Sure Travel Journey Vol 4.1 Summer 2018 | Page 47

• E N
“
THE DROP-OFF
WAS ASTOUNDING. THE
PERSPECTIVE IS NOT
JUST SEEN, BUT FELT – A
VISCERAL EXPERIENCE
OF HOW SMALL YOU ARE
RELATIVE TO THE COSMOS
OF THE OCEAN
“
one hole in the reef to another. And then
another, and another.
The drop-off itself – an underwater cliff
where the reef disappears into a deeper
blue – was astounding. The perspective
is not just seen, but felt – a visceral
experience of how small you are relative
/ /
M A L D I V E S
to the cosmos of the ocean.
I had spotted a few sharks in the water
before then. The baby black-tips cruise the
gentle shorebreak of the island and hunt
guppies in the sheltered swimming areas,
and I’d seen a few grey shapes along the
drop-off below, but nothing prepared me
for the day I turned around to see two
adult black-tip sharks stalking me. A surge
of adrenaline, a warbling moo from my
snorkel, a thrash of bubbles.
It was only after I was safely back on the
beach that I realised I’d properly ticked
off the last of my personal Big Five of the
Maldives – a turtle, a moray eel, a ray, an
octopus and, finally, a close encounter with
not one but two curious sharks.
Big six, if you count George. Above and below: Seaside luxury comes
standard in the Maldives.
PLANNER
Q TRAVEL
ISLAND ADVENTURE: More than Square, Sultan Park and the National
Museum are all worth a visit.
1 100 islands across 26 coral atolls make
up the Maldives, so it’s little wonder that
the highlight of any visit to a Maldivian
resort revolves around admiring this
unique marine environment. The scuba
diving and snorkelling is amongst the
best in the world, with superb coral reefs
just a short swim from that luxurious
over-water bungalow. For the more
adventurous, whale sharks are resident
here year-round and manta rays are
common from May to October. Though
few tourists leave the comfort of their
island resort, the capital city of Malé
attracts adventurous tourists: Republic
© ADOBESTOCK
WHEN TO GO: The sunny days of
high season run from December-May.
However, there’s rarely a bad day
in the Maldives, so low season
(May-November) is a great time to visit,
with good weather and lower prices.
BOOK IT: You can’t go wrong with
LUX* Resort & Hotels South Ari
Atoll resort for that ultimate luxury
Maldivian experience. Ask your
Sure Travel consultant about the
seven-night package, or visit www.
suretravel.co.za / call 0861 47 48 49.
© MYERS/ADOBESTOCK
R O U T E
MAKE MEMORIES FOR LIFE // 47