Holiday blog

Link to more pics   the link is now pointing to the correct album!
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28th Feb and final day

The early morning snorkel revealed the usual suspects and we both managed to get a small jelllyfish sting for our troubles!  You dont get many around here but there seemed to be an abundance of "food" around and the fish were enjoying the feast

Around the water inlet Sally spotted a starry puffer fish a Very poisonous spiked fish difficult to see in this pic but I got a good video of it follow the link above 
The rest of the day we just chilled apart from an island walk around for me to take a load of pics.  Heading for the airport in a couple of hours, the resort have given us a free late checkout normally $250 and a 2 hour extension on our dine around all inclusive package!
A great holiday at a fantastic resort!

18:30 Great send off from the resort and because we are outside the usual window of arrivals and departures which is around midday until 1600 the airport is not packed with people.  We had no queues at the check in desk not security and immigration.  One slight cock up, we booked the domestic VIP lounge instead of the international but no problems as its almost empty we just paid up front.  Lazing around now until departure at 2010.
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27th and its the 7th full day I seem to be getting my number of full days mixed up dont I?
anyway its our last full day although because we are not taking off until 2000 tomorrow the resort have kindly let us have a late checkout and given us until 1400 on the all inclusive which would normally finish at 1200
Last nights sunset looked pretty "ordinary" until this ship crossed the setting point right on Q

 Last night dinner was as usual exceptional in the Ocean Grill with sally's "sea Bass" needing a good 30 minutes to polish it off

today we went on what is described as the "sandbank picnic" 45 minutes out from the resort to literally a sandbank in the ocean

not much else here but us, but we saw a small school of dolphins cruising just off shore, nice to see

Sally has a 5 star lunch with champagne of course
Nice reef just off the sandbank and there are a couple of videos on the link at the top of the blog

We eventually leave the sandbank and cruise through a rainstorm on the way back

When we arrive back at Kurumba it hasn't even rained there!
Last day tomorrow and then back to Darley Dale who have had nearly half an inch of rain in the last 24 hours - - - hey ho
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26th 4th full day
Even though i had sun screen on yesterday i managed to burn my face a bit so it was a rather  red faced person who slid into the water on our early morning snorkel

this mornings encounters include a spiny stingray

 We had just swum back into the lagoon from the open Ocean and there this largish Spiny Stingray was obviously having dug something out of the sand and was eating it. with other fish waiting around for any discarded scraps theres a short video if you follow the link at the top of the blog 

 We had earlier encountered the smaller of these 2  Black tip reef sharks and Sally snapped the pic while i was doing the video.  The larger shark (7ft ish) then cruised up to the smaller one and they both headed off up the reef.  As I got closer with the video Sally had decided they were a bit too close to her and we collided!  If you clink on the link at the top of the blog you can see a video of the resulting collision. 
We tried the Japanese restaurant a couple of nights ago

 It used to be sandwiched between the bar and another restaurant and only seated 12.  Now its a stunning over water location and seats 20.  They have 2 chefs who seem to be in competition  with each other to see who could give the best show of juggling with  their cooking bits

Ours gave a good show of blindfolded juggling!   Silly prices though and thank goodness we are on the dine around inclusive package.
Our caterpillars are still not showing any signs of turning into butterflies but no doubt they will in time   - - - -
Tom orrow we are out for the day on a snorkelling trip that's described as a "Sandbar picnic" it should be a good day.   - - - -

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24th Feb 2nd full day
Really into the swing of getting up early to go snorkelling before breakfast, as usual the underwater visibility is very good this time of year and we see 2 sharks inside the lagoon lazily cruising around the coral blocks looking for food.
As we make our way out of the lagoon into the ocean we almost bump into another shark and are so surprised neither of us gets a pic of it

This puffer fish looks a little surprised to see us and poses before heading off under the coral

 A small shoal of Bat fish

 Neither of us remember seeing this type of fish before, it could be a juvenile and might change its colouring as it matures

 A mature Black tip reef shark heads for the deep as we get near it

 Coming up to the main water ionlet for the resort and there are always lots of fish around it

 more fish inside the structure

a hermit crab complete with shell

After snorkelling, the rest of the day is spent just lazing around and enjoying the weather, food and drinks.

 The Orchid house has had a makeover 

 Seats outside the Beach bar 

 The room boy called the "bug man" when i showed him a whole stack of these but they turned out only to be butterfly caterpillars so we left them alone

a few Gecko's are on the garden walls in the evening catching the bugs

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22nd Feb Arrived Kurumba Maldives
As you get into your 6th hour of the long haul flight to the Maldives you start to think that maybe it is just too far to go for a 1 week holiday especially when you have been a number of times before.

We finally arrived mid afternoon their time and thankfully we whizzed through the immigration and bag pick up, remembering on one visit it took us over an hour to clear immigration because a "flock" of aircraft arrived at the same time.

Outside the airport you are at least shielded from the sun as you look along the long line of reps with their signs for the various resorts.  "no Kurumba" i said to Sally but we are not worried feeling sure we will see him soon.  We hook up with one of Kurumba's sister resort reps and sure enough after a quick phone call he tells us he''s on his way on the 10 minute trip from the resort.

After a very warm welcome, the guy remembers us from a previous trip, we walk the 100 metres out to the jetty and he calls up the speed boat lined up with all the others to come alongside and pick us up.

The boat guy also remembers us and asks if we want to sit up in the cockpit rather than the air conditioned room below and in a minute or 2 we are racing across the ocean enjoying the cooling breeze with Kurumba looming larger and larger.

At the jetty there's a welcome committee of a few managers and they make a fuss as the bags are loaded onto the golf trolly that will take us to our favourite room which they have managed to slot us in to.  They press us to eat their new ice cream, "Kurumba Coconut Sorbet" as we cool ourselves with the proffered ice cold face towels.

On the short trip to the room we pass one of the bar staff and stop to exchange greetings telling him we will see him later

As we arrive at the "pool villa room" we park alongside the refrigerated golf trolly from the bar where the smiling barman is unloading our bottle of ice cool champagne and the ice bucket.

So 15 minutes after arriving in the resort we are in our pool sipping a glass of champagne

Being made to feel especially welcome when we see the effort made by the room boy

It isn't long before we wander the short distance to the "sand bar" and join the small crowd to watch the sun go down and listen to the couple of jazz musicians playing quietly in the background. 

We take dinner in 1 of the 8 restaurants being welcomed by the manager who also remembers us, before having a few drinks and crashing out for the night. - - - - - - - - - 

 - - - - - What? - - - - Long haul flights?  Nah Problem!