My 24 Hours in Maldives

A perfect new day in the bustling Malé starts with a homemade smoothie and a subsequent trip to the local market to buy vegetables, fruit and fresh tuna for the day. I also grab a fresh coconut, as this is the best way to stay hydrated during the day. The lively atmosphere and the bright colours of all the exotic fruits and vegetables on offer here are just amazing! It is a fish market but you can pretty much get everything you need for a great meal here. Moreover, this market perfectly sets the mood for Malé—it’s always crowded, wherever you go. This city is one of the most densely populated cities in the world and today there are about 120,000 people living on the island. It is life in its purest form!

If I don’t happen to get my groceries at the market then I head to the STO Supermarket or Lotus Fihaara. Afterwards I head home to prepare lunch.

In case I want to eat out, I make my way to the Salt Café and Restaurant and have lunch there. The first floor sun terrace has a great view of the harbour of Malé and all the colourful little fishing boats anchored there. Even though the place is located right in the middle of the busiest area in the city, it’s a great escape for those seeking a relaxing time out. Another place where I like to hang out with my friends, especially in the evening, is The Sea House. It is located above the HulHumale ferry terminal and has an open air deck and a great view of the ocean. Live music and delicious food only add to the already fantastic atmosphere. There’s also an amazing dinner restaurant inside the Sala Boutique Hotel in Malé, which is run by a German and has the best Thai cuisine ever. Sounds weird? It will all make sense when you try the dishes, which are prepared with nothing but the best, freshest ingredients. I go there to celebrate special occasions or when I fancy an international menu.

For some sightseeing I would recommend visiting the Hukuru Miskiy – Old Friday Mosque. The inside of it is just stunning, as the walls are built out of corals and lavishly embellished with Arabic calligraphy and ornaments. Everything that is wooden in here is made out of fine wood such as teak, sandalwood and redwood. One could say that this building is a fine representative of Maldivian craftsmanship.

In Malé, we don’t have many quiet or calm spots. However, the Tsunami Monument Park and the Rasfannu Beach are great places to watch a wonderful sunset and spend some time with family and friends. Sultan Park is a nice and shady area to chill out, too. When I’m craving some tasty, homemade ice cream or a refreshing sorbet, I head to the Seagull Café, which is just a few metres away from Sultan Park.

Villingili, which is less than ten minutes away from Malé by ferry, is another hideaway of mine. When I’m there my way to unwind is to play soccer with my friends on the white sandy beach. Or I head to Liquid Watersports where I go flyboarding with the local flyboarding champion Ibrahim Hussain. When I’m looking for absolute piece and quietness I go diving and enjoy the incredibly colourful reefs packed with a thousand different and wondrous denizens of the sea. The diving spot Rakeedhoo Corner is one of the most fascinating ones. These spots are hard to generalise as there are so many beautiful diving areas around the Maldive Islands. And if you don’t happen to be a professional diver, no worries, there are dozens of highly qualified diving schools in the area, for example Divers Lodge Maldives. Look forward to an unforgettable underwater experience!

The island Kuda Huraa is a beautiful place to get to know the local culture even better. At the little cafés you can indulge in authentic local cuisine and at the handcraft workshops you can acquire lovely souvenirs.

A really fun adventure is to go fishing with Kraken Adventours. For me, they are a inspiring in the way they run a business, offering exciting and affordable water sports activities and excursions from game fishing trips to wakeboarding.

If I need new clothes and surf accessories, I prefer to shop at Sea Sports and Banoon. These are my absolute favourite stores because they sell high quality goods for reasonable prices.

After I’ve enjoyed a home-cooked dinner together with my lovely wife, I’m off to meet some friends at the Wild & Wood Café and Restaurant. The place is owned by two local women who serve great coffee. Try their chocolate brownies as well!

Surfing is not only my biggest passion and my job, it’s also a big thing here in general. Two of my favourite waves are “Honky’s” and “Sultans”. You can find them close by one another in North Malé Atoll, where they break just off the uninhabited island Thanburudhoo. Your best bet is to get there by boat. Honky’s stands for very consistent waves and is at its best between March and October. It is considered to be more enjoyable for advanced surfers, though. Besides that, Honky’s is the only wave in the region that works on an east-northeast wind. Its neighbour, Sultans, is classified as a medium skill level wave. It’s a world-class wave and very popular with the international surfers.

You don’t have to worry about waves here at all since there is always swell, sometimes bigger, sometimes smaller. On average, waves range between four and six feet in height. Especially June, July and August are the waves’ peak months.

If you are wondering where to stay in the Maldives, don’t worry—there are more than enough beautiful and luxurious resorts for the ultimate holiday indulgence. One of the most recommendable hotels is the Four Seasons Resort at Kuda Huraa. I run their surf station and if you are interested in surfing, this is the place to be. For example, the boat ride to the aforementioned Honky’s and Sultans from here only takes 20 minutes. Furthermore, when you come back from your daily surf sessions, this luxurious hotel will await you with a soothing spa area, an infinity pool, exotic cocktails from the bar and some fantastic food.

I work for Tropicsurf—a tour operator who offers some of the most memorable surf holidays around the world. Another smashing Maldives resort is the Gili Lankanfushi. This exceptional place is located right in the middle of a true surfer’s paradise (no matter the level of your surfing skills). They focus on working in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way. But perhaps more importantly, you will rarely experience anything that comes close to what they have to offer in terms of sheer luxury and high-class quality.

For more memorable nights in the Maldives check out our Soulful Hotel collection here.