Our Honeymoon Trip Pt. 3

A massage table in Vilu Reef. We made our way over to the spa and massage building on the other side of the island four times to enjoy various oil massages. That was one of the most enjoyable parts of the trip.

While at Vilu Reef we ate three buffet meals a day at the island restaurant. We didn't eat any Maldivian food; rather, it was European and Japanese style food, perhaps to cater to the Europeans and Japanese tourists that regularly frequent Vilu Reef.

I believe I was the only American on Vilu Reef during our stay. Americans usually do not go to the Maldives, probably because it's too far away, and there are closer options like the Caribbean and Hawaii. Of course, I don't think there are any island resorts like Vilu Reef in those places.

Now, Vilu Reef seems to be quite remote. A few hundred people on an island not even one kilometer in length, far from any decently populated area (not counting the island of about 800 villagers close to Vilu Reef - more on that later). But if that is just too much for you, Vilu Reef has an option - a trip to another, more remote island that can accommdate only four couples! This is a picture of Fandhoo. For no extra charge, we were invited to stay here instead of the "crowded" Vilu Reef. We did some swimming and snorkeling, but other than that, we just enjoyed the scenery. There wasn't much else to do.

A picture of the cottage we stayed at on Fandhoo.

Our Honeymoon Trip Pt. 2

This is me standing in the middle of Vilu Reef. Unlike the first day, the rain was starting to clear out by the second day.

A view from the deck outside of our suite. Notice the view in the background - nothing but sea. By the way, if you were wondering, this trip did set us back a little. We won't be enjoying any more lavish trips for a while.

Here I am, standing outside of our cottage.

Several overwater cottages, neatly arranged. This picture was taken from the front door of our cottage. As you can see, there was a nice lagoon in the middle. We actually swam there a few times, doing some snorkeling and looking at the fish.

Our Honeymoon Trip Pt. 1

To celebrate our marriage, my wife and I took a honeymoon in the islands of the Maldives. This picture is a view of the capital city of Male. We had arrived the night before and stayed in Male for a night because the seaplanes, which take people to the many island resorts in the Maldives, do not operate at night. This picture was taken as we headed back to the airport the next morning.

A view of the seaplane we took to Vilu Reef, an island resort about a 45-minute seaplane flight away from Male.

An overhead picture of Vilu Reef. On the right, you can see the rows of overwater cottages. We stayed in one of them for five nights. It was just amazing.

Here I am, stepping onto Vilu Reef for the first time, and beginning five days of nothing but relaxation.