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Snorkelling the MaldivesSnorkelling the Maldives
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Warm sunshine, white sandy beach and an underwater world I haven't seen like this before. Calming, relaxing, exploring and meeting new friends. That was a different kind of holiday. Read more
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  • TravelerSnorkelling the Maldives
    Day 2

    Welcome to Paradise

    April 4, 2022 on the Maldives ⋅ 🌙 29 °C

    I was honestly not really a fan of the idea to travel to the Maldives. Seb has been there before with his family and was happy to be able to go there again. He convinced me that it would be good, having a more chill holiday. I'm usually not the type for chilling when I'm travelling, but hey, you have to broaden your horizon, don't you? After flying 6 hours we had a transit time of 4 hours in Abu Dhabi. I've drunken the best hazelnut cocoa ever and was quite pleased but happy to enter our next plane. After another 4 hours, we've landed on Male, the main island of the Maldives. We waited for our transfer boat to Embudu (where our hotel would be) and were greeted by a couple of dolphins right away. Good start! We've arrived very early and so our bungalow wasn't ready yet, so we had to wait at the bar. We were so tired that both of us fell asleep during our two-hour wait and were woken up by the nice bar men and a coffee. After putting away our luggage, we immediately took off to explore our little island. After about 20 min we completed one trip around the island and stated that our bungalow was at the perfect spot. Not too far away from the restaurant or bar, having a private entrance to the beach and a roof of palm trees. Our first sunset was fantastic and our sundowner was enjoyed at the lovely atmospheric bar.Read more

  • TravelerSnorkelling the Maldives
    Day 3

    Little neighbours

    April 5, 2022 on the Maldives ⋅ 🌙 29 °C

    We met our neighbours, Jeannie and Markus, who were also German and diving fanatics. Seb had someone to dive with, and I had a good laugh at his sunburned back. Usually, I am the badly burned, as I have very light skin. However, someone forgot to put sunscreen on and someone didn't. We were having quite a nice chat, exchanging divers' stories, when we met new neighbours - little, cute, pink geckos. They would always be there when we were playing cards on our terrace drinking Gin Tonic and eat the mosquitos away.Read more

  • TravelerSnorkelling the Maldives
    Day 4

    Monster crab

    April 6, 2022 on the Maldives ⋅ 🌙 29 °C

    On the first day, we met Ernst at our dinner table as there were no other tables free, so the management put us together. We were quite pleased with our table companion as he was able to share his experiences with this island, the Maldives and his other travelling trips. We became friends, and he told us to contact him, whenever we might be in Vienna to meet up with him again. Unfortunately, when we would be in Vienna in September later that year, he would be in Croatia, sailing. Nevertheless, we had a lovely time together until he left the island. After that, we had to eat our dessert alone. But we got a new friend, the Monster crab, that was as huge as Sebs shoes...Read more

  • TravelerSnorkelling the Maldives
    Day 5

    The islands' wildlife

    April 7, 2022 on the Maldives ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    You never get bored on an island. You can always write things in the sand. Or watch the surrounding wildlife. There are so many iguanas right in front of you. We were just laying on our sun loungers (behind us our bungalow), and everywhere was the bustling life of reptiles and insects. At one time we were watching at least 25 min how an ant colony killed a wasp and dragged it away to their den. That was quite impressive. There was a wedding on the beach, so we walked around a bit more to enjoy yet another beautiful sunset. After dinner, we greeted our Monster crab again.Read more

  • TravelerSnorkelling the Maldives
    Day 6

    Fishing sharks

    April 8, 2022 on the Maldives ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Going on a boat trip today, we were ready to fish our dinner. Well, Sebs dinner as I am a vegetarian. But anyway, we drove out to the sea, put our fishing rods into the water and waited for the big catch. As we finally hooked something, we weren't so pleased after all. We had a nurse shark on the hook. We let them loose again, trying another time. As the other people on the boat reported to have caught the fifth nurse shark, Seb and I were pretty sure, that this was no coincidence. That must be their usual spot and this fishing trip only a tourist attraction. Pretty disappointing and honestly infuriating. Doesn't matter that we didn't pull the nurse sharks out the water, it must still hurt getting hooked! After all, I actually caught a little fish, but as it was too small to eat, they luckily threw it overboard again.Read more

  • TravelerSnorkelling the Maldives
    Day 7

    Our hermit crab

    April 9, 2022 on the Maldives ⋅ ⛅ 29 °C

    Walking around the island, we've found ourselves a hermit crab that became a friend of ours - for as long as the walk around the island took. I think, he was quite relieved when he could escape to the bushes and palm trees again. Not long after that, our first tropical storm awaited us, but for the sunset the sky cleared and we could enjoy it yet again.Read more

  • TravelerSnorkelling the Maldives
    Day 8

    The dying coral reefs

    April 10, 2022 on the Maldives ⋅ 🌙 29 °C

    I've never snorkelled before. Embudu was my first chance to do it and I fell in love with it. It is so calming and interesting at once, you can really satisfy your curious mind with it. But it is also extremely infuriating. There are so many dead corals, so many white or grey parts in a once beautifully colourful part of the ocean. But with global warming all around, the corals are dying here as well. It is a real pity, and I'm upset that not everyone tries their best to reduce their own effect on global warming. It's so easy with a change of diet or being aware of plastic waste and its use. Anyway, I feel honoured that I was still able to see the dying beauty.Read more

  • TravelerSnorkelling the Maldives
    Day 9

    My first and last diving lesson

    April 11, 2022 on the Maldives ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    As I mentioned before, Seb is a diver and obviously, I had to try it as well. As I have never had a lesson before, this was a first. I joined a group of "first-ies" and explained to the teacher that I experienced some problems when flying to the Maldives. I've never had issues with my ears before that, so I was quite concerned about it. The teacher said that I should try the diving anyway and see whether my ears would hurt when going underwater. So I put on all the gear, went through all the theory and did the first steps with these huge swim fins and the heavy backpack. Once in the water, I did all the training bits. And then it was time to test my ears: I put my ears underwater (approx. 30 cm) and they exploded with hurt. I pushed myself up and claimed to the teacher that I couldn't bare the hurt. So I had no choice but to exit the water, struggle back to the diving centre and put the dream to dive to a rest. I actually had even worse problems with my ears flying back home, so back in Germany I immediately made an appointment at the doctors. He examined me and found nothing. I reckon my hurt is just imagined... Such a shit show.Read more

  • TravelerSnorkelling the Maldives
    Day 10

    A Bangladesh dream

    April 12, 2022 on the Maldives ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Eating at the only restaurant on the island, we got to have one waiter for the whole time. Or so we thought. The first few days, we had a very quiet, shy guy as a waiter who didn't talk more than necessary. But suddenly, we had another waiter. We immediately became friends, as his open and communicative character made it pretty easy. Mohammed is Bangladeshi and wants to earn enough money working on the Maldives, that he will be able to build himself and his mother a house plus opening his own restaurant back in Bangladesh. We loved talking to him during our meals and were nonplussed when he suddenly wasn't around any more. Someone has replaced him. And then, the first waiter came back and (as they all look very similar, especially when wearing masks) we mistook him for Mohammed and greeted him back dearly. How much we've missed his presence and how good it was he was alright again. But after his surprised response and quietness afterwards, Seb and I realized our mistake. We were laughing as much as blushing and asked the restaurant manager what has happened to Mohammed. We were told that he was just on his weekly trip to Malé, and he'd return tomorrow. Would we like to have him as a waiter again? YES! was our immediate answer, and so Mohammed was back the next day. From then on, we kept him on our table and only saw once in a while the disbelief of our first waiter across the room. Pretty awkward but funny. We are still writing Mohammed and wishing him all the best for his dream of his own restaurant.

    Song of the trip: Nothin' quite like it by Danger Twins    Read more

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