To the Maldives for a Thai long weekend. A paradise surprisingly close to Bangkok.

I uploaded this article from the airport in the Maldives on the final day of my trip.

When you hear "Maldives," many people might imagine a once-in-a-lifetime special trip that is too far to travel to from Japan.
However, living in Bangkok changes that sense of distance a little.
This time, I took advantage of a Thai long weekend to visit the Maldives via Sri Lanka.

Since it was the off-season, there was some rain, but as someone who isn't a fan of harsh sunlight, I was actually grateful for it, and it was nice to keep costs down.

From Bangkok to the Maldives

I flew with SriLankan Airlines this time.

It takes about three and a half hours from Bangkok to Colombo.
From there, it's about a one-and-a-half-hour connecting flight to arrive in Male.
There are direct flights from Bangkok, but I chose a connecting flight this time to save on costs and maximize my time in the Maldives.

Since it takes much less time to get there than from Japan, I felt once again that this is a place I can visit precisely because I am living in Thailand now.

Staying in the capital, Male, on the first day

When people think of the Maldives, they think of the blue sea, and I imagine many people go directly from the airport to their resort.

This time, I decided to stay in the capital, Male, for the first night.
The atmosphere in Male city is a bit different from the typical image of the Maldives, with roads and buildings lined up.

I wandered around the city, but there were few souvenir shops, and it felt like there were more stores selling daily necessities for the people of the Maldives.

Something I had always wanted to experience: "Swimming with sharks"

The thing I was looking forward to most on this trip was the tour to swim with sharks.
I was a little nervous at first, but once I actually got into the water, I realized they were nurse sharks, a species that doesn't attack humans.
Their slow swimming was very graceful. The sight of many sharks passing right in front of me had an intensity you could never experience in an aquarium. A shark suddenly appeared from between my legs. It felt like I was riding on top of a shark, and I felt like Urashima Taro. I couldn't help but touch the shark, and it felt rough—this was truly shark skin.

However, as someone who gets seasick easily, I did feel a bit of motion sickness.

Luckily, on this tour, I was also able to encounter dolphins and sea turtles.

The luxury of all-inclusive

The hotel I stayed at from the second day was all-inclusive.

Since I could enjoy meals and drinks without worrying about the time, I didn't have to think about "how much the extra charges would be."

The time spent relaxing while gazing at the blue sea was enough to make me happy.

Birthday surprise

This trip happened to be scheduled around my birthday.
To my surprise, my friend had arranged a wonderful birthday decoration and celebration at the hotel, and I was deeply moved by this unexpected gift.

To the friend who traveled with me

Above all, I want to thank the friend who traveled with me.
Apparently, just because my birthday was coming up, they had negotiated with the travel agency to see if they could arrange a surprise.

Thank you so much. It became an unforgettable trip to the Maldives.

Maldives (Sri Lanka) souvenirs

There are few souvenirs.

The souvenir shop inside the Maldives airport on the way back was very crowded.
Since most people go straight from the airport to their resort hotel, there shouldn't be anywhere to buy souvenirs other than the hotel shop or the airport.

For some reason, I impulsively bought a fragrance set and body lotion at the Sri Lankan airport on the way there.
It was an Oud (agarwood) fragrance shop, and it was a store only found in Sri Lanka, so I went for it because of the momentum and because the guy at the shop was kind.
The slightly unique scent is nice. It might be a matter of taste.
I'll let my friend choose the scent they like.

Things I can do now that I live in Thailand

Being able to easily travel to countries that are hard to visit from Japan is a unique experience of living abroad.

The Maldives was a place I had thought, "I want to go there someday."
I was able to make that "someday" happen sooner than I thought.