Maldives, Mahibadhoo - Island Life

My trip to the Maldives in August 2014 was planned to be conducted on a limited budget of USD$1000. This budget limitation meant that those flashy resorts located on palm trees fringed white sand beaches we usually see on holiday brochures were out of my reach. Instead, my friends and I opted to stay at a local guest house located in one of the locally inhabited islands. And this beautiful island that I was to spend 6 days holidaying is Mahibadhoo.

Stretch of white sandy beach on a sunny August day in Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

We flew from Singapore to Male via Tigerair. Traveling on a budget airline meant that our return air tickets cost only around SGD$300 (about USD$220) per person as the tickets were bought during a promotion.

Mahibadhoo is the capital (island) of Alif Dhaal Atoll. It is located south-west of the Maldivian capital of Male and it takes about an hour and twenty minutes by speedboat to reach Mahibadhoo from Male.

Mahibadhoo has a total population of slightly more than 2000 people and it is one of the few inhabited islands of the Maldives that has its own hospital, school and police station. Most of the younger people in Mahibadhoo work at the resorts located in nearby islands including the Conrad Maldives at Rangali Island.

After a quite exciting unsheltered speedboat dash across the sea from Male to Mahibadhoo at conditions of Sea State 2 (0.1 to 0.5 meters waves height), we arrived safely and a little drenched on firm ground once more. Mahibadhoo is a small island and measures about 2.4 km by 1.2 km (1.5 miles by 0.75 miles). 

The pier at Mahibadhoo where all arriving and departing boats anchor, Maldives (2014)

We were received by our very kind and friendly host, Mazin, the owner of the guesthouse where we stayed during our trip. 

After the initial introductions and welcome drinks complete with Maldivian cakes, we were shown to our accomodation. I must say I was impressed at the cleanliness and very comfortable conditions of the rooms. There is a sand area in front of the rooms which function more like a courtyard where we could sit, relax, chat and read a book.

Our accommodation at the Amazing Noovilu Guesthouse in Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

Courtyard at the Amazing Noovilu Guesthouse in Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

Entrance to the Amazing Noovilu Guesthouse in Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

The spectacular views on a clear day just 15 steps from the Amazing Noovilu Guesthouse in Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

Mazin's pet, at the Amazing Noovilu Guesthouse in Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

Another of Mazin's pet, Ritchie, at the Amazing Noovilu Guesthouse in Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

Delicious and nutritious Maldivian food courtesy of Mazin and his family, the Amazing Noovilu Guesthouse in Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

Over the course of the next 5 days, I spent a fair amount of time walking around the islands, interacting with the friendly local villages, dining on local Maldivian dishes courtesy of Mazin and his family, taking photographs of the island, the villagers, the local buildings and local village life.

A point to note for those who prefer vegetarian dishes is that vegetables are almost a rarity at the dining table for the locals. A lack of land area for agriculture means that almost everything in the Maldives need to be imported, by air or sea. As a result, vegetables are disheartenedly expensive here. 

Maldivian villages are characterized by colorfully-painted houses, Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

More colorfully-painted houses, Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

Graffiti, its all about colors! Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

Pondings will most definitely occur everywhere around the island each time it rains, Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

This brightly painted green-colored structure houses a cafe, Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

 We had our lunch twice at this cafe during our stay, Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

Football pitch, Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

Mosque, Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

Local school, Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

Pupils at the local school, Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

Motorized transport are rare. After all, one can walked the perimeter of the island in under 30 minutes! Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

Villagers in a traditional song and drum performance, Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

Local village woman weaving basket using coconut tree leaves, Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

My friend, Edric, taking a photograph of a village kid, Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

Tuna is an important food source for the local Maldivians, Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

Fisherman, peddling his catch of Skipjack Tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis) , Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

Besides tuna, coconut is another important food source for the local Maldivians, Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

Vegetables (brinjals a.k.a. eggplant, chilis and cucumbers) for sale, Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

These local Maldivian chili pack quite a spicy punch, Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

Drying food the Maldivian way, Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

A boat featuring traditional Maldivian design, Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

A commercial Tuna fishing boat, Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

Boats are an important mode of transport and livelihood in the Maldives (2014)

A lone fishing boat, moored near to the beach Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

A show of manpower; moving a boat to dry land, Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

A cormorant, used for fishing by a local fisherman, Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

My friends and I did went on several boat trips to nearby inhabited and uninhabited islands and sand banks as well as a couple of snorkeling trips but bad weather during our stay limited these off-island expeditions. Conditions of Sea State 3 and above (wave heights above 0.5 meters) meant that boat trips are off the itinerary because of safety concerns.

In the times where we were prevented from going out to sea, we spent time fishing from the shore, sipping coffee at the numerous local cafes and simply just relaxing and doing nothing! A massive change from the rat race that we were so accustomed to back in our home country of Singapore.

A local villager fishing along the beach, Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

As in any developing countries, I noticed that care of the environment is lacking. This is probably not due to an actual lack of love or care for the environment but more likely due to lack of public education and information. As the Maldives has practically no natural sources of fresh water, most of the fresh water consumed in the country are through desalination plants and bottled waters. Because of the heavy reliance on bottled waters, many discarded plastic bottles could be seen littering the coasts of the inhabited islands.

Plastic wastes randomly discarded on the beach, Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

At dusk, large flocks of crows gather on the beach to scavenge on the food waste disposed there by the villagers, Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

Lack of landfills in the Maldives meant that the country will soon run out of spaces to dispose of the garbage generated. Mahibadhoo has one desalination plant and one waste incineration plant. The almost dilapidated incineration plant looks so rundown that I was always wondering whether it is actually still operational. It does make for a very photogenic subject for my photography though.

The sole waste incineration plant in Mahibadhoo (2014)

A boat being built or repaired just in front of the waste incineration plant, Mahibadhoo (2014)

Another view of the incineration plant, Mahibadhoo (2014)

Alternate view of the incineration plant, Mahibadhoo (2014)

Nights in Mahibadhoo come early in the sense that once the sun sets, almost all activities cease for the villagers except those who work in the fishing industry. We thus spent out nights in Mahibadhoo watching the stars. Yes, we actually watched the stars and the conditions were perfect for stars gazing due to the lack of man-made illumination on this small island.

Of course, we also did the usual beach and sea shore combings and the nature lover in me was always excited and thrilled to catch sights of and photographed the many different species of crabs (which I cannot identify yet) and the occasional juvenile Moray Eels.

Hermit Crab, Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

Crab, Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

Green Turtle Skull, Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

Despite its small size, Mahibadhoo actually has a lot to offer the curious visitor. On days when the weather was good, spectacular sunrises and sunsets can be viewed.

Sunset in Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

For the avid photographer, the Maldives is an extremely photogenic country. Through the camera lens, many things about the Maldives, both big and small, come to life in a vivid canopy of colors.

Abandoned boat, Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

My maiden trip to the Maldives was an extremely educational and exciting one. While I did not get to swim with Whale Sharks or Manta Rays, I did get to see a part of the Maldives that most tourists do not get to experience. The 6 days I spent on Mahibadhoo gave me interesting insights into the local village life on a Maldivian island. Priceless.......