If the Earth’s temperature rises by just one degree, this lowest and flattest country on Earth will be the first place to disappear since it only sits at an average of 1.5 meters above sea level. The Republic of the Maldives, a nation made up of nearly 1,200 islands is located just south of the Indian subcontinent. With less than 200 of the islands inhabited, the 26 coral atolls making up the Maldives makes it a a world-class diving destination. Every resort in the Maldives sits on its own private island, so it’s also popular with honeymooners and those looking for seclusion. Picture-perfect white sand beaches, crystal clear turquoise waters, and a teeming underwater life draw over 1 million visitors a year to this paradise in the Arabian Sea of the Indian Ocean. Go.
Due to its proximity to the equator, the Maldives is warm year round. Made up of 26 atolls, which are ring-like coral islands surrounding a lagoon, it lives up to its reputation of any stock photo you’ve ever seen of the Maldives. These atolls extend 475 miles north to south and 75 miles east to west, making it the largest reef-formation on the planet. In the early 2000’s, the only real options were high end resorts with a price tag that made it a likely once in a lifetime destination, with all-inclusive rates close to $1,000 USD per night. As the popularity of the destination has grown over the past two decades, there are now more affordable options. For those in the region who will save on airfare, its more doable. Since our wedding was in India, it made for an ideal honeymoon destination. Though we spent 9 nights here, 5 days is more economical considering the price tag.
5 DAY ITINERARY
Day 1
Resort
Dive Pre-Work
Stingray Feeding
Day 2
Morning & Afternoon Dive
Sea Turtle Conservation
Day 3
Male Capital Tour
Afternoon Dive
Day 4
Seaplane Tour
Visit Local Village
Day 5
PADI Certification
Resort
DAY 1
International flights arrive in Malé, the capital of the Maldives. Depending on the resort you selected, you may or may not have a connecting flight. Once you’ve arrived at the resort, check-in and spend the remainder of the day soaking it all in since that’s what drew you here.
The Banyan Tree Vabbinfaru is a great choice because its only a 25 minute speedboat ride from the airport. Many of the other 100+ resort options require connecting local flights, which can increase the cost of your trip significantly. The Banyan Tree staff met us at the airport and escorted us to the dock a few minutes away. Upon boarding the resort water taxi, we were provided moist cool lemongrass scented towels to refresh our face and hands along with cold bottled water which were both much appreciated upon arriving in this steamy climate. All meals, airport transfers, massages and some other extras were included in the resort rate. Except for bottled water. Ouch.
The entire resort island is sand so the dress code is bare feet.
Spend hours relaxing on your own private dock with a view of a country made up of 99% water.
If you’ve never showered outdoors, you’re in for a treat. My absolute favorite amenity, though it takes some getting used to!
Though, even the “indoor” shower is located in an open air bathroom which has no doors.
Laze in the Arabian Sea of the Indian Ocean in what feels like a swimming pool.
Before retiring for the day, schedule your tours and dive lessons for the remainder of your stay. The dives required some assigned textbook reading and a quiz. Sorry folks!
The only consolation is your views while studying.
You can plan your days as packed or as empty as you prefer, though I suggest taking advantage of some activities, and be sure to spend a day exploring the nation outside of your resort from both above and below land.
The first of its kind to be funded and built on a private resort, the Banyan Tree Maldives Marine Lab invites guests to participate in stingray feeding each evening. Very inquisitive with no fear of humans, stingrays show up daily on many islands and around the same time each day.
Look for offers that include more generous packages. One of our inclusions was dinner prepared at our villa. The cage to the left is part of the Banyan Tree Maldives Marine Lab. The island in the center is a slightly less expensive sister property called Angsana.
The standalone open air villa almost entirely surrounded by windows sits on the beach. Because the reefs have been breached to provide access for boats, to enter the resort islands, many of the hotel islands suffer from erosion. Every morning resort staff re position the sandbags you see under the deck to help prevent erosion.
DAY 2
When you wake up, don’t be alarmed by your companions. Chickens are used to help with pest control.
After a quiet but lavish Maldivian buffet breakfast on the beach which includes coffee, fresh squeezed juices, tropical fruits, eggs cooked to order, fresh baked goods, and almost anything else you can imagine, wander over to the dive center to begin your PADI certification. This resort is a PADI Gold Palm 5-Star Dive Centre, offering a full range of PADI courses, including certification courses for beginners.
One of the benefits of learning to dive here is you can enter the water from the beach as shown above, slowly descending until you’re underwater. It’s a lot less harsh of an experience than diving off of a boat into choppy waters in open sea while trying to orient yourself, which we’ve since had a difficult time doing afterwards as experienced divers. Our instructor was a young man from Australia named Serge, who lived for months at a time on this 5 star property doing what he loved every single day.
Serge swam with our drugstore disposable underwater camera and captured photos throughout the dives since we didn’t opt for professional photography. Visibility can be outstanding at 100 feet.
There’s no shortage of small sharks everywhere, which didn’t seem to concern anyone since they’re supposed to be gentle.
None of the staff go home at night, but instead live and work at the resort for weeks at a time. Traditionally, the men work on the resort islands, and the women never leave their home island.
We also met a young American woman who was living at the resort hired to teach English to the staff. These dream jobs do exist gang.
In between dives there’s plenty of time to snorkel outside of your room and swim over to the Marine Lab to watch the turtles. An endangered species, they are reared in protective cages and released into the wild after their first birthday with small transmitters that send back valuable information about their growth and migration routes.
The results are expected in roughly 30 years when the surviving turtles return to the island to lay their eggs.
Head back to your second dive for the day.
The Banyan Tree Resort was a pioneer in the Maldives, being the first resort to start coral gardening to protect the reefs, which proved successful during 1998’s El Nino when only 30% of its coral reef was destroyed as compared to 70% elsewhere.
Can you spot the nurse shark?
The Banyan Tree Maldives Marine Lab conducts research and green sea turtle conservation, and invites guests to get involved in turtle care under careful staff supervision.
Do take advantage of the organized Marine Lab activities, it’s the only one of its kind in the Maldives. Retire for the evening after your Maldivian dinner buffet of authentic dishes while listening to the Bodu Beru Band’s drums, which were the influence of the shipwrecked African slaves who were stranded on the islands.
Day 3
In the 1970’s the Maldives were one of the poorest nations in the world with not a single vehicle in the nation. Today you’ll explore this nation with an adult literacy rate now of 98%, one of the highest in the world.
There is no undeveloped place left on this square mile island, which is one of the smallest capitals in the world.
A tour of the capital Malé will include a stop at the Mulee’aage, which is the “Official Residence of the President of the Maldives”.
Follow the city streets down to the water.
The fishing boats depart the harbor every morning before sunrise and return in the afternoon with several hundred fish, which can be caught on a good day within just a few hours. The resorts will only purchase fish that were caught that day.
The fish are so fresh, they are all still moving.
The Malé Hukuru Miskiy aka the Old Friday Mosque is one of the oldest and most ornate mosques in the city dating back to 1656, and is listed on the UNESCO World Heritage cultural list as a unique example of sea-culture architecture since its decorated with carved coral instead of stone.
Close up of the carved coral detail.
The golden dome of the biggest mosque in the country dominates the skyline of Male. It was built in 1984 of white marble with help from the Gulf States, Pakistan, Brunei and Malaysia with a main prayer hall that can accommodate up to 5,000 worshipers.
The Banyan Tree is an important tree in the Maldives. It’s uniform aerial roots extend down from the branches and take root when they reach the ground. The wood and strong roots are used to make Maldivian sailboats called dhoni and according to Ayurveda, almost all parts of the plant are medicinal.
After catching the speed boat back to the resort from Male, there’s time for one more dive before dinner.
It’s truly a place to relax and reflect as time seems to stand still.
DAY 4
A bird’s eye view of this archipelago is a highlight of a trip to the Maldives. Do not skip it.
The barefoot pilot should give you an indication of the day you’re about to embark on.
Some flights take off directly from the island resorts and some from Male.
Earth doesn’t get much more beautiful than this. Imagine the Maldivians reaction in 1973, when they saw their archipelago for the first time from the air with the help of the Sri Lankan Air Force and a photographer Michael Friedel, a German photojournalist, who has been photographing the Maldives for over 30 years.
An atoll is a coral island, which evolved from a circular coral reef created by tiny creatures called coral polyps. Coral reefs are very sensitive and slow growing organisms, taking as much as a century to grow 1 meter.
When you thought it couldn’t get any more gorgeous, you’ll land and be dropped off at a sandbar in the middle of the ocean and wait until a boat shows up a short while later.
On December 26, 2004, eleven days after we enjoyed this sandbar, an earthquake in the Indian Ocean floor created a tsunami which killed over 227,000 people, including 108 in the Maldives and destroyed 6 of the islands.
As you can see, there’s no where to find cover in this environment when the ocean rises…
After taking a dip in the glorious waters you admired from the sky, you’ll be transported by boat to another remote location for lunch. And some friends may accompany you in route.
Showing off their many tricks.
From here, it’s just a short walk to an island for lunch.
All coconut palms in the Maldives belong to the state and are leased to the islanders.
After a grilled barbecue tropical feast, you’ll visit a local village.
The men fish or work on hotel islands, but the women and children rarely ever leave their island, surviving mainly on fish and coconut products.
The wide, neatly swept roads are laid on on every inhabited island, and provide a wind-corridor to drive away mosquitoes.
School, which is compulsory on every island, was not in session today at this village’s open air classroom.
After the all day tour, you’ll welcome a shower, and fall asleep to the sounds of the lapping sea. Here, close to the equator, the days and nights are an equal 12 hours.
DAY 5
Enjoy your last moments before departing this paradise.
But first, certified PADI divers!
If the Earth’s temperature rises by just one degree, this lowest and flattest country on Earth will be the first place to disappear…Go.
