Writing this from my sunbed, I was lying on the beach on the west of Biyadhoo Resort Island, looking out on to the glistening sea. Sea that holds a whole other world, not just deep in to the ocean but along the shore lines too. From black finned sharks (they’re very sweet and don’t hurt you) to Dory fish (Blue Tang in other words), to both tinee tiny and big Momma crabs – there’s a lot to discover!
Wildlife is Biyadhoo’s main forté and especially that of marine wildlife. From manta rays, to turtles, to sharks and dolphins; people have claimed to see them all. We were extremely lucky to see about 29 nurse sharks (of about 3m long) in the evenings at the end of the jetty. A moment that literally took my breathe away – apparently they are completely harmless but I’m glad that at that moment I was above the water.
The Maldives lie in the Indian ocean, south-west of Sri Lanka. There are about 1200 islands that make up the Maldives, most being uninhabited, and the remainder are one of either two types; the resort islands where the resort hotels are based and local islands, where – you got it… the locals live. (More about that on my ‘How to visit the Maldives on a budget’ blog here).
You will probably fly to Male, which is the capital of the Maldives and then depending on the location of your chosen island, you will either get a sea plane, a transfer boat or a ferry to your island of paradise. The island we stayed on was only a 40 minute boat ride away from the airport so it was fairly easy to get to. (Take a look here on my post on how to do the Maldives on a budget).
There is so much nature to explore here; I don’t think I have ever stayed within so much nature as I have done in the Maldives (and I come from the depths of the English country side – although extremely different). Within the island there was a jungle paradise and on the outskirts, of course you have the most stunning of beaches of white sand and bright turquoise seas and with this – one of the best places in the world to dive in.
These beautiful islands really are a snorkelers and divers playground – with every colour, shape and size of sea animal swimming centimetres from you. I am not a huge fan of swimming, but even I couldn’t resist exploring the magical life under the water, and I didn’t have to go far – by the shore lines I swam with bright coloured rainbow fish and reef sharks among so many more creatures of beautiful sea life.
(Like my hat? Get it here).
The Maldives is a perfect place to escape the craziness of life and take a long, relaxing breather in sheer beauty. A holiday in the Maldives can offer lots of good food (including different delicious curries of all flavours), drink, sun, sea, sand and sights that you’d like to store up in your mind forever. Take a book and appreciate escaping real life for a while in this dreamy location.
As the country is so flat, the Maldives can offer the most insanely beautiful sunsets. As you stay on an island – most of which are very small, you can go to the east of the island for sunrise and then west of the island for sunset – it really is magical.
I booked to stay on the island of Biyadhoo; it is not luxury – but it is pure paradise, with such natural beauty, that to me it almost seems more special as it is totally unspoilt. Apart from the edges where the beaches lie, the rest of the island is bursting with vegetation, greenery, trees and oozes life. Even after being here for over a week, there was still a new tree or bird that excited me (and different plants don’t usually interest me, I just appreciate the beauty of nature). The staff on the island are also incredibly friendly and helpful which really was the icing on this stunning cake.
(Get my hat here and my dress here).
The walk every morning out of our room felt like an adventure through a jungle, the rooms are set among the most lush of trees but all back on to beautiful beaches.
Most of the time, we had a beach all to ourselves, and that is the beauty of the resort islands, it’s just one hotel per island so each day we would enjoy the morning sun on the east of the island where the sea was calm, the swimming was amazing and they were small little coves covered with palm trees and then after lunch, we would reside to the larger west side beach to enjoy the afternoon rays and the evening sunset. We would never struggle to find a sunbed, hammock, swing or a private spot to soak up the rays and enjoy the fabulous quality of hospitality.
Some interesting facts about the Maldives:
- It is the flattest country in the world, with the highest point being only 2.4m above sea level.
- The national tree is the Coconut Palm (you can see why when you get there – there are coconuts everywhere and if ever you want to try a fresh one, here is the place to do it).
- The Maldives used to be known as the ‘Money Islands’ as Cowries Shells filled their beaches, and these shells were used as currency in the Maldives, China and Eastern Africa.
- The first resort, Kurumba, was opened in 1972.
- Fishing was the main industry in Maldives but now it is that as well as tourism.
- Islands can produce their own electricity, fresh water and sewage system so as to be as self sufficient as possible.
- On the Island of Thulusdhoo there is the only factory in the world that produces Coca-Cola from delaminated sea water.
So I hope you enjoyed reading about the Maldives; I absolutely loved it and it was one of the most beautiful places I have ever been. Please let me know and comment below if you have any specific questions about the Maldives and I’ll be happy to try and help. To stay on the same beautiful island that I did, click here to book through booking.com.
