Maldives - Life is a journey

The geography that makes up the Maldives is characterized by beautiful blue/emerald ocean and tropical islands with swaying palm trees and white sandy beaches.There is an amazing diversity of sealife in the archipelago,with corals and over 2000 species of fish...ranging from colourful reef fish to a variety of sting rays,eels,turtles and sharks.

Male, the capital city is where we started... arriving via a direct flight from Mumbai. Velana airport is built on its own island and looks like a gigantic aircraft carrier from above!

With just 400,000 people,Maldives,as a country,has the lowest population in Asia.About 25% are located in Male.However,it is one of the most densely populated cities in the world with a land area of only 2Km length and 1.2 km width.People of Male seemed to be of mixed Indian and Sri lankan origin and speak a language derived from Sinhalese.

It was Ramadaan time in the Muslim country and in the evening as we stepped out... the main streets with its busy fish market,restaurants and shops were agog with activity.On the main road is  a Friday mosque made of carved white coral.We spent some time at the beach front watching kids play football in the waning light as the aroma of Kebabs being Bar-B-Qued nearby filled the air.In the teeming traffic pedestrians cross at the zebra lines comfortably without the mind blowing honks.We had a long walk and returned to the comfort of our hotel.

There are 22 geographic Atolls that make up Maldives.See Map and zoom-in it to get a better perspective.
An atoll is a ring-shaped coral reef, island, or series of islets. An atoll surrounds a body of water called a lagoon.Atolls and lagoons protect a central island. Channels connect a lagoon to the open ocean or sea.
There are 1200 islands amid these Atolls of Maldives of which 200 are inhabited.
Trans Maldivian Airways with its fleet of some 50+ twin Otter De Havilland planes carry tourists and nationals to some 70 resorts.

                                                                           
                                 
 ←Atolls and            Islands


I  board a Sea Plane which is the back bone for tourism →

We were booked at the Medufushi resort which as seen by a low flying aircraft is this.A breathtaking lagoon surrounding the island.The sea plane dropped down and we had a welcome party at the Jetty.We were led to the restaurant where we cooled off sipping a cold juice as a Filipino lady explained the accommodation, facilities, activities, shopping and so on.


Finishing a quick tour we were at our well furnished Villa /Hut with french windows opening on to a Sun Deck with a swing overlooking the lagoon along with a number of palm trees for shade.The room had an out door rain shower!→
We explored the property which has been carved out of the palm tree island and is very natural with rugged sand tracks to walk on amid the clean surroundings.

We reached the pool side where couples on deck chairs were getting their Tan.We can see the Plane still moored at the Jetty. We could view the Vilu bar at a distance.

Vilu Bar at the back

Under the grand thatched tops of the pyramids on stilts,Vilu Bar offers a variety of premium alcohol,wine and beer and a nibble menu.While you are not allowed to carry alcohol into the country the Resorts are allowed to stock a wide variety to give their guests a happy extended stay.

After a good laze by the pool we spend the twilight hour walking the beach,looking at the over water villas* and gazing westwards to see our first sunset from the island.
*Over water villas  are a row of villas  positioned over the water near the shore allowing for easy access to the main resort building and are linked via a long plank walkway.They are very luxurious and quite expensive.Recommended highly for honeymooners.↱

And at 7pm every evening the guests gather at the very end of the Vilu Bar overlooking the waters to see a grand throng of marine life such as baby sharks, tiny colorful reef fish, giant Tuna, moray eels and large sting rays.They come to feed on a bucket full of shredded meat that are brought by a fish loving island native who flings it into the waters below.Sighting is really good as there is a large spot light above.The show goes on for a good 45 minutes and then the good Samaritan bicycles away.      

Next morning, as we walked we entered the gangway to the jetty and walked to the end of it to watch the Lagoon.As we looked down we saw a large mass of tiny black fish school as they are called. A coordinated school of fish,moving and shimmering in unison,were mesmerizing to behold..There were hundreds moving together as if under radio control, performing movements both simple and complicated.Turn,contract,expand,even part and come back together all without missing a beat. Now comes the best part. A baby shark comes along! 

Watch the video 

Just to give you an idea as to how the school evades the shark.Schooling seems to have evolved as a defense against predators and in some cases as a way to increase feeding efficiency.Every fish in a school must execute perfectly to get the best results.Awesome!

Breakfast was followed by lounging by the pool side and taking an occasional dip in the pool.When I come out of the pool I see this Heron sitting on my chair.These birds are known to be very patient and are not easily disturbed. I would see a pair of them walking along the water's edge and standing in the shallows to catch small fish.Every morning they would greet me and it would appear that they never left the water even at night.

Water sports activity here includes kayaking, jet ski and snorkeling. Available excursions include sunset and morning fishing,deep sea fishing,island hopping and dolphin watching.There is a very well equipped Scuba diving centre here and they take you on diving trips.They teach the beginners and escort others who are in the process of getting their certification.While there’s no house reef there are a host of dive sites in the surrounding area to explore. 

On our last day we got up early to watch the Sunrise.

Our tryst with Medufushi came to an end and we  were back in Male by late afternoon after 5 wonderful days of soaking up all that the island had to offer.

Next morning we took our return flight to Mumbai.









Trivia:
I got this incredible picture of the Queen's Necklace from the flight on our way to Maldives.See the whole of South Mumbai including the port,Wankhede cricket stadium and Brabourne stadium.