KURAMATHI | MALDIVES 2014

Spending 10 glorious days on Kuramathi Island in the Maldives with my Mum is something I am honestly never going to forget. Not only did the island offer your typical luxury brochure lifestyle, but it also came complete with dense tropical gardens, a sandbank and some of the loveliest staff I have met.

After a 4 hour car journey to Gatwick Airport, a 10 hour flight to Male (Maldivian capital), an hour's wait and then a 15 minute sea plane to the island, I couldn't be more relieved to finally reach the resort. We were greeted with cold flannels and fruit drinks, where we relaxed in the huge, airy reception and were introduced to the island by the staff.

We stayed in a beach villa, complete with an outdoor shower and air conditioning (always a must-have in a hot climate). On the island alone there were 9 restaurants, 3 buffet and and 6 dining restaurants, each with their own theme and speciality; The Island Barbeque - Meat, The Reef - Seafood, The Palm - Italian, The Siam Garden - Thai, The Tandoor Mahal - Indian... you get the idea!  I came to know the friendliest staff members and enjoyed the truly delicious food.

I never felt bored, which is usually something that occurs halfway through the holiday, because there was so much to do; swimming, snorkelling, sunbathing, adventuring into the depths of the luscious gardens with lizards scuttling past your toes and walking to the end of the sandbank, where riptides from the lagoon and the ocean met. It was utterly spectacular, so amazing in fact I think I am going to run out of adjectives by the end of this post! I was even lucky enough to go to the Kuramathi Spa and have a couple of hennas done, which really added to my desired Maldivian/Indian appearance.

On the last day we snorkelled with schools of fish and ate our last dinner at The Island Barbeque, soon finding myself struggling to hold back tears because I realised how much I loved the atmosphere and the positive vibes I'd felt since the day we arrived. It was hard saying goodbye to people I'd formed friendships with and to leave such a breathtaking paradise. I really hope to return someday.