Maldives 2023

April 2, 2023, Sunday. Abu Dhabi

I’m setting off on my longest and most adventurous trip yet. Following in the footsteps of travel blogger Masha Sebova, you could say. Hard to believe it’ll all work out and I’ll actually end up on some paradise islands near the equator. So for now, I’m just sticking to the plan. First stop — the Emirates. And then… we’ll see.

I landed in Abu Dhabi deep in the night. A brand-new city for me, everything unfamiliar. Currency exchange counters at the airport were closed, no internet.
The top-up machine for the bus card wasn’t working either. But at least the ride was free! (Saved 4 dirhams.) Only thing is, I ended up in the wrong place. The A2 bus (the night N2) goes to the Central Bus Station, but I got off at A1 (N1). So I had to walk about 3 km more. At night it’s almost cool — quite nice, actually.
The moment you arrive in the UAE, you immediately feel that unmistakable scale, grandeur, and solidity of the Emirates (something I remembered from Dubai) — from the smooth-as-butter roads to the broad pavements and the powerful pressure in the shower.

International Abu Dhabi Hostel is a 10-minute walk from the Central Bus Station (where I should have arrived). Nearby is the Belarusian Embassy — practically the same type of building, made of yellowish-pink stone. Funny.
By the time I got there, I was exhausted. To wake the owners at night, you have to call them on WhatsApp through Booking — the doorbell probably wouldn’t help. The gate is usually locked, and behind it there’s an inner courtyard. But the hostel itself I really liked — clean and comfortable.
I went to bed at 5 a.m. local time, woke up at 10:30.
Laundry — 25 dirhams. A basic necessity! Shower, breakfast, currency exchange — all next on the list.

It just so happened that my trip fell during Ramadan, which is observed everywhere in the Emirates. And the first thing you notice is the restriction on eating in public for foreigners. All cafés and restaurants stay closed until sunset. During Ramadan it’s easiest to eat in malls, on the top floors in the food courts — that’s where the food scene is still alive. At Al Baik (a Saudi fast-food place) in Al Wahda Mall you can eat for just 15 dirhams (the exchange rate is 1 to 124 KZT right now).
And around 30 AED at KFC. Pretty cheap! Twice as cheap as in tourist spots in Dubai. Maybe because of Ramadan too.
To get around Abu Dhabi, I bought a bus card at the Central Bus Station. It’s called the Hafilat card — costs 20 AED (10 already on the balance), you get it from a machine.
I headed out for a walk and walked myself to the point of exhaustion.

Cold!! Can you believe it? In Abu Dhabi, in April. Never expected that. Windy, brr. West Bay beach, the Corniche promenade — empty. Yellow and red flags flapping in the wind. I was the only one swimming, no one else around. It’s very shallow there, barely waist-deep. But the beach is public, clean, sandy, well maintained. And overall the promenade is beautiful, full of greenery. Abu Dhabi seems to be one of the greenest cities in the desert. Hard to imagine how much water it takes to keep everything alive.
I wanted to visit the Heritage Village on the peninsula opposite the Corniche, but didn’t make it — it was closed as well because of Ramadan. And the flagpole next to it is enormous (123 meters); when you stand under it, it feels like it’s leaning right over you. The 40-meter flag can be seen from 60 km away.

Marina Mall is huge, and Carrefour inside is endless. They have everything! Fun place to stroll around.
I took a bus back, on some strange looping route. Route 34, I think. By the way, the fare was only 2 AED for some reason, not 4. If you have a monthly card, you have to validate it twice — getting in and out — but if it’s a rechargeable one like mine, you only tap on when boarding.
At night the roads are decorated in emerald and silver lights, really festive — like New Year’s.
After 8 p.m. the city suddenly came alive, filled with people.
In the evening I treated myself to some goodies from Marina Mall. Blueberries! Mmm… And just 3.75 a box.

April 3, 2023. Monday. 300 meters above the city.

“And we dream not of the roar of the cosmodrome…” (Famous russian song)
Home pops into my dreams 🙂
First thing in the morning, I printed out my WizzAir boarding passes (some routes require a printed ticket, which they swap for the final version at check-in), and also the IMUGA — the travel declaration you need for entering the Maldives. It must be completed in less than 96 hours before the flight, so you have to prepare it just before depart.
I wanted to visit the Louvre today (yes, the Emirates have their own Louvre), but of course it’s closed on Mondays. So I went to the beach. The Corniche was completely empty again, and once more I was the only one swimming. The wind was strong, but that didn’t stop me. At least it was sunny!
The whole beach was mine 🙂 To warm up I would lie down on the hot sand — then the wind didn’t matter at all.

I went up to Observation Deck at 300, located in the Etihad Towers — that cluster of skyscrapers by the coast — for only 35 AED (looks like prices have gone way up since). An impressive 360° view of the city and the sea from the 74th floor! Gorgeous. The viewing deck at Burj Khalifa is about 50 floors higher, but even so, the panorama here is stunning — the Corniche beach, the Arabian Gulf, and the Emirates Palace hotel all spread out below.


By the time I came back down, I was hungry like a dinosaur. But even McDonald’s will feed you for 20 AED.) Down by the shore you can hear birds — they make these long, cooing calls from above, kind of like cuckoos, only more drawn out: Coo-hooo-hoo! Coo-hooo-hoo!
In the evening it got cold again, and I no longer felt like taking off my jacket. Maybe only to walk barefoot along the beach.
The sand was cold, ribbed after leveling (a special machine drives along the shore to smooth it out). And the sunset was gentle, faintly peach-colored.

For the first time I noticed the low tide. The sea had pulled back about five meters. Maybe ten centimeters lower in height. It murmured softly — that evening kind of sound. The wind kept blowing in from the sea, chilly.
In the maze of the LuLu hypermarket I picked up some snacks for the road — nuts, a mix of all sorts, some kind of shrimp chips. A ripe mango, a plum, and blueberries (yum!). Chicken strips with flatbread for dinner. Honestly, you are spoiled for choice — there’s so much of everything there!

April 4, 2023. Tuesday. Course set for the Maldives

I nearly missed the airport bus. The A2 leaves the station once an hour — and of course I had to step away to check the timetable right when it arrived! Had to sprint back to the platform.
Once again I ended up at Zayed International Airport. It’s absolutely enormous, but so well designed — comfortable, with quiet corners for waiting. Ahead of me was another WizzAir flight. Their planes are beautiful in that signature bright-purple livery. I’d flown in from Almaty with WizzAir too — unbelievably cheap tickets, just 50–70 dollars for an almost 5-hour flight! And around 100–125 dollars from the UAE to the Maldives. Truly irresistible prices. Sadly, by late 2025 these routes are gone; WizzAir shut down their Abu Dhabi hub, which is a real shame. Now even with low-cost airlines, getting to the Maldives costs twice as much. 🙁

The flight was almost six hours. Wow.) I chatted in WhatsApp right up until takeoff, texting in English, ignoring the instruction to switch to airplane mode. Staying in touch with the people you love when you’re so far from home — that’s priceless. And endlessly comforting, knowing someone remembers you and waits for you.
From the A321neo I saw the Ferrari World complex. It’s so huge you can’t miss it, even from the side of the window. I was in the aisle seat, sadly. But I still saw that blazing orange sky above the clouds, and later the glowing lights of the Maldivian islands scattered in the dark.

At last, we landed. Nighttime, humid, +30°C heat!
At the airport I exchanged 100 dollars for 1500 Maldivian rufiyaa (MVR). Just like the new UAE bills, the local currency is plastic. The rate is 1 rufiyaa = 30 tenge.
Some shady guy near the exchange counter offered 1600, which was odd — higher than the official rate. I didn’t listen to him.)
But I did find the local bus. Had to wander around in the heat for half an hour, asking random people and trying my luck, but eventually I got to Hulhumalé for 10 MVR instead of 10 dollars for a taxi. Savings again. Route R4. The buses are super comfortable, you pay with a Visa card — just like in Antalya. Very convenient!
Traffic is left-hand here, by the way. Funny.)

I paid 55 dollars for the hotel (compared to 90 AED in Abu Dhabi). And they upgraded my room for free — the best room, with a balcony on the 4th floor. With a view of the night beach. Just perfect!
I swam in the night sea. It was so bright — silver clouds, and the full moon right at the zenith, glowing in a rainbow halo. Stars sparkling like diamonds. White, soft sand. Palms along the shore, even chairs to sit on while listening to the surf behind the breakwater. And the water was warm like fresh milk. Pure bliss.
At a café I treated myself to a brownie with ice cream — 95 rufiyaa. Goes perfectly with coffee.

April 5, 2023. Wednesday. Thoddoo!

Got up early. A little rough in the sea. The water was low, very shallow. But still — amazing. Paradise feels close. 🙂
You can wade over to a big inflatable pool on the water. There the bottom is clean and deep enough — a great place to swim while waiting for a flight home or a transfer to a resort. Hulhumalé is exactly that: like a transit hub near the airport, connected to the capital Malé by a bridge. Guests don’t stay long here.
Seaplanes fly low overhead all the time. The sea hums, singing its song.

I ordered a Maldivian-style breakfast at the café attached to Huvan Beach hotel. Chicken bites in a spicy sauce, coconut mash, flatbreads, and coffee with a peacock-feather pattern in the foam. Interesting, new!)
And the prices… surprisingly normal. 110 rufiyaa for everything.
Waited for the bus for ages, not sure which stop to use. Turned out it’s a circular route. I thought one more minute and I’ll have to grab a taxi. Finally, the R4 arrived.

Near the airport the traffic was heavy, almost a jam, and I reached pick-up point D11 at 10:28 — two minutes before boarding. But there was no one there. At the pier I found out my boat had already left, and the next one would only be at 4 p.m. They didn’t wait!

A moment of sharp confusion. First time this happened to me. What now? I didn’t panic — just assessed the situation. Wasting the whole day waiting wasn’t an option; I needed alternatives. And I found them — thank goodness for English.)
My first idea was to turn the boat back by calling the captain through a port worker. They couldn’t have gone far yet. But the boat didn’t respond.
How else to get to Thoddoo? There’s a fruit ferry from Malé, but first, it runs irregularly (though it’s very cheap, just a couple of dollars), and second, it takes six hours. No way.
But I learned there was a speedboat to Rasdhoo leaving from the next jetty — and that’s close. Thoddoo is practically within sight from there. I arranged with the guesthouse owner via WhatsApp that someone would pick me up from Rasdhoo. The ride there cost 40$. And later they still charged me the 35$ for the missed Thoddoo boat. 🙁
A speedboat is truly speedy — it literally flies over the waves. Four powerful engines on the stern cover the 67 km in an hour and a half.

From Rasdhoo I continued on a motorboat. They took me personally!) The water was an incredible aquamarine, so crystal clear that you could see the whole bottom of the atoll. And the sea felt alive!… From the boat I saw turtles, flying fish skimming above the surface, and even a huge manta ray on the seabed! Pure delight — grinning ear to ear.
Though even here an occasional bottle floated by.

On the shore someone met me, and again, personally drove me on a golf cart straight to the guesthouse, along sandy village lanes shaded by tropical trees.
Since Thoddoo is a local island, people actually live here — unlike the resort islands entirely given over to hotels.
I stayed at Relax Residence — a cozy, welcoming guesthouse, just as good as a hotel. Upon arrival they handed me a welcome coconut with a flower. I was sort of expecting that — I’d seen it in
Masha Sebova’s videos — but it was still really nice. 🙂

The room was big, almost too spacious for one person. A balcony overlooking a picturesque inner courtyard. And a coconut palm right outside the window.)

I had lunch across the road for 250 rufiyaa.
2500 tenge for a glass of juice and 5000 for a sandwich — what the…? Though the juice was phenomenal. Passion fruit mixed with something, I think.
After lunch — straight to the beach. Sunset Beach is about a 10-minute walk from the guesthouse, along paths through lush greenery toward the turquoise glow. Words can’t describe that jubilant, crystal-clear blue — like a liquid gemstone. You step onto the shore and feel like you’ve entered paradise. Palm trees with swings, white coral sand, and warm gentle sea… Air +30°C, water +28°C. In a word — perfect!

So many fish! All sizes and colors — your eyes can’t keep up. About 50 meters from shore lie the reefs, clearly visible through the glassy water.
I saw a little crab on the beach and swam with turtles! Big ones — half a meter, some maybe a full meter long. They don’t pay attention to swimmers at all. You can stand on the sandy bottom, right next to one, just a meter away, and look through the water as if you’re inside an aquarium swimming with them.)

There weren’t too many people. Russian speakers — almost every second person. Even the local fruit seller! His Russian was better than many native speakers from the post-Soviet space. 🙂
I swam a lot, snorkeled, and wore aqua shoes — you shouldn’t step on corals barefoot, the edges are sharp. At the beach entrance I bought a couple of local mangoes, passion fruits, and a big coconut — all for just 55 rufiyaa. Everything delicious, especially the passion fruit.)
By evening the sun dipped quickly, and the emerald-turquoise colors shifted into peachy steel glimmer. People slowly left the beach, while I stayed in a sunbed, eating fruit and listening to a “by-request-free” concert from the water — Russian songs with a Maldivian twist. Х)

Swam again in the hot night sea. Stars shining overhead, sweet fruit juice and sea salt on my lips.
Later, the moon was once again unbelievably bright and silver, flooding everything in mysterious light. The way back felt like a real dark labyrinth through the jungle — or at least it seemed so.)

In the evening I shopped at a local supermarket. Thoddoo has some variety for tourists, at least. And the prices are similar to back home.
To compensate for expenses a bit, I grabbed 2 instant noodles 🙂 Not bad — will diversify the menu. I spent 560$ today. Wow.
But now almost everything is paid for, except Fuladhoo with its transfer. And food and some souvenirs.)

April 6, 2023. Thursday. A Wonderful Underwater World

The morning starts with a Maldivian breakfast. In the same restaurant across from Relax, breakfast is included. You serve yourself: coconut porridge, flatbread, an egg, watermelon slices, cabbage–carrot salad, plus juice. Not bad. 🙂
Koi fish swim in the canal right by the tables — bright, colorful, asking for snacks.) And outside, by the entrance, sits a blue-and-yellow macaw.
Everywhere in the village there are flowers, wide-branched palms, fruit trees. Noni, maybe guava. Little long-legged lizards (tiny iguanas or geckos) run along the walls. Beyond the village lie jungle, coconut plantations, and vegetable fields. They even grow cucumbers here. Thoddoo is one of the few islands with its own agricultural production.

Right after breakfast we headed out for a sea excursion. I booked it the day before (for $125) in a local tour agency at the end of the street on the way to the beach. They offer all kinds of tours starting from around $50. A one-day trip to a resort island, for example, costs about $100.


The guide (a Russian-speaking blond guy) seated everyone in the boat and handed out masks and fins. Told us to wait “two Maldivian minutes,” and then we’d depart.
“Two Maldivian minutes” is like “five Egyptian minutes.” Maybe we’ll leave soon, maybe not, maybe never. Paradise surroundings dissolve all concepts of punctuality. 🙂
He also talked about the local language — that to express greeting, agreement, or disagreement, one vowel sound is enough. And honestly, why complicate things? XD
Finally, we set off. Fast! Spray everywhere, the boat racing forward. Remembering the story with my cap in Dubai, I hid mine just in case.
The sea — azure, radiant. Stunningly beautiful.

We sailed far along the edge of the atoll, almost to Rasdhoo and Ukulhas. We were looking for the famous mantas but didn’t find them. Instead, we swam with sharks! There were about a dozen. Nurse sharks. I even touched one! Felt like a mushroom. 🙂

In Dhivehi, “shark” is miyaru — same name as the local shark conservation organization.
We also swam above a shipwreck.

Then stopped at a sandbank — a tiny island in the middle of the turquoise sea, with white sand as fine as semolina. Hard to imagine a more heavenly place. The views were incredible!!

For lunch we were given lunch boxes with a sandwich, a sausage, an egg, and a potato in its skin, plus a small juice. And of course, photo sessions. 🙂
I saw a crab. We embarrassed him with filming — he tried to dig himself into a hole, hiding from the tourists.
Then they gave us hermit crabs (with numbers painted on their shells) and arranged hermit-crab races. You release them in the center of a circle drawn on the sand; whichever crab reaches the edge first wins. The winner gets a free dinner. Mine, number 5, held on pretty well, but didn’t win.

Later we searched for mantas again — and we found them! A pair of rays gliding in the depths, huge, dark, majestic. And on the boat they gave each of us a box of fruit — watermelon and papaya pieces.
We snorkeled above a reef near a resort island. Indescribably beautiful! So many colorful fish — hundreds and hundreds. The current was strong enough to carry you forward; you hardly needed to move. And below us — a magical, living underwater world. An astonishing sight!

We returned to Thoddoo only around four in the afternoon.

For a late lunch I went to Foot Land café — tried delicious tuna chunks with greens and tea — all for 150 rufiyaa. Not bad. One thing for sure: the fish here is fresh. Straight from the sea. 🙂
The sun set, a drizzle started, just as I was heading to the beach. “Lucky for me”
At Sunrise Beach, unlike Sunset Beach, there are rocks along the shore, hammocks, and even swings installed in the water.
You can sit above the waves, gently swaying (if it’s low tide), looking into the far dark horizon and the crystal sky glowing in silver moonlight, alone with the sea. Hard to believe how much light the Maldivian moon and stars give! Only the jungle stands as an impenetrable velvety black wall. And above the trees, big flying foxes glide silently.
And the sea isn’t filled only with starlight. Sliding through its gentle waves, I suddenly started noticing faint, ghostly flashes in the water before me — appearing as my hands moved. Bioluminescent plankton! In some places in the Maldives there’s so much of it that the water seems to ignite with bright, mysterious fire when stirred. I only saw a few rare sparks, but still — incredible…


I lay in a hammock, chatting on WhatsApp under the palms. Around me — total darkness and no one else. Even felt a little uneasy being alone. 🙂
My friend was shocked to learn I’m actually in the Maldives. And honestly, I still can’t quite believe it myself.)
On the way back to the hotel I stopped by Moo Ces Mart and bought some kind of nuts — they looked like little round chips, or tablets, but tasted like dried bark. Like wood, really. Later I found out it was areca nut, betel.
At least the yogurt was good. Bulgarian, from Indonesia. Х)
I’m so sleepy — just knocking out. 🙂

April 7, 2023. Friday. A Bike Ride and a Red Snapper

Near the guesthouse I saw little lizards and even green parrots about the size of cockatiels.)
For breakfast, as always, coconut with greens, veggies, and today there was some pearl barley porridge too. Jam to spread on the flatbread, and koi swimming right at the edge of the dining area, as usual, kept me company.)
I rented a bike for the day at Cocoa Villa for $5. Now I could ride everywhere!

Went swimming at the first beach. Guaranteed delight and bliss. Bought a papaya and two passion fruits for 45 rufiyaa ($3). The papaya was big and only 10 rufiyaa because they grow it here. Sweet as a melon. Passion fruit — tart inside, with that tropical punch! Really loved it.)

Aside from the village in the center, wrapped in jungle, the island is encircled by winding little paths running through the plantations. Beach access points are usually hidden, tucked away in the thick emerald wall of vegetation.
During the day it’s scorching! Went back to Food Land for lunch — got papaya juice and tuna lasagna. Half of the dishes here are either with tuna or with coconut, as I see. 🙂
The lasagna didn’t quite work for me — Garfield advertised it better.

After lunch I went out on a motorboat for some fishing! Jigging with a “cheaty” lure, together with Artyom (the guy who runs the Relax Trip tours). We sailed far from the island, into deep water — we were letting the line down almost a hundred meters. And I didn’t come back empty-handed! Right before heading back, I caught a beautiful Red Snapper! (Family Lutjanidae.) Pulled him up from the depths. And Fidar, our boat captain — the same one who picked me up from Rasdhoo at the start — caught plenty of fish himself, all different kinds, including one really large one.)

And in the evening, at the restaurant across from the guesthouse, I got to try my very own catch — they cooked it specially for me for $10. With veggies, lemons. Delicious!
Swam a lot today. Even though I used sunscreen, I’m still getting burnt, especially on my back. Can’t exactly reach your own back.)

At night I went for a swim again. The night beach is magical — moonlit rainbow glow, sand polished smooth by the waves, and the warm gentle sea. Saw a crab come ashore.
The sunset was rainbow-colored too, by the way. 🙂
The champion of the hermit-crab races kept appearing today. And I also saw a motivational poster while biking past — for a second I thought it was Stalin! XD


In the evening I had banana bread — really liked it. The bananas themselves turned out completely green though. And tiny.)
By the way, I learned that those wooden “tablets” are actually some kind of local chewing treat. Still no idea how they manage to chew that wooden stuff. 🙂

April 8, 2023, Saturday. The Wild Maldives. Fulhadhoo

Leaving Thoddoo. Eh… I guess everyone feels the same when they sail away.
The speedboat got us to Malé quickly, in under an hour and a half.

The airport was noisy and crowded. I ate half of the tuna sandwich the guesthouse packed for me — a nice touch.) But sandwiches aren’t going down well here; I’m craving juicier food.
By the way, they refunded the money for the missed transfer — didn’t expect that.)
There was still a lot of time before my departure, and the luggage storage was costly. Had to plan wisely to enjoy the wait and not overpay. 🙂
So I went back to Huvan Beach — they remember me there. Left my bags and ordered French toast. So good! Waffles with an entire cup of chocolate cream. Honestly, a bit too sweet for one meal for my taste. 🙂
Managed to go for a swim and take a short walk through the Hulhumalé park.

The “Atoll Cute” speedboat is big, holds 60 people — and every seat was taken. Not bad for them: four thousand dollars in one run!
From Malé to Fulhadhoo is 100 km, and they got us there in two hours. I thought it would take longer. We also stopped at Goidhoo and Fehendhoo to drop people off.
Finally, we arrived. Just a few passengers — me and a family from Greece, also heading to the Azoush guesthouse. There are only six guesthouses on the whole island, which actually feels like a lot for such a tiny speck of land.
The island is small — about 1.5 km long and only 250 meters across.

Real Maldivian backcountry. Wild jungle, wild beach. If on Thoddoo everything feels arranged for visitors and neatly placed where it should be, here it’s the opposite — nature rules. The jungle is dense, untamed. Trails are narrow, winding. On Thoddoo it feels like the jungle is “allowed” to be there; here the trails feel like intruders.)
First impressions — so many crabs on the shore!! And so much tiny fish — just swarms.

The tourist beach is on the south and west sides. Vegetation comes right up to the waterline. Almost no swimmers at all. The shoreline varies — patches of rock, then pure sand. The sand is super fine, like flour, sinking under your feet, raising clouds of murk in the water. And the waves — unlike Thoddoo, here nothing shields them. In the southwest part the spot is amazing: clean sand, and out of nowhere big waves roll in. So fun!

On the far western tip it feels like you’re standing at the edge of the world. The shores narrow, closing in, and beyond that — nothing but water. There’s even a sandy spit farther out — I swam to it.

They do try to keep Fulhadhoo clean. I saw a poster offering a free drink for a bag of collected trash. Though honestly, you’d have to work hard to find that much trash.)
At 7 pm the guesthouse served dinner — $10, buffet style. Tuna (as always) with veggies, fruit slices, soup, and some battered vegetables. Filling. 🙂
In the yard they have cool hanging egg chairs and even a pool table. The room has a key card, and the AC turns on automatically. The bed is huge!

At night I went walking, sat by the shore eating mango with passion fruit. (The mango was huge, a little green on one side, but delicious.) Looked up at unfamiliar stars. Found only the Big Dipper — and even that upside down. Funny. 🙂
Hermit crabs and regular crabs scuttle along the shore. Tiny ones.) But the crabs run so fast! I was also treated to local “apples” (more like little pears). Very juicy and tasty — kind of energizing.)
From the lit bridge at the harbor I could see baby sharks in the water. And rays (stingrays?). Right in the shallows.)

Wandered through the village. In some parts the entire shore was filled with crabs, unbelievable! They dart sideways away from the light faster than cockroaches. 🙂
Then I went for another swim, through the night forest. Very dark and eerie. But the sea was bathed in midnight light — you don’t want to leave it.) I switched on my phone flashlight as a beacon on the shore so I’d know where to find my clothes. And the trail out. It lit up a cozy little corner of jungle. 🙂

April 9, 2023, Sunday. Malé

There were few passengers on the return trip. Right before departure people stood on the pier, reluctant to step onto the boat. One girl stayed on shore until the very last moment — she clearly didn’t want to sail back.
We left at 7 a.m., and I slept through almost the entire ride 🙂
Even despite the roar of the four Yamaha engines at the stern. It really is sad to head back.

Spent the morning at the airport, sent postcards. By now I pretty much know where everything is. 🙂 Had a meal at KFC again, another $13. Then took the ferry to Malé. The crossing is just $1.

The capital of the Maldives is strikingly different from the other islands. Crowded, cramped — while the rest of the islands are freedom and open space. Here it’s a swarm of scooters shooting out from everywhere like jack-in-the-boxes. Narrow sidewalks, tight passages, even inside shops. Noisy, packed. No wonder — 200 thousand people squeezed into 7 km²! In some places it’s dirty, trash around, even in the sea, especially near the cargo harbor. Probably similar to India or Bangladesh. But this “other side” of the Maldives exists only in the backstreets of Malé.

There are artificial beaches on two opposite ends of the island. Small, tidy-looking, but a bit dirty — bits of debris floating in the water sometimes.
I had to swim in clothes because of Ramadan — really inconvenient, took forever to dry. During the day it rained twice, and again in the evening before my flight. Still, it was hot all day.
But on the far end of the island, near the second beach, there were very comfy woven loungers. I enjoyed relaxing there.

I wanted to return by bus — I think R2, R3, and R7 run from that side — but the schedule was inconvenient, so I had to rush to catch the ferry instead.

By the time I went through all the airport procedures, three hours had passed, and I got to the gate just in time. The duty-free souvenirs were amazing — so many of them! But prices were twice as high as in the city, sometimes several times higher.
I saw a really cool Maldives T-shirt for $35. Maybe next time I’ll splurge.)
At check-in I watched as two Azerbaijanis were denied boarding. They were also flying with a transit through the UAE, but apparently their entry rules don’t allow re-entering the Emirates anytime they want — only after a certain interval. And they had already passed through the UAE on their way to the Maldives. The poor guys found out only at boarding.
Lucky us Kazakhstani travelers — we can enter and exit the UAE every day if we want, no restrictions.

My seat was 30F, with a wonderful view of the night islands sparkling like diamonds in the dark. And again the moon was so bright you could even see the clouds over the water.
Sad to leave the Maldives. But I chose not to say goodbye — only “see you again.” 🙂

April 10, 2023. Monday. Back to the Emirates

Arrived at the Tanih Place hostel in the dead of night. Knocked for a long time — thought they wouldn’t open at all, lol. What a place… The elevators don’t have inner doors, and the tiny bathroom windows open straight into the elevator shaft. The only plus is that the shared room in the apartment is divided by a partition, so it kind of feels like having your own small private space. This is where migrant workers live, mostly from Africa.
Alongside the shine and grandeur of the Emirates, there’s this side too.
Behind the monumental facades, you sometimes find pretty unappealing scenes. They don’t care about beauty there — only about functionality. And even that was lacking: the electricity cut out from time to time.
In the already familiar Al Wahda Mall I tried an amazing donut with chocolate and nuts. Yum! Ate at Al Baik again — a shrimp doner. The shrimp were a bit too sweet, but still, the whole meal with fries and a drink was just 20 dirhams, and the donut was 10. Feels so cheap after the Maldives!

Went to the beach. Now I definitely have something to compare it with 🙂
The Arabian palms look kind of sun-baked and dry, faded. And the water is brisk — 24°C — compared to the Maldives’ +30°C. And very bitter and salty. Corniche Beach is well-maintained, comfortable, and clean. On the wild Maldivian islands, beaches vary — some spots are perfect, others have bits of plant debris, stones, or almost no sandy strip at all.
Walked around a lot. Didn’t get into the Emirates Palace — yet another place on my list I couldn’t visit because of Ramadan. Well, at least I saw it from the outside.

There’s plenty of greenery around, well-kept paths, long promenades. And the weather is lovely — warm and pleasant!
In the evening I stocked up again at the same mall. Bought an extra carry-on bag and filled it with snacks for 200 AED. Different goodies, interesting stuff. 🙂
Also bought perfume — 150 AED for 30 ml. Probably pricey) The scent, “Reef,” is orange and cashmere.

Caught the A2 bus back. Had an egg-and-cheese sandwich (at the far end of the station platform, while no one was looking — Ramadan, after all). On the way we passed the Sheikh Zayed Mosque again — such a majestic sight!

Feels strange to be flying out of the same foreign airport twice in such a short time. It’s basically become my most familiar airport abroad. 🙂
The flight to Almaty is 3 h 50 min. It’s rainy there, only +10°C, chilly.
And meanwhile Abu Dhabi is already in full summer mode.)

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P.S. A little more of the magical underwater world of the Maldives 🙂 Video from our snorkeling tour