For us, it was the holiday of a lifetime. We wanted somewhere where we could fully escape the rat race of our lives in the financial sector – yes, we turned off our cell phones! – and get two weeks of beach and a good night’s sleep.
For us, it had to be the Maldives. From the amazing arrival by plane in Male the capital to the tearful farewell, for a while at least, this trip to an archipelago in the Indian Ocean was heaven on earth. The islands enjoy influences from many cultures due to their geographic location with traits from SE Asia to the East and Arabia and Africa to the North and West.
It has enjoyed Islamic and Colonial influences adding to its diversification and is now a fully independent republic. It is often in the news because of great concerns due to rises in ocean levels meaning that ocean front beach villa in the Maldives may not be there forever.
The Maldives happens to be one of the lowest-lying countries in the world having an average elevation of just 1.5 meters above sea level. This has made the country highly vulnerable to rising levels because of global warming. In addition, coastal erosion threatens freshwater resources and agriculture in a country with a population of just over 500,000.
Increased storm intensity caused by climate change is damaging infrastructure and ecosystems. We wanted a holiday in stark contrast to the last one in chilly Iceland and had seen the stunt by the ruling cabinet a few years back when they held a meeting underwater to highlight the peril facing this most idyllic of destinations. It made the world sit up but all too briefly.
We wanted to help in a small way. The economy of the country is highly dependent on tourism and being responsible folk we felt that a trip there would do less harm and more good. Climate change is so rapid, that’s a scientific fact some people need to get used to, that parts of the island group are already disappearing.
Saltwater intrusion and shifting precipitation patterns already mean that the country is facing challenges when it comes to fresh water. Despite participating fully in climate agreements themselves, the reticence of some major powers to implement change means that a country as beautiful as this could be gone in a few generations -that’s a major concern.
Strangely enough – and as if as a reminder of what the future could hold – our highlight on the island was an underwater Aqua Villa.
Waking up after some of the most restful nights’ sleep with fish amid the corals outside your window was an experience never to be forgotten though hopefully repeated as we plan to go back to this jewel again.
Travelers should be aware of the regulations of visiting the Maldives but hassles are few and far between and you’d be doing the country a favour by visiting.
