I got my bags back on a roll heading out there and I'm ready to go looking real good

in my passport photo

Oh no!

Amateur Traveler episode 500. Today the Amateur Traveler talks about sea turtles and whale sharks,

coral atolls, and over-the-water bungalows as we go to the islands of the Maldives.

I know that I should be heading home,

but maybe not, maybe not today.

Welcome to the amateur traveler. I'm your host Chris Christensen. This is indeed the

500th episode more or less but rather than just do a show filled with self

congratulations we're going to try and do what we always try and do,

give you some useful travel information. We'll do some self-congratulations in reminiscing at the end, but first, let's talk about the Maldives.

I'd like to welcome the show Jennifer Dombrowski from Lux Adventure Traveler,

who's come to talk to us about a definite luxury destination, the Maldives.

Jennifer, welcome to the show.

Thanks, Chris. It's great to be here.

We have known each other for a while, but we haven't had to on amateur travelers,

and I was looking for someone to talk about the Maldives.

Where are the Maldives, first of all?

You know, it's funny that you say where are they because I think even 40 years ago, no one really had heard of the Maldives.

And it is a country that's located in the Indian Ocean sort of southwest of of west of India.

But what's really special about the Maldives

is that it's this long chain of islands.

...