manchester

holidays

reviews

Email to a friend | Read later | Your comments

Wednesday, 9th August 2006

Maldives: Take me to that atoll

Beckie Best

MALDIVES: Swimming with sharks

THERE I was, sipping an ice-cold beer on coral-ringed Hulhidhoo desert island being entertained by the flight of the bumblebees with fruit bats darting in and out of the coconut palms. I had to pinch myself to see if I was dreaming!

I had embarked on my Maldives adventure aboard the Atoll Explorer with a wreath of flowers hung around my neck and all the twinkling eyes of the crew upon me as Jovial Captain Fulhu, with his contagious laugh, cordially welcomed all aboard.

Facilities were spotless with plenty of space, including two sundecks and two jacuzzis.

Advertisement your story continues below

The restaurant doubled as a viewing balcony for whale, shark and dolphin spotting, and served an excellent buffet. It also catered for people with special dietary needs.

With 20 air-conditioned cabins, eight with private balconies, and a crew which outnumbered the undoubtedly-spoilt guests, this was true luxury afloat.

Activities were planned throughout the week and, for those who didn't fancy a fishing excursion or simply staying on board to relax, these included an evening barbecue and plenty of island visits plus a shopping trip to the capital, Male. On board there was a live band and we often danced until the early hours.

For divers, both beginners and advanced, there were many popular underwater sites and plenty of opportunities to visit them.

Plunged

My first day's diving plunged me into a stunning underwater landscape.

The gemlike islands, with their flourishing coral gardens, offer a haven for a vivid variety of marine life. Turtles, eels, sting-rays, flying fish, batfish and sharks to name just a few of the reef's inhabitants, and my first close encounter came with a 14ft manta ray, basking as small cleaner fish fed off parasites, even going inside its gills.

Next day came the chance to go swimming with sharks! Fortunately the black-tip reef sharks in the shallow bay at Karumba were only small and harmless - or so I was told.

Karumba, one of the Maldives' premier five-star resort islands, offers incomparable hospitality. Transferred from the Atoll by luxury cruiser, you are welcomed by beating drums, handed ice-cold lemon-scented towels and escorted to your quarters.

Karumba caters for all tastes, with seven restaurants and assorted accommodation ranging from superior rooms with terraces to deluxe bungalows with pool and presidential villas. But if that isn't enough, the Royal Karumba Residence is the ultimate vision of grandeur.

I stayed in a deluxe poolside villa for two nights. A harmonic fusion of natural elements and plush contemporary design, it was luxuriously appointed - jacuzzi, pool, flower garden, waterfall, open air shower, daybed with thatched roof pavilion, dvd sound system and internet access.

The well-appointed theme continues throughout Karumba, which boasts a water sports centre, scuba diving, excursions, spa, children's club, conference facilities and a business centre.

I took out my book and turned to the first page only as my Sri Lankan airways jet left Maldivian ground.

Looking out of the window, as the moon's reflection glistened in the calm Arabian Sea, I concluded that every second had been savoured and I had a magical memory that I knew would never quite be equalled.

For more information, please selct the links below.