The Maldives March 28-April 2, 2007

OK everyone! Listen up! We found it...a little piece of Paradise on Earth! Check out the globe or your latest world map and look for The Maldives in the South Indian Ocean, a little south-west of India and not too far from Sri Lanka. We flew from KL on Wednesday evening and 3 1/2 hours later we landed in Male. We were escorted to the airport hotel, Hulhule Island Resort, for the night. After breakfast the next morning we were again escorted back to the airport then on to the seaplane terminal on the other side of the international airport. There are several companies of seaplanes that fly around the Maldives. Ours was a 15-seater that left around 9 a.m. and flew about 1500 feet above the sea. When we could see islands in the various atolls that make up the Maldives (there are over 1200 islands), it was amazing: huge coral reefs surrounding the actual island, with white sand beaches all around. It was picture perfect and quite breathtaking!

We landed once at Sun Island and Holiday Island, two huge resorts of over 400 people each before arriving at our chosen spot, Mirihi Island. Their website tells it all: www.mirihi.com
The pictures and web cam shots don't lie, it REALLY is this beautiful and peaceful! Check it out!

There was a mix-up (overbooking, apparently) of rooms and for the first night we were in one of 6 beach villas, which was lovely. A welcome tray of fresh fruit awaited us, the beach and warm sea beckoned from just outside our patio and we loved the open air bathroom! We had lunch in the bar, a fabulous Thai chicken salad then set out to explore, snorkel and swim. In the first five minutes of snorkelling, we saw a huge turtle, one of about seven here who call this part of the ocean home! In the evening we enjoyed a wonderful buffet dinner on the dining terrace, with warm breezes off the ocean, and fabulous food! So many fresh salads and delicious appetizers, not to mention a huge choice of main courses!

On our second afternoon we moved into one of the 24 over-water villas which faces east so we wake up to the sunrise. Unfortunately it is quite cloudy and hazy at the horizon so both sunrise and sunset are pretty, but somewhat hidden.

Pat has been diving twice a day since we arrived, while I'm quite content to snorkel, swim, read and just generally be rather lazy! However, I have used the little fitness centre twice to work out, so don't feel completely guilty! Just walking around the island is fun, although it only takes about 10 minutes! Watching the fish and the turtles, the small sand sharks, needle fish and so on cavort or swim lazily by no matter where you stand or look out into the ocean, is quite amazing!

On Saturday evening, we treated ourselves to a wonderful gourmet wine dinner out on the wharf at the A la Carte restaurant, Muraka. The executive chef is Australian and put together an amazing meal, paired with some great wines from N.Z., Australia and one from France.

More later plus pictures...