Honeymooners stranded in Maldives due to coronavirus

I know what you’re thinking. Maldives doesn’t sound too shabby to get stranded on. But for Raul and Olivia, who were meant to be there only for six days for their honeymoon, this is turning into a really expensive, forced-upon getaway. “Everyone says they want to be stuck on a tropical island, until you’re actually stuck,” Olivia said. ‘It only sounds good because you know you can leave.”

This South African couple wed and shortly flew off to the island on March 22 after consulting with their travel agent if travel was in fact possible at the time; one being a teacher and the other a butcher, this holiday “was an extravagance.” Unfortunately, South Africa announced a travel ban on March 25, leaving the couple no way to get back to their home. When they turned to the South African Consulate in the Maldives for help, they learnt that forty other tourists were also stranded on the island.

Raul and Olivia have now become the only staying guests at the Cinnamon Velifushi Maldives, in a room that costs $750 per night. Even so, they’re looking at the situation positively. “It’s incredible that we get this extra time,” Olivia said, adding that they even though this is cutting into their savings every day, the hotel has been kind enough to offer them both a generous discount.

South Africa’s lockdown is meant to last until April 16, but like everywhere else in the world, this might change. The hotel staff on the other hand, will be required to stay in quarantine for two weeks once the couple has left the island.