Christmas in THE MALDIVES

When backpacking at this time of year it seems that the most popular question we are asked, especially from family and friends back home, is where we are going to be at Christmas.

Christmas for Bee and I is usually a close family affair. So we both wanted to do something special so we didn’t miss home too much. We also wanted to wake up somewhere exotic – a far cry from the wind, rain or snow that goes hand in hand with an English Christmas Day.

And boy oh boy has the bucket list just had another box ticked by what we have decided to do.

Having backpacked the Maldives for the last two days (in the capital city, Male, staying in a shabby hotel, eating cheap food) today and tomorrow we are smashing the daily budget to pieces and staying in a premium deluxe water bungalow on a small island in the middle of the Maldives. A very merry Christmas indeed 🙂
Thirty degree heat, plenty of food and alcohol – including a lavish gala Christmas dinner, and most importantly – a bedroom which opens onto decking that has steps straight into the ocean.
Snorkelling kit also included! And a hot tub – as if it isn’t hot enough already here!?

I’ll let the photos say the rest. Merry Christmas all.

The view from Victoria Peak, Hong Kong

After the zoo and gardens we took the Peak Tram up to Victoria Peak.
We stayed up there until darkness fell and the whole of Hong Kong lit up below us:

Hong Kong zoo and gardens

Whilst a pretty chilly day, the sun was out, so we wandered through Hong Kong Zoological and Botanical Gardens.
Located in Central, free to enter, there’s a host of wildlife to enjoy within this relaxing city-park.
I particularly enjoyed watching the buff-cheeked gibbons swinging around like Olympic gymnasts. By far the most agile creature I’ve ever watched. I stood there for ages watching them swing and leap around their enclosure. I wasn’t the only one who took an interest; a small ginger kitten got much closer than I could….