It was 10th
June, a pleasant day devoted mostly to packing in the morning! After settling
the bill at hotel in Colombo we headed for the Maradana station and boarded the
train for Katunaikye. In an hour we reached the station and took an auto to the
Bandaranayke International airport. First time since we left India, I managed
to catch up on my reading by remaining glued to the ‘Inferno’ by Dan Brown a
perfect book for holiday! Later in the evening we tasted the local savories of
chocolate peanuts, chocolate biscuits and even a mango flavored tea!! Our
Emirates flight took off precisely at 8.30 PM and we just managed to scroll
through the hit movie list when the flight descended onto the match box like
runway illuminated in dark as we saw the picture flashing on the TV screen.
Ibrahim Nasir International airport on Hulhule island was fairly crowded as a
number of flights come from all over to the remote island nation. A pleasant
surprise awaited us, as we emerged out. Just across the terminal was a boat
jetty where the efficient staff quickly loaded our baggage on the boat! The
boat silently streaked through dark sea towards Male which was illuminated. A
scene akin to a James Bond movie! A
short walk from the jetty in Male brought us to the hotel. The streets were
full of revelers enjoying life! We dozed off immediately as we hit the bed.
The harbor in Male |
Next day
started with a nice breakfast on the terrace restaurant which provided a view
of surrounding hotels and restaurants and the distant island of Hulhule (the
airport) where the constant view and drone of incoming and outgoing flights
looked fascinating. Soon we were on the streets. The best thing about Male is
it is just about 1.5 a km long and less than one km wide! The boats tethered to
the jetty bobbed up and down with the sway of waves. The water was so clean
that even fish and the bottom were clearly visible from the jetty despite so many boats and small ships in
harbor. We took a long walk along the President Jetty, the local vegetable and
fruit market and fish market! They were a sight to remember where the juicy
papayas, bananas, water melons and host of other fruits were neatly stacked and
were in abundance! Tempted, we too purchased a papaya!
Fruit and Vegetable Market in Male |
The Villingili island beach |
Next morning we walked around the local market and tried to
book the tickets for the ‘Whale Submarine’ dive and went to their office.
Despite persuasion they insisted on payment in USD for the ticket, a currency
which I was not having with me. A search around from local banks did not bear
any result. Disappointed we tried our luck with a local company Maldivian
Holiday that made a couple of calls and told us that the Submarine Company had
agreed to give us tickets as a special case after approval from their sales
manager. After a quick lunch, I got the
ticket from the office and returned back to hotel feeling victorious! Maldives
is one of the few places in the world where tourists can ride a submarine and
see the underwater world! Overlooking the mosque is the solid, round, blue-and-white
tower of the munnaaru - the squat minaret. Though it doesn't
look that old, it dates back to 1675.
Boarding the Whale Submarine in Male |
A full view of the Whale Submarine |
The Hukuru Miskiiy Mosque, Male |
Later we watched the
sun set near the Hulumale Ferry terminal, as the speed boats and other bigger
boats zipped across in the harbor! We now looked forward to the Submarine dive
the next day.
A hurried plan to swim in the wee hours of the morning next
day was one of the best decisions. Just after a cup of tea we hopped over to
the ‘Artificial beach’. It has been carved out of the piece of land with
sparkling sand ensconced within rocks with inlet of sea water. We were
surprised to see more than two dozen women, small children and even older men
on the beach enjoying the cold water. We too plunged in the water with all
clothes on! This was perhaps the first time in my life I was swimming not in
swimming trunk but adhering to the local dress code! A thoroughly enjoyable
swim as the bigger waves kept beating on the divider of concrete tide breakers.
After return to our room we had a fresh water bath and soon after breakfast
headed to Jetty No.1, the pick-up point for a Submarine dive. After half an
hour of wait the boat that was to ferry us to the Submarine wharf appeared and
a group of twenty odd people who had assembled hopped in to be ferried across
to the waiting submarine in the middle of the sea!! We were welcomed on board
the longest and the most comfortable ’Whale Submarine’ by the captain and the
crew. They helped passengers to go down the hatch from the conning tower to the
comfortable glass window seats! What followed for next 45 minutes was an
experience which is incredible and what dreams are made of. A demonstration on
the safety procedures followed before the submarine dived to the depth of 30
Underwater world as seen from submarine |
A video of Underwater world
The day to bid adieu to lovely Maldives had come. The heavy
downpour that started at night continued through the morning. The previous
day’s addiction of the swim in the Artificial beach prompted us to head in the
direction even before the breakfast. We walked through the light drizzle to
find a group of youngsters reveling in the waters besides a group of men and
women. The swim was very refreshing and the constant drizzle from the sky up
above was a perfect soother. After the breakfast we went for a walk around the
town which had suddenly fallen silent! We realized later that it was a Friday
(holiday for Jumma)! After the stroll we returned to our hotel and completed
the packing and checked out of the hotel. At 4.30 PM the flight took off for
Colombo providing one last magical glimpse of this dreamy vacation as the small
islands trailed past from the view. At Colombo the flight landed by 6 PM and we
got ready for the next flights to Chennai and Delhi.
Amaaaaaaaaaaaaazing is all I can say :D! Wow the submarine Rahul sir that was awesome and the video is breathtakingly lovely.
ReplyDeleteI so much want to go there now :D
All the snaps looks awesome and the mademoiselle in the snap is very very pretty :D
Loved reading your travelogue :D
Ramya, do plan a trip to Maldives and you would be given all travel advice:)Special thanks from Jyoti for all those kind words of appreciation!!
DeleteWow! you are a lucky man.
ReplyDeleteIt was great going through this travelogue. I wish I could visit these places. Til then I am happy to see all these wonderful places through blogs. Thanks for sharing.
Surely, I consider myself blessed to see some lovely places and readers like you who like to read about them! Thanks a lot!
DeleteI wish I was there too.
ReplyDeleteI too wish you were there:) A big thanks!!
DeleteWonderful description of the times you spent in Maldives. The fruits market looks very tempting, I am sure the papaya must have tasted very good too. The video was a treat to watch, that submarine is something I would so love to be in someday :)
ReplyDeleteLike always your nice words are the best appreciation one could get, Arti! The papayas were just out of the world with no seeds, and the coconut was huge and sweet, thanks to best tropical environment!You should have a ride in the submarine if you happen to be there!
DeleteHi.. good description of the place and the experiences.. beautiful pics
ReplyDeleteNew post on the blog:
http://www.cultureandtrend.com/2013/06/pink-floyd.html
A big thanks Jessica for your kind comment!
DeleteThis time I can tell you that I have been there too, twice! Heaven on earth!
ReplyDeleteDon't Call Me Fashion Blogger
Facebook
Bloglovin'
Wow Francesca that was great! You have been to heaven on earth twice already:)
DeleteNice pictures.Nice description.After reading this,one is tempted to visit
ReplyDeleteHa Ha Mr Chowla.... thanks for that compliment for acting as unpaid promoter of Maldives:)
DeleteWhat a beautiful place for a holiday, it all sounds wonderful dear Rahul, great photos and video.
ReplyDeletexoxoxo ♡
Thanks a lot Dianne! It certainly was a wonderful trip!
DeleteWow!! You are so lucky!
ReplyDeleteI wish I could also come there... thrilling video!
I <3 all the pics :-)
Glad you had fun!
Best wishes
thanks for sharing
Indeed lucky to have been there and I too wish you were there to see and share the fun:)A huge thanks, Simran!
DeleteWonderful. The submarine would have been the highlight of your tour. Rahul, I would like to use some of the itinerary and hotel info. Could you be kind to share them with me? I can pass on my email id
ReplyDeleteIt took me almost half a day to get the booking for that submarine and the effort was worth it! Do send me your email id to share the itinerary with you, it would be a pleasure, Bindu:)
DeleteAh! Great travelogue and submarine looks too very cool!
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot Suman and that Submarine is certainly cool:)
DeleteE' uno dei posti più belli del mondo!
ReplyDeleteAlessia
THECHILICOOL
FACEBOOK
Video outfit YOUTUBE
Kiss
E 'infatti uno dei luoghi più belli della terra, Alessia e si deve visitare, se non ancora fatto!
Deletegreat travelogue with beautiful photos and nice write-up
ReplyDeletethanks rahul sir
A big thanks Krishna!
DeleteSure seems like a fun destination
ReplyDeleteFun destination with lovely scenic views:)
DeleteWhat a beautiful place!
ReplyDeleteVery true!
DeleteHave visited Maldives 10 years ago but never did the submarine trip. May be it is time for me to do another trip there.
ReplyDeletewww.thoughtsofpaps.com
Time to revisit, Asamptha and enjoy the place all over again with family!
DeleteYou should change your Blog title to - Around the World with Rahul.
ReplyDeleteHa ha... nice one Purba, but am still to see so much more!
Delete:-) I long to see marine life like that! Ah, I've so many miles to go before I sleep!
ReplyDeleteThank you for the "trip" in the meantime, Rahul.
Yeah Vidya, a different world and so little of it we know!I too believe that we have many miles to go before I sleep:)A big thanks again!
DeleteWow! Its sounds awesome... your narrative were like a great lesson on Maladives! Beautiful photos :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Jeevan, for reading!
DeleteAnd here is another one, I am sure you can publish a new edition of Atlas ;)
ReplyDeleteP.S. Nice pics :)
Ha Ha... Shreya what a nice comment! I wish I could do something like that!! Thanks a lot for reading:)
ReplyDeleteWow! You have traveled so much! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for giving us such an interesting virtual tour of your trip to Maldives! :)
Thanks a lot Shilpa! Am happy you enjoyed the virtual trip:)
DeleteWhat a beautiful beach it is! Riding a submarine looks fun. I have heard these island is getting under water one by one.It's so bad.Thank you for taking to such wonderful islands.
ReplyDeleteHave a nice day!
A huge thanks Sarah for liking! The place is just amazing!!
DeleteAllah!I literally have no words except "Mujhe bhi jaana hai" xD
ReplyDeleteThis is the best one in month of june.What a treat :)
Inshaallah! you will visit one day Sunakshi:) Thanks a lot for your nice comment!!
DeleteHi Rahul, the Maldives sound like a dream, I know many people go on honeymoon and now I see why, the oceans are heavenly. Love the sound of the market, great inspiration for any foodie! The underwater world must have been such a magical experience, thanks for sharing these wonderful memories with us.
ReplyDeleteWhen I look back, I too feel it was more a dream than reality to see so much serenity and beauty in one place! The beating of waves on shore and the fruits in market were like being in the Garden of Eden! Thanks a lot Sam!!
DeleteSounds truly idyllic! Thanks for stopping by.
DeleteAlways a pleasure!
DeleteAre you always travelling:)
ReplyDeleteHa ha ... nice question... i used to be always travelling in last few years but of late much less:)
DeleteLovely pictures, Rahul. I loved the beach, am green with envy.
ReplyDeleteHa Ha Rachna! One more time!!
DeleteWow... comes the first word after going through the post..
ReplyDeleteThanks for the virtual trip through description, pics and videos..
The submarine ride must have been great fun.. I am not a great fan of beaches but definitely Maldives is a place not to be missed..
Thanks a lot Manjulika for liking ! Do visit Maldives:)
DeleteHi Rahul
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid I had a neighbor who worked in Maldives as a teacher . I did not know that Islam was the main religion there . The whale submarine seems to be an awesome experience . Thanks for sharing all that info
Thanks a lot Jaishree! Maldive has a charm unparalleled elsewhere!
DeleteWooww..I love travelling too and this place is still on my wish list..I am planning to go on a month long vacation..BTW I love that shark (or whatever that fish is called)..he looks really pleasant..:)
ReplyDeleteWelcome to my blog Namrata! Hope you have a splendid time:)
DeleteI need to find out what a mango flavored tea is.
ReplyDeleteSecondly, I am a very water-loving person. I loved it when you said that it is injustice to Maldives when someone returns from Maldives without being wet once. :-)
Must try Mango flavor tea, KK Am sure you will like it and do enjoy the water nothing to beat that!!
DeleteI travel to all those lovely places virtually while reading your blog posts! Especially enjoyed watching the fish in the video!
ReplyDeleteAm honored indeed Valli, that am able to take you on virtual trips:)
Deletebeautiful captures...lovely place to be!
ReplyDeleteWelcome to my blog Kalyan and am happy you liked it!!
DeleteI really like the detailing in your travel blogs as it makes it so easy to visualize! Nice read!
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot Radhika, and am happy that you enjoy those small details:)
DeleteWOW, sure was a good trip barring few local restrictions. Can't understand why they wanted USD?
ReplyDeleteThose local restrictions hardly come in way, Saru and yes the USD mean a lot in cash strapped economies and hence the thirst for green dollars!!Thanks a lot!!
DeleteHi Rahul,
ReplyDeleteDo you recommend Villingili Island for a day trip to enjoy beach & water activities? Saw a nice pic of it in your post. But, I found somewhere on the net that it's a residential island now with quite a big population. Anyways, nice blog.
Beautiful Destination.
ReplyDeleteHey...nice experience or good description of your maldives vacation and you are a good writer.Always try different destination because travel to someplace different can give you more mental stimulation and excitement than a trip to a regular spot.
ReplyDeleteHi.. it's nice description of the place and the experiences.. beautiful pics
ReplyDelete