HONEYMOON.

"You don't need magic to disappear; all you need is a destination." 

- Unknown

Honeymoons are a once in a lifetime experience so they have to be beyond spectacular. It every couples dream to be surrounded by turquoise water and white sand during their first few days of marriage and we were blessed enough to have that exact magical experience. 

Our journey started the morning after our reception, my in-laws kindly drove my husband and I to the airport, and we said our goodbyes and made our way to the departure lounge where we got comfortable before boarding the nineteen-hour flight to Sri Lanka. The Maldives Island we visited didn’t have an airport so we had to take an hour and a half connecting flight from Sir Lanka to the Maldives. On our arrival to Sir Lanka we were shown to Our Hotels airport lounge (Yes the hotel has its own Seaplane Airline- how cute?) where we waited for our short flight. The flight from Sirlanka to the Maldives is only 20 minutes.

Where we stayed? 

We opted to stay at the Coco Palm Resort in Baa Atoll. Since we got married in August – which is perfect weather in the UK, you have to bear in mind that it is Tropical/monsoon season in the Maldives in which weather is considered unpredictable. During our stay we only experience one day of torrential downpours but this quickly cleared up.  

We also took the decision to stay on a beach villa - we put in a request to be as secluded from the island communal areas as possible – which was very important to us both and is also a blessing if you are a Hijabi wanting to tan.

Our villa was immaculate and very tastefully decorated in very traditional earthy tones. Our villa doors opened up to a private pool, and just behind the pool we had our own mini jungle… well lots of plants creating amazing coverage and privacy from the everything around us (there was very little around us but even still it made our stay more comfortable). Just behind our mini jungle was a very narrow path, which leads towards the pristine waters, and strips of white sand of Coco Palm Island.

This was a picture of our room we stay in, outside there is a swimming pool that is surrounded by trees. A narrow path is present that leads to the turquoise water. This area was private and didn't interact with any other people. A halal zone ah.

What to do there?

A lot of people I spoke to before my trip were concerned with the lack of activities and things to do on such a small secluded island, to be honest I wasn’t all that worried because I just wanted to spend quality time with my husband. My husband and I specifically wanted to go the Maldives because of how peaceful and chaos free this destination is, this allows time for you and your spouse to relax, talk and enjoy each others company. A place where distractions are limited is something we searched for and prioritized when choosing our honeymoon destination.

On our arrival we discovered there were a number of exciting, once in a life time activities to partake in for the thrill seekers out there.

Activities:

· Snorkling

· Dolphin Watching

· Canoeing 

· Diving

· Sunset boat rides

· Island hopping

· Diving with sea turtles or sharks

· Fishing

· Other excursions are available. 

There were so many cool spots on the island, which were great to unwind in. This swing became one of our favorite places to spend time in and relax after breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Rules & Tips:

·      The Maldives is a Muslim country, when you're on mainland remember to be respectful and wear clothing that covers the knees and shoulders, everywhere else on the island is very private and you can wear whatever you like.

·      Remember to keep hydrated; the hotel is all-inclusive so be sure to make the most of their organic coconut drinks. Coconut juice is the best way to keep hydrated in the intense sun.

This was our last day on the island, we were met by rain shortly after. But this didn't stop us from going out. Rainfall here is unlike anything we have ever seen, its magical. In this photo, I’m wearing a cream layered chiffon pleated dress, and kept it casual with a baby pink cardigan. Dresses were most convenient and are easy to dress up or down.  I have included links on similar items to achieve this look.

Dress: 

Baby pink cardigan: H&M

White Nail polish: Inglot breathable.

From personal experience I recommend wearing cotton clothing. Although we went during the topical season, it was always over twenty-five degrees, this rarely drops even when there is a downpour. I would recommend taking a few dressy evening outfits for romantic dinners by the ocean while watching the sunset.  With footwear I recommend taking a few pairs of sandals, I wouldn't recommend heels at all because it is an island, there aren’t very many areas, which aren’t gushing with white sand so you'll just end up sinking.

We decided not to stay in the overwater villas due to the lack of privacy and the topical season we decided to travel in.  The sea can be very temperamental during this time and getting soaked every time you walk across this bridge may not be to everybody taste. They are beautiful to look at and I’m sure the view from the cabins is to die for; it just wasn’t for us on this occasion. The exciting part is that there are baby sharks swimming around this particular area and reef, these are tame and you can swim peacefully with them – amazing.