The travel journal continues, dear reader, from where we left off on the beautiful island of Maafushi. I’m now in the third week of my travels in this intriguing country. Maldives consists of a series of atolls just south of Sri Lanka and close to the equator. Of course the world knows the destination as a famed tropical paradise for the rich and famous. However, the country is opening up to local hosts on the islands who will benefit from the pristine marine environment that has attracted tourists over the years, and not just for the resort island operators. I’m here partly to investigate whether it is practical to visit the Maldives for an extended period of time and not leave as a pauper, Risky you might suggest,.. sure, but a worthwhile experiment either way. So far so good, and there are plenty more adventures to come!
My online research drew me to Fulidhoo, a local island further south from Maafushi in the Vaavu atoll. It is situated 57 kilometres from Male and I thought I should check it out as it seemed to be very appealing. The ferry ride south takes around two hours and is a nice experience, although a little slow when compared to a speedboat ride. The upside is that ferry rides in the Maldives are astonishingly cheap, so there is that to take into consideration. I booked a lovely resort hotel through booking.com and although it’s just a stone’s throw from the wharf and on the beach, a staff member was there to greet me on arrival at the dock. I had a booking for four nights, and once checked in and offered a welcome drink it was time to head out to the bikini beach in the afternoon for an initial peak and a swim of course.
From the outset I was stunned by the natural beauty of this beach. The glorious colours of the lagoon water and the perfect white sand bought back memories of the two beaches that top the list in all my travels, being Jolly beach in Antigua and Matira beach in Bora Bora, French Polynesia. There are many lovely beaches right around the world, but bikini beach on Fulidhoo is truly unforgettable. having a similar effect on me as the other two famous beaches. The water changes colour from a stunning azure near the coast to a deeper blue further out to sea. It’s a breathtaking sight, and almost beyond belief to witness a place of such beauty. I settled into an island routine for the fourth time in the Maldives, and I must say beach life continues to be most agreeable. Fulidhoo is a smaller and more remote island than Maafushi, which has a plethora of dining options. But you can find a restaurant or two on the island, and they are sure to be open close to 7:00pm during Ramadan. Coincidentally, my trip itinerary has coincided exactly with the month of Ramadan, although I had no idea during the time of booking. But it hasn’t caused any major problems, and I’m going great guns.
I chatted with a nice Polish girl on the final evening as we watched the nurse sharks and stingrays swimming at the jetty, and following her advice found myself tempted to book a speedboat for the trip back to Male. Four hours on the ferry and just one hour on the speedboat, Hm, I was soon reaching into my pocket for the convenience of such a short commute. It was great to be back in Male, and I stormed around like a local. The transformation that comes over travellers who revisit a destination is like chalk and cheese, changing from uncertainty and apprehension to confident strolling with purpose in the blink of any eye. I checked in to see my friend Prakash at the Fatuur Inn, and headed out next morning to try and sort out the remaining itinerary for the trip. As the Maldives is just starting to open up for independent travellers such as your humble travel correspondent, I had plans to visit Raa and Baa atolls, but really could not find the required information online to see if it was feasible. These atolls seem almost exclusively for the wealthy staying on private resort islands, could I even make it work?
The challenge was on, and I had struck out down at the jetty on a speedboat option. After a few false starts, I ended up at a travel agency who sorted my plane tickets, and crucially also the travel conundrum I had been unable to resolve in getting to the island where I had booked my hotel from Ifuru airport. The airport is on a resort island that consists of just the tarmac and building and a swanky five-star resort, but how was I to get out to the island of Vaadhoo? I wasn’t getting a response to my online queries from the owner, although I had a confirmed booking. Sometimes being courageous and just going for it can work out for the best, and the agent went out of his way to call the resort owner on a number I didn’t have access to and arrange for a speedboat on arrival. The catch, unfortunately, was a $200 dollar hit for the twenty-minute private commute. Ouch! Nevertheless I’m thrilled to be here on Vaadhoo Island staying at the lovely bed and breakfast of Ismail and his kind family, this has led to a super interesting travel experience.
Vaadhoo Island is twenty kilometres north of Ifuru aiirport on Raa atoll, and famed for the sea of stars where the ocean glows. It’s called biolumiscence, caused by the plankton and the sea grass in a unique nighttime phenomenon. There are no guarantees during travel, but I have made determined efforts every night to get down to the beach to see if I could get lucky. Ismail advised me to even walk amongst the sea grass close to shore which may stir up the plankton, however I’m not sure if it’s the right season and the full moon is very high at this time. Regardless, I’m glad to be here with such a friendly host family showing me around and introducing me to the kind locals, as well as preparing superb home cooked meals at affordable prices. Ismail is a school principal, who is expanding his horizons into the tourist industry. He has done a fine job in building an immaculate Air BnB, and it’s great to see the tourism industry in the Maldives continuing to go from strength to strength. I have met several budding entrepreneurs during the course of my visit.
I spent my days at a deserted local beach, it was literally myself and the big crabs that own the sandy shore. Occasionally I would chase them along the beach for a spot of funny video footage, let me tell you those boys can really motor! Then there was plenty of time relaxing, and the highlight of my low-key life involved going to the only restaurant on the island, where they would prepare a delicious and incredibly cheap meal in the evening. It was worth the extended wait time with the friendly staff, that’s for sure. The rhythm of being the only tourist on a nearly deserted island is a unique travel experience that I will never forget. There are no ATMs, no tourists, no restaurants… nothing at all really! But the only thing I regretted was not being able to bear witness to the sea of stars on this occasion.
On the final day Ismail organized an unforgettable day trip on the water with his young charges. The water is a mesmerizing deep blue, and the visibility astonishing. The team casually pointed out stingrays, sea turtles, even eagle rays as we zoomed around in the speedboat. The tour included two incredible snorkelling stops, with magnificent coral and an abundance of beautiful tropical fish. The tour finished with a visit to another beautiful sandbank just off the main island. We had a break over lunch, then Ismail took me on a tour of three local islands nearby. He had gone to great lengths to organize the tour, where locals magically appeared to guide us around and teach us about the history of the islands. It included a visit to the historical capital envisaged for the Maldives prior the people settling on Male. There are some cool local ruins to enjoy, and Ismail did all he could to ensure my visit to Vaadhoo was something I will always treasure. Come to think of it, basically all of you should be here now!
“Remember that happiness is a way of travel – not a destination.” Roy M. Goodwin
As I continue my travels, until next time it’s signing off for now
Tom
Tom's music blog can be found here:
http://www.tomrooneymusic.com
- 70 Russian girls on an island yoga retreat … and me! - September 6, 2024
- The fabulous Maldives - September 2, 2024
- Exploring with conviction - August 3, 2024