Even though the surf was really good during 10 out the 12 days of the trip, there are no action photos. Here are a few pictures of Luma and Ana on the beach and in the water, of Lohifushi's resort island and a few shot in Mahé. The scuba diving has a big reputation... but with waves pumping nearly everyday, it was hard to find some time to go diving. That's a second good reason to come back.

The Maldives are a very curious country. It is scattered over a few hundred islands, grouped in a couple of bigger atolls. Each island is quite small, some have a small fishing community, other have a resort or a hotel, and are 100% comercial now. And then there is Mahe, with its vibrant boat traffic and fish market, but otherwise quite sleepy. The Maldives are a Muslim country, and the President, some say the dictator, runs it with quite a hard hand. During our stay, a rebellion erupted in one of the jails, but the info came from outside (internet and friends) and nearly nothing transpired locally. The country has experienced an aggressive economic growth for more than a decade now, which is one of the president's biggest claims. His critics point out that most of this growth has generated wealth for just some happy few and the majority of Maldivians haven't seen a lot of change in their lifestyle, still based on fishing and local barter.

Staying at a place like Lohifushi's is not the ideal way to experience a country first-hand, and genuinely... but the Maldives seem to be a particularly ill-prepared destination for the independent traveller, unless you have your own sail or motor boat.