Originally, our bucket list item #42 read “Stay a night in the Maldives”. But really, who goes to the Maldives to spend just one night? We figured that if we were going to visit this sinking country, we’d have to do it right. That meant having an overwater bungalow that didn’t completely break the bank, and staying there long enough for boredom to trickle in.
Overwater bungalows don’t come cheap in the Maldives (or anywhere really), so our options were limited if we didn’t want to have to teach summer school for the rest of our lives. And depending on the resort we chose, it was going to be an additional $500 US each for a seaplane transfer from Malé, or $200 for a speed boat transfer. The thought of spending twice as much for a short seaplane transfer than it cost for our 7-hour flight from Singapore was incomprehensible. So, our options were narrowing as we obsessed over the stunning resorts on jetsetter.com, and it wasn’t long before we booked the idyllic Anantara Veli.
July is supposed to be the rainy season in the Maldives, so we were definitely taking a gamble on this one! We probably should’ve bought some lottery tickets along with our vacation, because the weather couldn’t have been any more perfect. The sun was blinding everyday, bringing out the postcard blues and greens in the water we thought could never really exist. The reef below our bungalow was home to thousands of fish, reef sharks, stingrays, and our faithful puffer fish friend we named Polly. The sands were as soft and white as icing sugar, and the overwater hammocks were as comfortable as they looked. It’s impossible to put the Maldives into words, so we’re going to stop trying for now. Take a look at some of our pictures below. The Maldives are the real deal, and definitely our new home away from home. #42 – CHECK! :)
GATE20.com 
Leave a Reply