Earlier this month, I found myself in the Maldives for just over 24 hours. And worse, 12 hours in Colombo.
“What?” you say? “24 hours in the Maldives? That is ridiculous. And I won’t even get into the 12 hours in Sri Lanka!”
Normally, I would agree. Except for very few countries (Monaco, the Vatican, and a few more), 24 hours is not enough. And it wasn’t really enough in the Maldives either – but then again, it wasn’t that far off. (On the other hand, yes, 12 hours in Sri Lanka is beyond ridiculous. Way beyond!)
You see, my plan – and my flight tickets – said Dubai, and onwards to Kish. I have been meaning to visit this island in the Strait of Hormuz for years, ever since I noticed the name on a flight information board in Dubai Airport’s Terminal 2 in 2009, back when it was a slightly dodgy terminal for flights to even dodgier places. I’ve been on my way a couple of times since, but something has always gotten in the way, so I was excited to finally hop over for a weekend.
But two days before I was Kish-bound, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs sent a strongly worded travel warning, which essentially said: Do NOT go to Iran. This was a consequence of Netanyahu threatening to retaliate after Iran sent missiles Israel’s way.
Would a small island be a likely target for a warmongering Israeli PM? Well, about 33% of all the liquid gas in the world passes through the Strait of Hormuz. So does a quarter of the world’s oil consumption! We’re talking one very strategic location, and as such, a potential missile target.
Plans schmans
After a chat with several travel savvy friends, and a long think, I ended up cancelling the Kish plans. For now. And, again.
I still had a ticket to Dubai, though. Would be a shame to cancel that, and lose the money. Where to go from there, though? Dubai itself is always an option, but…
Nothing wrong with Dubai, really. But I was not in the mood for shopping and over-the-top, erm, everything. Also, I’ve been there before. Many times. And you know I am always keen to explore new places, wander through unfamiliar streets, experience weird and wonderful new sights, sounds, scents…
Yeah… no. Not Dubai this time. How about the other six emirates in the UAE, a friend suggested? Been there as well. Muscat? Definitely an option. But it was weirdly expensive on the spur of the moment. I was already losing the money for the Dubai – Kish flights, so I did not really want to pay a whole lot for a new onward ticket to… somewhere. What could be an alternative?
It turned out, the best deal from Dubai for that particular very narrow time window, was flying Emirates to the Maldives. Last time I flew Emirates – 9 years ago (eeek!), I was a guest of the airline, and they even footed biz tickets. But economy was also good. Was is still?
In a word: yes! Emirates is still in a class all its own. Enough said.
OK, a couple of days in the Maldives then. Or so I thought. But when I took a closer look at the ticket, I noticed that the cheap(ish) flight included a 12-hour layover in Colombo, most of it during the night.
Well! Gotta make the best of it, right?
Hello and goodbye, Dubai
Off I go!
En route from Europe to Dubai, I follow along on the flight info, to see how they’re handling the current unrest in Gaza, Lebanon and potentially Iran.
One cool, new feature in Dubai is free 10G SIM-cards. They are handed out to everyone at arrivals. Why doesn’t every country do this? This just makes good tourism business sense.
One night in Bangkok Dubai and the world’s your oyster…
Onwards!
12 hours in Colombo
How to make the best of 12 hours in Colombo? Well, first of all, get out of the airport. That turns out to be easy enough. Since my stop is so short, I don’t have to pay for a visa (normally USD 60), but instead get an electronic transit visa, free of charge! Off to a good start.
But… no sooner do I walk into my room at the Amara Lagoon, than the rain starts pelting down. The kind of rain that soaks through every layer of clothing within 10 seconds. Also, it is around midnight, and pitch black. No wandering around town for a look then. But cosy to hang out in the hotel lobby, and chat with the friendly staff.
I book a very early taxi for the next day, so I can at least have a brief look at Colombo before I fly off again. Early up, a quick coffee, a few photos on a sunny morning…
No sooner have I settled my bill and gotten into the taxi, than it all starts again. Cats and dogs! All I see in those early morning hours, is rain, rain and rain!
Best-laid plans and all that!
Colombo airport
I can tell you a bit about the airport, though. Did you know the first elected female prime minister in the world was Sirimavo Bandaranaike here in Sri Lanka? Only fitting that the airport is named after her!
This little airport gives you a good introduction to the country. Already at arrivals, you will get a taste of the famous Sri Lankan friendliness and hospitality. A special nod to the border guard who let me into the country free of charge, the people who work in all the lovely, delicate little shops selling tea and handicrafts, and the guy at the airport post office. That’s right! You can buy postcards and stamps, and there is a post box to put them in. And I’m not talking about dirty, faded, scrunchy postcards from the 1970s, dug out from a dusty drawer in a backroom somewhere, but beautiful postcards of a beautiful country. Do you know how rare that is these days?
That’s it, folks! That’s all I’ve got! Needless to say, Sri Lanka is now firmly on my list for a much longer stay!
Onwards again!
24 hours in the Maldives
I’ll be honest: the Maldives has never really appealed to me. I do want to see everywhere, of course, but since I am not much of a beach lounger, and I don’t scuba dive and am a bit of a water wimp in general, it just seems there is not much for me to do there.
Let me hasten to add though, if I had been into water sports, scuba diving specifically, that would have made a world of difference, according to fellow Norwegian travel addict, Bjørn, whom I meet up with in Malé. Great scuba diving, he assures me. And great value for money. Bjørn dives wherever he goes – and he has been to 150 countries, so he knows what he is talking about.
All that aside, here I am! With so little time, I decide to stay in Malé, rather than on one of the many, no doubt idyllic, luxury resort islands.
The airport is located on Hulhulé Island, and to get to Malé Island, you cross the 1.39km long Sinamalé Bridge –
– also known as the China – Maldives Friendship Bridge. It was built in 2018. Now guess who financed it.
Welcome to Malé!
With only 2.2 km2 land area, Malé is one tiny capital city. One of the smallest in the world, actually. But that does not mean it isn’t a happening place. 200,000 people live here, and I think they all have mopeds, and are on the road all at the same time. Feels like I’m dodging one every 5 minutes.
Bit like Saigon. Again, I’m glad I played a lot of Frogger in my youth. I slalom between them like a pro.
The city is a bit run down, but in a cheerful way. The brightly coloured buildings, the bustling markets, the boats, the hustle and bustle, all against the mesmerising backdrop of the Indian Ocean, makes it an interesting little town to explore.
30 mosques in tiny Malé
Malé has a whopping 30 mosques, and they take their religion pretty seriously. According to the Maldives’ constitution, Islam is the state religion and citizenship requires that people adhere to this. In other words, all citizens of the Maldives are Muslim.
The Maldives Islamic Centre has a golden, glimmering dome, and is a cultural centre as well as a mosque. The ubiquitous Friday Mosque here is called Hukuru Miskiy, built in 1656, from coral stone. My favourite, however, is the contemporary King Salman Mosque, named after the current Saudi king, and financed in part by Saudi Arabia.
Turns out the hotel I have booked, Summer Beach, is not by a beach at all, but smack in the centre of Malé – and interestingly, just across the street from this cool structure. It doesn’t look all that large – neither in the photo nor IRL, but there is room for 10,000 worshippers here.
The National Museum in the old presidential palace is where you can see various artefacts from the Maldives’ rich cultural heritage: traditional clothes, musical instruments, royal regalia, and the like.
Malé markets
More interesting (to me, at least) are the markets. Malé is a vibrant market town, where fish and fruit play the leads.
The fish market is full of fresh catch from the sea, from tuna to snapper, and, not least, local friendly fisherfolk. It’s a chatty atmosphere. A fun experience.
You’ll find fruit and veg in several markets; this one has the best selection:
The name is long and cumbersome, and it’s not just me saying that. When I ask about the market’s name, the fruit vendor has to go out and look himself. Locals know it as Kara Market; kara meaning watermelon.
Jumhooree Maidan
Perhaps better known as Republic Square, this is the central point in Malé, with lush greenery, fountains, and birds. This is where memorial events take place, and where locals hang out. A great spot for people-watching at night.
More pigeons than people at midday. More teens than birds at night. The blue building is the slick, new police HQ.
The waterfront – and a resort island
Malé has some stunning panorama points. The waterfront, especially, is the place to go for an evening stroll, and see the sun set over the Indian Ocean. This works out perfectly for me, as I’m heading over to another island to check out the night-life.
We’re off to Crossroads, 20 minutes by boat from Malé’s waterfront, and the first man-made island in the Maldives. You can get there by speedboat or seaplane. It advertises itself as going beyond the “one-island, one-resort” experience, and is instead a “fully integrated lifestyle destination with three resorts, a 30-berth quay, the legendary Hard Rock Cafe, diverse retail and dining, thrilling excursions and blissful spa offerings.”
Eeehhhh… not normally my cup of tea, but…
…all part of the Maldives experience
The boat goes across several times per day, and you must reserve your spot in advance. Then you head to an art gallery(!) across the street from the waterfront, to get the wristband showing you are signed in. The boat is free, but you have to spend minimum 20USD on the island – and prove it with receipts when you leave.
Remember that everyone in the Maldives are Muslim? This means there’s no alcohol in the capital. On the resort islands, however…
OK, so that’s my tiny Maldives exploration – all 24 hours of it, including a few hours of shut-eye.
A preliminary conclusion from yours truly
Staying on one of the resort islands in the Maldives is fab if you’re into water sports and relaxing and, well, resorts. I would encourage you to visit the capital as well, though. Malé is where you’ll get more of a feel for local, Maldivian life.
Also, if you’re travelling on a budget, Malé has lots of inexpensive accommodation, and it’s easy to take one of the many boats across to other islands for the day. That said, whilst Malé itself is more urban, you can easily find opportunities for water sports here, as well. The town is surrounded by coral reefs, which is great for snorkelling and scuba diving. There is even an artificial beach next to the cool mosque, where everyone I saw swam fully clothed.
Time is running out for the Maldives
We cannot really talk about the Maldives without mentioning sustainability. According to WHO, climate change is the single biggest health threat facing humanity. And this little country grapples more with the effects of this than most other places on earth. Global warming is a menace to its very existence. As little as a 1-metre rise in sea level can leave 80% of its total land area under water.
In fact, climate change is already a huge challenge for this little archipelago: soil erosion, saltwater intruding into freshwater, storm surges, floods, cyclones… And rising temperature in the ocean means less tuna, devastating in a country where fishing is the livelihood for so many.
The Maldives is taking environmental health very seriously, and has low carbon growth, and sustainable and resilient smart health-care services. Here in Malé, many local initiatives aim to promote the country’s rich culture, whilst also protecting the environment.
As travellers, we are encouraged to respect local customs and support businesses that prioritise sustainability.
We can do that!
24 hours in Malé (and 12 hours in Colombo) is a post from Sophie’s World