How to overcome ‘Maldives Jealousy’…

As all regular readers of this Blog will no doubt know by now, its founder and Editor-in-Chief Ali is currently sunning herself on an all expenses paid trip to the Maldives. I’m not one who easy allows envy to overpower me but I’m sure that I am not alone in feeling more than a little twinge of jealousy when thinking about the copious amounts of luxury that Ali is at this moment surrounded by.

I therefore thought it would be good for all of those left behind if I were to do a bit of research on the Maldives and come up with a few facts that might make us feel better about ourselves.

The Maldives, it turns out is perhaps not the Garden of Eden the holiday brochures would have us believe. In fact I would suggest that Ali, merely by going there is complicit in the following;

Supporting a Non-Democratic regime. According to the ‘CIA World Fact book’ the current President has been in power since 1978 and is now on his sixth term in office. Only riots in 2004 in the Capital Male have forced him to review his tenure and instigate any kinds of reform.

The eventual submergence of the entire country! With the highest point in the Maldives standing at a mere 2.4 Metres above sea level on the island of Wilingili and with global sea levels expected to rise by nearly 2 metres over the coming 100 years it seems the Maldives days are numbered. What an irony therefore that Tourism, the country’s main source of foreign currency is one of the biggest contributing factors to the rise in sea levels!?

According to this online Carbon calculator Ali's carbon emission from flying Heathrow to Male, Maldives is... 2.2 Tonnes!

Destruction of delicate Marine habitats. There is growing concern amongst International Marine conservation groups of the effects increased tourism in The Maldives is having on the marine habitat. Conservation of the Coral surrounding many of the islands is one of the more serious challenges, along with the rising sea levels facing the country.

Ok, so I could only really come up with three bad points about the Maldives and two of those apply to many countries around the world.

I am clearly just jealous. I wonder to what extent the recent growing criticism of those who fly regularly is borne out of a hidden jealousy from those who are unable to do so?

Whatever, I bet Ali is having an amazing time in an amazing place. A bit to little to do for my liking (that’s not the jealously this time) but whatever floats your boat.

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