Maldives
50 THINGS WE LOVE ABOUT THE MALDIVES
I’m still undecided if the Maldives is my favorite country I’ve traveled to, but it’s certainly the most beautiful. It’s a country we were both quick to fall in love with.
So to kick off our #MaldivesMonth here on Besudesu Abroad, we wanted to start by telling you 50 Things We Love About the Maldives. Plain and simple– just like the islands themselves.
1. Water so crystal clear that you can see up to 50m away
2. Maldivian hospitality
3. Perfect white powdery sand
4. Watching ghost crabs skitter across the sand
5. Waking up each morning to a beautiful sunrise
6. Enjoying equally beautiful sunsets at night over a glass of champagne
7. 60 mph winds creating blue waves of glowing phytoplankton
8. The smell of lemongrass and coconut everywhere
9. Allowing the crashing waves to lure you to sleep
10. Watching spinning dolphins
11. Snorkel safaris
12. Exploring local islands
13. Just doing nothing
14. Being greeted by sharks on our arrival
15. Nature’s Zen garden
16. Seeing an overwhelming amount of stars at night
17. Listening to the sound of fish scraping against coral
18. Riding in a sea plane
19. Nature walks through the jungle
20. A Jacuzzi overlooking the ocean
21. Tasting local flavors of fresh seafood and spicy curries
22. Enjoying your own private beach or atoll
23. Maldivian storms
24. How colorful local areas become during voting season
25. Sipping cocktails like there’s no tomorrow
26. Being in one of the few countries that has NO McDonalds– but they do have a Burger King
27. Massages on the water pavilion
28. Riding in a dhoni
29. Hearing fruits bats chatter amongst themselves
30. Open-air bathrooms
31. Our gecko friends
32. Not having clocks in our hotel rooms or around the island
33. Watching a wave of fish jump out of the water like fireworks
34. Male’s small but interesting skyline
35. The nice ocean breeze
36. Being disconnected from the digital world
37. The graffiti covered walls on local islands
38. Learning how to correctly pronounce the Maldives and other Dhivehi words
39. Being on a large island, but rarely seeing other people around
40. Watching sting rays get excited over food
41. Multiple rainbows throughout our stay, including a double rainbow
42. Places that emphasize sustainable and eco-tourism
43. Candlelight dinners under a canopy in the rain
44. Hearing prayer calls in the capital
45. Fresh hibiscus flowers covering our bed
46. Kayaking over coral reefs
47. Seeing more types of fish in person than I knew existed
48. Catching glimpses of sea turtles from our boat
49. Walks along the sand bank at low tide
50. Promising to someday return