LATEST REPORT FROM MALDIVES - PLEASE READ!

[alison boler]

Hi
Have posted up an "on the ground" report from the Maldives written by a journalist who has spent the last week touring the islands and specifically looking at the beach and water conditions and talking to divers on the scene. It makes interesting and thought provoking reading. Please take a minute.
Allie

[Jeanne]

Hi
Have posted up an "on the ground" report from the Maldives written by a journalist who has spent the last week touring the islands and specifically looking at the beach and water conditions and talking to divers on the scene. It makes interesting and thought provoking reading. Please take a minute.
Allie

Thanks Allie,

We are going in April! We had other plans, but hey, we love the Maldives, and now is the time to help our friends.

Jeanne

[Mike Halligan]

We are going in April! We had other plans, but hey, we love the Maldives, and now is the time to help our friends.

Too right. I've just spoken to a colleague (non-diver) whose resort island in Meemu Atoll was inundated, about a week before planned departure. The operator offered the sister resort in Ari Atoll as substitute, which she is delighted (now) that they accepted. Immediately before going, she was somewhat fearful of what she would meet. However, she and her husband had a wonderful time in a completely unaffected resort with only 30% occupancy and flights less than half full.

Resort staff have been sent home to Sri Lanka because of cancellations, yet nothing had been harmed at all. The resort had 10 minutes warning from Male in which to evacuate bungalow guests onto the island as the swell lapped the undersides of the jetties and bungalows - and moved on.

The message seems to be that the Maldives government will not compromise future tourism by permitting sub-standard offerings at this crucial time.

HTH

Mike

[Colin Knight]

I returned last Thursday from a one week dive trip to Bandos Island Resort (North Male Atoll). I take a group of divers there every year from the Middle East. The diving was as good as ever or better in the opinion of some of my regular trip members. We had one of our best manta dives (12 feet max on the reef top at Rasfari Tilla - 60 minutes of mantas going around and overhead)) and one of the best shark dives ever (gray reef sharks at 80 feet feeding in the current at Voshimas Tilla). All the usual marine life was seen. Water temperature was mostly 28C, down to 27C a couple of times. Best flights ever - slept on 4 seats going out and arrived rested for a change. Resort staff were great. They need the tourists to come to recover from the economic blow suffered on December 26 when 20 of the 86 or so resorts had to close. One of the staff on our island said his home island had 2 metres of water covering it when the tsunami arrived and all houses were destroyed and possessions washed away, leaving 3 to 15 cms mud. Fortunately no-one on that island died.
I recommend going there ASAP while the travel bargains last and the planes are empty. By the way, there are some good duty free prices on dive computers at the airport when leaving the Maldives, though not much in the way of other dive gear.
If any one has any questions about the Maldives, feel free to contact me privately. I have been diving in the Maldives every year since 1988.

[Jeanne]

I recommend going there ASAP while the travel bargains last and the planes are empty. By the way, there are some good duty free prices on dive computers at the airport when leaving the Maldives, though not much in the way of other dive gear.
If any one has any questions about the Maldives, feel free to contact me privately. I have been diving in the Maldives every year since 1988.

I totally agree with you. From the trouble we had finding accommodation (though not flights, interestingly) in the Maldives over the past 5 days for a stay in April/early May, it would seem that bargains will only be staying for a very short time, to cover perhaps the cancellations which were experienced as a knee jerk reaction from not travelling there in the near future. It's good news mind you. We paid a 'normal price' not a bargain price, and we don't mind this in the least. We'll be in Veligandu, if anyone has any report on the place, I would be happy to read this.

Jeanne