Though it’s been a long time since I visited the Maldives, my memory is long and I will keep that lovely experience in mind for the rest of my life. What I got most impressed as we first were approaching the Maldives was seeing a big number of islands surrounded by the coral reef in contrast with the clear blue water. Also the landing: a whole entire island for the airport; all you could see from the air was the long narrow runway (one of the few in the world that begins and ends in water). And just as the aircraft seems about to splash into the sea, the wheels suddenly bounce onto the asphalt. I was told that, upon your arrival to the resort, you will be overwhelmed by the beauty of the sight before you; and they were right: an exotic village of several private bungalows surrounded by a huge lagoon of crystal clean water. Paradise was the name of the island we stayed at; and it sure did justice to its name!! We experienced a sense of relax, romance, beauty and tranquility. During the day we used to walk around the island (most of the islands can be explored in 10 minutes), go swimming or practice some water sports. Diving is an option. I remember me trying to adjust the dive mask, diving fins and carrying on all that heavy diving sfuff; I took several lessons and once I felt ready and the instructor considered me safe, it was time to test my new-found skills with her to guide me around; and there I was, swimming in between the wondrous sea creatures that dwell twenty feet below and swimmnig around the coral reefs atonished by what surrounded me. The coral edge suddenly drops away to the unknown deep, like going over an abyss in a dream, but it’s perfectly safe, despite the lurking shadows of big fish and sharks deep down by the coral face. Anyways, you don’t need to go so deep to find beautiful colorful fishes: snorkeling is a good idea to iniciate in the submarine world and to enjoy acuatic life. I spent hours and hours watching millions of multicolored fish, corals and shells; never got tired of it. We made an excursion to an island called Rihiveli, close to one of the uninhabited islands which can be reached by wading through very little deep water. Nice picnic spot. We enjoyed very much lunch in the middle of nowhere below palm trees. The funniest thing was that, back to Rihiveli, the water level had increased and we had to go through the water with our belongings on our heads!! While visiting a nearly resort, we saw some grey sting rays. It’s amazing watching feeding these animals. Also how little white sharks come to the seashore and go around quietly. At night you can take the dhoani and go out for dinner. It’s very romantic having dinner in a dessert island on a table with candles under the moonlight while natives sing and play gently the guitar. And after a pleasant evening it’s time to dance and have fun in the disco!. Local people looked at us atonished while we were dancing “Saturday Night” choreography and they ended up joining us in the middle of the dancefloor. What makes Maldives a paradise and warm and idylic place is the variety of marine life for diving, ideal climate, endless beaches of very white sand, great courtesy and hospitality and beautiful sunsets. If I had to define Maldives with five senses, would be so: Sight: Eyes to admire the beauty of a wild and natural land and the clear turquoise water with its magnificent underwater world. Sense of smell: To smell the sweet aroma of the sea breeze. Sense of taste: To taste all kind of typical local cuisine, specially spicy dishes. Touch: To feel the fine white sand slip between the fingers of your hand. Hearing: To hear the sound of the waves while sitting by the seashore under the starry sky.