Maldives might be my favourite beach destination - vibrant colours, abundant marine life, closeness to nature, softest sand in the world - i just love everything about it. In addition, being spoilt with some of the most indulgent luxuries in the middle of the ocean feels almost sinfully good.
Having been to several atolls in the past, my eyes were on South Ari for our latest trip in November, as swimming with whale sharks has always been on my bucket list.
These gentle giants can be found all over the Maldives and indeed in all the tropical oceans of the planet, however South Ari Atoll is unique as this is the only year-round whale shark sighting site of its kind in the world!!! Whale sharks are not only the largest shark, but the largest of any fish alive today.
Despite their intimidating appearance, they feed on plankton and travel long distances to find enough food to sustain their huge size.
Being the largest fish in the world they could grow as large as 20m. We did our whale shark snorkelling trip on a traditional wooden Dhoni boat, where a tracker would spot a shark from a top deck and command us to jump into the water. Whale sharks often swim close to the surface of the water making snorkelling sightings possible for those who do not dive. We were incredibly lucky to have a huge shark swim only a couple of metres below us - an unforgettable feeling! Not to mention a huge variety of other fish and even turtles. That is why it is so important to travel.
Upon arrival in the Maldives, all travellers get whisked away to their chosen resort either by boat, seaplane or a domestic flight transfer. Our destination was the beautiful Lily Beach.
Without a doubt one of the highlights of your stay in the Maldives will be your seaplane journey to the resort - it almost feels like an excursion. Your 25-minute seaplane journey to Lily Beach with Trans Maldivian Airways will be an experience of its own – make sure you have your camera handy to capture those incredible images to share with friends and family of the turquoise waters surrounding the atolls from above.
While you are waiting for your seaplane transfer, you are welcome to relax and enjoy the hospitality at Lily Beach’s air-conditioned lounge, and enjoy free drinks, snacks and wi-fi.
This striking island is only 600m by 100m and has a cosy and friendly atmosphere even at full occupancy as there are only 125 Villas & Suites to choose from. We stayed in the coveted Deluxe water villa with a private pool and couldn’t be happier with our choice. The villa was very private, spacious and had all amenities we could possibly ask for including the ones you can’t buy, like beautiful sunsets! And the best thing of all - their vibrant house reef started right at our door step and ran along the whole perimeter of the island on both sides! I spent many happy hours snorkelling with reef sharks and exploring colourful coral and multiple species of fish.
Lily Beach is a Platinum all-inclusive resort and this definitely takes all the pressure off in this notoriously pricy destination where every small thing needs to be imported from other countries.
I consider myself something of a foodie and was completely blown away by the selection and quality of food presented at the resort's restaurants. Who could have thought that you could get over 20 varieties of French cheese and even fresh oysters on a tiny island in the Indian Ocean?
Lily beach is a family friendly resort with a fantastic kid's club and facilities yet couples will feel equally happy as there is an adults-only pool with a bar attached to it.
When the time came to leave, we were simply heart-broken. Thank you, Lily Beach, for taking such a good care of us!
Maryna travelled to the Lily Beach in November 2021 - give her a call discuss your next holiday to the Maldives.
Photo by Sebastian Pena Lambarri on Unsplash