Sunny side up

In Maldives you can actually feel that love is in the air. Red roses teams up with the warmth of a hug. The beaches in Maldives prove love has no bar and age is just a number. Good food, luxury, spa and beach life ~ get pampered as much as you can, says suchayan mandal

Planning a romantic escape, where you want to experience opulent luxury? Or maybe, thinking of taking the kids and introducing them to a watery realm of the tropics? What about putting together a group of friends and chartering a weeklong live-abroad, combining diving and snorkeling with island hopping? Or, how about a week of just lying in the sun listening to the swoosh of the blue sea as it unfurls on the shoreline? If any of the questions brings a “Yes” in you, look no further than the tropical wonderland of Maldives.
 As we boarded the flight by the Srilankan Airlines, airhostess Niva, wearing a peacock blue saree in typical Ceylonese style, folded her hands in “namaskar” style and greeted us saying, "Ayubowan". A greeting in a foreign tongue was an instant icing on the cake as I prepared myself with beautiful visions of the country we were heading to.
 Maldives, with its sunny side of life, has always been a dream destination for those who choose to romance thrill along with the love of their life. The island country is best known for its pristine sea, white sands, virgin beaches and a lot of opportunities for a peek into the undersea world. As the flight started descending on the skies of Male, at 1.30 am, the Indian Ocean below seemed to shine abruptly. As we neared the ground we were happily dumbstruck to find the runway almost overlooking the sea.
 With 1,190 islands, Maldives has some of the best examples of coral atoll formation in the world and some of the most remote resorts where one never imagined life could exist. With the biggest brands in the 5 and 6-star resort business, coupled with one island ~ one resort policy, the problem in Maldives starts when you need to choose one resort and you are spoilt for choice.

First night

 Arriving at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport in Male, we headed for our first night's shelter at Hulhule Island Hotel, deemed to be the only airport hotel in Male. Unlike normal airport hotels, this place was unique. It offers a choice of food and rooms, tempting a visitor to stay there all through one’s vacation. The night being hectic, we simply dozed off. The next morning, as I stepped into the balcony, an awesome feeling engulfed me. In front of me, heavenly turquoise blue Indian Ocean dotted with a few speed boats. And the hotel has its own beach as well. Since the island is almost mid-sea and there is no official beach, the hotel has constructed a beach, which looks like a swimming pool with saline water and a natural feeling. Too excited to explore Male, the capital city of approximately 6 sq km area, we wanted to have our breakfast at a breakneck speed. But destiny had its own way. With the buffet spread including Rosi (Bread for Maldivians) and Reef Fish Curry, we didn't dare to defy the call of the table. Rather, giving in to the taste and relishing the chewy meat of the reef fish was the best option. Next on the itinerary was a visit to Male on speedboat. As the white boat cruised the blue water, the turbulence it yielded was thrilling, yet we were craving for more. Male is one of the largest producers of canned Tuna fish in the world. So, as a tribute, we visited the local fish market. Unlike our hustling fish markets in Bengal or Odisha, this was a quieter affair. The colourful and monstrous-looking fish dumped on white slabs seemed quite fresh. The market being clean hardly had the “fishy” smell that defines fish market. As advised, we made sure to see the fish-cutters at work, with their practiced blades slicing and dicing the fish neatly ~ all in a few seconds.

Tropical paradise

 As Maldives unravels the sunny side of your life, it makes sure you are never short of surprises. The next best thing waiting for us was Sea Plane.  The thrill to witness a plane that has a boat like quality to sail on water being immense, we rushed to the airport. Male airport is the only communicating and junction place there. The ferry and speed boat service to other islands as well as seaplanes all originate from the international airport here.
Our next destination being Medufushi Island Resort, we took the Trans-Maldivian Airways, which was a trance itself. The seaplanes are tiny with a capacity to carry 19 passengers. Officially called De Havilland Canada, or DHC-6 Twin Otter, these seaplanes are equipped with 550 shp (410 kW) PT6A -20 propeller turbine engines. Being a short haul flight, there was not much formalities except for the seat belts. The inside being small, the noise of the engine becomes intolerable at times.
At the ocean level, the Maldives provides visitors with a majestic vista ~ an infinite ocean dotted with idyllic tropical islands. As the plane propelled on the water and sped away, it set off a spray of water on all sides. Looking at Maldives through the window of a seaplane made us realize how fragile the island nation actually is.
Our 30-minute seaplane journey ended at Medhufushi Island Resort, a natural, quiet, serene and sensuous island. The green bottom of the sea visible from the jetty with lucky eyes tracing baby sharks and blueness spreading beyond the horizon, it seemed like an after-life sojourn of the heaven. The welcome drink of Kiwi and green apple was addictive enough for us to order  10 times over the next two days. The beach, dotted with sunbathing honeymoon couples, makes one realize the life beyond traffic jams and increment.
 The next two days at this island found us indulging in activities that made us laugh our lungs out ~ the enjoyment rose that high. The food was well-balanced between local and exotic with a delicious earthen pot of beef curry and yellow-fin tuna with pineapple salsa. Staple food of Maldivians is rice and fish, which sums up for a gastronomical delight for foodies like me.

The Big Blue

Snorkeling is one of the main draws here. With ample reefs, thilas, caves, wrecks and large pelagics and plentiful of fish and other aquatic animals and coral reefs, snorkeling in Maldives is never boring. We armed ourselves with fins and diving set and marched into the ocean. Our nervous joys exploded with confidence as soon as we spotted melon butterfly fish, coral rabbit fish, powder blue surgeon fish, shrimp goby right under. My heart skipped a beat as I saw a monstrous sting ray and a red snake!

Luxury on waves

We took a yacht to Anantara Dhigu Resorts from Male. The 35-minute journey on deep blue sea was a visual delight. Reaching Dhigu island we were welcomed the traditional Maldivian way with drum beats and coconut water. The full moon rose on the pinkish black sky and the villas on the water lent a surreal, romantic feel. While taking a spa, you can witness the antics of the fish, thanks to the glass flooring on the spas. There are three islands nearby, so one can take a dhoni (local boat) and hop on and hop off. Besides the balmy waters of the sea, hermit crabs engaged us with their hide and seek inside the shell.

Blue whale skeleton

When we reached Meeru island, we witnessed our last sunset in Maldives. Meeru being one of the largest islands there, getting around in the island isn't only by foot, like the others. There are golf cars for the visitors’ convenience. Centrally located in Meeru is an enormous blue whale skeleton that was found in the 1990s. The 20 ft long blue whale skeleton is that of a “baby” (calf) and I wondered what an adult would look like! Scariest was at night, if one is alone and staying in Jacuzzi water villas on the sea. One can hear the water rumble under the floors and if out on the verandah, one can see a limitless sea and imagine sea monsters lurking underneath. 

Nature friendly

Luxury tourism and environmental conservation may seem unlikely bedfellows but protecting the beautiful natural environment of Maldives is the responsibility of the resorts. Thilafushi, an artificial island 7 km from Malé, has been artificially made to dump and treat garbage. So tons of garbage collects over days, which is later treated and sorted out.
Published in The stateman, dated 25 september