Breakfast was served in the hotel room; the hotel didn't have a separate dining room. From the menu I chose the non-vegetarian option for breakfast, and it was delivered in the room sooner than I expected. It consisted of toast, butter and jam, omelet, chicken sausages and orange juice. That was enough fuel to last the first half of the day.
The Rasfannu artificial beach was where I headed to. On the way I passed the new building of the National Museum, located quite close to the Sultan Park. The building was designed, built and financed by the Chinese government. The National Museum was declared open on Maldives' Independence Day, 26 July 2010.
When I reached the Rasfannu Beach I was taken in by its stunning beauty and crystal-clear waters. It is a popular public beach which offers a peaceful escape from the busy city. It is an ideal getaway for both locals and tourists to relax, swim, and enjoy the sun. With soft white sands and clear turquoise waters, Rasfannu Beach provides a tranquil environment for beach activities and leisurely walks along the shoreline.
It is also known for its picturesque sunset views, making it an ideal location for photography and peaceful moments by the sea. Rasfannu Beach is easily accessible, making it a great destination for anyone exploring Male. There is plenty of seating on the white sandy shore, a wide wooden swing and a couple of raised wooden platforms, ostensibly for anglers. Thoughtfully, the authorities have provided facilities for barbeque and bonfires.
Maldives being a traditional Muslim country, show of affection in public as well as 'bold' dressing are not encouraged. This combined with the absence of publicly sold alcohol keep public places free of nuisance and behavior under control. One doesn't find trash strewn about, defaced public places or people spitting as if their lives depended on it, all things common in India.
The intensity of the morning sun was going up by the minute and sweat made the shirt cling to my body and reveal the ugly bulges. A short walk away from the Rasfannu artificial beach is the Tsunami Monument. It is a freestanding memorial to the victims of the devastating tsunami that struck the Indian Ocean on 24 December 2004 and claimed the lives of 74 Maldivians.
The Tsunami Monument is a beacon of hope after tragedy. The 20 steel spheres encircling the monument symbolize the atolls of the country, while the rising pillars stand for the waves of the tsunami. The names of the 74 victims are carved on the edifice. Kins of victims and tsunami historians pay homage at the monument.
The ferry point to board the ferry to Villingili, aka Villemale, is a leisurely amble from the Tsunami Monument. A bridge is under construction to connect Male and Villingili. Currently, the only means of reaching the Villingili island is the public ferry.
The public transport in Maldives is owned and operated by MTCC. At the ferry counter I bought a ticket for 3.25 MVR, roughly Rs. 18. The ferry ride is barely 7 minutes and the headway between services is about 10 minutes during the peak day time hours. The air-conditioned ferry can take 139 passengers, including crew.
Villingili Island is an ideal place to tearaway from the hustle and bustle of the busy, crowded and narrow streets of Male. As I exited from the ferry station I was confronted by vast expanses of white sand and glistening turquoise blue water, so crystal clear that my heart yearned to jump in and throw abandon to the winds. Mercifully, that was a distraction from the humidity.
The island has only electric vehicles; buses and two wheelers. Surely, that is one more reason why the surreal natural beauty is maintained. Waking about the island I felt that time is not of any concern to those who lived or visited there. There was an 'enjoy the moment' kind of feel in the island.
The natural beaches on the island surrounded by the coconut trees offer a sight to behold and is a different experience from that in Male. The island also has the highest natural elevation in the Maldives, Mount Villingili. It stands at 16.75 ft above sea level. I located the point at a football stadium, thanks to Google Maps!
The East Beach faces Male and is neat and clean. In fact, I found a laminated painting of a nursery school student on the beach that says: Our Beautiful Island, We Keep It Clean. There are small raised wooden platforms where one can sit, calm one's mind and feel the sea breeze in the face. It is a good place to scan the aesthetic skyline of Male. If one has the time, it is the ideal place close to Male to chill, relax and laze around in the tranquil surroundings and let the day pass out. To me it was an experience of surreal beauty, and it left a strong imprint on me.
At the Villingili ferry ticket counter, when I was buying the ticket for the return ferry to Male, I realized that the counter clerk in Male had not given me the correct change. When I reached Male, I took a chance and approached the ticket counter. I explained the incident to the lady manning it. She only asked me when I had bought the ticket. When I told her that it was less than 90 minutes ago, she handed over the amount without any ado. Customer service and trust.
In the bristling heat of Male, I walked from the ferry point to Jetty 6 to book a speedboat to Maafushi the next day at 9.45 am. I walked along the busy roads abutting the commercial port of Male. The traffic, the bustling commerce and friendly banter of the locals shielded me mentally against the exhausting humidity. In time, I spied an ice cream parlor, a heaven sent, of course.
At Tasty Blues, I choose a generous scoop of cheesecake ice cream in a cone. The guy at the counter told me that the ice creams are all made in the factory upstairs and that they are all unique flavors. He told me that their signature flavor is Kashikeyo. The Dhivehi word "kashikeyo" translates to screw pine in English. It refers to a plant commonly found in the Maldives, known for its fragrant leaves and edible fruit. I took my time over the cheesecake ice cream and ventured out into the open yet again to book the speedboat trip for the next day.
Once that was done, I walked back to the hotel and rested for a while, recapitulating the experiences of the morning. The evening was reserved for a trip to Hulhumale. As I hadn't yet taken a bus journey in Male, I opted for that to visit Hulhumale. I bought return tickets from the Airport ferry terminal and boarded the air-conditioned bus from a stop close to it, near the King Salman Mosque.
Male city is connected by road to the Velana International Airport, situated on Hulhule island, by the Sinamale Friendship Bridge, which was constructed by the Chinese and handed over to the Maldivian government in 2018. I experienced traffic snarls on the bridge due to surface movement towards the airport from Hulhumale. A causeway bridges the Hulhule and Hulhumale islands.
The long causeway across the Indian Ocean has solar panels on either side, obviously contributing to clean energy on the islands. Hulhumale island has been developed over two decades in two phases through reclamation using seabed sand. The government hopes to decongest Male city in the near future by moving government offices and residences to the modern, landscaped development in Hulhumale.
I got down at the bus stop in Phase 1 near the Central Park, which is the biggest green open space in Hulhumale. The park is apparently divided into 4 main sectors – a leisure zone, an interactive zone, a recreational zone and a mosque zone with the largest water fountain in the Maldives. At the time of my visit the Vacation Expo was on near the water fountain. Counters had been put up by travel agencies, countries like Indonesia, resorts in Maldives, and airlines. There were stalls selling food and local handicrafts too.
After sauntering around to appreciate the new development, I walked to the Hulhumale public beach, which came highly recommended for a visit. The public beach is a favorite with locals; not many tourists can be seen around the man-made beach. The beach, naturally, was the effect of the reclamation to build the island.
The soft sandy beach and crystal-clear waters offers plenty of options for water sports, swimming, snorkeling and just lazing around. There are quite a few beachfront cafes and restaurants in the public beach. Of course, being a public beach, dressing is expected to be modest.
It was time to head back to Male. I asked around and got to the bus stop that would transport me on the causeway and across the Friendship Bridge to the crowded Male. Before heading back to the hotel, I pared into a souvenir shop to pick up a fridge magnet.
At the hotel, I ordered fish and chips with orange juice for dinner. In the evening, after booking the speedboat to Maafushi, I had spoken to the hotel in Maafushi where I was booked to stay the next two days. The lady took down the speedboat time and assured me that she would get me picked up from the ferry terminal. That done, I reviewed the program I had slated for Maafushi, which brought to an end my Male sojourn.
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