Thinking to Maldives immediately evokes the image of fine sandy beaches, crystal clear sea and relaxation.

There are a lot of last-minute deals that offer holidays and flights at discounted rates during the year.

But the Maldives are not just that. The thing that fascinated me most are the beautiful reef.

They are absolutely charming.

You can stay for hours enthralled to see a scenery is always the same and always different.

Heaven is really under water, a few meters.

These “mushroom” huge and delicate hide a thousand different forms of life. It takes very few minutes to admire an exaggerated amount.

There is nothing wonderful like waking up at dawn from the deck of our boat in the distance and admire these huge turtles.

Yes, you understand right. From the boat.

Because contrary to what is often believed, the Maldives are not just resorts and luxury resort.

Isn’t essential to consult a travel agent or a tour operator to experience a wonderful vacation in this paradise.

Just as you will not have to buy prepaid packages from Italy.

I’ll explain how we lived them ourselves.

I contacted directly Blue K Safari Maldives by mail.

They have several boats with different price ranges.

We chose the Dolphin, the smallest and the cheapest.

Shahid informs us that the boat we have chosen is an economic and spartan, something that will prove to be so true.

It’s clearly not a luxury boat and not think of a mega yacht, but I must say that turned out to be much beautiful than expected.

There was actually a little smell in the cabin and the furnishings weren’t very modern (only flaws). The cabins were, however, all equipped with private bathrooms and air conditioning.

Cabin to tell the truth … we have used only the first night.

You have to know that there is nothing more beautiful than to sleep directly under the stars in the middle of the sea.

It’s an indescribable feeling in words. Try it.

There is no dew and a light breeze cools the nights after hot sunny days.

The silence, the darkness. Some nights we happened to be completely alone in the sea and desert islands. You couldn’t see a single light. We, alone and lost in this little boat!

The boat is also the best way to visit these islands, as well as the most fun ever for Valeria who understands the sense of freedom that ensures the boat here.

She could easily move, play, dive, fish, enter, leave,… the boat was all for our group (we were 7 from Italy) and no one to tell you absolutely nothing for any crazy idea.

Including the one to dive from the top floor! … Although here, I would have had a little something to say!

It was seraphic in his first jumping. While overlooked I ask: “Valeria, but you’ve never jumped from a height like that?

She looks at me and jumping.

Emerges very happy and she answered me: “Now yes!”

These are the situations where I think it would be better to take a little more caution from my husband!

The captain, at our request, illustrated us, during the daily briefing, in the evening, the journey for the next day.

We moved twice a day and this mode has really allowed us to explore many waters and many islands of the Maldives, as well as villages and markets are always different.

Don’t think that the reefs are all the same. Each atoll and each area has its own quirks and coral formations and the animals that you see in one place, they aren’t the ones you see in another.

We were able to see, of course, sharks and observe sharks and a turtle swimming placidly on the bottom, standing in the sand is one of the most beautiful memories.

Unfortunately, the ecosystem of the Maldives is very delicate, and even though no one says, tourists, however pay attention to this aspect, it’s undeniable that they’re destroying.

At Maldives there is no system to handle the huge amount of garbage produced each day.

The Maldives are the country by far Asia’s richest and doesn’t pay the slightest attention to this aspect.

In the only day a little cloudy, we have been able to touch this matter. From each island, of locals and of resorts, plumes of smoke rose.

Yes you read right: the garbage is collected in a separate place and burned.

I firmly believe that the fate of these paradise islands is inexorably marked. It a shame reach the beautiful sandbanks isolated and find it full of garbage and plastic from the sea.

There’s nothing you can do. Shudder to hear about responsible tourism, because living in the Maldives so we realized how much garbage we produce every day.

And above all, by necessity. The water we drink (there is still water in the Maldives, it’s all desalinated), solar creams, foods and many other things.

I’m not a convinced environmentalist, but it remains difficult to enjoy this idyllic place knowing to contribute, as every human being present to his destruction.

The animals that we could see were so many.

Some strange as this sea cucumber.

During our trips was common to see dolphins playing in the bow.

The reef closest to the surface of the water offered the most intense colors.

Even if you have to be very careful not to touch them.

Either because they destroy, and because many are stinging.

Exactly what I was saying, Valeria true?!?

In some reef you can try what is called the jump in the blue deep.

It’s a special sensation that you feel moving a little over a nearly vertical wall and swimming well in the dark depths of the abyss.

Well at this point … I think the picture of what we could see speak for themselves. If you like to snorkel already have it figured out now.

If, like me, snorkeling there has never particularly fascinated before … well, try it here in the Maldives and then I’ll know to say!