How I Got a Job in the Maldives and Ended Up Living There for 3 Months
This is a first-hand account of Sara's experience living and working in the Maldives for three months in 2018.
Sara
8/14/20265 min read
Sometimes I catch myself and still can’t quite believe that I went to live in the Maldives for 3 months. What a crazy life.
So, let’s get started.
My name is Sara, I am a part-time professional dancer and health promotion specialist. At the time, I was working as a Project Coordinator at an NGO and teaching dance classes weekly at a local dance studio.
It was November. I was at my office in Osijek, Croatia, and it was cold and pouring rain outside. I drifted into a daydream about all the countries I wanted to visit and decided to make a list.
Whoa.
There were 48 countries on that list. I started calculating how much vacation time I would need to visit them all and then I thought to myself, wait… what if I went to work abroad? But what would I do? Could I do something with dance? So I opened my good old friend Google and typed: Dance instructor jobs. The list was insane.
I thought to myself, where would I go first? I looked outside — it was still raining. I looked at my list of countries. Hmmm… somewhere warm. I typed in Dance instructor jobs in Maldives. I scrolled through a few pages when suddenly — there it was.
A job posting.
No way.
I opened the posting and started reading the requirements. Among other things… a dancer with 10+ years of experience in various styles, a certified dance instructor, and someone who must have graduated from a dance academy. I had it all aside from the dance academy degree. I thought to myself, you know what, I have nothing to lose.
I already have a no, but if I apply I will have a maybe.
After 2.5 hours, I finally finished the painfully long application and… I made it to round 1.
First round — I had to do some tests and submit documents as proof of experience.
I passed.
Second round — an interview with company representatives from the UK through which the job was posted.
I passed.
Final round — an interview with an HR representative at a luxury resort in the Maldives.
I passed.
I got the job!
I sent them my passport, they arranged my visa, flights and airport pickup. And then, in Zagreb, in May 2018, I got on the plane. That was my first job abroad.
I was told that my manager, Mike, would meet me in Malé (the capital of the Maldives) at the airport. If he wasn’t there, there would be a representative from Anantara Kihavah Villas – my future workplace. Fun fact: Anantara is a resort chain under the Minor Hotels group (Anantara means constant, endless). It is one of the five most luxurious resorts in the Maldives. From the small town of Osijek, dance had taken me all the way to the Maldives.
What a life.
Landing in the Maldives
I landed at 7 in the morning. The little airport didn't have much to see. I realised I was definitely one of the tallest people there, and one of maybe three blondes in the entire airport. I went to exchange some money and stared at the cutest banknotes with little turtles and sea creatures. They literally looked like they came straight out of a board game. I made my way to Anantara’s lounge area, let them know I’d arrived, and they gave me fruit, water and coffee. Then they passed me on to another representative who took me to lunch.
By now, I had been sitting there for hours and there was still no sign of my manager Mike. I’m watching Peaky Blinders, people come and go, and I’m still there.
Since the Maldives are a group of islands, and my resort on Baa Atoll was a 2-hour speedboat ride or a 40-minute seaplane ride away, I was told that, because it was too windy for the seaplane, my manager had to wait for the weather to calm down.
It's 7 pm. I have completed the entire season of Peaky Blinders. Still no Mike. I have been waiting for 12 hours.
In the meantime, they keep feeding me, giving me coffee, water, sweets. The hospitality at its finest.
It's getting dark outside and a little voice in me starts to play the facts – I was somewhere in the middle of the ocean in Asia, by myself. I hadn't heard from my manager, it was already late in the UK, so my company wasn't responding to my emails. I wondered how long this would go on for.
Finally, a small Maldivian man comes up to me and tells me that we’re going to take a speedboat to Anantara because the planes still aren’t flying due to the wind.
By the way, that was the day I learned that time in Asia is a concept of its own, and that if you find yourself in such circumstances, you depend on the weather when it comes to transportation. And everyone is smiling because this is completely normal.
We set off for Baa Atoll.
It’s a warm night… completely dark everywhere, and the view… Thousands of stars.
Millions.
As if someone had spilled glitter across the sky.
I decide to sit outside and enjoy the view, the wind in my hair and the fresh air...
BTW – I do not recommend this activity – because the next day I got so chilled and my head was buzzing...
At least, it was buzzing in the Maldives.
After 2 hours on the boat, we arrive at Anantara’s dock and there it is: a torch-lit welcome. Standing on the dock are one of the managers, Dimu, the hotel representative who interviewed me, and a few other colleagues. I step off the boat, and everyone introduces themselves with warm, friendly smiles. They take my suitcase and we take off in a little buggy car. It’s dark and I can see the outlines of the island. White sand everywhere, reflecting in the moonlight. Fresh sea air, palm trees all around. We drive through the island to the staff area and to my bungalow.
They show me to my room and on the bed I find a welcome letter from the resort manager and a big basket of fruit and the most basic toiletries. A beautiful warm welcome.
I get a message from my manager Mike apologizing that, because of work, he simply couldn’t make it. He welcomes me, tells me to get some rest and let him know when I wake up so they can introduce me to the rest of the team and show me around the island.
I was told that in the Maldives, the air conditioning has to run nonstop because the humidity is enormous. Otherwise, a lot of insects get inside and the walls and things start to deteriorate. That took getting used to because I don't actually like AC, especially while sleeping. I was told not to be surprised if it rains heavily, as from May onward the weather gets unpredictable – it's not like a Croatian summer.
I felt taken care of and safe, and that panic at the airport seemed pretty funny.
I took a shower and realized that our bungalows — little houses — are actually prefabricated bungalows, which means the walls are so thin that you could hear your neighbours if they’re talking on the phone.
I was exhausted, and even though the AC was loud and I could hear my neighbors chatting, I fell asleep instantly.
Sometime during the night, the sound of rain wakes me up. I feel a sudden wave of gratitude.
I smile and think:
This is exactly why I’m here. Because of one rainy day.
The next morning I wake up in the Maldives.
(See you in Part 2 – What It’s Really Like Living in the Maldives ☺)
Love,
Sara.
PS. Some prices, resort policies, transportation arrangements and working conditions may have changed since 2018.
Also, if you have made it to the end, maaaaybe you want to travel to Maldives or even better - work there? Contact Travel Geek :)
