FLYING OVER THE MALDIVES VIA TRANSMALDIVIAN AIRWAYS

To get to our small island resort in the North Ari Atoll, we had to take a 25-minute TransMaldivian seaplane ride. The only thing that we hated with this experience was the long wait for the flight- which our resort, Gangehi Island Resort, did not have any control over as TMA is a government-owned company and flight schedules are not within their realm.

Prior to arriving in the Maldives though, I received a message from a Gangehi rep saying that we were supposed to be on the 830AM flight. Imagine our surprise when we went to the TMA check-in counter and our names were NOT ON THE LIST!!! It was too early to get mad - and I didn't want to start our holiday on a negative note so I was thankful that the kind Gangehi airport counter representative saved our asses. To cut the story short, after a few back and forths, iced coffees, and photos around the small airport, the very helpful resort rep sorted it out and put us on the 1130AM flight. Apparently, that was the first flight out to Gangehi... then why make us come to the airport too early? We had to wait 3 hours for a measly 25-minute flight!

That snafu aside, the seaplane experience was one for the books and the sight of beautiful, lush-green islands fringed with luminescent white shores and surrounded by some of the bluest waters I've ever laid my eyes on, helped saved the day.

This is the main waiting area with only a couple of F&B establishments and boutiques.

From the main terminal, we were ushered to a small departure gate beside the TMA seaport.

All the TMA pilots were in casual wear and one of ours was female! #whoruntheworld. The interiors of the seaplane are simple and there's no airconditioning - so it can get hot, and some passengers at the back have to sit with some luggage.

We made a loop around the seaport before taking off: the engines rumbled, the floating hulls glided across the placid waters, the motor blades whirred to life and then we were off!! First time to fly this low of an altitude. :)

Prepare for a deluge of island photos! ... So many amazing shapes and a myriad hues of the color blue! The waters of the Indian Ocean were iridescent under the rays of the morning sun.

And then just like that, we landed in what was perhaps the smallest airport in the world. If you can call a wooden plank an airport, that is! :)

After our three-day stay in Gangehi, we flew via TMA again. This time, our small plane made a pitstop at Bathala Island - 5 minutes further from Gangehi - to drop off some passengers before we headed back to the Hulhule seaport.

I was on the other side of the plane this time around and saw a few different sights vs. the initial ride. Sadly, one of the views I saw was a small island full of burnt garbage. :( It's the Maldives' dirty little secret. The island system doesn't have a proper garbage disposal system in place and the current landfill is full to the brim. Our resort in Gangehi mandates that all guests bring back non-biodegradable trash back with them and dispose of properly in their home countries.

Nearer to the mainland, we saw the capital of the Maldives, Male, from the plane's window. Most people - me, included at first - think that the country's international airport sits in Male, but it's actually in the island of Hulhule and built across a swath of reclaimed land. It's right across Male and easily reachable via local boats for $1 each way.

Saw a couple more island resorts near the capital before our island getaway officially ended when our TMA flight landed at the busy seaport. Boohoo.

The seaplane ride was more expensive than our club room package at Gangehi - but it was all worth the $$$$ spent (USD 485), if only to experience flying over the 1,192 islands of the Maldives - well, some of it anyway. I mean, it's one of the countries on earth that is threatened by climate change and its flat topography makes it highly susceptible to being reclaimed by the sea - not that it's going under anytime soon, but you never know (knock on wood!).

Of course, if the seaplane option is a tad over your budget, there are beautiful resorts as well near the international airport that are easily accessible by boat - islands such Baros and Coco Bodu Hithi are much-revered and lusted after by travelers to the Maldives. I would still recommend Gangehi Island Resort though, because everything about it was simply amazing!

HAPPY TRAVELS! x

#Maldives