Maldives, Mahibadhoo - Under the Sea

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I am sure most of us have been on many trips to different places all over the world. And we all have our own favourite and most memorable trips. These are the trips that never fail to bring a smile to our faces when we look back at those travel photographs, read about the same places on travel blogs and articles or sharing them with family and friends.

What are your most memorable trips to date?

Among my most memorable trips is my first and only visit to the Maldives. There are many things I did not get to enjoy or experience during that trip. I did not get to swim with Manta Rays, I did not get to see a Whale Shark in the sea, I did not get to stay in a luxurious 5-star beach resort and I certainly did not get to dive and swim with the fishes.

But I did get to experience living and interacting with the locals, eating locally cooked food, walking along the pitch dark beach at night with only the moon and stars illuminating my path, welcoming local fishermen back from a night of fishing, visiting sandbanks, wandering around uninhabited atolls with nobody around except my friends and local guides and seeing Maldives for what it truly is; a beautiful country populated with beautiful people.

Traveling is not about the destination but the experience. Having a checklist of touristy things to do and checking off the items are well and good. But having no fixed itineraries and enjoying a trip as it happens is what I personally cherish the most. Until my next trip comes around, I shall spend my leisure time browsing through my past travel photographs and reminiscing about those beautiful trips that provided me with a lifetime of great travel experiences.

Underwater photograph taken by one of my friends while snorkelling, Mahibadhoo, Maldives (2014)

The author waiting at the jetty for the boat transfer to Mahibadhoo upon arrival at Malé, Maldives (2014)

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