TRAVEL
TIME TO FLY AWAY THE MALDIVES: TRAVEL FANTASIES CAN COME TRUE By Jenny Peters
ot your COVID-19 vaccination and feel ready to return to a reality that allows you to give your wanderlust full rein once again? We know we’re not the only ones that have spent a year fantasizing about flying off to faraway tropical destinations that genuinely fulfill the “bucket list” idea; armed with our vaccines to protect us, we’re ready to go. For many of us dreamers, the Maldives is the epitome of a true paradise on earth. This country, made up of atolls (islands), is located southwest of India, near the equator in the Indian Ocean. It is one of the few places that has been open to travelers with negative COVID-19 tests (and now vaccinations) throughout 2020 and on into 2021. With most resorts located on private islands, keeping people safe and secluded has always been a part of the Maldivian Islanders’ way.
MALDIVES MAGIC Being avid scuba divers, we came to the Maldives to see everything under the famous brilliantly blue, comfortably warm waters. Others we met were celebrating honeymoons, anniversaries, or other important life moments. Because we wanted to experience the world-class scuba diving found there, we chose to visit two different resorts to see the diverse parts of this legendary underwater destination. But most visitors choose just one resort to call home, as spending time traveling defeats the purpose of vacationing in paradise. As divers, the best times to journey to the Maldives (say Mal-deeves) isn’t high season, which happens from January to April, when there is little rain, warm temperatures, low tropical humidity. And while that means excellent visibility under the water, it isn’t when the famed whale sharks and manta rays come to visit. That’s typically May to November, especially in the UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve in Hanifaru Bay near Baa Atoll. 34 | OUR CITY, YOUR LIFE | MAY 2021
