Susan Solo – Photographer | Traveler | Adventurer

Tag: Asia

Maldives Snapshot

I’m posting this wrap-up a little later than I intended, but it has been fun to relive a few Maldives memories while writing this snapshot entry. It is also making me want to go back to the atolls sooner rather than later. Chris and I celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary this year and we have talked about going back for another big milestone anniversary like our 20th, but I don’t know if I can wait that long!

Best Moment

I’m hard-pressed to think of a best moment when every single day it felt like we were living inside of a postcard.

Worst Moment

It rained one afternoon? And we didn’t get to do a few of the things we originally planned because it was oddly windy (which made the water too choppy for going out on a boat to look for manta rays), but I actually don’t think we encountered any drama or major bummers on this stretch of the trip.

Funniest Moment

We had some really great moments interacting with the amazing staff at Komandoo, and our new friend, Ali, in particular had us in stitches! He was an absolute delight to talk to, and we all had a good laugh together when he told us that President Barack Obama worked at the resort…and a few moments later he fetched a co-worker/friend who did look amazingly like our 44th president! I wish I had a photo to show you.

Best Meal

Chris and I don’t tend to gravitate towards fine dining too often while traveling since we’re usually more than happy to eat at hole-in-the-wall gems, in-demand food stands, and local casual favorites. And we truly enjoyed all of the food at the Komandoo restaurants, Falhu and Kandu. But our lunch at 5.8 Undersea Restaurant knocked our socks off because it was such an experience. I mean, just look at my sea bass! It’s a work of art.

Something We Learned

I re-learned how to play chess, but this time in giant form.

We’re Thankful We Packed

I was happy to have a wide-brimmed sun hat to protect my face. Chris was less happy about that hat every time it flew off my head into the water and he had to retrieve it. (He is my hero!)

We Didn’t Need To Bring

Shoes (we only packed flip-flops). What I do wish I packed is some kind of floatie. I had visions of getting onto a float and drifting down the island toward the bar. Not sure it this would have worked in execution, but it seemed like a good idea. Might try it next time.

Trip Regrets

We arrived to Komandoo on a Saturday and left on Friday, but because of the amount of travel on both ends, we only ended up having five full days on the island. I think at least two more days at the resort would have been a better plan.

Reasons To Go Back

The weather seemed so perfect to us, but the high winds made it impossible to do a few of the off-island excursions we wanted to do. I’d go back in a heartbeat, even if we still didn’t get to do any excursions!

Favorite Photos

I love this fun photo that Chris took of Eagle Ray 9 from the water. We used a dome housing for our GoPro to get these kind of half-over-half-under shots.

And I couldn’t get enough of photographing the gorgeous sunsets on the island.

June 22, 2017
Packing for Paradise: What I Packed for the Maldives
I find that packing for an island or beach trip is always so much easier than other trips, don’t you think? The weather is likely to be similar most days, swimsuits and flip flops don’t take up that much space in my luggage, and I love the ease of just throwing on a sun dress for the day or evening.

When I started to think about what I would pack for our trip to the Maldives this past February, I only had one minor concern – the dress code at our resort, Komandoo. I searched a few travel forums for ideas about how to dress in the restaurants, and what would be appropriate around the island. The general consensus was that as long as we didn’t show up for a meal in our swimwear and Chris didn’t wear a tank top, we’d be fine. The official dress code mentioned on Komandoo’s website is “smart casual” in the restaurants and bars.

The weather for our mid-February trip promised to be in the high 80s and fairly dry. Six out of seven days were lovely – lots of sunshine, a puffy cloud here and there, but with lots of wind. One day we had overcast skies and some rain. With the weather and dress code in mind, here’s what I packed for our week in paradise:
- 3 short-sleeve shirts (one I wore on the plane)
- 2 pairs of shorts
- 3 long sleeveless dresses
- 3 cover-ups
- 3 swimsuits
- rash guard
- bras & undies
- 1 tank top (for sleeping)
- yoga pants and hoodie (worn on the plane – 15 hour flights require maximum comfort)
- 2 hats – one wide, floppy hat and one bucket hat
- flip-flops
- sunglasses
I spent most of the day around the island in a swimsuit with a fairly conservative cover-up (length nearly to my knees, and not sheer). I felt comfortable wearing that ensemble to the bars during the day, but we wore nice shorts and short-sleeve shirts to breakfast and lunch in the main restaurant. For evening cocktails and dinner I wore an easy breezy maxi dress with fun accessories, and Chris wore khaki shorts with short-sleeve button-up shirts.

The official footwear dress code on the island is made clear on this signage, and we only needed a pair of flip flops to wear on the wooden jetty when it got too hot for bare feet. I actually didn’t see anyone wearing anything other than flip flops if they were wearing shoes at all, even in the restaurants and bars. You don’t even have to pack shoes if you don’t want to – Komandoo provides flip flops to wear as needed (see blue sandals pictured below).

Perhaps the most important part of my Maldives wardrobe was a big, floppy straw hat to protect my face from the strong sun. I credit this hat to my lack of sunburn on my face at the end of the week! It was so important, in fact, that when the wind whipped it off of my head while walking along the jetty, Chris deftly dove into the water to retrieve it. Isn’t he the sweetest?

Additional packing tips:
- There’s no need to pack a ton of makeup, ladies. The heat, humidity, and water will take it right off! I wore a tinted moisturizer with SPF 30 daily, and added some mascara and lip gloss for dinner.
- Komandoo has dive/snorkel gear available to rent, but we brought our own gear since we planned to be in the water as much as possible.
- I wore the same three dresses on rotation in the restaurant every evening and once for lunch at Hurawalhi’s 5.8 Underwater Restaurant. They were even the exact same style just in different colors and patterns. I was initially a little worried about repeating outfits since we all ate at the same restaurant together each night. But the dining room was pretty dimly lit and no one seemed to mind (what did I even think someone would say to me?), so this is just reassurance that there’s really no need to pack a different outfit for every day if you want to keep your luggage light.
- I’m the Sunscreen Queen so I have to mention again that the sun is strong in the Maldives. I highly recommend a rash guard for snorkeling if you’re on the fair side. The reef is gorgeous, and you won’t realize how fast time passes while you’re blissfully floating along gazing at the fish and coral. Your back will thank you for covering up!
- Speaking of covering up, the Republic of the Maldives is a conservative Muslim country. To be respectful, you’ll want to have something to cover your shoulders and knees when visiting the main island and going through the airport. The dress code is more relaxed at the resorts and bikinis are totally fine on the beach, but I would still recommend leaving your thongs at home. Besides, remember my point about the strong sun? Your buns will want to be covered!
- Lastly, nudity is illegal in the Maldives, even while sunbathing. So while you can keep your luggage light, you don’t want to go too light. 😉 I kid. (But seriously, no nudity.)
I think that’s everything. I hope it helps. Feel free to let me know if you have any specific questions about packing for the Maldives!
May 5, 2017
Photo Friday – Hibiscus

Ack! I am wildly behind on my blogging to-do list, including a couple of additional Maldives posts, but I’m otherwise wrapped up in another project at the moment – me! I’ve been spending my free time at the gym, trying to get into better shape for an upcoming trip that will involve a bit of high-altitude hiking (more on that soon!), and by the time I get done I’m usually too exhausted to think, type, or even sit upright, all of which are required to blog. So I hope you’ll forgive me for the lack of updates here! I promise to have a what-I-packed-for-the-Maldives post up soon, as well as a recap of our quick visit to Dubai!

In the meantime, here is a hibiscus, as spotted on the island in the Maldives.

April 21, 2017
Dining with the Fishes at 5.8 Undersea Restaurant

Shortly after Chris and I booked our week at Komandoo we caught word of a new resort that would be opening up nearby, and I have to admit I felt a tiny pang of regret and I briefly considered switching our reservations. Who doesn’t want to stay at brand-new accommodations where everything is shiny and fresh? But the more I continued to read glowing reviews pouring in daily for Komandoo, I couldn’t help but be curious about the slice of paradise with repeat guests returning multiple times despite all of the other choices out there.

We decided to keep our original plans (and we were beyond thrilled with that decision), but we found out that the new resort would be home to an extraordinary restaurant called 5.8 Undersea Restaurant and that we would be welcome to dine there. In my over-excitement, I immediately contacted them to make a reservation months before they even opened!

On the last day of our stay at Komandoo, a boat picked us up promptly from the main dock and zipped us away for lunch at the neighboring sister resort, Hurawalhi. The 90-villa, adults-only luxury resort opened in December of 2016 in the Lhaviyani Atoll a few minutes’ boat ride from our island. Hurawalhi seemed at least double in size compared to Komandoo, so we were thankful to be escorted to the restaurant by golf cart, a much-appreciated mode of transportation in the mid-day sun.

We headed along this walkway, and then we dove straight into the water to swim to our table. (Just kidding. The entrance to 5.8 Undersea Restaurant is within that building in the background.)

At the entrance to the restaurant, we saw a sample section of the glass used to construct the tunnel-shaped walls and ceiling. The entire structure was built in New Zealand, shipped to the Maldives via cargo ship, and then lowered into the water in one piece. It’s currently the largest underwater restaurant in the world!

There’s no need to hold your breath or wear scuba equipment to enter the restaurant, and you won’t even get your hair wet. A long spiral staircase descends down into the ocean where that thick glass encases the dining room at 5.8 meters beneath the surface of the sea. At lunchtime the room was lit with bright rays of sunlight, and we had the perfect viewing conditions for observing the surrounding reef. Schools of colorful fish circled and gazed in at the guests, and at one point a pair of sting rays glided straight overhead, but I was too busy savoring my lunch to capture it on camera.

With five courses including snacks, appetizers, mains, and dessert, the menu provided a culinary adventure unlike anything we’ve ever experienced. The service was attentive yet also unobtrusive. We started by ordering a couple of tasty tropical drinks to enjoy while we identified the fish near our table.

Our first course included a selection of snacks that weren’t specifically identified on the menu, so it was an exciting activity to try to guess what we were tasting. Actually, I’m not usually good at that. I tend to want to know all or at least most of the ingredients in my food, but I was feeling especially adventurous that day. And every bite was incredibly delicious. Not to mention the beautiful presentation!

In the next two courses we were treated to shrimp ceviche with cucumber wasabi sorbet and then a gorgeous scallop with butternut squash, pinenuts, and raisins. Both wonderful.

For my main I selected the sea bass and Chris opted for the Angus beef. I’ve never tasted such a perfectly prepared piece of fish in my life. I would eat it every day if I could. Chris thoroughly enjoyed the steak as well.

Here is where the menu lost me a juuust little bit. I’m not a huge cheesecake fan, but I do like it every now and then. I was happy to try their blueberry cheesecake with blueberry ice cream for dessert, only this wasn’t a cheesecake anyone would recognize! I didn’t expect it to be sort of deconstructed (the swirl in the photo below is similar to a typical cheesecake filling), and I’m not quite sure the little puffs of pistachio sponge actually qualifies this as a cake. 😉 But it was so pretty, like a piece of art, and it was fun to try. The Baileys coconut praline, however, was amazing. I could have eaten a few more of those.

After lunch we headed upstairs to the Aquarium Restaurant & Bar, another dining option at the Hurawalhi resort. (We didn’t eat or drink here, but this is where we paid our bill as guests from Komandoo.)

We lounged outside for a few minutes while awaiting our golf cart escort back to the boat, and observed our surroundings at the resort. Hurawalhi is a beautiful, brand-new option in nearly the same stunning location as Komandoo. We were thrilled with our decision to stay where we did, but I don’t think you can go wrong with either option!

If you do stay at Komandoo, I highly recommend a trip over to 5.8 Undersea Restaurant for this one-of-a-kind dining experience. At $150 per person for lunch and $280 per person for dinner (plus $25 per person for the boat transfer), it’s definitely a big splurge item. We originally made reservations for breakfast which was a little easier on the wallet and the menu looked amazing, but shortly after opening they decided not to offer breakfast so they graciously reserved lunch for us at the breakfast pricing instead. I’m happily checking this one off the bucket list!

“Just look at the world around you, right here on the ocean floor. Such wonderful things surround you. What more is you lookin’ for? Under the sea…under the sea…”

March 27, 2017
Resort Life at Komandoo

And now for some unintentional rhyming, welcome to part two of my Komandoo review! For my thoughts on the resort’s accommodations, reef, and on the island itself, please see the previous post. In this post I’ll cover Komandoo’s service, recreation, and food.

Spoiler alert: I loved this place. I miss everything about it.

Service

As I mentioned in my previous post, we were instantly wowed with the service from the moment we stepped off the plane. Our luggage was whisked away to our room (I’m so grateful for not having to drag our bags through the sand), we were handed a a cold towel, a fresh coconut, and a scoop of homemade coconut ice cream, and then Stefanie gave us a helpful overview of the island while walking us to our villa.

Speaking of the villa, our room attendant, Ibrahim, made sure we always had everything we needed throughout the week. He quietly swooped in and out when we left to go to the restaurant or to snorkel, and we loved returning to our temporary home to find everything completely spotless along with fresh towels expertly crafted into animal shapes. We enjoyed the little sweet treats he left for us at the end of each day, and we especially savored the white chocolate-covered strawberries on Valentine’s Day.

Every time we ate at Falhu, the main restaurant, Shimaal and Ali waited on us with grace and care. No request was too big or too small, and we didn’t want for anything day in and day out. Things seemed to run seamlessly at the restaurant and in all areas, for that matter. We felt taken care of by the entire team at Komandoo – they seem to truly love their jobs. Everyone we encountered beamed with smiles and gave us the warmest greetings, and we felt they genuinely wanted us to have a wonderful time at the resort.

Recreation

I’m generally not a do-nothing kind of traveler even when it is vacation, and Komandoo’s recreation and relaxation offerings provide the perfect place for someone who likes to stay busy. But it’s a fun and/or relaxing kind of busy, of course.

An extensive menu of treatments and services at the Duniye Spa is an excellent place to start, but I didn’t end up getting to use the spa! I kept thinking I would go, but before I knew it our time on the island was up and I hadn’t booked a single treatment. Even the laziest of days passed so quickly, so my advice is to take advantage of everything your heart desires. I’ll be sure to promptly sign up for a service or two on our next visit.

On the more active side of things, Komandoo provides plenty of outlets for sporty and adventurous types. With a fully outfitted dive center right on the island, guests have a wide range of scuba diving opportunities for both beginners and experienced divers. They also offer snorkeling trips and rental equipment. Chris and I opted to bring our own fins, masks, and snorkels since we planned to do as much snorkeling as possible, but it looked like the dive center and shop had a great selection of gear.

The one thing I definitely set out to do on this trip was a snorkeling excursion to see manta rays. We stopped by the ProDivers dive center to sign up, but we were told by one of the dive center members that the unfortunately manta rays had not been out and about the past couple of weeks and that he didn’t want to disappoint us, which I appreciated. So we’ll just have that on our list for next time. We have been on quite a few boating trips to snorkel, and we were really looking forward to being able to snorkel right off the shore. That’s exactly what we did almost every day and we loved it.

In addition to scuba diving and snorkeling and fishing trips, several water sports are on offer including kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, and wind surfing. I love kayaking and would have enjoyed trying SUP and/or wind surfing, but we had an unusually crazy windy week on the island and I didn’t want to wind up on another island or even lost at sea, so we didn’t attempt any of these. My list of reasons to return to Komandoo is quite long at this point, so I guess we’ll just have to go back!

As it turns out, I truly needed a good bit of unscheduled downtime, so it was perfectly fine that we didn’t do any water sports (other than snorkeling) or the manta ray excursion. Chris did beat me at a leisurely game of giant chess though. And tucked into various areas all over the island we also found other ways to stay active if we wanted to – table tennis, a dart board, a fitness center, and a volleyball/badminton court.

Last but not least, Komandoo offers boat trips for deep sea fishing, visiting local islands, or to watch the sunset. I hear the sunset cruise frequently includes dolphin sightings and we signed up for that one, but we missed it. Someone, I won’t mention names, fell asleep that afternoon. Instead, we happily watched a beautiful sunset with cocktails from the Thundi bar, which ended up being one of our daily rituals.

Food & Drinks

Let me first preface things by saying Chris and I are not necessarily foodies, but we do love to eat and drink and we did a lot of it at the resort. Komandoo has two restaurants and two bars, one of which also serves food. We might not be qualified to comment on the spa or the water sports activities, but we certainly ate and drank enough to have opinions about the food and drinks!

A note on Komandoo’s all-inclusive packages. We opted for the full board plan which includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the Falhu restaurant, and drinks like tea, coffee, and also juice at breakfast. I went back and forth on whether or not to upgrade to one of the all-inclusive package with alcoholic drinks. All guests in the booking are required to be on the same package, and while I do love my cocktails, I wasn’t sure I’d drink enough to hold up my end of the price difference. And yep, in the end the full board plan worked out well for us and it wouldn’t have been worth upgrading, even with our daily use of the mini-bar and happy hours.

The Thundi bar was conveniently located steps from the water villas, so we frequented this spot and enjoyed tropical drinks to go with gorgeous sunsets.

The Kandu Bar, situated by the pool and reception, offered a larger selection of drinks including a fabulous version of my island favorite, a banana piña colada, along with a food menu. We ordered lunch here a couple of times (not included in the full board or all-inclusive packages) when we were craving burgers/sandwiches or fish and chips and we absolutely loved the food. Everything came to us fresh, hot, and wonderfully prepared.

We ate at the main restaurant, Falhu, for all of our other meals outside of those two lunches and one lunch at sister resort Hurawalhi. We had several breakfasts from Falhu via room service in our villa, and were pleasantly surprised to find a reasonable fee for doing so ($7 per person). We didn’t end up trying the Aqua fine dining restaurant at Komandoo since we opted to go to Hurawalhi’s 5.8 Undersea Restaurant instead (separate post coming soon) and it felt a little weird to pay for full board meals and miss too many of them.

I read so many reviews ahead of our trip that raved about the food at Komandoo. Falhu serves all meals buffet style, so I assumed the reviews meant the food was good…for a buffet. We’ve been on a couple of cruises and tons of weddings, and I expected typical buffet food.

This wasn’t typical buffet food. Not to mention Falhu’s wonderful atmosphere: soft sand floors, open-air with a cute thatched roof, and stunning views from the deck.

Each meal we were presented with an inspired array of international dishes: Maldivian, Italian, Indian, and one night we were even treated to a beach barbecue. I failed to get more photos of Falhu’s buffet like the meat-carving station and the made-to-order pasta station because I was just too busy filling my plate with deliciousness each time. I can be kind of a picky eater, but I always found plenty of things to enjoy. And of course, it was fun to try ~~two~~ ~~three~~ four different mini desserts guilt-free.

Now that we are back home, I am sorely missing our daily life at Komandoo! I think the only thing I would change about our visit is to stay longer next time.

Up next: our culinary adventure at 5.8 Undersea Restaurant.

March 20, 2017