From Immaculate Beaches to Sultan’s Stories: Escape to the world of Haa Alif Atoll
What unseen discoverings does the world of Haa Alif hold?
Immediately falling in love with the sandy beaches and the beautiful landscape surrounding me was definitely unexpected for me. It was understandable to admit to myself that I had entered a completely different dimension as I was fascinated by the views around me. I don’t consider myself to be much of a solo traveler but I was happy to gather and capture these moments for myself. As I breezed through the sceneries I observed, they were so magnificent that it felt as if I existed within something as beautiful as the kaleidoscope of colors this destination was giving off.
Discovering The Timeless Traditions and Unlikely Connections
Favoring the adventurer in me, I decided to take a stroll around this magnificent island, I began to note that each passing day appeared to be the next great unveiling of Haa Alif Atoll’s hidden underrated treasures. Under a warm sunlit day, I made my departure to the sea to fish with the locals for a spontaneous afternoon excursion. It was nice to go as the sun had started it's descent for the day, on a traditional wooden Dhoni which had unique carvings- of which my camera was filled with magical clicks of what I had encountered the minute I saw it. Not even the ripples of the fjord could disrupt the brilliance of the dawn. In addition to this, the fishermen displayed their accurate skills of fishing, none of which involved modern gear but older versions which made me realize how often they hang onto the traditional ways to get things going around here. They used fishing rods that the locals merely used their hands to throw.
Although I had no real knowledge of fishing, I felt like a natural because of how simple and exciting the experience turned out to be. I found myself interested in something I never would have imagined to be for. There were many pauses where only the water could be heard splashing onto the vessel and these shook me in ways I had not known I could be shaken. Only this time, when I got a chance to feel a pull on the line and pulled up a brightly colored fish, it was the crowd of locals who became way more excited than I even was. The feeling of belonging, no matter how simple or small it may be, was one of the high points of my trip.
Uncovering the Heritage of Sultan Thakurufaanu
During my stay, one of the highlights was my visit to Utheemu Ganduvaru a historical discovering landmark of Haa Alif Atoll. It is known as Sultan Mohamed Thakurufaanu’s home, this tiny island is an important place in the history of Maldivian renaissance posing a successful revolt against the foreign invasion in the mid-16th century. Moreover, it was wonderful to look through the walls of the Utheemu Ganduvaru, the emperor’s still standing embankment of a building, constructed ages back. The wooden building with beautiful decorative glow of patterns and simple yet majestic design spoke volumes of history and maintained historical value. I related with the history of the island, and when the guide wanted to share our culture so proudly with me it felt so good, my heart felt full and it made me long for this place to a memorable extent.
As my days slowly unfolded in Haa Alif, calmness of the islands except for the wind was something one would start getting used to after a few days. The days would always start listening to the waves crashing against the pristine shore, which was calming and made all my worries from the night before fade away. I opened the doors of my bungalow and stepped out into soft, warm sands of the beach feeling it warm beneath my feet as the early sun gleamed like pearls in a golden light.
The first thing that caught my eye to a great extent was the overall leafy nature of the environment. Life in this place was slow paced but unfolds in a balanced existence with the environment. The locals I encountered seemed friendly and generous, they seemed happy to lay out the red carpet for me and confident in their traditions and culture and was very willing to show it off to outsiders. The pace of the island, with its tides and sun rises and sets, was a calming experience for me as I was in a hurry for a getaway. Grasping all of this in it reminded that even in the stillness, the small things I had so far discovered were pleasing and that made up for all my evenings and nights I had spent.
Thundu Kunaa : Fragments of Culture into Art
I visited another island in the atoll later that day and this one was known for its traditional craftmanship. The women in Thuraakunu are skillful weavers where they weave special types of mats from natural fibers found in local grass such as "thundu kunaa". It was aspiring to watch, with their fingers skillfully twisting and turning yarn into fragments of art. One of the artisans was kind enough to explain how she weaves a small object, and invited me to try it myself. However, it was quite a bit more difficult than it appeared to be! Nonetheless, I left with a much better understanding of how the mats are made and why they mean so much to Maldivian culture. I bought one to carry back as a memory from this wonderful trip, and deep down I knew ill come back to make more someday, eventually.
Thuraakunu island which is the northern most area of the Maldives had the most appealing sunsets to exist. That evening, with my empty canvas, watching a pinky sunset I tried to capture it as raw as possible. The colors were vibrant, a sky putting on quite the spectacle for me, rich oranges working their way to purples with a delicate like reflection bouncing off of water. I tried my very best to portray the exact view on my painting, I wanted to take some parts of this island with me and this was my way of doing so. When the night came, the stars started glimmering in and wave of melancholy and nostalgia swept across me. The milky way seemed as if it consumed me as I was lost into it for quite some time, I counted constellations that night as I slowly drifted off to sleep. Moreover, I didn't want to leave for a second but also knew that this place has given me so much peace and serenity, an enhanced respect and connection with the nature in which we share our lives, and closeness from the locals who made me feel like I was at home.
Bittersweet departure to the wonders of Haa Alif
Finally on the last day, I discovered that the very observatory Haa Alif had a major positive influence which changed me. It wasn’t just the alluring scenery, although even this was enough to make my heart stop. It was the straight-forwardness, the rawness of the visit. These islands were not just destinations, they were destinations for one to discover and be completely captivated with. It felt bittersweet when I realized it was time to leave this place behind as I was packing my bags. Nevertheless, I still felt that I have taken something with me something unseen but felt very much deeply. Even though I departed on this simple trip by myself, I never felt alone throughout any of it.
As I looked down from the seaplane, a deep sense of relief filled me for the incredible journey I’d experienced in Haa Alif. What genuienly began as a simple escape transformed into an adventure filled with unexpected delights. From the first stunning view of the vibrant beaches and landscapes to the extravagant mornings on the Dhoni, fishing alongside locals who embraced me like family. Each day uncovered a new aspect of the island’s rich traditions: wandering through the historic halls of Utheemu Ganduvaru, discovering the resilience of Sultan Thakurufaanu’s legacy, and observing the delicate art of mat weaving on Thuraakunu, where the women’s craftsmanship and pride in their heritage left me in awe. To sum it up, it wasn't just how beautiful this place was for me, it also showed me how simple life is conserved and how sometimes getaways to such islands are a necessity during this life we get.
