After a winter of swimming outdoors several times a week I thought I’d reward myself with some sunshine and warm water. The Maldives had long been on my ‘bucket list’ as a diver, but a swimming holiday to the Maldives with a few dives and snorkel opportunities thrown in sounded like the perfect package. With water temperatures between 28 and 30 degrees Celsius, I worried that I might ind it too hot as I ind most public pools too warm to swim in, but my fears were unfounded: it was perfect!
The Maldives are made of over 1000 islands grouped in a double chain of 26 atolls, which stretch over an area as long as the UK in the middle of the Indian Ocean. It’s a dream destination for any swimmer, and the best way to explore the area is by boat. On arrival at the tiny airport at Malé I was met by SwimQuest guides Alice and Charlie and whisked away to my home for the week: MV Voyager, an Emperor Divers Liveaboard luxury yacht. Now the holiday really started! I tucked my shoes away in a cupboard in my cabin, not to be seen again until I let for the airport a week later. Total bliss.