Butterflies in stomach & excitement coupled with a sense of nervousness I approached the Bengaluru Kempegowda International Airport.
Two years of zero Air Travel made me wonder if I knew how to check-in, show the mandatory proof of COVID-19 negative test report, vaccination certificate, AADHAR Card & finally the passport along with the Air Tickets. The immigration counter was a simple process of filling the forms & finally was at the lounge bar with the boarding pass in hand.
Just the joy of travelling one gets hooked for life, wander lust is what keeps all of us curious & adventurous from centuries. The barely 2 hours flight (1075 Kms Air Distance) from Namma Bengaluru was a breeze, as the flight was descending into Male-capital city of Maldives, the blue sky was reflecting on the azure blue Indian Ocean.
The process again was simple at the Velana International Airport, Male to collect the luggage & the friendly guide from the resort was waiting to escort from the Airport to another small airport which is just adjacent itself for my first ride in a Sea Plane which has about 12 persons capacity. It was highly thrilling to be just above 1,500 feet above the sea level & cruising above the tiny, scattered Islands as opposed to flying in Airplanes which are in general at 31,000 feet & above.
The emerald, blue ocean was playing tricks with shades of blue being spread far & wide only to be interspersed with small pieces of land which had the most beautiful patch of greenery, the evening bright Sun added to my viewing pleasure.
By now some of the passengers had already got down in the middle of nowhere in the Ocean where Resort representatives were welcoming them with garlands (the resorts are about 200 feet away & guests have steamboats to take them till there),our resort was the next stop, so there we were again up in the Air for some more majestic views of the watery nature in all its glory.
Friendly & smiling staff received us from our Sea Plane & whisked us in our chartered steamboats to the luxurious resort. The hospitality to receive us superb & the luggage was already taken to our water villas was a smooth process. By now the evening sun was ready set creating a shimmering orange volcanic mini waves adding to the spectacle & on the other side was the Moon peeping in the East enveloping the Dusk into a Dark Night. The water villas are once in a life time experience which were amidst the shallow waters(not more than 10 feet deep) of the ocean in the resort with all possible amenities along with responsible luxury.
Post the vegetarian dinner (with the influx of Indians, all resorts offer typical South/North Indian foods) the star gazing took me back to my childhood –Twinkle Twinkle Little Star –indeed shone bright, but they were definitely not little, they were HUGE diamonds & you can spend all the night to identify the Saptarishi Mandal (the Big Dipper),some of the planets (Saturn, Venus & Jupiter) are visible to the naked eye & millions of stars which can put you in slumber in your water villa’s balcony view, the calm sounds of the wave has a soothing effect.
The following day was reserved for Snorkeling & Scuba Diving (your Island is your Resort & you have to enjoy in the lap of nature itself—the Ocean,so it’s not the typical Temple,Palace or some Fort in ruins tourist visit).The staff are well trained who will take you for Scuba Diving post some practices in the shallow water,you can surely do even if you don’t know how to swim !The Cylinder does add weight on your back but once inside the buoyant water,the body gets used to it, breathing through oxygen cylinder via the mask & clutching the apparatus in your mouth-post some trial & error I was able to master it.From here started our descent into the blue water,what follows next is again a life changing experience.I was humbled to see the superb marine life in the corals,the shoals of mutli-colored fishes would whisk past us making me feel I am in aquarium with never ending view.A baby shark coming close to me added the required adrenaline rush,all through the coach was always making eye contact along with me & guiding to see more aqua world.
I was suggested to try out a night snorkeling session which would commence at 6PM,I was skeptical as I know water would be getting cold,but it was a temporary concern as the marine life gets completely lit up post sun set & again it was spectacular show of nature,glad I did this also in my bucket list.
The sun kissed white sand adds to the required photo effect,no wonder we all pose,preen & pout with our sunglasses& click away to glory.
These tropical islands (1200 Islands grouped in 26 atolls & only 185 Islands are inhabited) one can visit in the monsoon season too (May-Sept) & you will get good deals/discounts of Air Travel & Stay.
With a population of 5.6 Lakh, its dominated by Muslims with its local language being Dhivehi. Did you know, Buddhism probably spread to the Maldives in the 3rd century BC at the time of Emperor Ashoka’s expansion and became the dominant religion of the people of the Maldives until the 12th century AD post which Islam became more prominent.
US dollars works perfectly here as the main source of income is tourism, ensure you have your valid credit cards to swipe so that the hassle of carrying cash won’t be a burden. Sunscreen lotions, sunglasses, swimming trunks & most important toothbrush & paste(most resorts will charge you for it, unlike other hotels in India where we are used to it as complimentary!)
My 4-days stay (will cost you- all expenses included approx. 1.25 Lacs per person) was coming to a closure with many more scuba diving & snorkeling sessions, it was hard to head back to Bengaluru. This much needed break is filled with Memories, Magic & Machlis !
P.S: Don’t bother about any TV/Cinema celebrity spotting, the only thing to celebrate & surrender to in Maldives is the glory of Mother Nature—the most celebrated understated Celebrity!