Travel to the Maldives: what it’s like to visit right now

Maldives (CNN) – I am sitting on a lounge chair in the overwater restaurant of a resort in the Maldives, taking in the view of the sparkling Arabian Sea, but I feel uncomfortable.

I do not wear a mask, neither the other guests nor the staff.

Not that you need to do it: Everyone on the private palm-fringed island of Soneva Fushi was tested for Covid-19 upon arrival, then quarantined in their own villa until he receives further negative results.

I’m able to roam the island freely and challenge the six-foot minimum social distancing measures the world has become accustomed to since early 2020.

For just a few days in this Indian Ocean paradise, things feel back to normal in an extremely abnormal year – but this change takes some getting used to.

Maldives: now open to everyone

The 1,200-island country reopened its borders in July without a test or quarantine warrant, then changed course in September to demand negative Covid-19 test results for all inbound travelers (96 hours before departure). An online traveler’s health declaration form must also be completed 24 hours before take-off.

Like all countries heavily dependent on tourism, it has been hit hard by the crisis. According to the World Bank, tourism directly and indirectly represents two thirds of the country’s GDP.

The industry thrived in 2019, with visitor arrivals increasing 14.7% (year on year), with total arrivals reaching a record 1.7 million. Officials hoped to have reached 2 million arrivals this year.

In a statement released in May, Ali Waheed, the country’s tourism minister, described the impact of the coronavirus pandemic as “more devastating than the 2004 tsunami and the 2008 global financial crisis”.

So it’s no surprise that it was among the first countries to reopen.

My trip started at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York City, where I boarded a Qatar Airways flight – this is one of dozens of airlines that currently fly to the Maldives’ capital, Male.

Note the emphasis on “PCR”: I saw potential passengers at JFK refuse boarding passes because they provided a quick test, and it wasn’t pretty.

When boarding, Qatar Airways passengers must wear their mask and face shield, which they provide free of charge at the door.

I flew from New York to Doha in economy class in a half-empty plane, with a whole line for me. I then flew in the Qsuites, the business class offer of Qatar Airways, for the last stop to Malé.

With ample personal space and sliding doors, this was definitely my favorite way to socially distance myself during a flight.

I finally arrived at the Maldives’ Velana International Airport in the morning, with the descent over blue spots of pristine atolls as thrilling as ever from my window seat.

The most luxurious quarantine in the world?

Getting out of business class ahead of most became a huge blessing, as border controls were rigorous and time consuming. I approached the border control booth with the handful of documents required for entry: a printout of my negative Covid test result, copies of my two hotel reservations (Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani) and a code QR of my completed traveler’s health declaration form.

After collecting my checked baggage and clearing customs, I found the gracious (and masked) hosts at Soneva Fushi Airport, who took me to a check-in counter for a scheduled seaplane flight to their resort. .

A van drove me and the other resort guests to Soneva Fushi’s dedicated airport lounge, where we kept our distance from each other, nibbled on snacks, and finished check-in until boarding time. .

Later, we boarded their private purple-colored seaplane for a scenic half-hour flight to their “international airport” (a tiny secluded platform floating in the ocean), which was followed by a speedboat cruise to the resort’s extensive woods. pier, where masked “Barefoot Butlers” and management greeted us.

I hopped into a buggy with my butler which takes me straight to my huge beachfront villa … the only slice of island life I would see for the next 20 hours.

Minutes into my quarantine, a lab technician in a hazmat suit entered my compound to administer my Covid test in the villa, rubbing my throat and lightly stabbing my left nostril. He informed me that I would receive the results the next morning.

Soneva’s resorts in the Maldives – Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani – are just two of the few resorts that conduct in-resort Covid testing for all guests as an added layer of protection against the spread of the virus.

They provide these PCR tests at no additional cost and provide substantial credit vouchers for food, drink, and activities for the inconvenience of self-isolation.

There are two post-test scenarios for Soneva’s customers: Covid-negative means it’s clear to explore the island and its plethora of carefree, mask-less offsite activities.

Positive Covid results require a 14-day quarantine in his villa (with free accommodation). Even though I was relieved to have the negative results, I couldn’t help but think that there were much worse places on Earth to recover for two weeks if the results were different.

After an early morning Whatsapp message from my butler stating my negative results, I spent the rest of my visit experiencing the eco-luxury resort as I would in pre-pandemic times: snorkeling alongside other guests with manta rays in the clear lagoon water; indulge in tasty Maldivian and Pan-Asian breakfast dishes at their seaside buffet and try out my personal slide at one of Fushi’s brand new water retreats (the largest one and two overwater villas rooms in the world) – all without the need to spray disinfectant on my swim shorts.

I would fully get used to this new “freedom” by the time I arrived at my second resort, Soneva Jani, known for its sandcastle-style overwater villas with retractable roofs. Having already been tested at Soneva Fushi, there was no need to take another Covid test.

On my twin-resort trip – popular for Soneva guests even before the Covid era – the seaplane transfer between the two was the only time I had to wear masks before my trip was over.

But traveling during the pandemic is a personal choice and everyone has their own threshold.

I think the Maldives have done a commendable job in preventing the spread of the virus and installing protocols to keep locals and travelers safe at all times; some resorts with in-villa testing like Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani offer even more peace of mind.

Typical Maldivian vacations see travelers sequestering themselves in their villas anyway, spotting an assortment of fish from their decks, swimming and enjoying meals in their villa in their own personal bubble.

According to the resort, the Maldives offers a golden opportunity to feel ordinary again – for some it is worth traveling halfway around the world to experience such a long lost feeling.