Life on Thoddoo was simple and fantastic! We loved being on a local island immersed in daily culture and routine.
Our inn had 5 bicycles that could be used by its guest. Some days we got lucky and each had our own bike to get around. Other days we walked or shared bikes. The bicycles were in rough shape- one didn't even have a pedal! But in 40 degree heat, even a bit of a breeze on a slow bike was a treat!
As Chelsea mentioned in her post, the Maldives is under strict Islam law. Alcohol is prohibited in the country and there is a certain dress code. In researching a bit about the Maldives prior to our trip, I had anticipated the laws to be a bit stricter than they actually were. Chelsea and I were permitted to wear shorts and t-shirts which I hadn't expected. Bathing suits, however, could only be worn on one of the two 'guest' beaches reserved only for tourists.
We spent most of our time at the big beach as the sand was softer and there was more shade. We could snorkel 50 feet from shore and saw thousands of fish- new varieties everyday! The colours were stunning and we couldn't get enough of staring out to sea with nothing on the horizon.
One of the reasons we picked Thoddoo over the other local islands is that around half the island is used for farming and fruit plantations. It is a much greener island than some of its neighbours. Produce is picked every day and shipped by boat to Male every morning. We bought fresh fruit from stands by the beach and at the corner store. Our host Majeed took us on a tour of the farms by scooter and bicycle. It was fun going through the narrow paths and seeing the variety of fruit and vegetables. Watermelons and papayas are Thoddoo's main exports and we saw SO many of them.
There was a ring road around the island that was perfect for early morning runs. Mike and I headed out most mornings but realized that we had to go before 7am to beat the heat!
Our host took us to an uninhabited island and a sandbar on a day trip. There was a lagoon full of fish and the snorkeling was fantastic. It was so strange to stand on a sandbar in the middle of the ocean!
We enjoyed wandering the narrow alleys on the island. Chairs and hammocks were set up at random and we saw many elders watching life go by. The Maldivian people on Thoddoo were warm and friendly. English as a second language is taught in school but most adults we met had limited English. Majeed was an exception and we enjoyed talking to him about his upbringing, life on the island and changes since tourism began (all positive according to him!).
Majeed showed the kids how to make traditional crafts and toys out of coconut leaves. We learned how every part of the coconut tree is used by the locals- from drinking the water, eating the meat, burning the shells as bbq fuel and using the leaves for various types of wrapping.
We had a magical week on Thoddoo and the kids have more stories to share so stay tuned!
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| Swinging in the ocean |
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| Life is good! |
Our inn had 5 bicycles that could be used by its guest. Some days we got lucky and each had our own bike to get around. Other days we walked or shared bikes. The bicycles were in rough shape- one didn't even have a pedal! But in 40 degree heat, even a bit of a breeze on a slow bike was a treat!
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| The best way to get around the island |
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| The boys had to share as other guests were using some bikes |
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| Finding our way through the maze of streets was challenging at first |
As Chelsea mentioned in her post, the Maldives is under strict Islam law. Alcohol is prohibited in the country and there is a certain dress code. In researching a bit about the Maldives prior to our trip, I had anticipated the laws to be a bit stricter than they actually were. Chelsea and I were permitted to wear shorts and t-shirts which I hadn't expected. Bathing suits, however, could only be worn on one of the two 'guest' beaches reserved only for tourists.
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| Water fun |
We spent most of our time at the big beach as the sand was softer and there was more shade. We could snorkel 50 feet from shore and saw thousands of fish- new varieties everyday! The colours were stunning and we couldn't get enough of staring out to sea with nothing on the horizon.
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| The ocean was like bath water |
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| Long stretches of sand to walk |
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| Beach #2- more coral on the beach and more waves in the water |
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| Swings in the shade |
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| We played a lot of volleyball- and tried to do so in the shade |
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| Always climbing something! |
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| Prepping for NCAA March Madness- Nathan spent time making the logos of his favourite teams in the sand |
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| Our last day at the beach |
One of the reasons we picked Thoddoo over the other local islands is that around half the island is used for farming and fruit plantations. It is a much greener island than some of its neighbours. Produce is picked every day and shipped by boat to Male every morning. We bought fresh fruit from stands by the beach and at the corner store. Our host Majeed took us on a tour of the farms by scooter and bicycle. It was fun going through the narrow paths and seeing the variety of fruit and vegetables. Watermelons and papayas are Thoddoo's main exports and we saw SO many of them.
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| A field being prepped for new planting |
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| Crates of produce sit outside overnight at the port and are shipped first thing in the morning |
There was a ring road around the island that was perfect for early morning runs. Mike and I headed out most mornings but realized that we had to go before 7am to beat the heat!
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| A great way to start the day |
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| Calm waters |
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| Sunrise during our run |
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| Farmers are already in the fields |
Our host took us to an uninhabited island and a sandbar on a day trip. There was a lagoon full of fish and the snorkeling was fantastic. It was so strange to stand on a sandbar in the middle of the ocean!
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| Off for a day of adventure |
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| The bright blue spot is a deep lagoon- full of fish- in the middle of the sandbar |
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| Madivaru- an uninhabited island |
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| Having fun on the sandbar near Madivaru |
We enjoyed wandering the narrow alleys on the island. Chairs and hammocks were set up at random and we saw many elders watching life go by. The Maldivian people on Thoddoo were warm and friendly. English as a second language is taught in school but most adults we met had limited English. Majeed was an exception and we enjoyed talking to him about his upbringing, life on the island and changes since tourism began (all positive according to him!).
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| Nathan enjoyed dribbling his basketball on the dusty, sandy streets |
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| Parker copied the local kids and hopped through a hole in the fence |
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| When we were short on bikes, Majeed took the kids by scooter- this time we are headed for a tour of the island |
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| Glorious sunsets |
Majeed showed the kids how to make traditional crafts and toys out of coconut leaves. We learned how every part of the coconut tree is used by the locals- from drinking the water, eating the meat, burning the shells as bbq fuel and using the leaves for various types of wrapping.
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| Making sport balls |
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| Spiral crafts |
We had a magical week on Thoddoo and the kids have more stories to share so stay tuned!
Guys, I have to tell you it's with such excitement that I click daily on the roaming brood icon. I never know if something new awaits me. When there's a new posting an ear to ear grin starts to ripple across my face and I get myself comfortable so I can read a new story, look at some photos and maybe catch a flick, maybe sometimes two. It's always a thrill. Y
ReplyDeleteI'm especially impressed at the postings you three kids write. Your dedication to keeping us updated is thoughtful. On the one hand, like I say, it's downright exciting. On the other hand it gives us peace of mind.
It's like opening a present 🎁every day or so.
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