I lucked out on my birthday this year because Amy and I were able to spend a long weekend in the Maldives. I've wanted to visit the Maldives since the time I worked for Club Med and my boss Leo told me about how incredible the islands are. Now that I've seen them for myself I can say that Leo was right.
The atolls that form the reefs and small islands of the Maldives are an example of nature exceeding one's own imagination. I've snorkeled and scuba-dived all over the world, and the reefs just feet from our room topped anything that I've encountered in the past. The amount of marine life is just staggering.
We began our long weekend with a super early flight out of Abu Dhabi which landed us in Male before noon. We exited the airport and walked no more than 15 feet to hop on the speed boat that would take us to our resort. If only all airport transfers were this easy.
We arrived at the Adaaran Prestige Vadoo and found our way to our over water bungalow.
We splurged on this room because it may be a while before we're able to get back to the Maldives. The room was pretty awesome with all of the amenities one might expect, and of course a window in the bathroom floor so you can watch the fish as you're getting ready in the morning!
In addition the deck of the bungalow had a plunge pool that was perfect for watching the sunset in the evenings
Our first evening included a romantic dinner on the beach...
in a completely inconspicuous location.
The following day we explored the tiny island that the resort occupies before hitting the water.
We spent the afternoon snorkeling and exploring the reef around the island. Words can hardly do justice in regard to what we saw, so I'll just let the video speak for itself.
Like many of the places that we've visited before, I hope that one day we'll have an opportunity to return to the Maldives. The remoteness of the islands makes the Maldives one of the more difficult destinations to reach... but they are worth the effort.
