Anjaly ThomasUntil that fine morning when I boarded a sea plane at Male, Maldives, I wouldn’t have believed that a destination would be known by the resort standing on an atoll – in my case, The Kandima Maldives. There was no way to tell where I was flying to, across the very blue sea with very small islands (atolls) dotting it.
The whir of the sea plane flying low was not entirely soothing and my mind threw up many chilling scenarios starting with what if we went down and got marooned. Not an entirely cheerful thought, but the sight of some luxurious resorts sitting on white coralline sands surrounded by coral blue calmed me down.
What a beauty Maldives is.
One island – one resort
We landed at Kudahuvadhoo on Dhaalu Atoll to be followed by a twenty-minute speed boat ride that brought me to my destination. It was as we were pulling into the jetty that my perception of island destinations underwent a change. Thatwe were in the middle of the Indian Ocean, a forty-five-minute seaplane ride away from any human habitation is just the tip of the…well, atoll.
We eased into the resort which there, on a crescent shaped island nearly three kilometers long and surrounded by waters that could only have been painted blue. One island. One resort. One destination. It was that simple. On such island one remained until a seaplane, or a speed boat became available for return.
The Water Villas
I settled down on a yellow chair standing on soft white sands, ready to experience the type of holiday I had never dreamed of when sounds of children splashing about reached me. Somewhere to my left I saw a path leading to a restaurant and a board announcing a coffee shop.
Well, it was like a small town after all, I thought to myself, relieved. So long as there was coffee…
Shortly a battery-powered buggy drove me down a shady, sandy lane and deposited me at the pier stretching into the ocean from the main island. I walked the remainder of the way to the Water Villa, a Maldivian specialty, past several others standing on stilts on the baby-blue coral reefs, the bottom of which was clearly visible. I suppose the sunlight went straight down to meet the corals and never left.
My door opened to paradise, for, I saw through the glass-wall separating the bedroom from the deck, the vastness of the ocean that was accessible via a sea ladder. The jacuzzi looked as if it was stacked on the ocean itself. The water rippled over the coral reefs seductively.
The minutes ticked away as the waters changed colour, going from a stunning aquamarine blue to royal blue before rising ever so slightly with the tide. The colour contrasted beautiful with the sunny blue sky.
The colour of waters are the reason why island destinations are such a hit.
Later in the evening after the sun went down, I walked down the pier trying to focus on the sky, when the meaning of sublime hit me. The strategically placed low lighting turned my walk into a magical experience. The moon was full, the white sands sparkled, and the music of the sea resounded in my soul. Even in my imagination, no better place existed. It was pure magic.
Dolphin quest
The next day, I signed up for some adventure in the sea, i.e., dolphin ‘quest’. There is something relaxing about sailing, despite the yachts’ inability to stay still. We cut through the azure waters past small uninhabited islands to where these friendly mammals abounded. There was a lot of excitement on board. Teenagers were among the most curious. Their eyes danced with expectation and excitement. Taking the cue, the captain cut speed and let the big boat bob around a little and joined the search for dolphins, his eyes scanning the waters expertly. Maldives is home to a varied species of dolphins, including spinners bottlenose dolphins and Atlantic white-sided dolphins.
Someone screamed in delight. A pod of bottle-nosed dolphins had suddenly appeared. Some of them were putting up a show, jumping over the waves playfully.
The quest had been successful. Later in the evening, as I stood staring into the blue while watching the sun go down, three white baby sharks came in sight. Here, one didn’t even have to go snorkeling to see the marine life. They literally came right up to you.
Where in the world can you swim with the blacktip sharks in crystal-clear, blue waters? Only in Maldives.
The seaplane experience
Next on my list of adventures was a sea-plane ride, which although was reserved for the day of departure. I was heading to Nova Maldives on another atoll far away to experience what it was like to swim with the reef sharks.
A small boat brought us to the sea plane that stood bobbing in the sea. The sight of Manta Air and its crew wearing shorts filled me with excitement. At last, I was going to fly the DHC-6 Twin Otters seaplane. On the advice of the captain, we put on our seatbelts and waited to take off.
After a soul-stirring roar of the twin-engines, the small plane gathered speed, barely skimmed the water, and took off. These small planes have short take-off and landing on water, seat around 12-14 passengers and operate in all weather. As its name suggested, it was the tropical way to fly. Manta Air flew at a low height and spread out before me was the incredible views of the reefs and blue waters and green islands. It was impossible to tell how and where the sky merged with the sea. Those incredible colours were reminders of how fragile nature was and yet how strong.
We landed close to the resort. I was going to be here only for a night but that was enough to go snorkeling and swimming with the sharks – an experience that left me in awe of the beauty of the underwater world. I found myself snorkelling in the reef thrice, each time discovering more of the vibrant marine life. Maldives was not just about sandy white beaches and hammocks, it was about a stunning marine ecosystem that needed protection, which I am glad to say, the resorts are doing a great job of protecting.
