Do you long for peace? Are you tired of life and all its miseries? Then dream of a place where you lie on a palm-shaded beach, half immersed in shallow, clear water. The only sounds you hear are not of cars and combustion, planes throttling overhead to land at a nearby airport, but of gentle waves lapping the shore.
Maldives is an exotic place for anyone whether honeymooners or family holiday-goers. Its beauty took me quite by surprise when we arrived. Initially we had not wanted to go to a place which didn’t sound attractive at all. But after much resistance we had to yield. This was in 1981 when very few knew what beauty the Maldives offered.
As we approached the Maldives, we suddenly saw a change in the hues of the sea. There was a sprouting of emerald green islands of a kilometer or even less in diameter splashed against a fringing lace of sugar white beaches and contrasted with a turquoise sea. This made us wake up and stay that way until we landed. We came down quickly and though we knew we were about to land, there was neither airport nor visible land. The sea was so clear that we could see the coral and the sea bed. This situation made us say our prayers for what we thought were the final moments, when suddenly the tarmac was beneath us and we heaved a sigh of relief. This is one of the splendors of the Maldives. You don’t know until you get there. It is a country of 1,300 islands sprinkled in the Indian Ocean. Groups of islands are called atolls.
The capital Male (pronounced maa-lay) on Male Atoll is a 15-minute boat ride from the airport. It offers smoked fish and screen printing in the most vibrant of colors. Commuting between islands is by boat and rides vary from hours to days depending on your destination. But now there are growing numbers of cars which have led to increased pollution. We got to Male and it was strange to see carts being drawn by people.
But our adventure had just begun. The same afternoon we were told to leave for the resort of Thulagiri. The sky was beginning to get overcast and the sea was dancing to a very choppy tune. On a normal day it would have been an hour’s ride but that afternoon it took three long hours of bobbing like a cork in the rainstorm. The idyllic surroundings were far from idyllic when we reached the island. Dripping wet we headed for the rooms.
Next morning we saw a serene sea and an island which looked like a scene out of "Robinson Crusoe." Palm trees fluttered gently in the breeze. Fine sand massaged our feet as we walked over it. Our huts were surrounded by bushes and palm trees so there was seclusion and no one intruded.
The islands are nearly the same all over Maldives — small but with facilities such as hot and cold water, air conditioning, electricity and telephone service. I’m sure that nowadays they offer e-mail as well. The most exotic thing of all, however, is the coral reef that fringes the islands. One can swim out a short distance from the shore and encounter a different world. The variety of fish found as one snorkels over the great divide of the shallow and the deep is beyond fascination.
Time was up after two days and we had to get back to Colombo. The next time we went was seven years later when we found an increase in pollution. Sadly, even scuba divers complained of an incredible amount of rubbish on the seabed. Another threat from man that geographers mention is that because of global warming the Maldives is in danger of being flooded. Better see them before the crown jewel of the Indian Ocean is lost forever.
