THE MALDIVES
It’s not every day that you get the chance to cross a destination off your bucket list, and it not only lives up to expectations, but it crushes it. Well, that’s precisely what happened when we arrived at the St. Regis Resort in Vommuli, Maldives. But it wasn’t easy to get there. After a four-hour flight from Dubai to Male, we hopped on a seaplane for the 45-minute ride to Vommuli. The seaplane was packed to the gills, with passengers, luggage, and supplies for the islands. We were surprised that we got off the water. But once we took off, the seaplane experience was captivating as it buzzed loudly over dozens of the atolls and islands along our route - some of which were inhabited by locals and others dominated by large resorts (essentially, in the Maldives, a resort equals an island and vice-versa). Read More...
The first thing you realize is that all the beaches and blue water you have visited before the Maldives have just been a pre-season game - now you’re in the playoffs, and you’re winning. The island is tiny (you can traverse it in about ten minutes), but every square inch of it is beautiful. The St. Regis architecture was designed to reflect the island’s four ecological zones: the lagoon, the beach, the jungle, and the coastal zones. Our favorite spot was the Whale Bar, shaped like a Whale, as the name implies. But every structure was understatedly gorgeous and blended seamlessly with its environs. Our villa was spacious and modern, with an outdoor shower in its rear. There are only golf carts and bikes on the island for transportation, and since Cecilia doesn’t ride, I suffered the 45-second walk between our villa, the beach, and the three restaurants on the island in silence. Speaking of restaurants, the food was spectacular, with a good deal of variety.
When we weren’t perfecting the art of doing absolutely nothing, I completed my Open Water Diving Certification and completed several dives in the waters surrounding Vommuli. And though I was disappointed that I didn’t stumble across any Manta Rays or Whale Sharks, the reefs were beautiful, and the dive instructors were top-notch. Between eating, diving, enjoying our beach-side nuptials, and celebrating my birthday, there was more than enough to do. We dreaded the day when we needed to get back on the plane to leave, but luckily, one last leg of our journey remained, which somewhat dulled the pain. If it were closer, I’m convinced we would visit the Maldives every year, but as General MacArthur stated after being forced to leave the Philippines, “We came through, and We shall Return.” We may need to retire first.
