Paradise on earth

“Welcome to paradise; you can check your stress at the door. And one thing’s promised: You’re never going to want to return to the real world again.”

Four months ago was our first trip to the Maldives, but certainly not the last. And, let me just tell you… you cannot find a more stunning scenery than the Indian Ocean. And, if there were paradise on earth… Maldives it is! I don’t know where to begin … there is just so much to say about this hidden nook of the world. Once I touched down in Male, the capital of Maldives, I knew I was in for something exceptional and I was so right this time.  

After a warm welcome by a handful of staffers, who made their way to greet us with the biggest smile and a glass of an inviting ginger-and-honey drink, we were taken for a tour around the island. Once learning about the spa, the restaurants, the bars, the beaches, the dive center etc., we were taken to our water villa to begin relaxing and enjoying our little piece of paradise. 

And, oh paradise it was. Just water villa itself was so beautiful with glass bottom floor giving a view of the sea life, a terrace overlooking the turquoise ocean and with steps that lead you into the lagoon. We thoroughly enjoyed the view and chocolate fondue and champagne as a welcome gift on our private deck.

As each day went by we found ourselves relaxing more and more. Three weeks in paradise were spent on three different islands relaxing and enjoying life. Everything from scuba diving, snorkeling, jet-ski trips, sunrise fishing trips, spa treatments, visits to local islands, sipping tropical cocktails, morning yoga, baby-shark feeding. Oh well, not a rough life at all. Frankly, I would have been content never leaving our water villa.

Yet, a couple of times we hired a speedboat and went to a Castaway Islands. That was an adventure. Spending a whole day on a desert island with a private butler was the greatest experience ever. I surely felt like a princess.   

The diving and snorkeling in the Maldives is something special. It is such an unforgettable experience. Every dive had something unique to offer and there was no need to go too deep. In fact, we had our very own reef just below our water villa. Also, it was such an amazing experience to swim next to Whale shark, you could get so close to it you could almost touch it. It was priceless.

A spontaneous trip turned out to be the best vacation ever. Everything was so perfect. It was tough to leave this paradise on earth once our time there ended, but we will be back soon.   

I managed to take 5000 pictures ... These are a few of them. Enjoy!

It was such an amazing experience flying with a seaplane giving the best view over Maldivian atoll and their beautiful coral reefs.

Welcome to Paradise 

Low tide... You can walk from one island to another.  

Infinity pool - enjoying the sunset

Off to Robinson Crusoe

We were taken to a sandbank in the middle of the ocean.

Sailing ...

Baby Sharks feeding

Occasional lizard posing ...

Stingrays

One of the local islands - The day of Eid  

Visiting local islands

The beach at the local island... 

Castaway Island ... We were fortunate to spend the whole day on this island with a private butler... Just the two of us. The best thing was during the night... so stunning. It was such an astonishing experience. Actually, we loved this little island so much,  we had to come back three times ... 

Running on the beach

Robinson Crusoe experience....

On top of the world...

Come and catch me.. 

We have a special connection with lionfish

The view from the seaplane... 

We saw this sweetie so many times and each time was amazing ... They bring luck

The best was during the low tide ... Our spot

We enjoyed our breakfast on our deck.... 

Enjoying the view

Look du jour

Kate Moss in Fendi

Fight the winter depression

Do you have difficulty getting up in the morning?

Oh well, it is that time of the year … the cold, the snow, and the short dark days are all the perfect ingredients for winter depression. As the days get shorter and winter closes, a lot of people feel like staying in, sleeping all day, avoiding social contacts as well as physical activities all the things that will get them into melancholy state of mind. In case you are thinking to yourself “this is so me”, don’t get all sad and blue. Because, apart from exercising (especially, yoga and running) and healthy eating, here are five easy and healthy ways you can incorporate into your daily life to fight against the winter depression.

1. Peppermint Oil – It contains Vitamins A and C, Omega-3 and minerals such as magnesium, calcium, iron etc. It has various health benefits, helping sadness and depression is one of them. Besides, the menthol in it has an anti-depressant effect. You can either inhale it to give you a huge energy boost, or you can get it in natural form. 
2. Fluorescent lights – Basically, humans feel better after exposure to bright light. It seems simple enough: as the winter days are shorter, you get less exposure to sunlight. Therefore, by replacing lost sunlight with bright artificial light, your mood will improve.
3. Chili peppers - Not only do they add a lot of flavor to our food, but they also have a wide range of health benefits as well. As they contain a chemical capsicum, which boosts your energy. Capsicum increases endorphins and other mood elevating, good feeling substances. Thus, it helps fight depression and relieves stress.
4. Ginger Tea - There are numerous advantages of ginger tea, and one of them is the power of building immunity. A cup of ginger tea helps improve the circulation of blood throughout the body. Moreover, it also improves metabolism.
5. Ginkgo Biloba  -  Its primarily advantage is to improve circulation and enhance memory. Ginkgo can help to improve concentration and focus, and can stabilize moods. Nevertheless, Ginkgo Biloba also works as an antioxidant.

A final note: Find something you love to do in the winter period and cling to it for dear life. Go for a walk and enjoy blessings from nature. Breathe some fresh air and look for the great things about winter. Such as: the joy of cozy movie nights in by the fire, snuggling under blankets. Luxuriate in the warmth and ambience with a good book, a good drink: hot chocolate, coffee, or tea and your favorite person. I love all these things about winter!

But honestly, the best thing about it is when you get to leave it for a while somewhere exotic. Relaxing on a beautiful white sand beach, while enjoying the sun. It is the best.