Hopping Island in the Maldives
The best islands in the Maldives
I know we are approaching the Maldives when the passengers around me started moaning. "Oh my God!" The woman next to me said, "Lean down for a better view."
Looking down, I see what that means. The seas are a bluish blue, small white sand islands are freely sprinkled in the waters below. Surrounding each island is a light turquoise, a color I have only seen in pictures.
Suddenly, 22 hours of flight time seems worth the trip.
It may take some time to reach Maldives. To find the country on a map, find the tip of the South Indian, then move your finger southwest in the Indian Ocean. See that string of dots? It is the Maldives, an archipelago consisting of 1,192 coral islands divided into 26 atolls. The country's 350,000 inhabitants live on only 192 islands.
Maldivian passengers flew to the capital, Male. From there, most take a boat or cruise to their resort. Each resort in the Maldives has its own island. This means that each resort must be self-sufficient, providing its own energy, water, food and even medical care if needed.
If you like nightlife, shopping and entertainment then Maldives is not for you. But if you enjoy snorkeling, diving and relaxing on the best beach you've ever seen, this is the place.
Dreaming of the Maldives.
The Maldives is synonymous with luxury. Housing budgets in the Maldives range from B&Bs to private villas in the thousands per night.
The Maldives is an Islamic nation. As I have been told many times during my travels, "We like to please everyone, from Christians to Hindus and everyone. Everyone is welcome here."
The local islands of the Maldives follow the Islamic tradition in dress and food, the resort islands follow their own rules. They operate like many other beach resorts around the world, and offer mostly wine and pork.
The Maldives has more than 100 resort islands, ranging in size from 1.5 miles to just a tenth of a mile. I intend to visit four of them.
Baros
My first stop is Barros, a luxury resort about a 25-minute speedboat ride from Male. Barros was one of the first resorts in the Maldives. Opened in 1973, it is a romantic destination popular on honeymoon nights. Barros also has its own rock that surrounds an ancient pond, which provides excellent snorkeling.
The resort has a private, intimate feel, with 45 beaches and 30 water villas. The decoration in my beach pool pool uses deep woods and high ceilings. I love the luxurious king bed and luxury bathroom as well as the private outdoor shower. Behind the villa, I discovered a private courtyard with a bed pool, a shady wooden porch deck with four poster day beds, and my own private section of the beach.
I believe I am dead and have gone to heaven.
Although I had no desire to leave my villa, I soon realized that eating at Barros was a pleasure. All produce and food must be brought by boat, but the food is fresh and modern, with a list of wines that many restaurants will envy. We lie down for a drink at the famous Lighthouse Lounge at sunset, and have a wonderful dinner at The Cane Girl. With all this good food, I know it will be difficult to trim for my bikini while traveling.
Barros is an adult-only destination. One of Barros' highlights is a private dinner at the sand bank. It looks exactly like this - a private dinner for two that your own private chef prepared and served at sunset on a small sandbank in the middle of the crystal blue sea.
Our last day in Barros, a friend and I spend the morning snorkeling. We walk straight into the ocean through the doors of our villa, and in a few minutes we reach the cliff. Hundreds of colorful fish and bright corals surround us. The water is so hot that it almost feels like a bathtub. We snorkel until we get tired, and then walk back to the beach, happily talking about what we've seen.
Adaran Prestige Voodoo
From Barros, we take a boat to Adaran Prestige Voodoo, a large resort with a youthful feel. I see many young couples and families from Asia, India and elsewhere. Most guests buy the resort's all-inclusive plan, which includes food.
Adaran Prestige Voodoo has 50 water villas, each with its own bedside pool and private deck. Villa Turquoise sits on the water, with unlimited access to the Indian Ocean. The six villas follow the traditional Japanese design. My villa has a viewing floor section that allows me to see the clear seas below, and I make good use of the underwater steps, where fish can be seen from school yards away.
Adaran Prestige Voodoo has an energetic feel to it, and I see a lot of snorkeling, beach volleyball, and jet-skiing. There's water skiing, tube rides, and even an underwater whale ride that takes passengers 120 feet below the surface.
Anantara higo
Upon our arrival by speedboat, the Anantara Dhigu staff greet us with traditional kegs, cold towels and coconut drinks. Anantara Resort is one of the three resorts located side by side, each with its own style. Anantara Dhego welcomes guests of all ages, including families of children. For children 11 and younger, Dhoni Kids Club has a supervised program that changes daily.
Anantara Dhigu features 110 villas and suites. I can't help but smile when I see my large water villa with its large rooms and private wooden deck with stairs to the sea. But it's a freestanding bathtub with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the open sea, making me want to jump in for joy. When I look out the window, I see a huge stingray corridor in the turquoise waters below.
The food at Anantara is special, and there are more restaurants than just sampling during your stay, from Japanese seafood to Italian seafood. Maldivian cuisine has a lot of spices and flavors that I love about Indian and Sri Lankan cuisine, yet it has its own unique dishes. During a Spice Spoons cooking class at Anantara, my friend and I try to make a three-course menu of Maldivian dishes, including fresh tuna curry (of course under expert supervision). Best of all, then we eat it.
Anantara is strongly committed to protecting the environment, and I am pleased to be participating in the resort's reef protection and restoration programme, HARP (Holistic Approach to Coral Reef Protection). Anantara has worked with marine biologists at Coral Reef CPR, which aims to promote sustainable management and restoration of the coral reef ecosystem, and they encourage resort guests to join these efforts.
Guests can participate in the Reef Expansion Program by adopting and using a reef framework to guide Anantara residents to marine biology. When we dived close to the resort, Dr. Andrew Parkner, the program's chief scientist, showed us how the coral changes color, with visible signs of distress due to the rising water temperature.
Back at the resort, he shows us how to carefully attach pieces of live coral to a wire frame, which will then be set into the sea. It explains how the parts will begin to coalesce and grow into healthy coral.
Sad to leave Anantara Dhigu at the end of our tour, I was glad to learn that there are quite a few small (but growing) reefs in the Maldives that helped me.
Adaran Prestige Voodoo has an energetic feel to it, and I see a lot of snorkeling, beach volleyball, and jet-skiing. There's water skiing, tube rides, and even an underwater whale ride that takes passengers 120 feet below the surface.
Diving in the Maldives.
The next day at AaaVeee, we decided to go diving. AaaVeee is suitable for divers and snorkels. The island has a healthy rock and a well-diving shop with skilled diving masters available to help.When two of my friends take their first introductory dive lesson, I take a dive. Often when I dive we have to take a boat to the diving area. But today, after helping me, the diving master tells me to follow him. We walked down to the beach and then to the sea.
Although I love diving, I usually struggle with being very cool. But here, the water is so hot I don't even think about it. Impressed by the diversity of marine life here, I continue to swim with the rock. I am disappointed when the diving master signals that it is time to go back.
The crew doesn't use rods. They just hooked on the fishing line roll. They help us catch our hooks, and then encourage us when we catch them. The cooler soon fills up with a variety of fish. The majority are red snappers. AaaVeee's chef has promised that our catch at the BBQ will be presented later this evening, and I look forward to this fresh seafood.
It is dark when the boat finally reaches shore. "Why don't you go to the roof deck and check the view?" One of the staff suggests. I climb a small staircase and then lie down on the roof and look up at the sky.
Without light pollution to cover them, I can see thousands of stars shining in the sky. I am amazed at this sight, and lie there all the way. As the engine roars and the boat moves slowly, I know I'm just a small stain in this big universe. But here, near these tiny dots of land in the middle of the Indian Ocean, I understand what a special corner of the world this is.
Going to the Maldives
Qatar Airways and Emirates are among the airlines flying to Maldives. International flights arrive at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport in Male. There are direct flights to Dubai from Male and many European and Asian cities. Coming from the United States, I flew with Qatar Airways from Boston to Qatar to the Maldives.
Traveling around the Maldives
After a flight to Male, you will take a boat, domestic flight or cruise to your resort, depending on how far it is. If you go by ship, be aware that ships only work during the day. Ships usually land on a floating platform near the island and then the guests are transported to the shore by boat. Resorts near Male use boats for transportation.
Weather in the Maldives
Located at the equator, the Maldives has hot tropical temperatures throughout the year, ranging from 74 ° F (23 ° C) to 90 ° F (32 ° C). It is sometimes quite humid and hot, so dress appropriately. The islands have two different seasons. From May to October, intermittent rains are expected, followed by dry weather from November to April.
Currency
The currency of the Maldives is called "Rufia" (MVR). However, most resorts charge for items using US dollars. Large credit cards are accepted at resorts.
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