Heavenly Maldives

Seeing The Maldives for the first time from the airplane is something that I shall always remember. If you look at the photograph in this journal, you'll see the incredible colours of the reefs. No wonder the Maldives are popularly known as 'the pearls of the Indian Ocean'. They are located to the South West of Sri Lanka, on the equator. Out of the incredibly large number of islands only 200 islands are inhabited, with 44 islands adapted as exclusive resort islands. We were on our way to Laguna Beach Resort Maldives - a holiday I'd been awarded by my company.

We'd flown out of Gatwick. The flight was slightly delayed - however, we'd booked the airport lounge, so were able to relax with drinks and canapes, until we were called for our flight. After landing in Male, the capital, we transferred to our island by speedboat. You'll see a photograph of the fabulous white sandy beach and blue water that greeted us as we approached the resort by boat. On landing, we were met with a refreshing fruit cocktail and a cool flannel - just what was needed after the journey from the rainy UK.

We had a beachside deluxe bungalow, which was perfect for us - a four poster bed, nice seating area and a bathroom with a fantastic open air shower.. (There were Water Suites over the lagoon which we heard were amazing, where you can swim straight from your own private platform). In just a few steps, we could reach our own palm tree, complete with sun loungers and a view of the Indian Ocean. The beach is swept regularly, so each morning there is the lovely smooth sand to walk on.

The Laguna Beach resort is the only resort on the island and it never felt crowded. Each day we would have a leisurely stroll around the island, taking about 25 minutes, looking out for the 2 baby basking sharks and the "bully boys", 3 fish which used to chase the others. The marine life is superb with a wide range of large fish swimming close to the shore. We would sunbathe, sleep, snorkel, stroll and eat! We would often end the day at the Sunset bar and watch the fish feeding frenzy. The weather got stormy one day and even then, it was an amazing sight to see the black towers of rain over Male.

The water is crystal clear and perfect for snorkelling, with a reef you could walk out to at low tide. On this holiday, it was my girlfriend's first experience of snorkelling, and she had her mask fitted so tightly, she still had the marks adorning her face at dinner! There is also a very good dive centre and organised snorkelling trips.

For a special evening, I booked dinner on the beach, which was a lovely experience. Very romantic in the moonlight, with other diners dotted around the beach - only just visible by the flickering candle-light on their tables. We also booked a massage together, which was quite an experience - especially the interesting apparel we were given to change into. Very relaxing though. On our last night we saw the most bewildering sight. Walking back from the cocktail bar, we saw a white albino rabbit hopping along the path. Luckily we both saw it, otherwise we would have blamed the cocktails! The houseboy told us there used to be 2 rabbits, and now there was just one rabbit. When leaving the island by boat, dolphins came and swam along side, which was a lovely farewell. When we arrived back in Gatwick, we stayed over in Sofitel, which meant the holiday could last just that bit longer.

Although this resort is not 5 star, it's very reasonably priced and totally relaxing. We went barefoot for most of the time, and it felt very strange having to put shoes on again to rejoin the real world. The resort closed in May 2008 for refurbishment (re-opens 01 Jan 2009).If The Maldives appeal to you, please don't hesitate to contact me for details of resorts, best times to visit and more.