Slow Maldives: Atolls, House Reef and Indian Ocean Silence

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The Maldives need not be synonymous with over-water villas at 1,000 USD a night. Since 2009, islands inhabited by locals have opened guesthouses that let you live the Maldivian paradise at reasonable prices. This 8-day itinerary stays on three local islands connected by public ferry: Maafushi, Fulidhoo and Dhigurah. Each has its coral reef 65 ft from the shore (house reef), perfect for daily snorkeling with turtles, reef sharks and manta rays. The days pass among mas huni breakfasts (tuna and coconut), morning snorkel sessions, hammock siestas, evening snorkels and dinners of grilled fresh fish under the stars. Optional excursions: a picnic on a deserted sandbank where all you can see is 360 degrees of turquoise blue; swimming with nurse sharks at Alimatha; and the not-to-be-missed swim with the whale shark in the Ari atoll. There are no bars, no discos, no cars: only coral, sand, hammocks and a silence so deep you can hear your own pulse.