Maldives

Spirited island surrounded by ocean!

In 2021, US VISA consulate held off VISA appointments. So I thought of visiting a nearby country for couple of weeks. I chose Maldives because Indians can enter without VISA, there is good internet availability, and it had lower Covid infection rate. On arrival at airport, the immigration officer didn’t buy my solo traveler argument and got suspicious of me, a solo Indian entering Maldives claiming to be a tourist. He consulted his superior and they put me in a room of approx. 5' X 8'. The two started discussing my case in their language, occasionally observing me and every now and then throwing words like detain, deport etc. I began to get anxious but decided to keep cool. I reminded myself that, after all, my passport has several years of stamps showing me legally entering / exiting USA and few countries in Europe.

Finally, after my passport was checked by half a dozen other officers, they decided I am not a threat and let me go. For some reason, I felt some of them were even sympathetic and kind to me now or so I felt. Maybe they took pity on my single traveler status and felt my stay on the beautiful island all by myself to be pathetic enough to warrant the sympathy!

I got out of the airport, took a cab and reached Hotel. The cab guy confirmed that the Indian currency doesn’t have any standing in Maldives and preferred Maldivian currency. Indian pride got hurt. I exchanged few US dollars with the kind lady at hotel reception and paid him in Maldivian currency. Additionally paid a good tip to make up for that hurt Indian pride.

“Mojito was nonalcoholic, and the drizzle was real!”

Mojito at Beachside Café

There is a row of beachside cafes and restaurants in Hulhumale area where I stayed on arrival. On the next day, I went for a late afternoon walk and visited a family run café. I could see white beach and the blue ocean just outside. Guy who took the order was a young teenager probably just around his twenties. He made amazing Mojito, nonalcoholic, by crushing fresh lime wedges with ice, and passion fruit in a steel glass, and flavored it with mint. It probably also had some earthy taste of his hand since he was using one as a lid over the glass while crushing the ingredients! I just hoped that I didn’t catch cold or get fever. But I thoroughly enjoyed the drink, and it was worth the risk! I also had fish and chips with house made sauce. The sauce was amazing. Hot and flavorful! By this time, light wind started flowing outside and soon it started drizzling. The whole atmosphere got better and better until I finished Mojito. (I repeat: Mojito was nonalcoholic, and the drizzle was real.).

I paid the bills and on my way back to the hotel, I decided to just walk in the rain on the beach. Beautiful experience!

Male and Hulhumale are two main cities in Maldives. I stayed in both. Maldives is a Muslim country. While talking to the lady at reception, I came to know that Maldivian Muslims do not know Urdu and for that matter probably no one outside India and Pakistan does either. However, she told me that Maldivian people watch dubbed Hindi movies and I saw posters of Katrina Kaif and Shahrukh Khan outside couple of stores in Maldives. Culturally, Maldives is considered a liberal country. Though, politically, I felt it is conservative and is heavily influenced by recent investments from China and middle east countries. A big advertisement of the Saudi partnership could be observed at construction site of the new airport terminal being built by Saudi Group. With money comes the cultural and political influence. India, however, also has historical ties with Maldives and the state-owned Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital in central Male reflects that partnership.

“Ocean is serene and yet so overwhelming the same time!”

Overall Maldives is safe, and occasionally, I walked on the streets at night. Drugs is a problem though. In Male, you will find some people under the influence roaming around streets at night and asking for money. They didn’t seem aggressive, and you can just politely say no and move on. One evening, a twenty something young guy standing outside a restaurant followed me in. He asked me for some food. I asked the restaurant owner to give him what he was requesting. He served it bit reluctantly. I asked the guy if he would like any drink and he pointed at one. The owner though didn’t seem very happy and it looked like the kid was being a regular nuisance to his customers. Sad situation but looked mostly a problem central to Male city.

Cities in Maldives are clean. Parks are well maintained. People are polite. The market area is crowdy and full of fish smell. The day before my return flight, I visited some grocery stores, grabbed spices and curry flavors and some local dry fish packs. At night, walked to a family run bakery nearby and tasted a rose milk cake dipped in rose syrup. It was delicious.

Overall, to me Maldives looked like what Konkan region of India if it were to be developed will look like. Bit wishful maybe for now! I plan to visit Maldives again in future and visit the other islands, maybe do snorkeling, experience nature and culture more. Probably not as a solo traveler though!