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Post by lugg on Apr 28, 2013 11:07:30 GMT
Some of you may have seen my report following a visit to the Maldives in 2011. I had thought that it would be both my first and last visit. anyportinastorm.proboards.com/index.cgi?action=display&board=india&thread=3440&page=1#137425 As I searched for a short escape from my real life and the mud and cold of the last few months I found myself considering the Maldives again and again. In the end I gave in as there just was no other place I wanted to be more at this time. The lure of the fantastic snorkelling and the complete lack of hassle, coupled with the beauty and most of all SUN was just too appealing to resist. Spread over an area of roughly 90,000 square miles in the Indian Ocean, off the south western coast of India, Maldives consists of a chain of 1190 coral islands. Most of the land mass of the country, which is about 27% of its territory, is barely a meter above the sea level. The next few images give an idea of the location of Reethi, in the Baa atoll, where I stayed.Actually to be geographically accurate Reethi is sited in the NE of South Maalhosmadulu Atoll . The Baa atoll from space, Baa is actually an administrative district and is in reality three atolls. In this case the term atolls refers to groups of islands. So going from top to bottom ; the first resembles a face in profile , the mid is smaller than the other two, a triangular shape and finally the last looks a bit like Spain and Portugal , that is Maalhosmadulu Atoll . Finally the last image shows the position of Reethi within that particular atoll. Of course to confuse things individual islands/ features may also be referred to as atolls. I think the defining features are a ring of coral with a lagoon within, some may also include an island. On the map above the names in yellow are resort islands, by and large a resort island just consists of one hotel. Other islands are residential and many remain uninhabited. I can understand why tourists use” Reethi “and “Baa” rather than struggle with the Dhivehi language. Although in fact one word of Dhivehi is familiar to many of us as “atoll” is derived from the Dhivehi “atholhu “. According to Wiki, the first recorded use in English was in 1625 and at this time “atollon” was used.
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Post by lugg on Apr 28, 2013 12:13:22 GMT
I travelled from Birmingham – Dubai- Male then the last leg by seaplane to Reethi. For me the seaplane journey is part of the holiday experience, and I absolutely enjoyed it this time as much as last, although outbound the sun was setting and light starting to fade. It was the last plane out to Reethi as seaplanes do not fly at night so i was lucky to have made it. Total travel time was about 16 hours, including a two hour layover at Dubai. The following are photos taken either on outbound or return journey from the plane. Close to Dubai Dubai Dubai airport was easy to navigate, apart from my excessively heavy hand luggage. (I must get something on wheels for the future.) I always carry on some spare clothes, my toothbrush , my cameras, my Kindle, my fish ID books and my snorkel equipment with me in as I can then cope with any checked luggage disasters. In this case I also took my laptop for some reason that seemed good at the time. Anyway there was little time to do any shopping even if I had been inclined , just a quick crosissant and coffee ( fab ) at Paul’s Patisseria which I had never heard of before but now more about after reading Lola’s thread . Plane jam Somewhere over Oman I had been lucky enough to have my row to myself on the BHX-DUB but the plane was packed from Dubai , it was touching down only at Male and then travelling on to Colombo. I sat next to an American lady whose destination was Colombo. She had been travelling from Pennsylvania for eons and was really feeling it. The following views had an energising effect on her, in fact we both got a bit teary the jaw dropping beauty of the atolls. Unfortunately my photos do not really do justice to it. Some views are from the jet , others from the seaplane.
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Post by htmb on Apr 28, 2013 12:22:36 GMT
Oh, Lugg! I can already tell this will be a fantastic read. How wonderful!
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Post by mossie on Apr 28, 2013 14:10:56 GMT
Looks fantastic.
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Post by bjd on Apr 28, 2013 16:44:08 GMT
The Maldives certainly look nicer than Dubai.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2013 16:53:41 GMT
Fascinating! How long will it take me to dig up my photos of the Maldives?
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Post by bixaorellana on Apr 28, 2013 17:06:09 GMT
What a knockout of a thread already -- almost otherworldly! Thank you so much for starting out with detailed information and maps of the Maldives. They always look like uninhabitable specks on a globe, but I never realized how very speck-y and amazing they are. I travelled from Birmingham – Dubai- Male then the last leg by seaplane to Reethi. That seems as amazing to me as traveling to outer space in a mere 16 hours (including a layover!). Any idea how long it took the lady from Pennsylvania? my photos do not really do justice to it I beg to differ. Even if that's true, I don't know how much more beauty we could take. All of the photos are super. The extreme contrasts in the terrain covered give a magical balloon sense to the sequence. Absolutely cannot wait for more!
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Post by anshjain97 on Apr 28, 2013 17:26:07 GMT
Wow- your Maldives shots look like abstract paintings- amazing!
I have never considered Maldives as a destination, despite its closeness and lack of visa requirements- but your thread may make me change my thoughts.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2013 5:42:20 GMT
Lugg may contradict me, but I found that one really has to be dedicated to the idea of a 100% beach holiday to fully appreciate the Maldives since there is not really anything else to do -- but my god, what a snorkling paradise! It was like being in an aquarium. Of course divers consider us snorklers ridiculous, but I don't like deep water! I served as a luggage depot for a New Zealand-American couple while they were travelling around Europe, and they had just returned from the Maldives where they had been skindiving. They told me "feel free to look at our pictures" so I did. They had gone diving off the edge of the reef in that gin clear water so there were photos in relatively shallow water and then a sudden dropoff like the edge of a 200 storey building -- and they were floating off the "roof" in heading toward the void like superheroes. Just thinking about the unseen depths made me feel ill. Anyway, I was kind of lucky, because I stayed on Bandos when the Maldives were hardly developed at all, and that's only about 20 minutes by boat to Male, which you could see on the horizon. Most of the atolls were hours away, so people in hotels there didn't really have the option of going to Male more than once at best.
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Post by lugg on Apr 29, 2013 6:18:01 GMT
Thank you all - more to come. I agree K2 you do have to enjoy the beach life . For me the main draw is the marine life which really it is difficult to better, certainly not as close to the UK anyway. There is little else to do other than enjoy the beauty. There are some cultural experiences , but limited really compared to other countries. I am not a diver either but I do enjoy swimming over the drop off into the deep water to find all the" big stuff" When you went K2, development of tourism dictated that only islands close to Male were developed , now of course that has changed , partly because of seaplanes but also because there are several domestic airports which have opened up the more far flung atolls. This article gives an idea of the tourism planning. dtxtq4w60xqpw.cloudfront.net/sites/all/files/pdf/maldives_country_report_2012.pdf
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2013 11:46:20 GMT
Indeed, when I went to the Maldives, Male airport was the only airport in the country. I bet it has changed since I was there because the flights would arrive from Colombo or Trivandrum (those were the only two places), and the terminal building was just an open sided building. The "airport bar" was a man sitting at a little table in front of a refrigerator. Once you passed through immigration and customs (ha ha), the back of the building was continued by a pier where the hotel boats were waiting. There was not a single boat that could hold even ten people. As for me, I was the only customer for my hotel, and I traveled on the choppy open seas in one of those tiny traditional boats with the very low sides. The water kept sloshing over the sides, and there was not a life vest to be seen anywhere (I was already wondering about the buoyancy of my small carry-on bag, but of course it would not need to keep me afloat for very long -- just until the sharks found me.). It only took about half an hour to get to Bandos, which really had me wondering afterwards about some of the farther islands were the arriving passengers' boat trips lasted two hours or more.
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Post by fgrsk8r1970 on Apr 29, 2013 16:44:56 GMT
What an amazing report so far !!! I have ALWAYS wanted to go to the Maldives and tried to convince my GF when was still in Germany (in the 90's) to go there once. But she needs "action" and this seemed too boring for her, so I never took advantage of the fact how relatively close it is to Europe. Now that I am in the US, it's a dream that is on the bottom of my bucket list :-( Tahiti and Fiji is closer now to me though.... ;-)
Can't wait to read more !!!
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Post by Deleted on May 3, 2013 17:07:24 GMT
Great photos, lugg! Am thoroughly enjoying this journey of yours. I particularly like the pictures taken from sky level.
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Post by Deleted on May 3, 2013 17:29:32 GMT
On the plane taking me to the Maldives, I found myself sitting next to some sort of Texas cowboy . He was on some sort of business trip, the details of which I did not ask, but when I found out that I was on vacation, his first comment was "You're going on one of those nudie holidays!" I was rather flummoxed, since I knew nothing about this. However, once I arrived on my island, I saw a sign which said "nudity is totally forbidden in sight of the hotel reception or the dining room." Bandos is a very small island and since I needed to keep moving a lot more than all of the human tanning lizards, I walked around the island on the beach usually several times a day (it took all of about 20 minutes). Only the "standard rooms" existed when I went there. This map which I just discovered makes the place look seriously overcrowded -- I would certainly not choose it now! Anyway, I saw that the "nudie holidays" did indeed exist, particularly if you were German or Italian, because I would pass all of these naked people baking under the sun. I am nearly 100% certain that such things are no longer permitted in the Maldives but back then they were willing to put up with almost anything to get a bit of tourist money.
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Post by nycgirl on May 4, 2013 18:23:38 GMT
Gorgeous photos, Lugg! The shots of the atolls from above are absolutely breathtaking.
I would love to go snorkeling there, especially after seeing your previous photos. I don't think I'm brave enough to swim over one of those scary drop-offs, though. Gulp.
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Post by lugg on May 6, 2013 8:17:49 GMT
Thank you all. No K2 nudism is not tolerated now although some bikinis and mankinis are close, but generally meet with derision . If you opt to stay in a guest house on a residential island then even tourists generally have to cover shoulders etc although I think there are some beaches where swim wear can be worn.Some guest houses have arrangements with some of the resort islands - ie drop them off for the day so they can use the facilities plus get some alcohol if they wish. There are some lively debates about this practice on another forum.
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Post by lugg on May 6, 2013 8:40:14 GMT
Ibrahim Nasir International Airport on Hulhule Island only became an international airport in the 1980’s. I guess it must be one of, possibly the most, lowest lying airports in the world at only 2 meters above sea level. After arrival most people then have to travel on to reach their chosen destination, some by sea plane, others by boat. The sea plane terminals are on the same island and are just a short bus journey to their own check in desk and lounge. Wait times vary and sometimes it can be hard to get any direct information about when the plane is listed to fly out, of course this all depends upon the arrival times of other international flights. In the event I had about a 60 min wait which was not too bad. Sea plane terminal I am not certain how many people they can carry, I think about 12 and sometimes luggage has to follow after, hence the need to have a well packed carry on. I really enjoy this part of the journey, despite the stifling heat and the noise. Flying low the views are wonderful, I also love the take off and landing from the water. It was getting late so the sun was starting to set as we travelled the 130 kms or so to Reethi with one stop off on the way. Notice the bare feet of the pilots, they always take off their flip flops to fly. We flew over another Reethi – but this one is Reethi Rah much more expensive and manicured than my own “ Reethi” The sun was really starting to dip as we flew along and that and the clouds created a most marvellous light show We landed some people at another island on the way so I got two take offs and landings for the price of one ;D Finally we arrived at Reethi ( not my photo below ) The plane drops off at a floating platform on the sea , in this case it was quite a distance from the island and so a final journey by Dhoni before finally arriving at the island's pier.
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Post by htmb on May 6, 2013 12:28:32 GMT
Oh, I LOVE it! Pilots in flip flops and bare feet! Perfect.
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2013 14:19:52 GMT
Things have certainly changed since I was there!
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Post by bixaorellana on May 6, 2013 20:02:59 GMT
Oh, better & better, Lugg! No wonder you dreamed of returning there. the clouds created a most marvellous light show Not only is the light show marvelous, but also the way you captured it along with the subtle ripples of the sea -- magnificent! it must be one of, possibly the most, lowest lying airports in the world at only 2 meters above sea level. Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport is a Class B public use international airport in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. Code: MSY Elevation: 3' 11" (1.20 m) Wikipedia The plane drops off at a floating platform on the sea , in this case it was quite a distance from the island and so a final journey by Dhoni before finally arriving at the island's pier. Is the platform like the one in the picture (5th from the bottom, #17)? It's so little! What is a Dhoni, please?
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Post by lugg on May 7, 2013 19:48:25 GMT
Thank you. Yes the platform that the seaplane docked against was as little as the photo I posted , and even in calm seas they are wobbly ! This is a photo that I took from the island ( on max zoom ) of the docking platform for arrivals and departures to reethi at this time of year. ( It changes according to the prevailing monsoon) A Dhoni is a traditional Maldivian boat - originally a sail boat, many now have motors but all have the curved prow - there is a pic of one moored next to the pier in my last photo above.. Here is another pic showing the curved prow.
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Post by fgrsk8r1970 on May 7, 2013 21:40:12 GMT
OH OH OH..... I will have to go there, despite the distance now that I live in the US!!! Someday - the photos are marvelous and even though I don't really care to fly in small planes (and never have been in a water plane) your description makes it so exciting and even the bare footed pilots don't worry me LOL. Thanks for that !!!
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Post by lugg on May 11, 2013 13:15:03 GMT
Now to see some of the island, flora and fauna. The sand really was like talcum powder, not just on the beach but on the pathways across the island and there was no need for shoes apart from when walking on the wooden piers when flip flops were handy during the heat of the day. I forgot to say earlier that the island is tiny really just 600m x 200m. It says on the web site that 15% only of the island is built on. I guess that is about right although of course there are a number of water villas that would not have been included in that figure. Of course in the Maldives that was why water villas were developed – to cheat the planning regulations that decreed that only a certain % of each island could be built on. The best thing for me is the fact that the island is managed in a very natural way so by and large many buildings/ rooms are hidden behind the natural vegetation that has not been cut back as hard as it has been on other islands. My room inside and out A long hot slog from beach to room ;D I prefer a room on the beach to a water villa but some people of course choose to stay in one, Beach Views Sunrise –just the heron and I Spot the sand bags below? Like all Maldivian islands there is a constant struggle against erosion. Two photos below is a sand dredger pumping from the lagoon floor to deposit on the beach areas under threat , unfortunately if this happens too much it changes the sand so that no longer has the the talcum powder texture but becomes a much grittier sand. It is hard to describe the various blue colours within the sea, they are so beautiful and the photos I have taken do not capture the variances exactly, One morning I watched this heron having fish for breakfast, at times he really struggled to swallow, OK on to the next meal. Every night at 6pm sharp this group of rays (of various types) are waiting patiently for a member of the staff who feeds them the waste off cuts from fish. I understand that occasionally a shark will arrive too but unfortunately none did whilst I watched. The lack of sharks generally on this visit was a sad indictment of the over fishing of sharks and the shark fin industry. They are now protected in this atoll but it may be too little too late. ( However to my joy I did get to see one on my very last snorkel, ...later) It is hard to make them out on this pic but this guitar ray has two huge remora ( suckerfish) hitching a lift , one on either wing. I have just found a better pic of the guitar ray which shows its shape and size better - it is easy to see how these could be mistaken for sharks
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Post by lugg on May 11, 2013 13:59:18 GMT
As I mentioned earlier moving away from the beach towards the centre of the island, it remains sandy. For this reason it is even more remarkable to see what the island’s gardeners manage to achieve here .This garden was a real delight that I visited most days , many people I spoke to ( some of whom had been 7/8 times ) did not even know it existed. Hard to believe on an island so small. Of course I enjoyed it as many of the plants seemed exotic , some of them, I guess ,will be more familiar to some of you. I was surprised to see this Spanish moss growing in the greenhouse, and also to realise it was cooler inside than in the open air Last one of the garden for now.
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Post by anshjain97 on May 11, 2013 14:19:23 GMT
Great shots, to say the very least!
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Post by bixaorellana on May 11, 2013 15:51:04 GMT
Ohhhhhhhh, Lugg!
First off, thank you for the replies to my previous questions and second, woweeee! Your pictures make me realize that there really can be such a thing as an "island paradise".
600m x 200m is truly tiny, so I suppose the water villas make economic sense for keeping tourism alive. Still, they seem so much more like despoiling than the darling little houses tucked into the vegetation. How are garbage and sewage managed?
The man is feeding the rays? Fabulous photos, as are those of the heron & of the water -- well, all of them!
Can't wait to see & hear more of your visit & am curious about infrastructure. I imagine there are at least a couple of restaurants and dive shops and perhaps a general store ~ ?
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Post by tod2 on May 11, 2013 17:41:06 GMT
Lugg your marvellous photos couldn't be any less appealing than a full blown advert for the Maldives! I am so sorry I never ventured to the islands, but I guess there's still time! I recognised the Grey Heron you captured so beautifully - I referred to my bird book and see that it's plumage represents it in breeding mode!
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Post by lugg on May 12, 2013 8:49:45 GMT
Thank you Bixa. Here is a link to info re how the island tries to reduce environmental impact with info on waste managemnt etc. www.reethibeach.com/enviromental-credentials.htmlThe water villas are not the prettiest buildings are they ? In terms of shops , restaurants etc . This is what is known as a "resort island" which means essentially that every thing is part of the hotel. I guess some of these are franchised , certainly the dive school and spa were , maybe also the jewellery shop. Other than that there is a water sports centre and a mini market type of shop selling tourist tat plus some essentials. I think this particular hotel is run by a Swiss company but the island itself is owned by a Maldivian MP. Recently there has been quite a lot of bad press as one of the islands (Iru Fushi,) run by Hilton, was reclaimed by its owner and the chain were given just a few days notice that they had to vacate. One of the reasons I opted for Reethi was that there is quite a good choice of dining options for such a small island. The main restaurant was a buffet and where those who opted for AI ate. I am not a fan of buffets so I opted for B&B then I could eat in the al a carte restaurants - two options at night. Thanks Tod - I had not realised that re the breeding plummage of the Grey Heron. I do hope you do get to visit one day.
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Post by htmb on May 12, 2013 10:34:20 GMT
Your photos are outstanding, as always, Lugg. I am enjoying hearing about your trip to this magical place. The garden area is interesting. I did recognize a few plants that grow here, plus what looks like hydroponics. Were they growing lettuce?
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Post by lugg on May 12, 2013 15:02:44 GMT
Thanks Htmb, I am not sure what it was growing in the pipes . There was a separate area of garden for veg etc but that was not open to the guests.
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