I Stopped Waiting For My Honeymoon And Booked The Maldives

Don't wait for happiness, make it happen.

My name is Ada and I’m about six months away from turning 30, so I've got to that reflective stage of my life. One thing I’ve learnt is to stop delaying happiness.

Instagram: @adaenechi

We go through life saying “When this happens I will do this” but what if the catalyst never arrives? And if I know this thing that I want will make me happy, why not be happy right now?

A lot of us, dare I say most of us, dream of going to the Maldives but you tend to say “When I get married, I want to go on my honeymoon to the Maldives” But why? What exactly are you waiting for? Why are you delaying happiness, when you could take that trip today?

OBLU Xperience Ailafushi

I had the blessing of going to the Maldives, not with my partner, not engaged, not on my honeymoon, but with myself – and I’m going to tell you what I learnt while I was there.

Protect your peace above everything.

Ada / BuzzFeed

I live in London and it’s not until you leave a capital city that you realise how much a toll it takes on your body. Beyond the stress of it being unaffordable, dirty, and chaotic, you don’t realise how much things like Noise pollution affect your body. The first thing I noticed when reaching the island was the quiet. I’ve been to a fair few islands in my travels, but you can always hear a DJ playing somewhere in the distance but not here. Wellness was prioritised in every way, from the scents used throughout the island to incredible treatments but most importantly silence. It’s just you, the sea and the breeze and you can immediately feel your body relaxing into its natural state, preparing you for a trip you will never forget. 

When you respect the world, it will respect you back.

Ascentxmedia / Getty Images, Massimiliano Finzi / Getty Images

We can't live in harmony when the world is in crisis and it’s not new news that the globe is literally warming. Rising sea levels for a country that is made of tiny islands is not great, but the Maldives is doing everything they can to be sustainable, reduce waste, and protect their wildlife. There are a lot of initiatives in place such as solar energy, and reusable plastics but my favourite thing is that even though there’s an abundance of fish they do not farm fish or cast nets. The country is very big on preserving its sealife, and reducing waste – even though they have many resorts and is one of the most densely populated countries, it is only allowed to engage with single hook fishing to ensure they are not overfishing therefore not unnecessarily wasting resources.

Never compromise on good food.

OBLU Xperience Ailafushi

I’ve travelled to almost 30 countries now and I always avoid booking all-inclusive resorts because I genuinely feel they are rarely as good as local restaurants you can easily find. For the first time however I wasn’t given the option, resort islands aren’t exactly filled with local restaurants so you HAVE to do all-inclusive, and luckily I was pleasantly surprised by the FUSHI plan. The Maldives being right under India and Sri Lanka, gives it an incredible benefit of a mix of cultures and cuisines. Bad food can make or break your holiday, and luckily I was never disappointed.

Don't let fear stop you from living.

Ada / BuzzFeed

You might be a daredevil who has done every watersport under the sun but I am not. Before this trip, I was pretty fearful of the sea but when you are surrounded by water so clear that you can see the bottom there's no fear of what could possibly be beneath. With this, I plucked up the courage and snorkelled for the first time. It really is like Finding Nemo down there, I was living out my Pixar fantasy. I had let my fears almost stop me from experiencing something so natural and beautiful, this experience taught me to stop getting in my own way.

You don't have to break the bank to have a good time.

OBLU Xperience Ailafushi

Now I know you’ve read this post and said “Well yes of course it would be perfect when you’re paying an arm and a leg” and I used to be the same, but I’ve come to realise that the Maldives isn’t as expensive as you might think. The famous islands we’ve seen celebrities vacation on are of course not affordable for the average person, but OBLU XPERIENCE Ailafushi could be. According to Finder, the average Brit is spending just over two grand per person on a holiday, this is when you factor in flights, accommodation, and of course, eating out (the expense we never quite budget just right for). Ailafushi island has everything you want when you think of a Maldives break, you can fly and stay there for a week for two and a half thousand pounds per person. Why spend that amount in Europe when you can hop on a flight and have the holiday of your dreams in the Maldives?

Whether it's The Maldives or that country you've already dreamed about travelling to, stop delaying happiness and book that trip today. You deserve it!