Our family's first time in the stunning Maldives, Bodu Huraa, South Male Atoll

With the right mix of excitement and curiosity we set off from terminal 2 of Malpensa on Monday 9 July 2007 for Malé, capital of the archipelago: our Airbus 330 of the Livingstone airline takes off at 20.50, more than an hour late, and this is certainly not a good start for those itching to reach the longed-for Indian Ocean.... Our family is made up of 4 people, parents and two girls of 17 and 23, and every now and then we like to spend a week all together at a seaside destination that we dream of and choose by common agreement.

The great desire to fly to the Maldives was made possible thanks to an incredible and unexpected truly "all-inclusive" offer that we seized without thinking too much: the resort managed by Hotelplan seemed to us a guarantee, the Bonolatours agent confirmed the validity of the package, and leafing through the catalogue we ourselves considered that staying in that archipelago, in a structure offering only over-water bungalows, with all the services described, was not a common thing even though it was low season (by now we are four adults and when we travel we need two double rooms....). The night flight turned out to be rather stressful because of an exhausting stopover in Rome during which it was also refuelled (with passengers obliged to stay seated on board...

and we don't know how regular that is), because of the considerable discomfort of the partially reclining and definitely too narrow seats, and because of an overall service that was not very punctual despite the courtesy of the staff (for example, we had dinner at midnight/the rigatoni with ragù we liked, the rest was adequate). A practically sleepless night. We arrive at Malé the following day, Tuesday 10 at 10.50 local time, where Rossana, a most efficient, courteous, determined and affable Hotelplan assistant, welcomes us and takes us to the speedboat that will lead us to our island.

Rossana gives us some information, then explains that the Maldives are three hours ahead of Italy and that some islands, including Bodu Huraa, add another one compared with Malé to have an extra hour of daylight, so she invites us to set our watches so as to be punctual and in sync with the activities and services of our resort. We face 40 minutes of speedboat somewhat dazed, a few fellow travellers and our Giulia feel unwell, there is an episode of vomiting, but little by little it is the ocean that captures our attention, also because now and then an island comes into view, bungalows can be made out, and immediately the contrast between the colours of the surrounding lagoon and those of the sea we are navigating brings us back to our initial curiosity about these clear, crystal-clear waters that are so much talked about and for which we have so many expectations...

certainly the transparency strikes the eye very soon! We recognise Bodu Huraa by the over-water bungalows, we have arrrived! They welcome us warmly, offer us fragrant and refreshing cotton towels, a soft drink, and accompany us to the much-dreamed-of "over" bungalows where everyone finds their own luggage.... During the short walk we are struck by the colours of the sea and the white sand... it is even better than the catalogues! The bungalows are splendid: very spacious, we were assigned no. 171 and no. 173, tastefully furnished and functional, with adjustable air conditioning, a ceiling fan, television, hairdryer, rechargeable emergency torch, minibar, coffee machine (3.5 USD per capsule), kettle with various types of tea; the bathroom is equally large, with two lovely washbasins, a bathtub and an original partly open-air shower with a huge showerhead.

Everything is very clean, cared for down to the details: besides towels of various sizes there are two bathrobes. From both the bathroom and the bedroom you reach the lovely veranda furnished with a table, armchairs, a... double bed for relaxing or sunbathing, and a ladder allowing direct access to the lagoon: we feel in paradise! We go to lunch: the restaurant is a buffet, they assign us a table and entrust us to Ibrahim, the waiter to always refer to. We are on holiday! From the very start the place seemed to us enchanting, suited to those seeking tranquillity, and our judgement remained unchanged both during the stay and some time after the end of the holiday.

During the week at Bodu Huraa we essentially enjoyed beach life: the island is small so we spent the days almost always on the beach, swimming and playing in the sea with its incredible always-warm and clear waters, or in the striking pool with a spectacular view over the ocean; resting under the umbrella or in the sun, or immersed in reading on the very comfortable hammocks found here and there. We alternated these "activities" with a few organised excursions off the island, canoe trips even as far as the nearby islands, and snorkelling led by the excellent biologist Massimo in the reefs far from Bodu Huraa or on our own in our lagoon. We did two guided excursions, both very pleasant and interesting: the trip in a dhoni (a typical Maldivian boat with the bow curving upwards) to spot dolphins we would have done again several times on the following days, so beautiful was it.

We were lucky because we saw quite a few, they jumped and performed acrobatics, almost a party for us! Moreover the precious company of Massimo, an extremely well-prepared guide who was thorough during every kind of activity, continually enriched our knowledge of the local flora and above all fauna. He always answered the most varied questions that each of us asked, showing competence and a great passion for his subject. The biologist Massimo, however, was not only our guide during some outings and for snorkelling, but also a most likeable member of a small entertainment staff, discreet and appreciated precisely because it was not intrusive. The activity that further distinguished him was that of "lecturer" during three marine biology lessons that we attended in interesting sessions complete with a final "diploma".

In short, you will have gathered that the human and professional qualities of "our" biologist are certainly not common... The other excursion that was very interesting for us was to the island of Maafushi, inhabited only by Maldivians, mainly fishermen: we therefore visited their village, their houses, the school, the mosques, the shops, we did some shopping and drank coconut milk from the old man with the street cart who sold the milk with a straw from a small coconut for 1 USD and the larger one for 2 USD.

Heartfelt thanks to Luisa, another excellent and lively entertainer at Bodu Huraa, who with her explanations and directions allowed us to learn about local customs and habits and to do some convenient shopping complete with free cold drinks in the shops visited (by the way: in our opinion it is better to bring dollars and pay with those rather than with euros, because the exchange rate was 1 euro = 1 USD). Cost of the excursions: 10 USD dolphins and 20 USD fishermen's island. We did not take part in the "full day" visit to a desert island, which we were told is wonderful, with snorkelling and lunch plus a shopping trip to a fishermen's island, 45 USD, nor did we visit the capital Malé (half a day, 45 USD).

Returning to life at Bodu Huraa, we must mention the important ritual of the 5.30 pm tea, which we often took part in and appreciated for its organisation and the originality of the service (the necessary items were found on the dhoni...