Maledives

Summer Island

Panoramic view of the island with turquoise waters, white sand, and palm trees

In 2005, a few friends had the idea of taking a vacation in the Maldives. I wasn’t really enthusiastic about it, since I didn’t feel like flying for about 10 hours just to hang out on a small island. Besides, a tsunami had struck the area in December 2004, causing devastating consequences for the entire region.

We looked into it anyway and found that some parts of the Maldives hadn’t been hit quite as hard—at least as far as infrastructure damage was concerned.

So we booked a 14-day all-inclusive stay on Summer Island for September at an unbelievable 1,150 EUR per person.

Summer Island is located in the northern part of Male Atoll, in the same atoll as the capital, Male. The island is only about 150 meters wide and 400 meters long and is home to a 3-star resort. The resort is owned and operated by the Maldivians. Guests stay in small cottages, each featuring a single room with an open-air bathroom and situated directly on the beach.

Getting There: We flew from Germany to Male with a layover in Sri Lanka. And then things got exciting. The roughly 30 km to Summer Island can be covered by seaplane for an additional fee (80 USD), or, like we did, by speedboat, bouncing over the waves for about 45 minutes.

The island is easy to explore. There’s a volleyball court, palm trees, a white sandy beach, and the blue sea. Otherwise, we just go from meal to meal, play cards, or other local board games. We enjoy the occasional cocktail and watch the fish and rays at the boat dock.

The hotel also offers the opportunity to get a snorkeling certification or go snorkeling at the offshore reef.

We went snorkeling several times. To do this, you’re taken out to the reef in a small boat with an outboard motor. It can feel a bit strange at times, since all you can see around you is water, and depending on the waves, you sometimes lose sight of the boat you’re on. Unfortunately, the reef itself was quite monotonous at the time, as many corals had died off due to the rising water temperature. Nevertheless, there were plenty of fish, rays, and even sea turtles to be seen.

All in all, it was nice to have experienced the Maldives, but I have to say it’s not really my kind of vacation.