From the moment I started chalking plan to travel to Maldives, all I had in my mind was pristine white sand and turquoise blue water. Being a traveler who moves around on shoestring budget, it was always difficult to manage everything yet miss nothing.
It took me one month of planning and then finally I was on my way to this enthralling destination with my best travel mate, my better half. From the moment the flight took off both of us were thrilled, and then came the moment after one and half hours when we saw tiny islands spread amongst blue water of the Indian Ocean, like clouds in the sky.
We landed at the Ibrahim Nasir International airport in Male against the backdrop of a setting Sun. The juncture we stepped outside the airport our jaws dropped as we had never imagined that we will see blue water just outside. From there our journey took us to South Male Atoll; though we were on a speed boat it seemed everything had come to a standstill and we were not looking at each other but to the captivating view that was surrounding us. We reached our destination in less than an hour’s time having crossed many beautiful small islands on our way. We relaxed in the evening in anticipation of the adventures that waited us.
The next day the adventures started: First to come was the thrilling experience of scuba diving in the lagoons of South Atoll. The moment one enters the water one feels otherworldly. Visibility is superb in the warm waters surrounding the atolls. Healthy corals are virtually untouched by humans. Large pelagics including whale sharks are attracted into the channels to feed on the profusion of smaller reef fish schooling close to the coral walls and submerged thilas. We were lucky enough to see reef sharks, manta rays, star fishes; snappers, soldier fishes, moray eels etc., but missed out on the whale sharks & the turtles. We came out after a two hour sojourn in the underworld.
In the evening we took to snorkelling and were again amongst the small fishes, reef sharks & rays.
The next day began with a learning experience in kite surfing. I got lucky as one of the tourists was ready to teach me the basics. After a few hiccups I did manage to start to kite surf but the experience was very tiring and not a satisfying one. May be I need to get my physics right the next time. In the evening we went for a dolphin ride into deep sea. It was a stupendous experience. The dolphins were swaying on the ocean surface to the tunes of the whistle of our boatmen.
The next day was the penultimate day of the trip. Again we took to snorkelling to relax ourselves and then we spent our time feeding manta rays and playing volleyball in the beach. In between all the things I mentioned we also had awesome food which mainly consisted of Mediterranean flavours and some amazing sea food.
From the moment our flight had taken off to reach Maldives to the moment we boarded the flight to return home we never realized how time flew by.
“Some memories are unforgettable, remaining ever vivid and heart-warming!” - Joseph B Wirhtlin. We were taking back with us unforgettable memories which will last a lifetime.
Travel pointers:
1. If travelling from India, book flight tickets from Kochi and 45 days before to economize travel costs. Visa for Indians is free.
2. Also if you are not a food traveller then try to book full board meal plans at the place you choose to stay.
3. If your interest lies in scuba diving then dive in South atoll to see untouched coral reefs and whale sharks or in North Atoll to see manta rays & turtles. There are resorts available which specialize in scuba diving only and hence understands your needs better. Best time for scuba diving is January to March as visibility is up to 40 m.
4. Maldives has excellent climate round the year so you can plan your visit any time of the year for a vacation.
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