April 2006- One week on "Atoll Explorer" and another week on Paradise Island spa resort- 20 mins by speedboat, north of Male. 16 of us boarded (caters for 40) at Kurumba- near Male, and headed south to Maadhoo, Theluveligaa, Rai Dhigga, Huruvelhi, Fenfushi, Dhigurah and back to Kurumba- round trip I guess at 150 miles at 12 knots. About 200 miles short of Equator. Explorer would sail 2 to 3 hours at daybreak and drop anchor so we could spend the day on the mostly desert islands. Surprisingly, not many insects or birds ??!! Main pic is first desert Is. stop with our floating hotel in background. Great fun on nite fishing trip- first time for most of us- easy... just hook, line and sinker + bait. Some of the fish we caught ended up on our BBQ grill, bot-left. The captain was most hospitable without being stuffy and made sure his all-male crew spoiled us. Mid-left is their Bodu Beru dance. The water and sand combination I rate as best I have seen- temp, colour & clarity, content... dolphins, manta rays, hawksbill turtles, conger eels and reef sharks- didn't see the whale-shark tho'. A few bits of coral underfoot was tolerable.

Last day with Explorer was an afternoon shopping visit to capital island, MALE- top row. Mid top is corner where the boys hang out for a chat. We call it LIMING. I guess they call it MALE BONDING. Most goods are imported so not as cheap as expected. Rite top and bot. is air-con speedboat with 600+ bhp. sits on tail for a twenty mins funfair type ride.. till the top canvas canopy was displaced.... lady driver !!! Most utility and emergency services have similar vessels due to the environment- mid-bot. Saw lots of boats with tall masts, but all running on diesel even though there was lots of wind..??

Most of the islands are sandbanks and are developed to suit a purpose- commercial, domestic, recreational or just for halfday loaf by sun starved tourists. Like Cancun, Veradero, Miami and the Keys, now the Gulf, they move sand around to create more real estate. They can form contours that could look natural, like sheltered lagoons where you can see nature in placid surround- ie. no predators or strong currents. Main pic is Paradise Is. with its lagoon and footbridge from where you see plenty, and make a thousand friends, including sharks, if you had a crusty bread roll. Some of the chalets are built on stilts and joined by a walkway / jetty- bot rite. Mid left are more upmarket and scattered with boat access only. Top left is a fruit -I think.