The Maldives islands glitter and shine in the blue Indian Ocean

_{• Sri Lanka • the Maldives • Thailand •}

The Maldives, a collection of more than a thousand islands in the Indian Ocean, is known for its clear emerald waters, beautiful beaches that stretch as far as the eye can see, and luxurious overwater bungalows.

South Maldives for 5 days 

Why did we pick the Maldives? Firstly, it is only a two-hour flight from Sri Lanka, where we had been visiting. We were looking for somewhere nice to rest after we had worked hard for two weeks as volunteers painting a deaf school.

Secondly – The Maldives is well known as a “bucket list” getaway. A bucket list means – something you want to do before you die, or “kick the bucket”! And hearing that climate change could take the country off the map completely in the future, helped convince us that we didn’t want to miss out (global warming means sea levels will rise).  In 2004, a tsunami swallowed two-thirds of the country, taking 20 islands with it.  The Maldives – once islands formed from underwater volcanic eruptions are disappearing under the ocean. 

Of the almost 1,200 islands in the Maldives, only 200 are inhabited by locals. Nearly 100 islands have been developed as tourist resorts – in North Malé, South Malé, Ari, Felidhu, Baa Atoll, and Lhaviyani Atolls. The rest of the islands are uninhabited. We struggled with which island to choose, but after researching we avoided the more luxury resorts in favor of prices starting at just under 90 GBP per night (though read on to hear how we did treat ourselves during the trip). We picked South Malé Atoll, a beautiful local resort called Gulhi island run by Maldivian people, based on our budget and as our main base.

From Malé International Airport you can take a public ferry, a speedboat, or a seaplane to go to the island you are staying on. Our flight landed at the other main international airport, Velana International Airport. It is on Hulhulé Island in the North Malé Atoll, near the capital island Malé.

There are currently 18 airports in the Maldives, five international airports, and 13 domestic airports.

Taking our budget into account, my friend and I took three forms of public transport. It was cheaper, but longer – it took us an hour and 45 minutes to get to where we were staying. Even then we had to stay overnight to get to the south, to be able to make a transfer to another island. There was only one service a day at 3pm, and we had arrived late at night.

We went to central Malé by boat and took a taxi to the western island for the Villingili public ferry. Getting to islands far from the airport is much cheaper than the speedboat, which costs £250. We did however use a speedboat at the end of our journey, as our flight was at an earlier time. The alternative is that a few tedious journeys only cost us around £50.

A shared speedboat transfer with people makes sense depending on the number of people traveling; when we traveled it cost approximately £37.76 per person for a minimum of five persons in a group. This is rare as we all have different flight times and different dates.

The Maldives has 26 Atolls (‘Atolhu’ in Dhivehi, the Maldivian language), which means circular groups of coral islets. For example, Gulhi island is a traditional fishing village with plenty of locals, far from the pricey tourist resorts. There was plenty of activity there and we went snorkeling. Please do watch out for the jellyfish, my friend got stung twice! The views were very beautiful though. I felt as if I were on a different planet with no technology to distract me, just a blue ocean and completely peaceful waves.

A bird’s-eye video of the stunning Maldives Islands. This video is informative and amazing, with an overview of the Maldives, and the best places marked on the map.

Is the Maldives expensive? Property prices are indeed high here, and high taxes are also paid by foreigners and tourists. Just about everything is imported, of course, because these are islands. I’d say that it’s really mostly the accommodation that breaks the bank!

Crystal clear water in the Maldives – I found an interesting theory on the internet while searching about the Maldives. The water looks clearer here because it’s away from major polluting sources and (most importantly), it is quite shallow near the islands. There is a lot of white sand and brilliant sunshine, which makes it easy to see the clarity of the water. Also, there’s a theory that the seas reflect the skies, which are often clear blue, rather than overcast.

One of the staff members at our resort said “the darker the blue, the deeper the water”.

How did the Maldive’s atolls and islands form? This is another interesting article https://www.dreamingofmaldives.com/maldives-blog/the-story-of-the-formation-of-maldives-atolls-and-islands-illustrated/.

Beauty of Adaaran Prestige Vadoo island – I decided I would like to visit one of the popular designated tourist resorts for the day. I went for a package that the staff suggested that took me to Adaaran resort in north Malé Atoll.  It was my first time at a luxury resort. If you can’t afford an overnight stay, you can opt for a day tour just like I did! It was around £77 for entrance, buffet lunch & tea break, and it was definitely one of my highlights.

There was a paradise garden with so many beautiful flowers and trees. You could just snorkel around. I discovered many species of fish.

The hotel staff was great during my stay. They had lots of respect for our communication methods by writing and communicating over WhatsApp to make it easy to contact them if necessary. They were very kind to gift me and my friend farewell bracelets that made us feel as if we were special guests. I am grateful to them for everything and especially the amazing food they cooked! I will miss Ahmed, Hasitha, Yan, and others.

On a different note, you might have heard of these seven incredible underwater restaurants (££££) that offer the unreal experience of dining and drinking underwater – no scuba gear necessary. Though it looked interesting, unfortunately, it was far for us and on our budget, it was not worth the spending.

If I could return, I would love to see the glowing blue tide that comes out at night in Vaadhoo, Maldives, which is not far from the capital. If you plan to visit, I recommend you to check this “bioluminescence plankton” out, as well as the incredible white beaches that are fine like powder.