Maldives: A Tropical Nirvana
Our first steps in Nirvana..
As I stepped away from the airport, my eyes layed fixed upon the crystal waters and the ever beaming sky. Both were so blue, as if there were no parting between the ocean from the sky. It was as if they were one. Our boat, all white and green, awaits us and with no delay we were sitting on those bright green cushion with our life jackets on. My ears listened to the butlers dressed in white, namely the Airport Mr. Fridays, but my eyes relentlessly stared into the gleaming ocean as I sip on a clear bottle of drink. The waters was as clear as that drink I was sipping on. Airport Friday handed us handweaven tote bags to put our shoes in, (no news no shoes). Without a doubt, I placed my shoes away and couldn't wait for my bare foot to feel the luxury of the famed soft, white sand the island is known for.
The boat finally stopped at a wooden passage that stretches long from the island's shore. "Welcome to Gili Lankanfushi!" said the manager and our personal Mr. Friday who greeted us with smiles. After a short welcome greetings, we were already on our buggy as Mr. Friday gives us a tour around the island. Amazing was the only word that comes in my mind as I glare at the view in awe. Maybe then I was simply too overwhelmed by the view, but each corner of the island I saw was amazing. Like nothing I've ever seen before.
After a drive around the spa, restaurants and all the facilities, we were finally heading to our villa. The buggy strides through a beautiful hollow of trees and then light strikes in as we were out unto a long jetty surrounded by gleaming turqoise waters. I was again amazed by the view. The tires strolls through the wooden pier and below, right and left was ocean so clear that I could see the marine life that lives within. Sharks glides briskly and stingrays larger than me were lingering still. Within no time we arrived at our villa right at the end of the jetty, Residence No 39. I opened the doors and there it was; a spacious living room overlooking a balcony that sits right on top of the waters. The sea was our very backyard.
On the table were a series of antipastos and champagne to welcome us with, each so well-crafted to enlighten us with the deliciousness our stomachs were up for the next 5 days. Mr Friday helped us with our check-in and bags, then we were left alone to explore the rustic villa. On our right was the door to the semi open-air bath, where a round sofa sits right inbetween a mirror and a bathtub overlooking the Indian Ocean. Straight through was a bridge leading to a glass shower where the ocean was right below. Just beside the bridge lays a small stair leading tright down into the ocean. As I walk down that stair, a small crab was clutching unto the sides of the stair and little fishes were swimming along the waters below. We really were staying amongst beautiful marine creatures. They were our neighbors.
I whizzed towards the other end of the villa where the bedroom was. A large bed sits perfectly against the wall at the center of the room surrounded by windows and a day bed facing the ocean. In no seconds I was back exploring the villa. Out the living room was a large overwater sundeck with sun loungers and seats made of nets where I could see down the ocean as I seat. It was my favorite spot.
Between the living and bathroom was a long stair that leads right to the rooftop terrace complete with a day bed and another dining table. I sat on the day bed enclosed by the railings and when I looked down I could see the sundeck perfectly. Gili Lankanfushi really was beautiful.
The sun starts to subside and quickly we changed into our swimsuits. It was about to rain but we kept on swimming around our residence and just could not seem to stop. The waves were strong and I thought that if I wasn't holding to a rope tied to the sundeck I could've been washed away. We snorkeled and found fishes eating the molds on the staircase up from the sea to the sundeck. There weren't much coral on our side of the island so there was not much fish passing and not much to see, but wow we were having fun even without much fish.
After our shower, it was raining hard and our Friday had to pick us up for dinner with the buggy, now covered by plastic curtains to protect us from the rain. The restaurant was of white stones and complemented with orange cushions. We were guided into a table on the side and served with the menu. Our first dinner was a Thailand inspired menu. Came our first appetizer; prawns marinated in a tangy sauce, a shot of basil mocktail (or soup?) and a few others I can't seem to remember. The delicious dishes follow after one another that I can't remember each but one caught my attention; the pork curry which was simply the best I've ever tried. Funnily, my dad thought it was tuna (said the so-called pork lover). The curry pairs beautifully with fragrant, savoury jasmine rice that my dad loved so much. I thought my stomach couldn't handle more food but then the dessert came. A plate of coconut and mango sorbet, crispy nougat, fresh fruits and other delicacies that I don't know what were each so good that all of the sudden my full tummy was able to finish the whole plate. Yum!
Our buggy took us back after dinner and it was still raining. A somewhat good news because that means the sun wouldn't be too hot tomorrow.
The day after..
Breakfast was amazing. The buffet was filled with varieties of fresh exotic fruits and all kinds of smoothies and juices that you could think of. They had natural elixirs made from (wood?) for all kinds of well-being; detox, cleansing, energy, stress, rejuvenate. You name it, they have it. Behind the elixirs were over 20 varieties of honey; from the common manuka to avocado honey and even honeycomb that we could scraped off ourselves. Beside it were blends of healthy mueslis with gojis, flax, dried coconut and everything I love. If you know me, you'd be able to imagine how overly excited I was over these wholesome foods. I started my meal with fruits, and then a wheatgrass shot. Then oatmeal. Then juice. Then honey. Then cheese with crackers and chocolate truffles which was hidden down the wine cellar. Everything was delicious and we devoured each of it.
Our breakfast ended and we grazed around the sands near a bridge to the overwater restaurant. My mom grabbed a little snail, placed it on her hands and the snail hastily tried to escape. It was so cute but I was sure that we were somehow cruel to the snail, playing it around on our arms which in the eyes of the snail must've been a scary, narrow cliff to nowhere.
We were clueless and didn't know that we could simply snorkeled anywhere we like on the island. That was why we spent the day running around the islands and playing tennis instead of swimming. The weather was perfectly cloudy that day though so we could relax by the pool without fear of getting tanned. We enjoyed a pizza for the four of us and again, it was delicious. Mr Friday approached us (he seem to always know where we are) and informed our schedule for tomorrow; a morning snorkel for me, dolphin cruise for the family and a blue light snorkling right after. After our lunch (snack? brunch? lunner?) we went back to our villa to, guess what, swim again. This time the tides were calm and I could swim without life vest nor ropes tying me. I snorkel and snorkel and even thought of buying snorkeling equipments and use it in my small, 14m swimming pool. I was having that much fun.
Can I stay here forever...?
A busy adventure was awaiting. I packed my snorkels, wore my swimsuit and on my bike I glided through the jetty as I head to breakfast. I was beyond psyched of the day ahead; to go snorkling right in the middle of Indian Ocean. Breakfast was light. Oatmeal, a bite of pancakes and omelettes which I grab (or stole) from my mom. Soon I was in the diving centre eagerly listening to a marine biologist enlightening us with the creatures of the sea that awaits us and our bright, white yacht. Everyone was with a couple but a sleek, white men and I. Solidarity wasn't a problem, I was too drawn into the beauty of Maldives to notice that I was alone.
There we were. 20 minutes away from the Gili islands, above turtles and sharks and all else. I put on my life vest and snorkling gear as Mr. Dive jumps unto the ocean ahead of us. As he raised his thumbs, signaling that the coast was clear and the fishes were abundant, I instantly followed his footsteps and let myself fall straight unto the bleaming, blue ocean
Bubbles were amidst my goggles and as soon as they flew and pop away into the waters, my eyes were pleased with the serene beauty of an underwater world. Little fishes swam pass me from the south, and on the east a stream of colorful creatures glides freely and so coordinatedly, that I felt like I wanted to glide as freely as they did. I sway my fins just as the fishes did, pretending I was one.
An hour felt like a minute. I wanted more, I needed more. The beauty of the sea captivated me so deeply that I didn't realized I was already vamished. After a quick shower in our beautiful bathroom encased with crystal waters, I headed for a late lunch.
The path towards Gili's over water restaurant was always pleasant. My eyes wouldn't stay still, it was always in search for a surprise in the waters, or gazing up in awe of the ocean's blue that was as clear as the sky, as if I were to sail straight through the ocean I would actually reach the sky.
Our lunch view was nonetheless breathtaking, like every other spot in the resort. The air was fresh and the food was even fresher. We were endulging ourselves with Gili's work pad thai specialty and lobsters that were hand-caught this morning. It was so fresh that I felt like I tasted the sea.
By the end of lunch my energy had already replenished, just in time for the sunset dolphin cruise. I put on my overalls, grabbed my camera and headed to the yacht awaiting. There at the bay stood our butlers in white, ready to take us off the coast and unto the sea where dolphins. The view grew even more breathtaking through every mile we sailed; the crisp air, the soft blows of whistles the dolphins make and the warm voices of the ocean. The pack of dolphins were swimming by our boat, with our machine silenced, that the dolphins must have thought we were one of them.
Our dolphin cruise ended but my schedule was getting more excited as the night grew closer, because that meant it was time for our long-awaited Japanese dinner. On our table layed what the Chef had specially prepared; crusted tuna, Maldivian sushi rolls, salmon perfectly bathed with miso broth (which was very, very heavenly). The array of flavours were an immaculate harmony, impeccably fresh that we could taste the sea translate to our palette.
We spent the rest of our night in our overwater bed, gazing at the sky as we line out the stars as zodiacs. The night was just as beautiful as it was yesterday, and there we closed our eyes as we dream of tomorrow's sunrise..
