Ellaidhoo is one of 80 tourist resorts in the Republic of Maldives. It’s located in the North Ari Atoll (an atoll is a group of islands). The 4 star resort is medium size with about a 150-guest capacity. There are around 100 guests here now and it feels lively but not at all crowded. The only time I see everyone is at dinner. We have assigned tables and waiters like a cruise ship, but a few of us switch around just to confuse everyone.
The island has a reception/game area, bar, dining hall, gift shop, gym, and dive center. Everything is connected by sandy paths under palm trees (someone even racks the paths every morning). The whole island takes about 15 minutes to walk around. It’s amazingly beautiful, but almost feels a little bit artificial—a little Truman Show or Disney -esque.
The people change every few days. A bunch of fun English people left yesterday and a large group of Italians arrived. Instantly the people are more beautiful and the meals are more lively. My bungalow neighbors and diving partners are German. The one other independent world traveler I’ve met, David, is from Vancouver. So, it’s quite an interesting mix here at Ellaidhoo, with some people staying a month!
The diving has been gorgeous around Ellaidhoo, but a little tame after our cowboy antics on safari. The dive center is VERY organized, not at all like the “last one to the bottom is a rotten egg” approach of last week. I was sad to make my last Maldivan dive today!
Tomorrow I’ll spend my last day of the world tour lounging in the sun (I haven’t been this tan since high school), reading a book while sipping mango/passion fruit juice and thinking about how unbelievably fortunate I am to have had this experience!
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