The Maldives: paradise, coronavirus and a time of dissonance
In February, Colin and Jackie took a long-planned trip to the Maldives for a celebratory holiday. This ended up coinciding with the continuing spread of the COVID-19 (coronavirus), especially its acceleration back home in the UK. “Getting away from it all” might normally be a strong desire, but when unprecedented events occur, it can leave one unprepared for what has to be faced. Colin writes of his experience and feelings over the course of his trip.
On reflection we now consider ourselves very lucky to have actually got away in the first place and also, apart from a few minor hiccups, we were able to return to the UK without too much hassle. I had booked flights and accommodation separately with the accommodation owner kindly taking care of transfers between the airport (Malé) and the island. After much research we decided to base our stay on a ‘local’ island, Ukulhas [see header photo above], as opposed to a ‘resort’ island. Our chosen island is part of the Alif Alif Attol and has around 900 inhabitants and was so small that it was possible to walk around it in about 20 minutes. Life on the island is very simple with no big hotels and it’s off the radar for tour operators. Being so small, transport for the locals is mainly motor scooters or tuk-tuks. There are no roads to speak of, just tracks criss-crossing from one side of the island to the other. The island attracts only a handful of tourists / visitors and in our time on the island we met no other English people.
Fish supper!
Our accommodation was more than adequate with a large up to date bathroom. The excellent air conditioning was most welcome! A small fridge was provided along with other small comforts. A choice of breakfast was provided each morning and the Maldivian breakfast (Mashuni) is to be recommended. We ate out in the evenings at one of a handful of restaurants but we were more than happy with the choice on offer. The freshly caught fish and sea food was fabulous. Some of the restaurants were so small that they would have only half a dozen tables and food would be prepared across the road from the actual seating area. The Maldives is an Islamic nation and as such alcohol is not allowed on the ‘local’ islands but is available on the ‘resort’ islands.
The beach is exactly as you see in glossy photographs with beautiful white sand and crystal clear turquoise sea. The snorkelling is fantastic and we even saw baby sharks (harmless!) swimming along the shore-line. Trips out are limited but swimming with manta rays is a must. Although bikinis are allowed on the beach, for anywhere else on the island, women need to cover up. The highlight of an evening walk after dinner was watching the local fishermen bring in their catch with the locals bartering for their own needs.
An invitation to stroll, swim and snorkel!
Being a ‘local’ island, you really do get a sense of day to day life on Ukulhas. Roads are unmade and much of the housing unfinished but I have to say we really took to the simplicity of it all and it helped make for a totally memorable holiday. We felt as though we experienced true local life in the Maldives as opposed to being in the confines of a luxury resort which could be anywhere in the world. There are a couple of small supermarkets on the island and the shopkeepers along with waiters in the restaurants were all friendly and helpful. Locals themselves were polite but at the same time reserved.
Before we left the UK the Coronavirus situation was changing on a daily basis but with no suggestion that overseas travel was to be cancelled. Whilst wifi was available (but only in our room), it was only at the start of our second week when we started receiving texts from our children that we realised how quickly things were deteriorating at home and indeed throughout the rest of the world. With no access to TV or newspapers we were very much cushioned from reality. A few days before we were due to return, we became aware that a number of international flights were being cancelled and some countries were being put on lock-down. It was at this point that we started to become concerned and we were constantly checking for any flight updates. It was about this time that we became aware that the Maldives had declared their first positive test for coronavirus and subsequently the authorities acted very quickly to secure their borders. There are over 1100 islands in total, grouped into 26 coral atolls, but their focus was on securing each inhabited island.
Local transport parked up in the island’s back streets
When it was time to leave, we faced a long wait of 14 hours at Malé airport before we were able to set off for home. This was caused by the speed boat transfers from the island back to Malé being cut back to one journey per day. That transfer was at 07.00 when our flight wasn't until 23.30. All of this was on the 18th March and we subsequently found out that from the 20th, transfers to and from the island were ceasing. Effectively we would have been cut off. It felt strange leaving behind an island that we had grown to love knowing that very soon the local inhabitants would once again have the island to themselves but at the same time be losing the valuable income derived from tourism.
We flew via Istanbul with Turkish Airlines and from the 22nd they suspended all Maldives flights and from the 23rd all UK flights. Now we realise how lucky we were, or we could have joined all those other British nationals subsequently stranded around the world trying to get home. Our time in transit at Istanbul airport opened our eyes to the real sense of disruption and the desperation felt by some travellers whose flight arrangements were constantly changing.
It was definitely a shock when we eventually arrived back in the UK. On leaving the aircraft we were immediately met by immigration officials who performed various ‘official’ checks, but surprisingly perhaps no health questions were asked or checks undertaken. A generic Coronavirus leaflet was handed out without comment. The airport itself was strangely quiet. As we drove home in the car the news coverage on the radio instilled in us the scale of the devastation the virus was causing not only in the UK but around the world. We found our daughter was now having to work from home while a trip to the local supermarket to replenish empty cupboards was met by empty shelves. The country we returned to was much changed from the one we left two weeks earlier and we now wonder how the island and the people we left behind will cope without their income from tourism. We have vowed to return but who knows what we would return to?
