the City and the loitering guides =P

When we landed in the airport.. being my typical self.. I haven't exactly figured out where to go. I have confirmed a pick up service from the hotel I'll be staying at but there were no further instructions on where should I be waiting for the service. So I did try to wander and ask around.

The airport area was busy, swarmed with people - tourists and locals - and was really warm. I was about to head out to the information desk when people approached and ask which hotel did I have reservations to. They were guiding other tourists around too and helping out with the directions. I was complacent at first to accept the offer help but then why not. The guy, who I forgot the name (sorry!), was really nice in helping me find the hotel. We walked a bit around the city...

And was planning to tour a bit before going directly to my hotel but then he needed to stopped over a friend's souvenir shop.

I have read about this souvenir shops in the main city that sort of lures you to pick anything you like and then priced it with a lot more than what it's worth. Well, it's true!!! Then they'll try to negotiate with you with a "discounted" price but still, it's still way too expensive. It happened to me. It was a real held up when shopping souvenirs for a few friends and family. I tried to ask for the price of each item but the store owner kept saying it's really cheap and that we can talk about the price after I am done selecting. Guess what! After all the troubles, my spree was totaled around USD 2,000 for a few pieces. I almost ran out of the shop when he said it, except that my suitcase was with my guide. So instead, I tried to talk my way out of it. My gosh! so goodbye city tour since it's too late to make that walk anymore and I wanted to be settled in my room before dark. We found the restaurant but still we need a boat ride to Villingili island where the hotel is located.

We walked towards the dock and bought tickets along with the other locals that are about to go home in Villingili island. During the boat ride I chanced to speak with the women seated beside me and since most of the people knew how to speak English it was not a challenge to communicate with the locals. The woman explained to me that most of them are working and studying in the city and at the end of the day are still traveling back to their home to the next island when some stayed in the city, some chose to travel home. Not quite different from my home as well.

My guide and I arrived in the island at around 6:30 pm. The sun had already set and it's getting darker by the minute. Although I am in a different country with a different culture, tradition and religion from mine, I felt relatively safe. We are walking among the people of this small community in the island and they don't stare at you, rather they look at you, smile shyly and say hello. And just like that, people are really nice. 

It was a short walk to the hotel, but at the time I am already exhausted, smelly from sweating the whole day and nursing a couple of mosquito bites. 

But thank goodness I am safe and lucky enough to make it taking chances in trusting a stranger. Done with checking in with the family, had my dinner, took a shower.. Now, finally.. time for bed! Can't wait to walk around the island tomorrow and check out what else can I do with my last 2 days.

Exhausted but lucky,

♥A

leaving Vilamendhoo...

And it's time to leave the island.. and move near the Malé City! Still having a gray weather on my last day in Vilamendhoo Island.

Few hours more before I leave, I decided to walk some more, bathe in the rain and splurge with some reds from my room.

At this time, I am sort of regretting why did I opt to stay my last days near the city and why not just spend it all here. I don't really want to leave the comforts that the resort is offering. But then again, I really wanted to experience the best of both worlds - well then, I just need to suck it up and charge it to experience.

I specifically booked a resort in the south atoll area to chance a view of the phytoplankton and for the seaplane ride to and from. The luminous sea was a fail but the seaplane ride did not disappoint. It was an awesome experience. If I could just film the whole thing! But no, I was not prepared for this, and my phone memory is already at its limit. =( I did try to capture some of it though. The stunning view is more than just that. It's amazing!

And when I arrived at the City airport... Well, I was kind of lost.

bumming in Maldives

It's very cloudy today and I have nothing else to do but to lounge along the shore and wishfully enjoy the sun since I haven't gotten enough of it from the past few days.

While deciding what to do today.. hmm.. I walked around some more to find a perfect spot to read my book. Yes! the book I pretended to be my companion in this trip which eventually I've given up after more than five minutes of just staring at the same page and reading the same lines a few times over just because I am pretty much preoccupied with with the stunning view, the feel of the warm sun underneath the clouds, the salty smell carried by the wind, the sand in between my toes, the sound of the waves and just about everything around me at the time. Regardless of which nth day it is, I am still mesmerized by the experience.

After a while, I've decided to kayak around the island since I can't push through with my initial plan of learning how to wind surf. Staff in the resort's water sports center are really accommodating and has offered to guide me through it which I welcomed enthusiastically. And good thing I did, cause less than halfway through it, I am done paddling myself so he did all of it instead. Really nice people! Thanks to him I get to circle the island resort. Lol 

And then, I sneaked a peak at the water villas. Initially, I've been tempted to book one of these gorgeous rooms but then decided at the last minute to save it for the next time I get to see Maldives! Yes! I am planning a return a few year from now.

The staff let me in on one of the rooms to check it out which I basically drooled over. *sigh*

and more bumming..... 

until it's time to return to my room and prepare for the sunset cruise...

The sunset cruise without the sun, yet the dolphins graced us with their presences. So instead of basking in last rays of the sunset on my last day here in the resort, I was amused watching the dolphins playfully swimming along the sides of our tour boat. Pretty amazing! 

So we gave up looking for the sun and settled on watching the dolphins until dusk just in time for dinner and later's Cultural night...

holiday habit

I have this thing when on a different place, like a bad habit that I can't let go off. Aside from sleeping a little - meaning I sleep late and wake up early - I have this habit of doing morning walks that I don't usually do on my regular days. So yes, I am a lazy, couch potato on my usual days. I don't know why but I tend to do it every time I am on vacation with friends or not. I love to see the place with a new light. Basically, I would have wanted to see the sunrise and sunset, and it must have been my motivation but I guess I am more enamored with the idea that everything looks different in each different time of the day.

My morning companion for the rest of my stay in the resort. Along with this incredible baby sharks and mantas that swam by the shore.

 Another perks of my walk is I get the whole place to myself. The quiet mornings where all you can hear is the chirps of the birds, the sound of the waves kissing the shore and the tune of the blowing wind along with the waves. It feels nice and liberating. Somewhat relaxing and.... just beautiful. I can't be all poetic on this since I am not that eloquent. I just, it's just.. it makes me feel good to have that time of the day to myself. =)

And then you see the hard work the people do to keep this paradise as magnificent as it is.

And regardless if the sun came out to shine or hide behind the clouds.. it still feels worth your while to have spent an incredible time alone with your own thoughts once in a while.

Soul searching ---- Ms A ♥

and at night....on a holiday

You lounge..

drink....

enjoy live music...

love the view..

and appreciate the time spent in a place like this...

Goodnight and sweet dreams,

♥A

Finding Nemo

What else is there to do? Take a dip and find nemooooo!! 

Day 2 and it's incredible

It's a treat to see more.. I had other thing in mind but the said tour doesn't run on the same day so I just signed up for a half day excursion to one of the nearest island from the resort called Dhangethi. The boat ride was really nice. The sea being sooo blue as it is! The sun shining so brightly that morning with the salty wind blowing my hair. Feels so nice!

It's interesting for me since I am not really familiar with their culture. Dhangethi is a small island. It is so small that we walked around it in less than half of the time allotted for the tour. I like it, though it would seem like a drag of your time away from your own paradise, it is still an interesting walk. Try once and get over it!

They have a whole strip full of souvenir shops that I didn't bother to look at because the brilliant me forgot my purse in my room!!! Of all the things I'd forget to bring? I got my candies and chocolates, camera, phone, sunblock and cap but I forgot my wallet. *sigh* Nonetheless, it saved me from an impromptu souvenir shopping.

The view around the shore lines were all nice.. incredibly clean and inviting. Honestly, I would have tried to dip in and see if the water feels different around there. hmm.. Saying it like this now makes me think how silly I am at the time. Lol

The people around there is really timid and shy unless you are walking along the strip of shops, most of them that we passed by tend to just focus on what they are doing. The kids look happy from a far. They'll smile back but still they are reserved. And I am really glad that I brought my treats with me! It was nice to be able to share, and I did get to share some with the kids.

And then the tour came to an end. Since I didn't have plans of shopping, I stick with our tour guide who invited me to join him for coffee and some snack. I don't know what that was called but it tasted weird for me. It has this minty, nutty and spicy flavor together and another thing that I can't describe at all! A bite is totally enough for me. I'll just stick with my chocolate. =P

And one last photo before we leave...

First Impressions

After 3 plane rides and a boat transfer later.... I finally arrived at my final destination in Vilamendhoo Island Resort & Spa, Maldives. My first thought? "It's Maldives for real!!!" Feels unreal and now, it's still kind of weird to describe the feeling. It's been a mix of awe and "Oh no! time will fly and I don't want to go home!" HAHA That's me looking ahead of time!

I don't have a bucket list but definitely, I have a list of things I would love to do, try and see. And one of the things on high priority and on top of it for over 16 years now is to see myself in Maldives. I didn't know how beautiful it was then, and I had no idea how expensive it is as well. But I dreamed of seeing the world when I was a kid and I am trying to do it one at a time whenever and however I can, and if I can. *Carpe Diem!* So when I saw a relatively cheap round trip tickets I made sure I get one of the seat myself!

At first sight, it's incredible and unbelievable!

At second sight... I'm smitten!

In love and unbelievably hooked,

♥A