by Russell Smeaton

Created on: April 16, 2009   Last Updated: September 06, 2010

Safari? Maldives? You've probably seen these two words together only when talking about the sea and the abundant fish that make their homes there. Today, however, this article is going to prove to you that you can have a non-fishy safari whilst staying in the Maldives. It might be stretching it a little so bear with me as I give you a quick run through of what you can expect from a Maldivian Safari experience. It might not rival the Serengeti as far as safari's go, but you never know you may be tempted.

Why am I qualified to write about this topic? Well, I was lucky enough to live and work in these beautiful islands for two years and saw a fair bit of the animal life that the islands have to offer. Living in the Maldives is not as idyllic as you might imagine but it certainly has it's moments. The islands are serene and peaceful but remember that the glossy photos you see are often enhanced by man to make them look that good. The real thing is a bit rougher around the edges as people often use the beach as a dumping ground for pretty much anything.

I digress. Get your pith helmet on, your binoculars out, pack a couple of sandwiches and lets get on with the safari. One of the first things you'll probably spot are the geckos. These little lizards are everywhere and are fascinating to watch. They can walk almost anywhere up walls, across ceilings, up your back if you stand still long enough. Every now and again they fall off but after a momentary daze and a quick check to make sure no one's looking, off they go again. Lying in bed at night you can hear the quick patter of their sticky feet as they race across the ceiling, often followed a gentle splat as they fall down, a two second pause and then it's back to work of running every which way. Geckos are great. They keep themselves to themselves, eat flies and generally are a joy to watch. There's something a little bit alien about them as you watch them but that's half the joy.

Next up we have the less pleasant but just as common cockroach. These critters can grow quite big and it's a brave gecko that takes on a big un. The geckos do go into battle with the cockroaches and I've yet to see a cockroach win. On one notable evening a monster of a cockroach was attacked by a gecko about half its size. The result? Stand off. The gecko slinked off and the cockroach fluffed it's wings proudly and flew away. The first week I was accosted by a flying cockroach in the middle of the night. The sun goes down at 6pm almost

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