Magical Maldives!

Last week we headed to Maldives! Yeah Baby!

  

Maldives is made up of 1190 Islands, 188 which are inhabited. It's somewhere I have always wanted to go but never in a million years thought I'd actually be lucky enough to visit. But, as we are living in Bangers, and it's easier to get therE from this side of the world... we thought 'why not'! So Kev got busy looking and booking and off we set for our Magical Maldives adventure! 

Trip of a lifetime!

We headed out bright and early to the airport, after a sneaky subway breakfast of champions we headed to KL for a 2hr stopover then set off to the Maldives. The Airport is on its own little island, so once we arrived we headed to the ferry to take us across to Male - the capital of Maldives. It's amazing how many people you can fit onto one island! That place is jam packed with people, cars and scooters - why they needs cars, I dunno know - the island is so tiny you can just walk everywhere! We stayed in the LVIS Hotel near the centre of Male, it was pretty basic but had just what we needed after a long flight, comfy-ish bed, warm shower, air con, free bottled water and a warm welcome from the biggest cockroach we have ever seen! Hehe! 

After a bad night's sleep (wondering if the roches buddy would sneak into bed with us) we checked out the capital before setting off  to Maafushi Island. We hit the Local Market, Fish Market and the Old President Palace...I made sure not to blink in case I missed anything. After a few photo snaps and strange looks from the locals (not many tourists visit Male!), we headed back to the Hotel to collect our bags, say toodles to 'le coca rocha' and headed to the Ferry Terminal to get our tickets . 

The Ferry was packed with people, TVs, fresh fruit and boxes filled with island supplies. It took 1.5hrs from Male to get to Maafushi - you can get a speedboat for triple the price that takes 35 min, but we weren't in a rush and the scenery along the way was just gorgeous!

Maafushi is one of the most popular local islands for tourists, it has so much character and definitely a little gem in the ocean. It's all of 1.2 km long and has a population of 2000 (800 of which are safely tucked away in the Maafushi Maximum Security Prison -Political prisoners only so it's quite safe!)

We stayed at Stingray Beach Inn - I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to visit Maafushi! It's a cute little guesthouse that's close to the beach, offers amazing tours and snorkeling trips, has an awesome little restaurant (amazing brekkie served!), hot-tub, comfy room, loads of movie channels and a parrot that says 'Hello' to you all day. Once settled in, we headed straight to 'Bikini Beach' (the designated beach for tourists wanting to sport a bikini!) to soak up some rays. The beach was white and the sea was a hundred of shades of blue...just stunning! Chill time had commenced!



On the first day, after an amazing breakfast at Stingers, we set out for a half day snorkeling trip. Once fitted with our snorkelling gear, flippers and a kiddies life-jacket for me, we set out to Banana Reef to look for Turtles and Sting-Rays... which we saw! I was a little stressed out when I launched myself off the boat- firstly i don't like getting my head wet and whenever I'm in the sea and my feet can't touch the ground the JAWS soundtrack plays in my head...panic! Once Kev calmed me down and the instructor assured me that there was no sharks in sight i put on the goggles, shoved in the snorkel and poked my head underwater for a sneaky peak! OMG... it was just amazing! the colours, the fish, the coral... then Mr Sting-ray made an appearance, followed by the Turtle dude! We saw everything apart from Nemo!
Kev help my hand the whole time.

After snorkel central we headed to 'Picnic Island' - a tiny island in the middle of nowhere that just has sand and a few bushes...stunning! At this point tho - the rain had arrived and it wasn't giving up! We were supposed to have lunch on the Island, but ended up chowing it on the boat (noodles with some unidentified meat) then had a quick swim and pics on the island. On the way back we got soaked! It rained and rained and rained...after what seemed like the longest journey ever... we eventually got back to Stingers... soaked.  

Evening Entertainment!

On day 2, we decided to tour Maafushi Island on bike! It was super fun cycling around, but after 10 minutes, exhaustion set in and my butt hurt! So we returned the bikes, put on the sun cream, set up our beach towels in a prime spot on 'Bikini Beach' and chilled! Swam for a bit. Tanned. Then chilled some more. I love island life!

 

 

On Day three we were going to do the snorkel tour again...but the weather had other plans! The rain was back... and wasn't going anywhere! There was just no-ways I was gonna get back on that boat again in the rain! So we opted to spend another day touring the Island, trying out the Hot-Tube, sampling the local cuisine and playing with Hermit Crabs on the beach.

That evening we head to the 'Naughty Boat'. 

Maldives is a Dry Country... even in the midst of a major downpour...alcohol is prohibited unless you are staying at a resort. You can buy non-alcoholic beer and wine in the stores, but if you're after something more exciting...you wanna head to the 'Naughty Boat'! It's a floating boat that hangs around outside Maafushi, they send the speedboat to collect you and voila... Once there, you sign yourself in and head to the top where you can order exciting sundowners at extortionate prices! Seriously $20 for 2 little drinks!! We made them last while we watched the dolphins swim past (see- they even know the boat to be at!) chatted to fellow tourists and watched the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen! 

Sundowner Sunset!

The next morning we woke up to the most glorious sunny weather so we booked up for the snorkel tour and set off for round 2! This time we headed out to Turtle Reef and it didn't disappoint! We saw fish galore, coral reefs, a turtle dude and dolphins! They surrounded out boat and showed off with a few flick-flacks! I wanted to jump in and swim with them (Hayley the Dolphin Whisperer!) but the guide told us they can get quite aggressive! 

After a quick shower to get the sand out my hair and ears, and have our last delicious meal at Stinger s cafe, we headed to the airport...speedboat style! I was super sad leaving my beloved Maafushi behind. It really was such an amazing holiday and i can't believe how lucky we are to have visited one of the most beautiful places in the world! I hold a very special place in my heart for the Maldives, and have a very special place on my dresser for the hermit shell I stole from the beach!

kill nothing but time
leave nothing but footprints
take nothing but pictures

Footie Fan Alert!

My Port FC supporters top finally arrived!!! 

Check me out...i never thought  you would EVER see me wearing a footie top!

I was dragged along to football again yesterday! Kev's been promising for ages now that I'll not only be rewarded with food and beer but I'll also be rewarded with a supporters top... and yesterday it finally happened! When we went to collect our tickets the new stock had arrived and voila!
Kev and i got matching ones and i must say we looked pretty cool!

I changed into my new top immediately and we sat outside the ground and collected my next reward of pre-match snacks and beers! Its defo different when you are wearing a supporters top - we usually get strange looks like we're lost or something...but with our tops on we got friendly smiles and felt really welcomed at the game!

As for the game... I'm not even sure who we played or what the score was - but it was fun being matchy matchy with the rest of the crowd!

My Travel-Buddy & Me!

Meet Cathy - my beloved travel-buddy!!!

Cathy has been on many an adventure with me! Not only is she truly gorgeous and super stylish but she has also been a rock in times of the 'what do i pack for holiday?!?' dramas! My hubby doesn't believe in checking in luggage (after way too many lost luggage situations!), so travelling with him is 'carry on luggage' all the way! There's a fine art to packing hand luggage - you need just enough bits n bobs for the holiday without being overweight, while also leaving enough room for holiday purchases...i think I've almost nailed it! 

Tomorrow we will be heading off to the Maldives!!! (Eek...so excited!)
So - my Cathy and I thought we'd share some of our packing tips with you... 

First things first - we know it's gonna be 'hot hot hot' as it's basically on the Equator - but always good to check the weather report just in case! I've just had a look and we looking at 30+ for the trip with a few rainy days! Grr! Rain = Fizz Ease Hair Oil must be packed! My hair is gonna go mental on the beach anyways, but add rain to the equation and i won't be allowed in any photos - so at least I'm prepared to keep the 'do' under control...kinda!

Its also a good idea to check trip-adviser or the google for advice on 'what to wear' be for you head to a country you've never been to before ..it may seem pretty obvious - beach - sun - bikini- skimpy summer dress... but this is not always the case. I've been unprepared a few times and i wish i had packed something longer, warmer, cooler.... now i make sure I'm well prepared!

The Maldives has 98% Islamic population and it's pretty conservative about what women should wear if you are staying at one of the local islands - like us! If you are staying at one of the main 'honeymoon resorts' - you can pretty much wear what you want! Except your Birthday Suit - this is strictly forbidden!

The local island has a beach called Bikini Beach - and yep - you guessed it... you may wear a bikini there. But if you decide to venture to any other beach, it's strongly suggested you cover up. All the advice I've read suggests covering your shoulders and knees at all times...not just for sun protection but out of respect for the locals. So this rules out packing the skimpy dress and spaghetti and strapless tops! I hit the market yesterday for some shoulder covering t-s and a pair of funky Thai chillax pants, they are super light, cool and will do a good job with the cover-up! Stylish too!

Time to get Cathy packed!
We've gone for the 'less is more' theme for this hols... we'll be on the beach most of the time so not too much is needed... (also left lots of room for holiday shopping!)

• 2 bikinis - for use on bikini beach
• beach towel and sarong
• new Thai chillax pants and a not so new pair
• 6 t-shirts - with shoulder coverage
• 2 sundresses - that can double as an outfit for dinner (if hubby takes me out somewhere nice)
• fold it small beach bag - handy for the trips to the beach to carry books, suncream etc.
• ziploc bag for the phone - hate beach sand infecting my phone and keeps it dry
• toiletry bag - all under 100 ml
• suncream -factor 40 
• my trusty sunhat and shades

Maldives...here we come!!!

Oops.... better make sure my passport is packed too!

xoxo