Yes the water really is that color

We’ve been breaking our own rule of slow travel lately with some whirlwind activity through India and Bangladesh. So we were looking to recenter and refocus on our goals. And we found the perfect place. Affordable peace-and-quiet on the Maldives. Hoorah Huraa!

Sunset from Huraa

We didn’t specifically choose the island of Huraa. Rather we chose the affordable Airbnb (Beach Heaven)here. As nice as it would be to stay in one of those mega expensive over the water thatched roof bungalows you see in the Maldives marketing material – that is not in our budget.  Nor really is it in our keep it simple and affordable style.

Looking across the channel to the very expensive Club Med from our sweet little spot

We chose to spend three week’s at the “keep it simple” Beach Heaven Hotel where for $90 a day (total not per person) we are enjoying a small but comfortable room, three meals a day, coffee, tea and water all day and other non alcoholic drinks available for a tiny price.  We also have great WiFi (a surprise), a patio table to play scrabble as well as hammocks and lounge chairs to read in and a beach five minutes walk away.

There is a tiny-little community here on Huraa but no cars.  That makes walking the crushed coral narrow streets each morning another bonus.

Google map image of the island of Huraa

We thought the island we stayed on in the Seychelles was small- well you could put about 200 Huraa’s on the Seychelles island of Praslin.

There are a couple of tiny stores, a couple of other tiny resorts, and a school.  Many of the locals work at the three resorts on the neighboring islands where over the water huts run about $1500 a night, all visible from our $90 room at Beach Heaven.

Colorful house on the crushed coral streets of Huraa

The Maldives are a devout Muslim nation and Huraa has a small mosque. And of course no alcohol, tobacco, or pork.  We are using these three alcohol free weeks to really focus on our health. Although I’ve been suffering since Bangladesh with a cold, we are enjoying early morning beach yoga daily, cardio every other day and power walking most days. You must circle the island twice to walk three miles.  The highest point on the island is about five feet.  So power walking is easy.

The atoll of Maldives showing all the islands with resorts

The Maldives are an atoll.  I believe this is my first visit to an atoll. An atoll forms when an ancient
volcano sinks into the sea from the weight of the coral building and growing on the fringe.  This leaves a ring of small coral islands with a lagoon center.  Coral is  everywhere  here – the sand on the beach is fine coral, the roads are crushed coral and coral is used as stone for building houses.

No cars on Huraa but a few scooters and golf carts and whatever you would call this cute thing.

We have eaten fish everyday so far and the tuna is especially fresh and delicious.

We still have more than two weeks here, and we plan to take some snorkeling excursions as soon as my cold goes away.  But meanwhile we are just enjoying this unique place, a great find with affordable peace and quiet on the Maldives.

Hoorah Huraa.