azure blue, turqois, emerald green are only three of a million shades of aqua that we see in this fantastic world as we arrive at club med kani. the newly refurbished resort sits on one of more than 1.200 small isles in the maldives. the sky, the ocean, and in between two slim strips of sand and palm trees. all this beauty almost makes one suspicious for a moment. can this be real?

we feel at home right away, as a cool towel, the intense scent of fresh flowers and a gistening glass of ice tea sweeten our first moments. on our way to our cabin, the dense tropical flora and the glowing, white-hot sand compete for our attention. dreamy flying foxes chill out in lush coconut palms. crabs are whizzing across grainy coral sand, headed for the indian ocean.

from a seaplane, the reef’s amazing glory becomes fully palpable, as the connected atolls and their volcanic origin reveal themselves. the light lagoons allow the isles to shine ever so brightly.

the days are short near the equator. nightfall is quick, and the banyan tree tops, whose roots are encircling the entire plant, are lighting up with white lampoons. another day in paradise unwinds.