The Maldives was a couple of firsts for me and a definite tick off the bucket list. Nestled in the Indian Ocean just south of India, the large archipelago of islands is really the picture postcard paradise.
On landing at Male airport, we were transferred over to the sea plane terminal, one of the things I've always wanted to experience. It's actually really surreal, when I boarded, I literally sat directly behind the pilot, so close I could touch him or the controls if I wanted! There's no fancy safety briefing or trolly service, this was literally like a bus in the sky! The Trans Maldivian Air Service is the largest sea plane fleet in the world and you can see why with the amount of islands not easily accessible by speedboat. They do not operate in the hours of darkness so make sure your international flight arrives no later than about 3.30pm! The landing was pretty cool and smooth but they are damn noisy particularly if you are sat next to the propellers.
I chose Kuredu and it's sister island Komandoo for my stay in the Maldives which is a 45 sea plane journey from Male. Kuredu is one of the larger Maldivian islands and one that I chose as I didn't want to be bored. Needless to say, there are lots of activities to do, different entertainment each night and the island is large enough that you are not bumping into others all the time if you wanted some exclusivity. I upgraded to a jacuzzi beach villa which was lovely, a traditional looking hut a few steps from the beach and with it's secluded outdoor bathroom and jacuzzi. The only downside, is the sea planes start around 7am each morning so we heard them revving up and taking off on a few occasions!
Another first for me was wanting to see a sea turtle in the wild. So, on the second day, I put my snorkelling kit on and walked into the sea. Within 2 minutes, there one was! A huge sea turtle swimming graciously along with two fish hitching a ride. That feeling felt amazing! A few days later, I caught the speedboat over to Komandoo and snorkelled on their house reef. This reef was INCREDIBLE! Check out my video below to see this toward the end of the clip. The sea was crystal clear and abundant with sea life. I could have done this for hours had we not had to head back to land. The house reef is much more impressive at Komandoo than Kuredu, although in Kuredu you see all the black tip sharks coming in at night and laying under the boats that are moored on the jetty which was pretty cool to see.
Overall, I would definitely visit the Maldives again. If you want romance, pure relaxation, stunning sunsets or amazing diving/snorkelling options, you need to have this on your list. I would advise going All Inclusive as once you are on an island, there's no hopping off to the local supermarket to stock up the fridge! I went in April which was coming to the end of the peak season and the weather was still good. The temperatures are roughly the same all year round but from May-September is the wet season where it can be more overcast but the prices are cheaper.
Below are the websites of Kuredu & Komandoo for you to browse. Thumbs up from me!
