Experiencing Maldives: Local Style

Hey,  dear friends,

I just came back from sunny Maldives and wanted to share with you an amazing experience that I just had. 10 years ago I used to live in Maldives and since that it is one of my favorite destinations – this country always stays in my heart. It looks like a piece of paradise on post cards and it feels like a paradise when you get there.

When I lived in Maldives I was based first in Male and then was working in one of the resorts. To be honest I never really had opportunity to get to know the local way of living. My experience was limited by visiting some of the local islands for short excursions and I never went beyond that. About the same time (10 years ago) government of Maldives started to develop tourism organized by locals and support small business such as guest houses. Since then this destination became more and more affordable for people.

So this time I took my mom and we headed over to the local island called Thoddoo – one of my friends recommended it to me saying that it is one of the biggest agricultural islands in Maldives and I’d probably like it.

Comparing to other islands in Maldives Thoddoo is quite big. Most of the guest houses are located in the center of the island, to get to the beach you need to walk around 15 mins (I actually enjoyed this walk every day and it didn’t seem annoying especially that at the end of it you are rewarded with this magnificent view:

The island itself is very green, in some areas looking a bit like a jungle: 

When I saw the ocean my heart was filled with emotions (it really felt like I am back home after so many years):

Needless to say that ocean in Maldives it is its main attraction – water is pristine clean and has gorgeous turquoise color:

I really liked that on this island I had opportunity to see how locals live and to experience their lifestyle. Half of my days I spent just roaming around the island and taking pictures of almost everything I saw:

Beautiful Banyan tree near the beach area:

Blue is traditional color in Maldives and they usually use it for painting doors:

Local woman with a kid texting on smartphone:

One of my favorite roads on the island:

Local men going to work on the plantation:

Island mosque:

Pantone color of the year at it best – fell in love with this cute little house:

This is betel – a traditional Maldivians delight – tastes like you are chewing a piece of wood – to make it little better they use spices like cinnamon and sugar on the top.

And here is traditional breakfast – tuna and bread (actually was very tasty): 

Incredible Maldivian sunset – one of the reasons you want to come back here again and again:

Local dance performance Bodu Beru that has african roots and is very entertaining to watch: 

 

Now back home to Moscow and it was minus 20 here – feeling incredibly sad and missing my islands again.