The Maldives

In October we went to the Maldives for the kids’ Diwali Break. It was, by far, the most beautiful exotic location we have ever visited. The deep turquoise blue waters, endless blue skies, soft white sand and lush vegetation was a real treat to the senses.

The Maldives is a long and narrow country formed by 26 natural atolls that sits in the Indian Ocean, 250 miles southwest of India. The Maldivian atolls (ring-shaped coral islands) are spread out over 35,000 square miles, making the country one of the world’s most geographically dispersed and least populated. Its population of 330,000 people inhabits only 192 of its 1192 islands. The country’s many resorts each occupy its own island.

We stayed on the island of Kihavah, which we reached by a 35 minute ride on a sea plane from Male International Airport. During the ride we were glued to our windows as we glided over the breathtaking waters and tiny Maldivian islands in the middle of the Indian Ocean.

We touched down beside the welcome jetty. 

Then we took a boat to the resort, where Sanjay welcomed us as he arrived a few hours earlier from the U.S. 

As we docked we were taken away by the beauty of the island! 

Since our resort (the Anantara) encompassed the whole island, the children thought of it as their own playground. They  felt so independent as they wandered from the Recreation center to the pool to the beach and back to our villa. Their days were full of table tennis, swimming, tennis, catching the waves and lying in the sand. 

There were a lot of great photo opportunities! 

The snorkeling in the Maldives is undoubtedly one of the best snorkeling experiences in the world. The atoll topography and house-reef conditions is right for ideal snorkeling. (A house reef is an ephemeral island built by a submarine volcano whose top has repeatedly breached the surface and was subsequently eroded by wave action). The big event in snorkeling is the house reef drop off -- where the depth goes from a few meters to virtual oblivion. As you swim along the precipice, it is the closest feeling to flying as you look out in the open water, which looks like a massive canvas of aquatic color.  Closer to the coral reef you experience a stunning underwater garden teaming with endless colorful and diverse fish, turtles and perhaps even a small shark. 

Here are some pictures taken from our boat...

Back at our resort we went out for scrumptious dinners every evening. 

This was the resort's dining complex where we feasted on Asian cuisine and unbelievably fresh seafood. 

One afternoon we dined at the resort's underwater cellar and restaurant. We were surrounded by colorful schools of fish as we dined on the catch of the day. 

Another afternoon the kids experienced their first dive. Priya was like a fish in water but Akash had problems equalizing. 

Our week in the Maldives was pure relaxation. A morning dip in our villa's pool was followed by a leisurely breakfast and long walks amongst the island's vegetation.

Before we left our family was invited to plant a coconut tree. 

We were so sad to leave this idyllic island paradise...

...but we know we will return as we're not sure how long this pristine set of islands will be around. Climate change and rising sea levels are of great concern to the Maldives, which is only 5 feet above sea level. As global warming causes the polar ice caps to melt, sea levels are expected to rise 1 inch/year. This puts the Maldives entire existence in jeopardy in a mere 60 years!! Needless to say, we hope these predictions are wrong.