This small group of islands, called atolls, contain some of the world's best beaches because of its fine, white sand, and clear, blue waters. I've been to some of the best beaches in the Philippines and I was impressed with what the Maldives offered. I couldn't compare both because they are both beautiful in their own way.
My friend and I were greeted by blue waters just when we left the airport. My appetite for what nature had to offer was whetted just by the sight of the water outside the airport! I couldn't wait to see the beaches and marine life of the Maldives.
Maldivian Paradise
After a night at Arena Lodge guesthouse in Maafushi (yes, there are guesthouses in Maldives, not just pricey resorts on a private island), we joined a family as they went on a day trip to Fihalhohi Island Resort. There is a $24USD entrance fee for the resort, we only paid $30USD for the transfers, still quite expensive for my typical backpacking trips, but it's the Maldives! Upon arriving, we were greeted with clear waters and fine white sand, picture perfect.
Strange how time moved back another hour on this resort.
And then there was the beach...Clear waters, fine, white sand. I've seen a lot of pictures of the Maldives and most of them had a layout similar to the picture above.
The powdery white sand on the beach reminded me of the sand in El Nido and Coron. It was the perfect place to relax and just enjoy nature's work of art.
I just enjoyed the water and relaxed while on the beach.
The beach was pure awesome.
The marine life was just as awesome as the beach. There were plenty of colorful corals and different kinds of fish, and just by the shore!
I was waiting to see stingrays while in Maldives, I finally saw one (a small one but who cares?), and then two just by the shore as well. The Maldives delivered the goods, even if my wallet started to bleed money. My Maldives experience was worth every cent I spent. Too bad I didn't have a dive license and more money to spend a little more on diving, but the resort delivered fantastic marine life and a picturesque beach.
The Maldives wasn't as expensive as I thought it would be, thankfully, there are now locally owned guesthouses on the island. I've heard that it was only a year or two ago that the government allowed the locals to build their own guesthouses on the islands. Having guesthouses allowed us to budget our trip as close to a backpacker's budget can allow us, although not Southeast Asia cheap, we didn't spend as much as we thought we would.