water you can find anywhere. The colour, the clarity, it’s juts perfect! Safe to say, I was as happy as I could be. I was able to get up super close to these amazing creature. It was fabulous!
SUNSETS
Here you’ll witness some of the most fabulous sunsets. It’s impossible to be indifferent when you see the huge orange ball that seems to sink in water. Be ready, it goes very fast ! In Maldives the sunset lasts only a few minutes, around 5, because of its geographic location. The sky will take dozens of shades.. from very pale yellow to pink, orange to dark tones. Splendid!!
A trip to the Maldives it’s a dream come true and it’s not hard to see why. Here you can do it all and nothing at the same time. It’s the perfect place to strike the healthy vacation balance between the two. You can kayak into the sparkling turquoise sea, feed the baby sharks, watch the mantas getting close to the shore at midnight and have some nice talk with the locals while sipping a pineapple juice.
Be careful! The sun is pretty strong here. I mean I was desperately seeking the shade because it was super hot! The most dangerous thing in the Maldives are actually not the sharks or poisonous fish. It is the sun! Even if the sun doesn’t feel strong when you are in the water, the aftereffects can be pretty bad. Believe me, I felt it on my own skin.. hahhahaha.
The Maldives has of 1190 tiny islands, out of which only 185 are inhabited. Most of the islands are so small that you can walk from one end of the island to the other in maximum 15-20 minutes. Pretty cool!
Due to the dispersed marine life that you can find on each island I recommended you to split your stay between a few different islands. We were so quite lucky to see a few wonderful islands quite far away from each other and observe the differences in marine life. I was not really expecting such a difference in the marine life from an island to another, but I was surprised to see that they were completely different.
SANDBANK
The Maldives have many uninhabited sand banks or tiny islands which only appear when the tide level is low. And they’re so surreal to be on! Most of them are pretty tiny and double up as great spots to take over a picnic lunch, snorkel, swim and hang at for an afternoon.
I think visiting the Maldives should be on everyone’s bucket list. This place is not just resorts, in fact the experience is completely different. We enjoyed the incredible island life and the beautiful nature that surrounds us. It is a unique place in so many ways and you have to see it with your own eyes to really appreciate how special it is.
WATER SPORTS
While in the Maldives I highly recommend you to try some of the best water sports. The Maldives has something in it for everyone : families, couples, or even children. Get ready to be pleasantly surprised and be part of some of the most thrilling adventures of your lifetime. Some of the most exciting sports you can try:
- fun tube : USD 130 for two
- jet skiing : USD 70
- kayaking : USD 10 – USD 50
- kitesurfing : USD 50 – USD 90
- waterboarding : USD 70
- bike ride
It is hard to express how unique this country is in a blog post, this is something you need to live and experience yourself. It is such a unique experience! In case you decide to take a trip to this super awesome place, don’t forget to bring with you:
- adapters
- mosquito repellent
- sunscreen
- sunglases
- GoPro
Madeleine 𓇼 