“We should go to the Maldives!” Heather said, completely out of the blue, while we were in Thailand.

“I’d love to, but I thought it’s really expensive. That’s why we didn’t go last year, remember?” was my reply.

“Yeah, that’s right. But I really wanted to see those islands. Who knows, they might disappear soon – climate change and all.” With that I would’ve thought Heather would move on from the idea. But no. “Last year we were thinking of going during Christmas. That’s high season. If we go a bit earlier, prices are actually pretty reasonable. I think we can do it!” And that’s how we decided to visit this stunning archipelago in the Indian Ocean.

The Maldives are unique. Sure, there’s the crystal-clear waters, blinding white sand beaches, vibrant reefs and whale sharks and manta rays. But it’s a Muslim country. Serious in a very devout kind of way. That means no liquor and no pork – you can’t even bring your own booze into the country! Swimsuits are only allowed on the “bikini beaches” that are managed by resorts. On public beaches full dress is expected – ever hear of a burkhini? It’s a real thing. So, we went into our nine-day visit thinking of it as kind of a spa/detox vacation. The Maldives takes some planning, as the twenty-six atolls that make up the country comprise a thousand islands, and the capital, Male, which hosts the international airport, is not the place you want to spend your vacation in. We chose two islands, in two different atolls, which promised affordable accommodation and stellar snorkeling on house reefs. Our first stop was Thinadhoo, a ninety-minute boat ride south of Male. It did not fail to impress. The “bikini beach” was stunning. The snorkeling was stupendous. The staff at our hotel were incredibly friendly. The food was decent. We couldn’t ask for more (okay, maybe just ONE cold beer would be nice).

Each day around noon all the other guests on the island would return to their respective hotels for lunch, as most visitors opted for the full-board plan. Heather and I only had a bed & breakfast plan, which meant we had the entire beach, which spanned one entire side of the island, to ourselves for most of the afternoon.

After six days on Thinadhoo, we were transported by a speedboat to our second destination – the western atoll island of Bodufolhudhu. Folhudhu, as the locals thankfully called it, was similarly sized to Thinadhoo, boasting a small village of about twenty families. Upon check-in the staff told us of the activities available: water sports, including diving and snorkeling tours through the onsite dive shop; snorkeling at the house reef; and a walk around the island, which would “take about ten minutes. If you want to shop in the market or souvenir shop, let me know. I will the call the shopkeepers to open up for you.” This promised to be a pretty relaxed, laid-back place. As before, our days consisted of leisurely mornings snorkeling, breakfast, leisurely late mornings on loungers, snorkeling, leisurely afternoons, snorkeling and dinner. Tough to stay awake past nine. One day we opted for the Manta Search Trip, a snorkeling trip to a nearby reef that had been recommended by another guest. At 7:30am, in order to beat the other boats to the manta area, we boarded a small speedboat and roared across the sea for about ten minutes until we reached an offshore reef. A large manta was on the surface, flapping it’s massive wings and splashing around. “Here” the captain shouted to us. So we really didn’t have to “search” all that hard. Heather and I were in the water quickly. Two more mantas swam at us, mouths wide open, scooping up plankton. At the last second they would turn away or dive below us. Then another, and another. For thirty minutes, the same group of mantas moved back and forth across the reef wall, just a foot or two below the surface. Once they moved off we returned to the boat. Still no sign of another tour. Another amazing experience, all to ourselves.

We enjoyed nine amazing days in the Maldives. And made it through without any pork. How can we ever top this? Um . . . how about Bali for Christmas.