This year we are spending Christmas in the Maldives. Getting there from China was easy and cheap. Our plane tickets were $800 per ticket – a ticket to San Francisco costs us double to triple this amount. The hard part was finding a “reasonably price” resort that accommodates children. The Maldives consists of many islands divided into Atolls.

The Maldives lies in two rows of atolls in the Indian Ocean, just across the equator. The country is made up of 1, 190 coral islands formed around 26 natural ring-like atolls, spread over 90, 000 square kilometers. These atolls structures are formed upon a sharp ridge rising from the ocean making way for their secluded uniqueness.

Ninety-nine percent of the Maldives is made up of sea. The people of the islands are widely dispersed across the atolls, with about 200 inhabited islands. About 90 islands are developed as tourist resort and the rest are uninhabited or used for agriculture and other livelihood purposes.

In 1998, sea-temperature warming of as much as 5C (41F) due to a single El Niño phenomenon event caused coral bleaching, killing 2/3 of the nation’s coral reefs.

I spent many hours on the internet to find a resort for our Maldivian Christmas. In addition, add the very slow Chinese internet to the mix to make for long days staring at my computer. Jim wanted a resort with good diving and I required a resort with a water villa (and a place that took our children). I found a resort in the far North Atoll, Haa Alif Atoll, call Beach House Iruveli.

Friday, December 20: Planes, trains, automobile + boat

We left cold shanghai at 8:45am by automobile. The first thing we ALWAYS do once we check in at the airport is to eat at Burger King. It doesn’t matter what time of the day, we all have lunch as no one wants to eat the plane food. When we stepped off the esculator, the small food area had been remodled. It looked nicer with big comfortable seats…which resulted in less seating!

After a five and half hour plane flight to Kuala Lumpur (KL), we had five hours to hang at the airport. We walked around to explore all the food options since we had plenty of time to do nothing. Eleri wanted satays and Emersyn wanted pizza. No problem…we first dinned at the restaurant with satays as Eleri was hungry. Eleri loved them by eating 12 chicken satays. Jim enjoy a spicy curry and soup. After finishing our meal, we walked over to the Olive Tree for pizza and beef Lasaunge. We sat at the Olive Tree playing card games with Eleri while our teen was on her computer on skype with Kaitlin in America…until she ran out of battery.

We took the airport train to our terminal. We boarded the plane for a four hour flight to Male. Once we arrived in Male, we moved the clocks back three hours. Our flight landed Male time at 10:00pm, 1:00am Shanghai time. Arriving Male, we gathered our luggage which we are traveling VERY light. We are limited to 20kg (44 lbs) per person. With all the dive gear, we have very little clothes.

We were greeted at the airport by our hotel, the Traders, to be escorted to the pier for our boat crossing to the hotel. There isn’t much in Male for accommodations. If we stayed in a smaller hotel, we would need two rooms. I booked on line for three adults with an extra bed in a king bed room. We just showed up with our extra child, Eleri. The rooms was a basic business hotel which was nice since the hotel is only a couple years old.

By the time we were checked in and found our way to our pillows, it was 11:30pm, 2:30am Shanghai time. We hit the bed as everyone was exhausted.

Saturday, December 21: More travel…boat, plane and golf car

We ordered in dinning breakfast as we were able to get us all fed for $28. The buffet breakfast was $27 per person. After check out, back to the boat to the cross over to the airport. Male is the Capitol city of the Maldives. It is located in the North Ari Atoll which is geographically about the middle of the chain of Islands.

We sat in the lounge waiting for our next flight to take us to the resort. The resort arranges all the transportation to transfer you from Male to the Island resort. We walked in the airport to hand off our bags to a representative from the resort…no lines, no checking in and no passport control. He escorted us to the lounge to wait. The lounge was very nice and good place to relax. Our domestic flight was a small plane, but still bigger than the 18 seated to Scottsbluff.

The view of the water and the various islands was amazing. We landed once – for people to depart and board the plane. We continued our journey to the far northern atoll, Haa Alif Atoll.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by the Beach House Iruveli staff to take us by another boat to our resort island. The boat journey was about 45 minutes across the open sea.

The little blue dot is our boat on Jim’s phone on Goggle Maps.

We pulled up to the pier to be driven to reception by golf cars.

We were driven by golf car to our villa. The pier to the villas is wide enough for two golf car to pass each other – the transportation of the Island.

Upon arrival to our water villa, we were not disappointed. The villa was as it looked on the website, but better. From the front door, we entered a small hallway with a desk for the family “dump zone”.

The room to the right leads to the spacious bathroom with a tub for Eleri! There is a large sliding door out to the deck which is great for bathroom runs to keep the water in the bathroom!

My favorite part of the bathroom is the shower and toilet. The are both outside over the water with full glass. The outside privacy wall is built to give you a view of the water in the shower and the toilet area. When you are using the toilet, you can see fish swimming around.

The toilet area had a foot washer which was used often to limit the sand in the villa.

The room to the left, across from the bathroom, is the main sleeping area with a large king bed and dressers.

The sitting area which is a large room next to the sleeping are has a sofa that has been set up as a bed and an extra bed to give everyone smiles that the next eight nights would be good ones – no three people in a king bed. The chairs that would have been in the window where the spare bed is now located have been moved to the spaces between the two rooms. We have plenty of room in this villa!

The glass floor window is located in the sitting area.

From the sitting area, another large sliding door leads to the deck. The deck has a small pool, table/chairs, lounge chairs and a swing. Picture perfect!

Eleri was the first one in the pool, of course! Our deck was fabulous!

While Eleri played in the pool, we unpacking and settling in. We changed into our swimmers to go to the Amazon pool for lunch. But, first a stop at the dive shop as Jim couldn’t wait to get in the clear blue water. We ordered pizzas at $25 each! I ordered the tropic pizza with chicken, pineapple, onions & mushrooms. Mine was the best! Lunch was $125. We did have a whole pizza left as they were large. We took the left overs back to our room to put in the fridge.

After lunch, we played in pool. The resort seems quiet, but we enjoy it. We are told the next wave of people arrive on Monday. We left the pool to stop by kids club called Turtle Club. The Kids club has a pool, games and craft activities to keep the kids busy.

Eleri gave the trampoline a go doing back flips for the first time. Tomorrow is gingerbread house making, therefore, Eleri wants to be a part of the craft!

The girls went back to the villa while Jim and I walked to the various restaurants to check out the food. The restaurants included Four Corners for a buffet lunch/dinner and breakfast, Saltwater, Medium Rare and the Cellar (fancy dinners on set nights). Food can be ordered at the Amazon Pool and the Infinity Pool. The resort is the Island. It is a small island with paths running through the middle to various spots.

After showers and relaxing, we went to dinner at Saffron. We sat on the deck, but everyone was really tired. We all crashed when we got home at 9:15pm, 12:15am Shanghai time.

Sunday, December 22: Paradise

Jim and Eleri were up first at 6am since the sun comes through the curtains. At 7:30am, Jim, Eleri and I took a walk around the island collecting shells.

When we got back, our teen was up and dress…time for breakfast buffet at the Four Corners. It was good and everyone filled their tummies.

Eleri went to kids club to make gingerbread houses. Jim and Emmy went for their initiation dive off the reef. It is a required dive for the staff to access each divers ability. Jim reported back that Emersyn did great. I enjoyed my book on our deck!

I walked to kids club several times to get Eleri, but she was never ready. After this first day, Eleri had drop off service…they would bring her back to the villa when she was ready to come home by golf car. Eleri has a German friend, Sarah (age 10), she is enjoying along with the crafts at Kids Club. Sarah’s parents are diving with Jim and Emersyn.

Sarah & Eleri

When Eleri returned around 1pm, we all enjoyed eating her master piece!

We spent the afternoon hanging out on our deck swimming in the pool and the ocean.

Eleri likes the pool better than the ocean. Therefore, she was “snorkeling” in the pool. In Shanghai, we had gone to the dive shop to get a good masks and snorkels for Eleri and I. One of the problems we have with snorkeling on these beach trips is the mask doesn’t fit Eleri and she gets very frustrated.

Jim went on an afternoon dive, but Emersyn passed as she is not as intense as her Dad. Emersyns favorite spot was the swing for reading. In no time, she was claiming the swing as “her swing” and we were all calling it “Emersyn’s swing”! Emersyn is reading on a Kindle so she has no glare from the sun. I am reading on my ipad, therefore, I move around the deck to keep the glare off my ipad.

A later afternoon swim before dinner – because, why not?

Dinner at the Medium Rare at 7pm. It was a windy night on the beach, but nice with the wind flaps down. Excellent meal at Medium Rare for steaks and shrimp.

Monday, December 23: Another Day in Paradise

Jim and I woke in the night to the loudest thunder. Once we were awake, we hurried to the deck to clear the stuff left out over night. Jim remembered to pulled the cushion from the lounge chairs. We went back to bed to wait for the sun to wake us up.

Breakfast needed to be at 8am since Jim and Emersyn are on the morning dive at 9am. After breakfast, Eleri skipped off to kids club. I returned to the deck to read the morning away! When Eleri returned from Kids Club, she had a plate of cookies – the whole family is enjoying Eleri’s time at Kids Club!

When the family retuned, Emersyn found her way to “her” swing to read. The swing cushion did not get pulled from the rain and was drying.

Eleri and I played in the pool because that is the first place Eleri goes when she gets back from Kids Club. Since Eleri can be in the pool for “hours”, Jim took over playing with her when he returned from his dive.

Due to the coral bleaching, most of the reef around our villa was damaged. The reef is starting to come back with new growth, but it takes time. At night a trumpet fish was hanging out below our villa under our window floor. The villas have lights that shine on the water so we think he must like the light. Every night we looked for the trumpet fish and he came every night.

At night, lights come in our pool for a very nice glow.

We ordered room service to enjoy a lazy night eating in and watching tv.

Tuesday, December 24: Christmas Eve in Paradise

Breakfast at 8am so our divers can get to the dive shop by 8:45am. Eleri and I went back to the room to read. Eleri isn’t our big reader, but she is enjoying her Dork Diaries book she got in the book exchange at the class party. Then, off to kids club by 10:30am for craft time. The craft is very important – today was card marking.

Finally in the afternoon, I was able to get the girls to leave our small infinity pool for the large infinity pool. We had fun, but Emersyn said she enjoyed our small pool better as it was private.

A family walk on the beach before Eleri went back to kids club for a savagery hunt.

I wanted to finish my book before dinner since I was so close. Emersyn and I spent the afternoon reading on the deck. We had a beautiful sunset this evening.

Around 6pm, a cake, a stocking with cookies and a bottle of wine was delivered as a Christmas gift.

Christmas dinner was a prepaid required dinner (and not cheap as Emersyn is adult priced). We began with drinks at Saltwater over looking the water.

A big buffet at Four Corners. The Christmas display was a very nice surprise along with all the desserts.

Eleri didn’t eat much (she didn’t cover her cost of the buffet) as we didn’t see the bbq shrimp until after the girls left to go back to the villa. They did enjoy a few different desserts before going to the room.

When we arrived back to the room, flowers had been put on all the beds. This is how we found Eleri – sound asleep!

Wednesday, December 25: Christmas Day

Christmas morning and I had three presents each for the girls to open. They each received a flash light, a small alarm clock and a necklace. Santa came last night to Shanghai waiting for our return.

We went to breakfast around 9:30am since we didn’t need to get a couple divers to the boat pier at 8:45am. After breakfast, Eleri & Jim made necklaces with all the shells Eleri had found along the beach. We thought a little Christmas snorkeling off our deck would be a nice way to spend the morning. However, Eleri doesn’t like the fish…I don’t think she is going to be a driver like Emersyn. It was a short snorkel as our drivers have no desire to snorkel.

We all played in the pool to enjoy this Christmas Day.

We took a family walk on the beach, but we had to keep it short as Eleri wanted to be at Kids Club at 2:00pm.

Eleri was off to kids club at 2:00pm for a treasurer hunt on the beach. Emersyn spent the afternoon in “her swing” reading.

Jim and I took a couple laps around the island discussing our fate…moving back to America.

We came upon the kids on the beach with a visit from Santa..with NO camera. Santa arrived by jet ski. He gave each child a present. Eleri was given beach toys that were a bit young for her, but still nice to get a present. A table of drinks & cookies were set up for the kids…all very nice.

We had decided to have pizza at the Amazon Pool for dinner as it is very good. However, the kitchen closes at 5pm. We played in the pool since we were the only ones there. Then, back to the room for showers and room service.

Thursday, December 26: More Paradise

Jim and Emersyn were off on their morning dive. Eleri went to kids club to play with Sarah and I read my book on the deck – another great morning in paradise.

Everyone comes home around 1pm for deck hanging time.

Eleri came home with braids and henna from “spa day” at Kids Club.

Eleri didn’t want henna on her hands, so they did her feet – I loved it!

And, nails, of course!

Jim, Eleri and I went to play at the Infinity pool, but our teen elected for some alone time reading her book on the deck.

Jim was doing handstands with Eleri in the pool which was funny watching them.

We ordered a lunch snack of satays and beef quesadillas. Today, Jim did a double dive day by joining the afternoon dive. It makes for a long day of diving, but he enjoys it. Jim went off to dive and Eleri and I went back to play in the pool on our deck. Eleri and I took some beef quesadillas back to the room for our teen since the infinity pool is close to our water villa.

Eleri has created pool games to play with the sand toys from the Maldivian Santa.

The table has become her shell station…just like home, she has making stuff everywhere!

The view is beautiful today as we have less clouds.

Emersyn decided she would like henna, also. We walked to Kids Club for her to get henna. Navee at Kids Club is jut delightful and makes the club experience more fun.

Eleri & Navee

She did Emersyn’s arm beautifully. I also had my feet done like Eleri’s.

We needed to get to the Amazon pool by 4:45pm to order pizzas for dinner. Kid’s Club is in the middle of the Island while the Amazon pool is on the outer edge, but across from our water villa. I left the girls at Kids club to go order pizza as Emersyn wanted to jump on the trampoline.

The girls and I enjoyed the pizzas while we waited for Jim to return from his dive. We ordered three pizzas this time which was perfect. After Jim finished his pizza, we played in the Amazon pool. Again, we were the only ones there so we played hide & seek tag. The pool is big with many different islands to hide around.

By the time we were leaving, the sun was setting. We haven’t had many beautiful pink sky sunsets due to clouds. Tonight was a great one. We took some photos on our walk back and on our deck.

Of course, Eleri went right in our deck pool until the sun disappeared!

Friday, December 27: Last Dive Day

The weather has been beautiful, but a little windy. The divers had gone out to another island to see Mantas earlier in the week with no luck. Today, was the last chance to see Mantas as it was the last dive day. A mandatory 24 hours from last dive to flight is needed. We leave on Sunday, but we don’t know what time. With the small plane, the resort informs us of our flight time the night before. The divers were successful to see the Mantas. It was short as they have an inexperienced Russian family diving with them. The boys are older than Emersyn, but they have very little control in the water. Jim had said their group got in the water fast for this reason. The Mantas were swimming over them until the Russian family swam up and scared them away.

We had organized the Dolphin Sunset Cruise. It was good, but a bit expensive for what it was. For Jim and Emersyn, they are out on a boat everyday to go to various island for dives. This was nothing special for them except we did see the Dolphins.

And a beautiful sunset…

Saturday, December 28: Another Beautiful Day

The good part about no diving is we have a nice slow morning to arrive to breakfast late. The wind has become calm, therefore, we decided it was a good day for family fun in the water. The resort has stand up paddle boards (SUP) and kayaks your can take in the water (for free). The girls did SUP in Tahoe with Terri, but I have not. It takes a stead stand to bounce on the board. There are only three SUPs so we took a kayak, also. Eleri preferred the kayak. Jim lost his glasses so we were looking for that needle in the haystack, which we did not find. But, it was still a fun morning in the ocean.

Sunday, December 29: Last Day in Paradise

They informed us our flight would not leave until 5pm, but we can stay in the villa until our departure. I really appreciate this extra villa time as most places “kick” you at noon with no where to go until your flight time. We had another full day to hang in paradise.

The girls did not want pizza at the Amazon pool (which is my favorite), but Eleri wanted the satays at the Infinity pool. Jim, Eleri and I went to play at the Infinity pool and get food for Eleri and Emersyn. After their lunch, Jim and I walked to the Amazon pool for a pizza lunch. The girls stayed at the villa – one reading and one in the pool.

Eleri spent the entire day in the pool – and her little face was a bit red!

The last photo of the blue/green sea from our deck!

And the beach!

We left the resort around 5:30pm for the journey across the open sea and the small plane flight back to Male. At Male airport, we grabbed a quick Burger King before going through customs. All food in Male is expensive…I paid $30 for a whopper, a double and 2 large fries! At Male, our flight was delayed, but we had sitting time in KL – either way we were sitting. Emersyn had developed a terrible ear ache. She visit the clinic at the resort to get some drugs to relieve the pain. The flight from Male to KL was very long for her due to the pain. At KL, we stopped at a drug store. Jim picked up some decongestion, but was looking for something stronger. He remembered seeing a “medical” stop near the train. He found the drugs he was looking for at the medical stop to make the flight from KL to Shanghai better for Emersyn.

It was another fabulous holiday spent as a family. We are so blessed and thankful to have these opportunities to share as a family.