We’re whizzing along in a speedboat from Male airport towards our
honeymoon resort, across the most impossibly blue water I’ve ever seen, and I
can’t help but thinking about the first time the CG and I were on a boat together.
As they pass out refreshing cold towels and bottles of water, it
makes me laugh to think how different the circumstances are.
Back in 2009, we’d just quit our jobs and decided to go backpacking
for six months at the height of the recession in the UK. After a decidedly
harrowing bus journey across Bali to one of the worst, cockroach and mosquito
infested port towns of all time, we boarded a boat for a 5 day trip to Komodo.
On board, we slept communally with the rest of the guests and crew on the boat
floor, drank cheap homemade grog that only backpackers on a budget would dream
of touching, and spent our days flinging ourselves off the top deck into the
ocean whenever the boat dropped anchor.
Cut to this past week, and picture this: a water bungalow just for
the two of us...
...sunset cocktails...
...diving and snorkeling in crystal clear waters with sharks galore...
...all on a pretty as a picture island without a cockroach in sight.
We still haven’t managed to grow up yet, though.
(and we still have no idea who that random kid is watching the action unfold).
So here’s the scoop: Sheraton Full Moon Resort has amazing service,
wonderful accommodation, the biggest, fluffiest beach towels ever, and is
really conveniently located for divers with a lot of sites only 15 minutes or
less away by boat ride. The only let down is the food, which is just average.
Diving is pretty exxy, but expected. Their 5 dive package is USD $465
+ equipment hire + boat trip charges – but it is definitely not to be missed.
Some dives the visibility was 40 – 50 meters, and we would see up to 10 sharks,
rays, and so much aquatic life it was like swimming in an aquarium. The dive
team at the Sheraton is also brilliant, headed up by Chris and Andrea. They
give the best dive briefs of any outfit I’ve been with, and make sure you’re
looked after the whole time. After 6 days with them it was hard to say goodbye!
And just like that, it’s all over *sob*. We managed to catch up on
some serious sleep, and I haven’t felt so relaxed for a long time. Time to
start planning our next getaway…