Champa Moon Male

... near the jetty were a spa and a fancier restaurant. The rest of the island was given over to spacious one-room bungalows with an outdoor bathroom and shower. One long boardwalk led out into the shallow waters of the Maldives inner atoll and it was lined by fancy water bungalows, available for a mere $200 more per night. The entire island was ringed by (probably artificial) sandy beaches and definitely real coral reefs. Our ...

We were able to keep our hotel room until we left for the airport at three o'clock which is just as well since being Friday everything was closed from around eleven. We followed the sound of one call to prayer then another. never have we seen before people praying on the streets in multiple locations in the one city. When prayers started it seemed we were the only ones not involved. There was no traffic, boats ...

... innan vi begav oss till Maadhoo, en obebodd paradisö som var om möjligt ännu vackrare än allt annat man sett. Mot slutet av dagen gjorde vi ett besök på en annan turistö, Villivaru, vilken jag inte blev så imponerad av. Då var våran ö mycket finare. Fast det fanns tydligen ett kanonfint rev alldeles vid stranden. Men det såg jag inte nånting av eftersom jag, trött men lycklig, mest satt i buskarna med svidande hud och försökte gömma mig från solstrålarna. En dag tog en i ...

Ah - vacation, finally. The Maldives - small little completely Muslim Island paradise off the coast of India. Was hit somewhat badly by the Tsunami a few years ago, but things have been completely rebuilt since then. However, the highest part of the country is 2m above sea level, so global warming and potentially further Tsunamis could pose a great threat to the country. This part of our trip - let's label ...

... Whilst Ted was just going to chill for the week, me & Danny Boy had booked a weeks worth of unlimited scuba-diving, & quickly decided after chatting to the guys ...

... guy from the airport. He works in the building I walked out of! We chat and he gives me more info and offers me his phone to call my hotel. Sooo nice! After chatting, we decide, since he is on his lunch break, to hop in his moped and grab lunch on the ocean. Excellent. I actually am terrified of motorcycles but the mopeds are so slow and drivers cautious it is enjoyable noting I hang on to the back of bike and not my arms around a married man!. The ocean overlooked aquamarine ...

... New Years and there is a huge celebration. We are having dinner all together, minus Ellie, and then there is a show and dancing. It will be fun. Wishing you all a very happy and safe New Year. Mitchell's I hope you got home safely, Jodi thanks for the message and hope all is well with Charlotte, and Lisa thanks for the update on the DQ gerbils. Have a festive night tonight....... Love Wendy and the gang

Before leaving Palolem we hired a taxi for a two hour trip to a wildlife sanctuary. Which was closed. We didn't waste the day though - a stop at a spice farm was interesting and informative. I had no idea that different coloured pepper comes from the same plant, picked at different stages of growth, that cinnamon is the bark of a tree, or that the banana plant is a type of grass. After some of the most miserable days I can ...

Dhoni (ferry) or speed boat travel on the sea (with no life jackets) a few times a week; taxi rides around the island of Male for $1.30 (no seat belts included), driving habits rather like a carnival ride, bats flinging chewed up fruit nuts on you while you enjoy an ice cream treat at the cafe and calling on the street all day long(who says bat sleep during the day), suspicious exchanges of money and ???? on the street outside our ...

... Shane, little Neve and I for the past few days. We did some exploring, but also headed to a resort for two days. That was amazing. Beautiful white sand, a gorgeous and cool bungalow, sensational buffet meals and of course a fabulous pool! But I'm sure many people have gone home to their friends and family talking about this horribly neglectful mother they saw in the Maldives and how the father had to do absolutely EVERYTHING!! Yes, I believe that ...