TOP TIPS
-Before booking a room/villa on an island, check 'Satellite View' on Google Maps to see if there's enough sandy beaches (walking near the shore has its own vibe).
-Insure with the staff online that the transportation from Male Airport to the island is included as there is no available transportation on site.
-U.S dollars are accepted widely around the islands so you don't need to exchange into Maldivian Rufiyas.
-Everything is to be paid for at check-out on a credit card so excess cash isn't needed.
-Mosquito Repellent is a MUST!
-Spaghetti Amatriciana is the best option!
-Bring extra snacks for late night cravings since the snacks loaded in the room are quite expensive for its worth.
So, how can you give a little piece of heaven to your spouse who makes life feel like paradise? Well, Maldives Islands make that thought come to reality. M loves to give surprises, but as far as getting them, lets just say she isn't the happiest camper! Haha. We drove to Dubai to celebrate Eid ul Adha and coincidentally, our anniversary was around the same time. The weekend trip was quite hectic and extremely hot which made any moment outdoors feel like a drag. To top it off, we booked a desert safari tour in that heat and boy! did we regret it the minute our feet touched the blazing sand. We wanted to have a romantic candle light dinner on the cruise like we did for New Years, but the weather in UAE didn't allow us to sit outside to enjoy a sunset. Instead, we strolled around the malls, went on a movie date and spent some quality time with B's parents.
The Mastermind Behind "Mission Paradise"
B sat in the office staring at his laptop screen for nearly an hour deliberating whether to press "Enter". It had only been two weeks since we came home and his hands began to itch for a new escapade. We were planning our big USA trip for next month so squeezing in another country would exceed the budget . However, our anniversary wasn't celebrated right so that was all the reason he needed to purchase the plane tickets and print out the booking reference.
Now, that was the easy part. Luckily, we were having game night with friends so M was busy in the kitchen prepping last minute items. B slipped into our bedroom quietly and hid a beautiful red rose in our closet with the plastic envelope. The entire evening was spent eating tasty food, playing a few games and chitchatting until midnight. Once everyone left, we cleaned the house and put the furniture back in its place. M walked into our room with a few candles lit on the dresser and with them, the most unexpected surprise. She had that "I hope this isn't what i think it is" look when she opened the card and here began dooms day. She was outraged trying to explain why the trip just wouldn't fit in the schedule but a hint of excitement also crossed those frowned eyebrows for a second. After many failed attempts of convincing her how important this trip was, she finally gave a tight hug and that's what made it all worth it.
After twelve hours of traveling, we arrived at Velana International Airport at 6am. The weather wasn't exactly as we had hoped, but we realized later that we were actually blessed with the intermittent rain showers. We were taken to the water area for a fifteen minutes speed boat ride to Bandos Island. The staff members were quite friendly and welcomed us with ice tea and cold towels. Once the check-in details were cleared, we were transported to our beach villa in a tuktuk.
It was an absolute delight to see the antique furniture, the enormous outdoor jacuzzi area and the beautiful view of giant trees from our balcony. We sure missed seeing greenery!
We took a nap before heading out to dip our feet in the turquoise water which can make any person speechless at its clarity. The entire day was spent exploring the island whenever the rain stopped, enjoying our villa when it started again and eating delicious food which was ALL halal (best part :p).
Maldives is just a remarkable country. Anywhere you turn to, the view is a splendid sight to sit and admire for hours. One of the unique things all around the island were the different sets of swings hanging from large trees. We truly enjoyed the rain as we twirled around and around from the high winds making the experience even better.
Above all, we loved how the broken clouds after each rainfall made the light spreading across the sky emerge into divine sunsets.
We only had a few days here so we took advantage of snorkeling in the ocean even during the rain while most people went to their rooms. We were actually the only ones in the water and got the beach all to ourselves for a little photoshoot before going back to the villa.
The entertainment on the island was astounding. Our favorite performance however, was the 'Maldivian Culture Night'. The energy illuminating from the local dancers was such a treat to watch and clap along to. B was ready to hit the floor with his dance moves before a dancer even came to ask him to join the crew.
Overall, the trip was absolutely wonderful. You can honestly never go wrong with booking a few days off in a country that is surrounded by the turquoise ocean, sandy beaches and humble people. On the last day, we had to wait for about an hour in the lobby as the staff members collected guests' luggages. That day was super hot so we stayed inside instead of exploring around. Mohammed was a friendly staff member who saw us sitting on the couches just staring at the ceiling and offered us his company for a while. He was well informed about different political views worldwide, as well as sharing some really interesting facts about his culture and people. Thanks to him, the waiting time went by fast and we were climbing back into the boat once again.
This country is very special to us, and before you know it! We'll be back here again to celebrate a new occasion.
