A great benefit of traveling with G Adventures is that the organization supports the local economy by partnering with guides that bring us into the heart of the country. Because of this, we had the chance to visit two inhabited islands of the Maldives, Dhiggaru & Fulidhoo.
Walking from one side of the island to the other, we relished in its simplicity. Both islands could be crossed by foot and only one automobile exists on Dhiggaru, which is the ambulance. We could feel the serenity exuded by the kind people who welcomed us. We watched some children playing volleyball and soccer, toured a school and a few of us got to try basket weaving. Fulidhoo is also a center for boat building and we saw a large cruise boat in the middle stages of construction. While much larger and fancier than our humble dhoni, we’d bet that it doesn’t have a crazy awesome chef or captain who’d challenge the menacing eels. Just sayin’
Later one evening we returned to Dhiggaru for a traditional Bodu Beru drum & dance show. It soon got really humid, but the drummers never missed a literal beat despite the heat. Two dancers came out to perform and they were so captivated by the music that it seemed like they entered into a trace. They invited us to join them and we jumped at the opportunity… at least the first couple times…it was super steamy and hot out! Possibly the best part of the night was watching Victor and Sherm really get down with the rest of the dancers. Their collective joy in relishing that moment made us forget about the pools of sweat dripping down our backs.
