With its pristine sandy beaches, turquoise waters and aquatic life, the Maldives has always enchanted international travellers who wanted to break free from their mundane lives. And the island welcomed everyone with its quaint, bewitching waves as they went back home with experiences bordering on surreal.
The Maldives is an archipelago of about 1,190 coral islands spread over 26 natural atolls and has been casting its spell on people all over the world ever since the country opened up its breathtaking landscape to tourists.
Barely a 90-minute flight from Thiruvananthapuram, Velana International Airport, near the capital city of Malé, is the gateway to this magnificent nation. This proximity is also a reason for the large number of Indian visitors here.
The ‘One Island One Resort’ policy envisaged by the government has helped accelerate the exponential growth of the tourism sector, as luxurious facilities have come up. Among these, Medhufushi Island Resort in Meemu atoll is a well-kept Maldivian secret that beckons visitors with its stunning beauty, cosy facilities and idyllic location.
From Velana airport, one can take a seaplane, a domestic flight or a speed boat to Medhufushi. Journey by air to Muli domestic airport takes about 45 minutes, and from there, the resort boat will take you to the island in another 20 minutes. By sea, the journey from Malé to Medhufushi would take about three hours.
Medhufushi property has 120 villas, of which 44 are overwater properties. From here, one can go down the stairs into the sea. Sitting in the comfy sofas lined on the deck, one could endlessly stare into the vast expanse of turquoise water.
Sans the whispers of the flipping waves, nothing is distracting, and tranquillity reigns. Time apparently ceases to move.
The beach villas also offer proximity to the lagoons. Take a good 15 steps from the patio, and you enter the crystal clear water. If you are a fitness freak, the powdery white beach can be a perfect setting for yoga, jogging and even shadow boxing. Facing the lagoon upfront and morning fresh sea breeze wafting, these beaches can easily outmatch the expansive gyms you’ve been to.
The resort has a wide array of dishes for buffet meals and caters to all sorts of tastes. But the tuna dishes are absolutely unmissable. Mas Huni or Mas Riha, both made of tuna fish, coconut and spices, not just pamper the taste buds, but also help strike a chord with Dhivehi culture, which has fish and coconut as one of its mainstays.
Another water activity is the spotting of nurse sharks. While the small-sized sharks can be spotted near the beach, the bigger ones can be seen during an excursion. The experienced boatmen drive close to the reefs and into the channel before dropping fish feed to lure the big creatures to the surface. And bang, they appear.
They circle the boat, head-butting each other while dashing for the fish cuts thrown at them. They have two barbels, whisker-like growths underneath their eyes, which could intimidate the watchers. And the occasional loud popping sound they make while sucking in food amplifies the fear. But the boatmen say they are largely non-aggressive and do not attack unless provoked.
For those interested in high-adrenaline activities, the resort also arranges snorkelling, water sports, deep-water diving, etc. And for cultural immersion, they also promote island visits.
Maldivian, the flag carrier of the Maldives, ensures a robust connectivity between Malé and other islands. Maldivian also operates international schedules to India and China and flies seaplanes to various atolls. The Maldivian provides complimentary in-flight meals, and their Moonima lounge at the domestic terminal of Velana serves buffet hot meals and other amenities.
For inter-island operations, the Maldivian uses a modern fleet of ATR 42-600 and ATR 72-600 aircraft, suited for the country’s geographical requirements. The Maldivian operates five services to the Maldives from Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram weekly. From Hanimaadhoo to Thiruvananthapuram, there are two flights a week.
The journey on ATR flights to the islands is a noteworthy experience with an aerial view of tiny verdant islands dotting the emerald sea.
(The reporter was on a visit to the Maldives on invitation from the
Maldivian)