TRAVEL
The Maldives Diaries: Day Two
Island flavor
If you’ve read the previous stories of my arrival to Baros Island, welcome back! If not, you can find them here.
*All photos in this article were taken by the author*
A Brief Geography
The Maldives is an archipelago of islands scattered throughout the Arabian Sea in the Indian Ocean in South Asia.
It’s situated on the northern side of the equator. For this reason, it has opposing seasons to the South Pacific islands.
May is the official start of rainy season. This presents many half-price resort opportunities for the budget traveler! I visited in May, 2014, for my 40th birthday and our 12th wedding anniversary. Fortunately, we had very little rain during our visit!
The above photo is the arrival jetty, where guests are brought from the Male airport to Baros Island. This is unique, because many of the other islands require a seaplane transfer. After over 24 hours of flight time, I preferred the short boat ride.
Baros has several boats for transportation to the island. Little did I know, we would not travel to our next island in one of these boats. The owner of the resort would deliver us to our next island destination in his private yacht! I’ll share that story of kindness on Day Seven!
I awakened to this view my first morning on the island. The temperature was in the 80’s. It gets much hotter and more humid in south Louisiana, so I felt right at home. Except the Maldivian view was much prettier!
Another geographical difference between the Maldives and the South Pacific islands, is that the Maldives rise 1.8 meters (5.9 feet) above sea level at its highest point. In other words, there are no mountains.
I felt like I could see all the way to the edge of the earth. I stood in awe of God’s creation. I was at the mercy of the power of the sea, which could change tides at any moment.
The changing hues of sea and sky were invigorating to my eyes. The calm breeze and tranquil water were therapeutically soft upon my skin. The meditative silence was a gentle awakening to my sixth sense.
I took this photo of the beach from the water during my morning swim.
I took these shots of the thatched-roof water villas, during my walk to the restaurant for breakfast.
A traditional Maldivian fishing boat, called a dhoni, glided past the villas.
Due to my husband’s mobility issues, I usually prepare his plates for him. Before I could do so, a waiter had already begun preparing a plate for him. I was told, “While you’re here, we’ll take care of his meals for you.”
It was hard for me to relax at that first breakfast. I felt like I should’ve been waiting on my husband as I normally would. By Day seven, I learned to enjoy the help, and I was as chill as the calm sea.
Any time I’ve traveled, I’ve always felt more comfortable among the resort staff, than I have around other tourists. I enjoy talking to the locals and learning a little about them.
I shared with the chef at breakfast that my favorite part of the buffet was the rose apple fruit, because it’s rare in my area.
After leaving the restaurant, we were brought to the staff’s living quarters, where guests aren’t typically allowed. I felt honored and didn’t want to intrude on their privacy. They welcomed us into their homes with open arms and brought us to the large Rose Apple tree. They picked several fruits for me bring back to the room!
The flavor of this island is naturally sweet! Not just the fruit, but the people.
There are hammocks and lounge spots scattered across the island.
When I returned to the room, I discovered extra rose apple fruit had been brought to the room while I was exploring the island!
I went for an afternoon swim, and took this shot of the villas from the water.
There were several recreation and bar areas along the path to the restaurant.
A boat sailed along the horizon into another Maldivian sunset.
I could hear the hammock inviting me to sit for a while. But it would have to wait until after dinner.
We enjoyed cocktails and evening island vibes at the lounge outside the Cayenne Restaurant.
The Restaurant rests alongside the sea. This is where we had most of our evening meals.
This was our usual dinner table.
Tobias Fetz, an award-winning chef from Switzerland, was the executive chef at Baros at the time of our visit. The food was superb!
A little starlight over the water villas.
We returned to our villa beneath the light of the moon. Good night Day two in the Maldives.
Thank you for reading Day Two of the Maldives Diaries! I hope you’ve enjoyed it.