# The treasures of the Indian Ocean ... The Maldives.

We continue our trip into the heart of the Indian Ocean and today, I will be taking you to the South of India, and the discovery of another exotic location, The Maldives.

Welcome to Paradise ..

I think it’s safe to say, we can all picture in our minds the beautiful post cards, showing the white sandy beaches, palm trees and a never ending sea that blends gradually from blue to a sublime turquoise color. Well that is the Maldives … The best time to visit this paradise is somewhere between January and April, which is perfect as that’s when it’s the coldest for us. When it comes to packing your suitcases, it’s pretty quick and painless. All you need are flip flips, a bikini, sarong/cover up, lots of sun-cream and mosquito repellant and lots of $$$ , of course… yes, unfortunately, as with The Seychelles Islands, you must be prepared to break into your money box, before being able to bask in the sun, underneath the coconut trees… That being said, it is possible to afford paradise on a smaller budget. You can find cheaper package deals or last minute deals online.I will touch upon this later…

After a 12 hour flight from Paris, you arrive in Malé, The Maldives’s tiny capital. Upon landing, usually you are greeted by the hotel staff, who direct you to your hovercraft, speedboat or “dhoni” (local boat), which proceeds to take you to the island…

Where to stay ..

When visiting the Maldives, you usually stay on the hotel islands. The “guest-house” or “shared housing” is not really a popular concept here, yet, and staying in Male is not recommended either, due to the rather extremist views of the country.. In any case , there is not really much to do in the capital that interests us anyway. So you basically have the choice between the many hotel islands that offer luxury resorts, eco-lodges, with different style villas, “jet set” or “Robinson Crusoe”, you pick, family orientated hotels,as well as more affordable and economical hotels too. The prices vary ; it all depends on where the island is situated, the type of villa that you choose, whether faces the garden $ , has a sea view $$, or is on stilts in the sea itself $$$ .. it always depends on whether you have chosen all-inclusive or not and what extras you have picked : transfers, spa treatments, excursions, scuba diving etc.

Budget..

There are many different options available for booking this dream vacation.. Your budget, as well as whom you are travelling with, whether it be on your honeymoon, with friends, or with your family (including babies and children), will determine the sort of place you stay for the duration of your vacation.. There are many websites like voyage privé $$$, my travel chic $$$, xl.com $$, partir pas cher $ etc.. that offer packages and cruises with or without flights (all package deals), so the price can vary between 1300 and 4000 euros. This option is definitely much more ‘interesting’, as if you book everything yourself, the hotel + flights can often come to a lot more.

The 5 Dolphin cruise on the Catamaran + flights offered by the site Promovacances or partir pas cher is quite a good option for smaller budgets. The Catamaran takes you from island to island and drops you off at a different island each day. This allows you to take full advantage of the Maldives in all their splendor (and at a slightly more affordable rate). Of course for bigger budgets, there are other sites offering private and exclusive cruises.

Whatever the case, whether you stay at a luxury resort or on board a cruise ship, always opt for the ‘all-inclusive’ package deal, thus preventing you from incurring any extra charges for meals and drinks ,which are very expensive on the islands. I know I keep mentioning this, but it is so important to remember that when travelling to these kinds of island resorts, the cost is very high, especially for something so basic as water..

Fifty shades of blue ..

Concerning my trip, I opted to stay on a hotel island, in a villa with a view of the ocean. I was lucky enough to stumble across a last minute deal, which I booked the night before I was due to leave. The flight departed at 2pm the following day. It was a complete stroke of good luck, and everything seemed to run smoothly and be in our favor, despite us being a tad pushed for time. Upon arriving on the island, what absolute bliss to wake up to those views(;)it was an absolute dream. The lagoon that surrounds the island is simply glorious; the water is clear and full of beautiful fish of every color… Dawn is the most magical moment ever; baby sharks (completely harmless) swim peacefully in the clear water near the shore; we watch them (in wonder) before enjoying breakfast.

Activities :

The islands themselves are not very big and there isn’t actually that much to do, when you are not lazing around in the sun or doing aquatic activities like canoeing, pedalo, water skiing, or jet-skiing (unfortunately, this is unavailable on some of the islands due to ecological issues) Of course you can can go snorkeling and explore the beautiful sea bed… Having not passed my scuba-diving test, I was content to admire the fish and sea life with the aid of my goggles and snorkel. The spectacle was simply breathtaking : Tortoises, parrot fish, a multitude of colored fish swam around me, on a level with the coral reef, at the boundary between the lagoon and the deep ocean. There were some lovely discoveries to be made in one of the best places to go scuba diving in the world.

The sea life is rich and diverse in the Maldives and it is not uncommon to see brilliantly colored fish nibbling at the pontoons of the villas which stand on stilts, or dolphins jumping out of the water. I did see this several times, but by the time I had taken out my camera they had already gone back underwater.

Dos and don’t ..

As for excursions, the proposed visit to one particular island is best forgotten … After being dropped off at a very poor island, we have a look around, but see exclusively men, because the women are constrained by their religion to stay at home. Most of the houses are unfinished, as a result of unpaid taxes), and in the small cobbled square there is little to see other than mosques and a detoxification center. In short, this visit, this disturbing voyeurism, shows us the terrible living conditions and the poverty of a population that takes refuge in drugs and becomes more and more extremist in its views. You can also forget about the submarine excursion in Malé. The only redeeming and interesting aspect is setting foot in the submarine itself; other than that, there is no point. You are simply lowered under the water and travel in a straight line, with little to see apart from the overloaded cargo boats that just spread pollution.

Save your money for the small plane trip because it is sensational. Seeing the Maldives and its 1199 islands from above, all spread out across the Indian Ocean, offers a truly magnificent spectacle. For $150, you get a 15 minute flight and can really take some amazing pictures. www.transmaldivian.com

Good to know :

Like everywhere else, there is another side to the façade of physical beauty of the islands. Behind the scenes, the Maldives are not quite as idyllic as on the post cards.

Firstly, the Maldives Islands are unfortunately slowly disappearing with the rise in sea-level.. During my journey there, the after-effects of the tsunami of 2004 were still very visible and present on corals in particular, and certain islands had just been completely reconstructed artificially.. There is ongoing work to repair the damage and recreate the islands , and the high concrete walls set up around many of the islands to protect them do little to dispel the threat of more water damage.

Another huge drawback is the pollution, generated by the numerous tourists… The Maldives are incapable of disposing of all the rubbish from the different resorts for numerous reasons, so they have created a ‘Rubbish Island”, which is basically where they dispose of and burn all the rubbish, created by the hotels… Taking this into consideration, we tried to be eco-friendly, by limiting the amount of rubbish we produced in our hotel, during our stay…

And lastly, there is another concern: the rise of religious extremism in the Republic of The Maldives. This poses several problems, as most of the hotel-workers are Muslim. The fact that many female tourists walk around in bikinis or very skimpy outfits is not at all to their tastes as it goes against Islam, which obliges most women wear the veil or the burka. The hotels’ spas were closed down in 2012 as they were considered improper and debauched. But they were quickly reopenedonce the government saw how much money was being lost by their closing. So for economic and financial reasons , the Islamic government has decided to be lenient and tolerant where tourists are concerned, for the time being anyway.

To go or not to go ??

For me, yes!!! Hands down. These negative points are not enough to stop me from passing a superb vacation in the paradise of The Maldives… Holiday destination, or relaxing honeymoon, it is perfect. The water is warm, the beaches, beautiful, the dolphins that leap out of the water in front of you, or the beautiful sunsets shimmering and dancing on the horizon are simply unforgettable moments, and the sea life is absolutely magical… These islands are endangered , so make the most of them while you still can… With regards to the pollution, try to be a respectful and responsible tourist, even if that means spending more and choosing a moreeco-friendly hotel, that preserves the diversity of nature, that recycles water, separates its waste and uses solar panels…Unfortunately, these kinds of hotels are often the most expensive like the “Soneva Fushi” and “ The Six Senses”…

As regards the Islamic extremism, these hotel islands are fairly private if you want to wear a bikini, but keep a cover up or a sarong to hand if you wish to go and drink a smoothie at the bar or take a stroll in public… I know a number of people who boycott the Maldives for genuine reasons and values and I completely respect that , but it is not the case for me. I go by the principle that if we were to boycott every country that was not perfect due to these kinds of issues, we would have to boycott the entire world, starting with my own country …

Maldives or seychelles ??

It is so difficult to compare or to choose between these two picturesque destinations, when both have their good qualities and their faults..

The Seychelles : There is more to actually do on the islands. You can visit the neighboring islands, go for walks and hikes, meet the local people, or simple relax and bask in the sun.

The Maldives : There are very few alternative things to do, so you must enjoy the beach, relaxing, scuba-diving and resting, preferably with your other half, otherwise it’s just depressing?!

Rates ? In terms of price, it’s about the same ..
Weather ? Regarding the temperature, I’d say its hotter in the Maldives (I went in February, so the best season) In the afternoon the heat was suffocating, and we spent the duration in the lagoon to cool off, (I say cool off, but in water that was 30 degrees or more) .. In the Seychelles Islands, the water is also warm but there is a constant breeze that cools the air.
Dive ? Concerning the sea fauna, scuba diving or snorkeling, the Maldives definitely wins. But in terms of tropical vegetation, walks and nature , the Seychelles wins hands down.
Season ? Another difference is the seasons. For the Maldives it’s better to go in the first half of the year and for the Seychelles it’s the opposite (preferably between June and October).