Maldivian Perfection

Hi All,

Jo joined the World Surfaris team earlier this year and has been an asset ever since.  The below blog comes in after her recent trip to the Maldives onboard the always awesome Handhu Fahli, and even though they got a little skunked on surf they had a great time and still got plenty of waves in.

Handhu Fahli has some late season availability in 2012 so if you’re interested in being part of this epic season  - click here and send an enquiry

Enjoy WS

MALDIVIAN PERFECTION?

When Shaun asked me if I wanted to go check out our boats in the Maldives, I didn’t have to be asked twice!  I was booked that day on a 7 night charter around the North Male atolls.

The day finally arrived, and after a long but comfortable flight with Malaysian Airlines we arrived to stormy conditions in Male.  We had a rocky, slightly wet ride out to our home for the week, the Handhu Fahli.  After a quick get to know you with the other guests and our surf guide, it was out to get acquainted with the front lounge area of the boat for me and some fresh air….  I made friends by handing out sea sickness tablets that first night!

Handhu Fahli is a great boat, plenty of space and everything you need onboard for an awesome surf trip.

We awoke to clearer conditions and headed out to check the surf.  We headed out for a surf at Sultans and despite not being huge, it definitely provided some fun, long right handers for the first dip into that amazing warm water.

I was under the impression that working for World Surfaris just might guarantee all my trips would be filled with constant sunshine and clean perfect waves but unfortunately this time it didn’t work out that way.  Don’t get me wrong, we surfed everyday, actually we usually surfed at least twice a day but Huey failed to provide those sizeable perfect waves for us in our week.

The right hander Coke’s showed us it’s potential in one session and the boys had waves at the left, Honkey’s that definitely put smiles on their faces.

We had a fantastic group onboard the boat and I think we managed to do and see a lot more than you normally would in a week of perfect surf.

The snorkelling in the Maldives is amazing, the amount and variety of fish is spectacular.  We snorkelled most days and managed to see something new and exciting every time.  We spent time on Thulusdhoo Island (otherwise known as Cokes Island, for the coke factory there).  A lot of travellers to the Maldives don’t really get to see the local culture while staying on a resort island however the chance to wander around a local island around gives you a great insight into the locals lifestyle and religious beliefs.  I have huge respect for the local women dressed in full Islamic dress including socks and thongs in that heat!

The beaches there are picture perfect with the whitest sand and the clearest water.  We were entertained one night on Thulusdhoo by a local singing, dancing, drum troupe, and being one of the few western women at the show sitting down was not really an option for me.  By the end of the night I reckon my Maldivian dancing skills are right up there.

This was my first boat trip and you really do see so much being on the boat all day.  We saw loads of wildlife, our wonderful crew saved a turtle that was caught up in a net and some of the guys dived off the boat to swim with the huge pods of spinner dolphins that would cruise by putting on a show for us.

Other activities included constantly throwing our 13 year old grommet off the boat and jumping off the top deck of the boat in general.  Group night jumps after happy hour turned interesting and luckily my photography skills are less than average and I didn’t manage to catch any snaps of mid-jump (sorry guys, no-one wants to see that!)  Fishing was popular, with our vegetarian and grommet showing all the other boys up.  Special mention must go however to MB for his spectacular night fish diving antics, catching a fish with your bare hands after many Bintangs is no easy task.  Nothing tastes better than freshly caught fish!  Speaking of food, our local chef worked hard to give us a great variety of dishes and there was always plenty of food to go around.

I was lucky enough to check out some of the other boats we offer.  I had a tour and a nice cold Tiger onboard the spacious Manta and I couldn’t wait to get onboard the amazing Ocean Divine.  If you get the chance, Ocean Divine is a great option to really spoil yourself, the Balinese massage and 3 course dinners come highly recommended!  And the mojito’s, well I could write another whole blog about those…

The week went so fast, and we were very sad to leave and looking forward to heading back soon!

Even though you cant always be guaranteed great weather and waves, World Surfaris can always guarantee great products, great staff, delicious food and amazing travel experiences!

Talk soon,

Jo