Kindred Spirits

The supermodel of the travel world, the Maldives is gorgeous, aloof and utterly beguiling — but beyond the sunny skies and palm-tree perfection lies a world in thrall to local traditions and superstitions.

- Emma Thomson

So goes the Maldivian saying. It’s an aphorism that sums up how most tourists treat the Maldives. The supermodel of the travel world, we’ve been so beguiled by the sleek images of her sunny skies and palm tree perfection it’s seemingly rendered us unable to look further. And there’s more to the country than white sands and five-star water villas.

Lying off the southwestern tip of India, the Maldives is made up of around 1,190 islands, scattered in a straight line running north-south for around 560 miles, of which only around 200 are inhabited. In an effort to get a glimpse of real island life, I’ve joined an Explore cruise aboard a traditional dhoni, stopping at a handful of islands and reefs in the Southern Atolls.

After a night in the capital, Malé, we mosey down to the docks and motor out on a dinghy to meet Gulfaam, our blue-and-white sailing boat — “or ‘putter-putter-mega-slow’, as we like to call her,” jokes our guide, Teddie, as we clamber aboard. He has a mop of black curls and a bushy beard and it’s with an adopted Aussie accent that he introduces our 10-strong group to the rest of the crew: Captain ‘Milky Tea’ George, Bablu the chef, cabin boy Sam, and 18-year-old deckhand Hassan, from Bangladesh, “who’s still getting used to seeing girls in their bikinis,” teases Teddie, squeezing Hassan’s blushing cheeks. He launches into the safety briefing, while George powers up the engine. “What about sharks while we’re snorkelling?” asks a wobbly voice at the back of the group. “The only large ones are nurse sharks and the worst they can do is gum you to death,” he laughs.