Day 4 (March 12, 2023): Exploring Maldives’ Capital

While most people skip Male altogether, we felt it was essential to spend a little bit of time here in order to get a sense of how the country works, its vibe, the hustle and bustle of daily life, etc.  And that is an experience you simply cannot get on a resort island. 

Knowing that our arrival day would see us in a state of post-travel exhaustion, we knew that day two in the country would be our real opportunity to bite into Male, and that is exactly what we did!

Breakfast at our boutique hotel was surprisingly good and complete.  We left the hotel juat after 9AM, taking a taxi to Male, where we followed a Lonely Planet walking tour for 2 1/2 hours.  Then we had lunch at a Lonely Planet-suggested cafe, which was excellent.  We ferried it back to Hulhumale, where a sudden and torrential downpour thwarted our efforts to get back to the hotel by bus.

Once the rain cleared, we took a walk on the Hulhumale Beach, followed by a much-needed siesta.  We ate dinner on the hotel’s rooftop restaurant - a wonderful end to the day.

Sunrise was at 6:13 AM.  That’s the view from our hotel balcony, looking directly east, over Hulhumale Beach.

As I drank my coffee on the balcony, it was amazing to look down at all the activity so early in the morning - including Muslim women jogging in full dress.

This country depends greatly on seaplanes.  The main approach for the seaplane base at Velana Airport passes directly in front of our hotel.  So there is a constant buzz of seaplanes zipping by during daylight hours.

“The Pam Collage” from Lonuziyaaraiy Park in Male. We were amazed at the variety of flowers and how well-kept the park is.

Pam’s comment to me after this pic was taken: “You’re such a dork!”  (Said lightheartedly.)

While it’s certainly not Waikiki Beach, there is a surfing culture here in the Maldives.  These boards were for rent on the Male waterfront.

The Chinese government paid for the bridge to the airport.  The Chinese government paid for the National Museum.  So it makes sense that the Chinese government has an embassy in Male. This is it.


This is a view into the water along the Male waterfront.  The waterfronts of most cities have polluted water.  But not here!


These are two of the three Coast Guard vessels at the waterfront.  We speculated that these likely comprise the country’s entire Coast Guard and navy rolled into one!

You just cannot count all the speedboats that line the Male waterfront. Constantly whisking people to all parts of the country.


The Friday Mosque.


War memorial

Entrance to Sultan Park in the centre of Male, on the site of a former Sultan’s residence.


Brilliant idea!  Wifi hotspots in the park.

Swings are a big thing here, and the parks are loaded with them!


This treehouse in Sultan Park was so innovative!  Great fun for kids.

Tuna is king here.  Our breakfast buffet even had curried tuna.  Later on, you’ll see a plethora of tuna at the Fish Market.  This store in the heart of Male specializes in canned tuna.

Built in 2010 and paid for by the Chinese government, the National Museum is an interesting collection of artefacts from Maldives past, both recent and extending back centuries.  Working for Canada’s Department of Canadian Heritage, I was excited to see the name of the country’s Ministry of Arts, Culture and Heritage on the National Museum’s sign.

 

These metal ornate objects, lacquered containers and carved boxes are things for which Male has been known, going back centuries. The box was used to transport gun power and weapons (1759). 

Various thrones for the sultans of the Maldives.  And the lacquered swing in the bottom right-hand corner is still replicated today — see the picture of Pam in Lonuziyaariay Park above, for example.

Top: This is the only specimen of the Longman’s beaked whale in existence, dating back to 1923.  It has never been seen live in the wild.  Bottom:  This is a model of a dhongi, the traditional boat that has dominated Maldivian fishing and transportation.


And one more picture from the museum, for good measure! These are flogging sticks. The top four were used to punish political crimes.


Across from the National Museum, the government has posted “8 Principles of the National (education) Curriculum (there are actually nine!):  Relevance;  Preparation for Life; Inclusivity;  Personal Relevance;  Artistic Development;  Human Rights;  Democracy & Justice;  Identify Culture;  and Islam.


Tomb of Mohammed Thakurufaanu, national hero who liberated the country from Portuguese rule and was then made Sultan from 1573 to 1585. 

The only danger listed by the Lonely Planet for Male is… motorcycles!  They are literally everywhere and all the time.  They pop out of nowhere at lightening speed.  


The Supreme Court of the Maldives, housed in what was the former residence of the President.

Male has two incredible markets:  the Produce Market and the Fish Market.  I have never seen so many bananas!


And these are some scenes that capture the amazing fish market, perhaps the best one we have ever seen.  All fishing in Maldives is done by hand line.  So starting late morning, the fishermen arrive with their catches, dominated by tuna.  Remember: tuna is king here!

This is the monument to the tsunami of Boxing Day, 2004.  While countries such as Thailand bore the brunt, over 100 people were killed in the Maldives and are remembered by this monument.  Our taxi driver told us he was in Male on the day of the tsunami and that the streets were filled with sea water.


This military person sped by us on her motorcycle.  Despite this being a strict Muslim country, where burkas are a common sight, including the full face covering and black gloves, women can serve in the military, as long as they wear the hajib.


Strolling Hulhumale Beach this afternoon.

Unless you are at a designated “bikini beach”, you are only allowed to swim if you are dressed as shown in the drawing on the left above.  Neither Male nor Hulhumale have a bikini beach.  Therefore, you must wear a t-shirt and longer shorts, at a minimum, or risk being fined.  This Muslim woman went in wearing her full floor-length dress.



Whew!  It was a pretty intense day, and we saw a ton.  Nice to sit in the quiet, cool breeze of our hotel’s rooftop restaurant and reflect on it all.  Pam had Australian beef with a “potato in jacket” and I had Mie Goreng, an Indonesian noodle dish with prawns and a sunnyside-up egg on the top!