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A great philosopher once said,
"The world is a book,
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and those who don't travel
read only one page."
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Well, I've gotta say,
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I've read a few pages,
and I'm not crazy about the book.
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I don't look forward to traveling
for a number of reasons.
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When it's too cold, I'm not comfortable.
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Ice swimming, naked?
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- Yes.
- Well, that's a terrific invitation.
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When it's too warm, guess what?
I'm not comfortable.
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I can't move that fast.
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- But I'm 75.
- You need some help?
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No, I got it.
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And maybe it's time to expand my horizons.
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Oh, my God.
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First time I've had my hand
up an elephant's ass.
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On the plus side,
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I'm staying at some unbelievable hotels.
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Oh, my. This is spectacular.
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The catch is, I've also agreed
to explore what lies outside.
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- Watch your step.
- No kidding.
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- Beautiful mountain.
- That's a volcano.
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That's a volcano?
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A world I've spent my whole life avoiding.
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Whoa. Sadie.
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Oh, my God.
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Just surviving would be great.
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This is the last time
I have five vodkas with a Finn.
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I've come to paradise.
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No question about it.
Very, very beautiful.
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Who wouldn't love it here?
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Well, I know this sounds crazy,
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but someone who's as terrified of water
as I am.
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I'm more of a land guy.
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I really enjoy myself
when I'm on terra firma.
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When I'm around water,
I'm not that comfortable.
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And there's a lot of ocean out here.
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I'm seeing nothing but ocean.
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While I can appreciate the beauty
of the deep blue sea,
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if you ever see me in it, send help.
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Because chances are I'm not waving,
I'm drowning.
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I feel like I'm a little speck in the--
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you know,
in the middle of the Indian Ocean.
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The reason man was given two legs is
to walk on the ground.
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This is kind of like
my own personal version of Cast Away.
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I just hope someone is coming
to rescue me.
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The Maldives.
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600 miles of sand bars and coral reefs,
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formed by prehistoric volcanoes.
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Only 1% of this country is actual land.
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And I'm not in a hurry
to acquaint myself with the other 99%,
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hence the seaplane to my hotel.
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I'm hoping there's oxygen on board.
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The words "sea" and "plane"
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only make me think
of the words "plunge" and "debris".
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Anyway...
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Hi, sir. A very good afternoon.
Welcome aboard.
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Your life jacket's under the seat.
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Keep the seat belts fastened
and enjoy your flight.
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Thank you very much.
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That's not a good place for life jackets,
is it?
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Why aren't the life jackets in your lap?
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Where you can get to it fast.
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Under the seat is like, you know--
I don't know.
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People panic when you're going down.
Don't you?
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Wouldn't you panic and you'd kind of
just lose your sense of everything?
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And you'd figure, "What did he say again?
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Where are the life jackets?
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What did he say? Under the seat?"
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The pilots have no shoes on.
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That's because when you hit the water,
shoes take you right down.
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It's actually kind of pretty.
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I'm seeing these islands,
amazing colors over the water.
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I've never seen that before.
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So there are 1,200 islands
in the Maldives,
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but just 200 are inhabited.
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{\an8}I hope we're going to one of those
and not doing the Robinson Crusoe thing.
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I'm not sure how it gets down.
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I'm assuming it just crashes.
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Oh, my God. We're hitting the water.
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Sweaty palms.
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A few years ago, this island,
Kudadoo, was little more than a sand dune.
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Since then,
they've spent $45 million on it,
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which means I'm lucky enough to be staying
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on one of the most expensive sandcastles
in the world.
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The resort promises a luxury escape,
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and to ensure this,
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they started planning for my visit
before I'd even got on the plane.
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This was a preference form
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that was sent by the hotel,
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that I'm supposed to fill out
before I travel.
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So, "title".
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Okay. "Mr., Miss, Master, Doctor,
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King."
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I feel like putting down King,
but I'm gonna put down, "Mr."
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"Effortless adventures."
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Well, this is gonna be easy.
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"Paddleboarding". No.
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"Jet ski, kitesurfing, scuba diving.
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Scuba diving by scooter with sharks."
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This is what I'm gonna do.
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No.
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"What's
your favorite leisure-time activity?"
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Resting.
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"If we were to cook you one dream meal,
what would it be?
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You can have anything."
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Cheeseburger, fries and shake.
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Chocolate or vanilla.
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I'll leave that up to them.
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Good morning, Eugene.
Welcome to Kudadoo, Maldives.
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- I'm Brad Colder, General Manager.
- All right.
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- Nice to meet you, Brad.
- Nice to meet you.
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Oh, my God.
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The last time I had a welcome like this
checking into a hotel was never.
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- Never?
- No, it's never happened before.
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Already we're off to a good start.
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Allow me to introduce you to the island.
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Kuda, it means "small"
in Maldivian language,
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so it's a very, very small island.
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Fifteen residences only.
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Once the guest is on island,
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there's a concept called
"anything, anytime, anywhere",
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where our staff are on call
to provide anything at their disposal.
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And every wish is our command.
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- Anything, anytime...
- Anywhere.
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- ...anywhere.
- Yeah.
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Now my three favorite words.
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Look at this beach.
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- One of these is mine?
- Certainly is.
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There are never more than 32 guests here,
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which means the staff can engage
in some Olympic-class pampering.
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I'm just hoping there are
some dry land activities while I'm here.
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From your residence,
you can drop straight in for a snorkel.
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You can normally see more than five
different types of fish at any given time
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- when you're snorkeling.
- Yeah.
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The only dangerous thing
I would actually warn you about
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is if you see this big fish,
called a Trigger Fish,
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you might just wanna give it a wide berth.
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One lady had a nasty piece
of her ear taken off...
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- Oh, really?
- ...by this Trigger Fish, so...
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Yeah, well, don't worry.
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- I'll give it a wide berth.
- Yeah.
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It'll bring new meaning
to the term "wide berth".
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The occasional shark will swim by.
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Sharks in the water?
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Yeah, not that good.
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This is quite the vista.
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I requested an ocean view,
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and they certainly gave me one.
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The Maldives
is the world's lowest-lying country.
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None of its islands are
more than six feet above sea level,
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so everywhere you look
is an oceanic wonderland.
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{\an8}Look at this.
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Where am I gonna sleep tonight?
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{\an8}'Cause I'm not messing this up.
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{\an8}Although, my wife, Deb,
lays this out for me every night,
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{\an8}so it's nothing special.
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The 3,000-square-foot villa
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has its own shark-free
infinity plunge pool,
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and costs more than $7,000 a night.
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Think I'm gonna like it here.
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- Hello.
- Hi.
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My name is Shofa.
I'm your personal butler.
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- May I come in?
- Yes, you-- Yes, please.
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Thank you.
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- My personal butler?
- Are you in--
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Yes, I am.
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Would you like to share for me
your likes, your dislikes?
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A strong dislike is anything in the water.
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Yeah.
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In wa-- You're in Maldives.
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- Yes. Yeah.
- We are 99% water.
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That's the oddity about this whole thing.
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But water sports,
I really can't do any of that.
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What's your favorite sport?
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Golf.
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We don't play in Maldives,
but leave it to me.
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Okay.
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As much as I could get used to this,
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I don't want anyone thinking
it'll go to my head.
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The "anything, anytime, anywhere"
is a tough thing for a Canadian,
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because, you know what?
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We feel that we're being a little pushy.
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When you think about it
and think about where you are,
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which is in the middle of nowhere,
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how can you give somebody
exactly what they want?
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I really kind of want to delve into that,
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'cause I don't really understand
how that's possible.
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Let's start with the basics.
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For me, the route to contentment
has always been through my stomach.
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So I'm heading to meet Executive Chef, Edouard,
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to find out how he keeps the guests
in seventh heaven.
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- Edouard.
- Eugene.
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- How are you?
- Good. How are you?
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I am excellent.
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00:12:02,140 --> 00:12:04,935
- We're in the middle of nowhere here...
- Middle of nowhere. Exactly.
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- ...and you can get anything you want...
- Anything we want.
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00:12:07,771 --> 00:12:10,190
- ...food-wise, 24-7.
- Absolutely.
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00:12:10,190 --> 00:12:11,274
How does it work?
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00:12:11,274 --> 00:12:15,362
Maldives is very lucky
to be right between Australia,
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00:12:15,362 --> 00:12:18,657
Singapore, Dubai and Europe.
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00:12:18,657 --> 00:12:22,369
So that helps us
to get pretty much anything in 24 hours.
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00:12:22,369 --> 00:12:27,249
What's the most bizarre request
you've ever had?
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00:12:27,249 --> 00:12:30,168
It was just a simple portion of butter.
204
00:12:30,752 --> 00:12:32,921
Has to come from a particular region
in France
205
00:12:32,921 --> 00:12:34,798
from a particular supplier in France.
206
00:12:35,298 --> 00:12:36,633
- Really?
- In Brittany.
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00:12:36,633 --> 00:12:41,221
So the request was made
by about 10:00 a.m. on a Saturday,
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00:12:41,221 --> 00:12:42,889
and on Sunday morning for breakfast,
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00:12:42,889 --> 00:12:44,516
we managed to get the product
on the island.
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00:12:44,516 --> 00:12:45,559
Wow.
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00:12:46,518 --> 00:12:51,147
If I was in your shoes,
I would've said, "Don't think so.
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00:12:52,190 --> 00:12:54,818
Pushing it. You're pushing it."
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00:12:54,818 --> 00:12:56,111
That's what we do.
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00:12:56,111 --> 00:13:01,283
In fact, Edouard positively encourages
his guests to go off menu.
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00:13:01,866 --> 00:13:05,245
Or as they call it, "unscripted dining".
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00:13:06,246 --> 00:13:07,998
Now, I've dabbled in improv,
217
00:13:07,998 --> 00:13:11,501
so I'm prepared to completely wing it
in the kitchen.
218
00:13:12,002 --> 00:13:15,088
I'll do a half apron.
Is that what you call it?
219
00:13:15,088 --> 00:13:17,048
- Would this be a half apron?
- Just an apron.
220
00:13:17,048 --> 00:13:20,010
Just an apron. Okay.
221
00:13:20,010 --> 00:13:23,847
So the guest came to us and said,
"Okay, I love onion soup,
222
00:13:24,514 --> 00:13:26,600
but can you make it
a little bit more special?"
223
00:13:26,600 --> 00:13:30,937
For that we're gonna use some brandy
and then black truffle.
224
00:13:31,479 --> 00:13:32,772
We need some cheese.
225
00:13:32,772 --> 00:13:33,857
What cheese do you need?
226
00:13:33,857 --> 00:13:37,777
I need some Gruyère,
some Tête de Moine, and some Parmesan.
227
00:13:37,777 --> 00:13:38,862
As good as done.
228
00:13:41,656 --> 00:13:45,702
This being Kudadoo,
the cheese isn't just in a fridge.
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00:13:45,702 --> 00:13:48,622
They have an entire cellar
dedicated to it.
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And it's got a fragrance
that hits you right in the face.
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00:13:56,046 --> 00:13:57,297
Wow.
232
00:13:59,633 --> 00:14:03,678
Okay. This is Gruyère, Parmesan
233
00:14:04,429 --> 00:14:05,639
and...
234
00:14:09,392 --> 00:14:10,393
French?
235
00:14:15,190 --> 00:14:19,194
The one thing I forgot to mention
to Edouard is I don't move quickly.
236
00:14:19,194 --> 00:14:22,155
I can't find the Gruyère or the...
237
00:14:25,033 --> 00:14:26,785
I'll take a couple of these.
238
00:14:28,745 --> 00:14:29,913
Some Brie.
239
00:14:32,958 --> 00:14:34,501
You know, it's cheese, right?
240
00:14:36,586 --> 00:14:40,006
I forgot the name
of the French cheese you gave me,
241
00:14:40,006 --> 00:14:42,759
so I picked up some Brie
'cause it's French.
242
00:14:42,759 --> 00:14:44,886
Nice try, Eugene. Right in front of you
243
00:14:44,886 --> 00:14:46,471
- when you get into the cheese room.
- Okay.
244
00:14:50,725 --> 00:14:52,978
- That's much better.
- Is that it?
245
00:14:53,645 --> 00:14:55,438
- Okay. That's perfect.
- All right.
246
00:14:56,064 --> 00:14:58,149
Take some brandy, blow torch.
247
00:15:12,581 --> 00:15:14,666
Okay, this gonna be exciting.
248
00:15:19,504 --> 00:15:22,215
- We're doing okay on time, Edouard?
- I think we need to push.
249
00:15:22,215 --> 00:15:23,341
- Yeah.
- We need to push.
250
00:15:23,341 --> 00:15:25,719
So you're the one dragging us down here.
You're--
251
00:15:26,261 --> 00:15:29,514
I'm doing everything I can.
I can't watch any faster.
252
00:15:30,974 --> 00:15:32,517
And voilà.
253
00:15:32,517 --> 00:15:37,772
The perfect alchemy of caramelized onions,
beef stock, brandy and black truffle,
254
00:15:37,772 --> 00:15:41,651
topped off by a trio
of well-selected cheese.
255
00:15:43,862 --> 00:15:45,113
Oh, my God.
256
00:15:45,113 --> 00:15:49,618
That's the most unique onion soup
I've ever, ever seen.
257
00:15:51,077 --> 00:15:54,915
Personally, I'd prefer a bit more soup
to go with my bread.
258
00:15:54,915 --> 00:15:56,458
But even for me,
259
00:15:56,458 --> 00:16:00,879
"anything, anytime, anywhere"
seems a little excessive.
260
00:16:01,880 --> 00:16:05,175
I wouldn't pick up a phone
at 4:00 in the morning
261
00:16:05,175 --> 00:16:07,594
and order something.
262
00:16:07,594 --> 00:16:10,805
You know, it takes an American to do that.
263
00:16:11,431 --> 00:16:14,351
But it is an interesting philosophy here.
264
00:16:16,728 --> 00:16:18,521
Day one went rather well.
265
00:16:18,521 --> 00:16:20,190
Although, I can't take all the credit.
266
00:16:20,941 --> 00:16:22,734
I did make French onion soup,
267
00:16:22,734 --> 00:16:25,737
survive the seaplane,
and avoided the ocean.
268
00:16:26,321 --> 00:16:28,949
So, on second thought,
I will take all the credit.
269
00:16:30,909 --> 00:16:34,037
Shofa, my butler,
270
00:16:34,037 --> 00:16:37,207
has a day planned tomorrow.
271
00:16:38,416 --> 00:16:42,254
Her excitement and enthusiasm
kind of scares me.
272
00:16:42,837 --> 00:16:44,881
Water we ruled out,
273
00:16:44,881 --> 00:16:47,300
so hopefully I will sleep well
274
00:16:48,051 --> 00:16:52,597
and not lose any sleep
thinking about what might be in store.
275
00:17:10,614 --> 00:17:11,699
Good morning.
276
00:17:11,699 --> 00:17:15,035
Yeah, the morning
has actually been quite incredible.
277
00:17:15,035 --> 00:17:16,662
Have you seen what's in the pool?
278
00:17:18,164 --> 00:17:19,165
Come on.
279
00:17:26,171 --> 00:17:27,591
Look at this.
280
00:17:28,550 --> 00:17:32,137
This is the most amazing breakfast spread
I've ever seen,
281
00:17:32,137 --> 00:17:34,180
and they put it in the pool.
282
00:17:34,806 --> 00:17:36,349
It's an incredible concept,
283
00:17:36,933 --> 00:17:38,768
but I can't get it.
284
00:17:39,686 --> 00:17:44,441
Come to papa!
285
00:17:45,692 --> 00:17:47,277
Oh, my God.
286
00:17:47,277 --> 00:17:49,613
I know what they're trying to do.
287
00:17:49,613 --> 00:17:53,116
First get me in the pool,
then later the Indian Ocean.
288
00:17:54,284 --> 00:17:57,871
But at breakfast,
I'm more of a pants on kind of guy.
289
00:17:58,997 --> 00:18:01,124
"Good morning, Eugene.
290
00:18:01,625 --> 00:18:05,629
In order to make your stay
full of moments of magnificence"--
291
00:18:06,463 --> 00:18:07,631
Magnificence.
292
00:18:08,298 --> 00:18:11,635
"I have come up with
the following island experience.
293
00:18:11,635 --> 00:18:14,888
A sound bath meditation
294
00:18:16,097 --> 00:18:20,060
with yoga therapist, Nandini.
295
00:18:20,060 --> 00:18:23,438
Very best wishes. Your butler, Shofa."
296
00:18:24,356 --> 00:18:25,565
Intriguing.
297
00:18:28,985 --> 00:18:30,237
Thank you.
298
00:18:33,073 --> 00:18:35,492
What's a sound bath? Wanna find out?
299
00:18:35,492 --> 00:18:38,828
Sure. Okay. But you gotta go by boat.
300
00:18:39,537 --> 00:18:41,122
That's how they get you.
301
00:18:42,207 --> 00:18:48,088
It's a little choppy,
and I'm feeling a little seasickness.
302
00:18:50,131 --> 00:18:52,926
I don't really know
exactly where we're going.
303
00:18:52,926 --> 00:18:57,514
But, you know, I'm hoping there's
a considerable amount of land involved.
304
00:19:00,559 --> 00:19:03,687
A sound bath could be like a sauna,
305
00:19:03,687 --> 00:19:06,982
or going in for a shvitz, as they say.
306
00:19:07,566 --> 00:19:10,902
Which I'm not really into.
I don't find that enjoyable.
307
00:19:11,486 --> 00:19:14,072
But whatever it is,
I'll give it my best shot.
308
00:19:23,623 --> 00:19:27,335
Okay, where's the sound bathroom?
309
00:19:27,836 --> 00:19:29,296
Is it in a dungeon?
310
00:19:47,147 --> 00:19:51,276
Oh, my God. This is insane.
311
00:19:53,695 --> 00:19:55,488
Namaste, Mr. Eugene!
312
00:19:55,488 --> 00:19:59,117
Welcome to undersea meditation. How is it?
313
00:19:59,117 --> 00:20:01,494
How is it? It's underwater.
314
00:20:03,288 --> 00:20:05,290
Beautiful fishes.
315
00:20:05,290 --> 00:20:09,920
The Maldives has one of the largest
coral reef systems in the world,
316
00:20:09,920 --> 00:20:12,881
with over 2,000 species of fish.
317
00:20:12,881 --> 00:20:17,886
None of which I'd planned on coming
face-to-face with 20 feet under water.
318
00:20:19,095 --> 00:20:22,641
Wait for my heart
to settle down here a little bit.
319
00:20:25,644 --> 00:20:28,897
This is unbelievable.
320
00:20:29,481 --> 00:20:34,402
Who put this together,
and what are their credentials?
321
00:20:35,820 --> 00:20:37,822
Where does the sound come in?
322
00:20:37,822 --> 00:20:39,616
What exactly is a sound bath?
323
00:20:39,616 --> 00:20:42,661
Our body is contained 65% of water.
324
00:20:42,661 --> 00:20:46,623
The water, it responds to the sound,
325
00:20:46,623 --> 00:20:49,876
so it removes the blockages
from your whole body.
326
00:20:49,876 --> 00:20:54,381
I think it might actually be the blockages
that are holding me together.
327
00:20:54,381 --> 00:20:59,302
Your body is then--
It's ready to take a positive energy.
328
00:20:59,302 --> 00:21:04,432
- Your mind is calm, relaxed, peace.
- It was calm up until I saw that thing,
329
00:21:04,432 --> 00:21:07,811
which doesn't look like a sardine to me.
330
00:21:08,770 --> 00:21:12,190
Breathe in. Start.
331
00:21:12,190 --> 00:21:18,280
- Om.
- Om.
332
00:21:28,373 --> 00:21:30,166
Wow. Amazing.
333
00:21:30,166 --> 00:21:33,295
- I actually just shocked myself.
- You really were super!
334
00:21:34,379 --> 00:21:37,215
Nandini has caught on that I'm an actor.
335
00:21:37,215 --> 00:21:41,094
Pat me on the back enough,
you can convince me to do anything.
336
00:21:41,887 --> 00:21:42,888
This is good.
337
00:21:43,722 --> 00:21:47,976
Breathe in.
338
00:21:52,731 --> 00:21:58,612
Breathe out.
339
00:21:58,612 --> 00:22:02,699
It's quite
an exceptionally brilliant concept.
340
00:22:05,285 --> 00:22:08,830
But I kept thinking,
"What if you hear a crack?"
341
00:22:08,830 --> 00:22:11,207
And, you know, "What if there's a leak?"
342
00:22:20,675 --> 00:22:23,386
'Cause you wanna talk about
"dead in the water"?
343
00:22:24,429 --> 00:22:26,139
That would be the definition.
344
00:22:27,807 --> 00:22:30,393
Gently open your eyes.
345
00:22:31,853 --> 00:22:33,563
Slowly.
346
00:22:33,563 --> 00:22:35,190
Are those eels?
347
00:22:37,609 --> 00:22:40,612
It was incredible,
and once you relax in there,
348
00:22:40,612 --> 00:22:44,824
it's quite beautiful to see
what actually goes on underwater.
349
00:22:46,159 --> 00:22:49,162
I did almost fall asleep
in the middle of it.
350
00:22:49,162 --> 00:22:50,580
It doesn't take much for me.
351
00:22:52,791 --> 00:22:54,292
Against all the odds,
352
00:22:54,292 --> 00:22:59,422
Shofa has succeeded in giving me
a close encounter of the maritime kind.
353
00:23:00,465 --> 00:23:01,508
Hello!
354
00:23:01,508 --> 00:23:04,177
Having had, I guess,
all the fun of snorkeling
355
00:23:04,177 --> 00:23:06,471
without so much as getting my feet wet,
356
00:23:06,471 --> 00:23:09,474
I wonder what my butler has planned next.
357
00:23:09,474 --> 00:23:11,601
- It's a big step. Yeah.
- Thank you.
358
00:23:11,601 --> 00:23:16,022
Turns out I'm setting sail
with marine biologist, Jasmine.
359
00:23:16,022 --> 00:23:18,692
Maybe if I'm more informed
about the ocean,
360
00:23:18,692 --> 00:23:21,027
I might actually be able to enjoy it.
361
00:23:21,611 --> 00:23:25,865
Or maybe I'll find out
what you don't know can hurt you.
362
00:23:25,865 --> 00:23:28,034
This is what I call a boat.
363
00:23:28,034 --> 00:23:30,495
Nothing choppy. My stomach is fine.
364
00:23:31,538 --> 00:23:33,873
It's smooth. I'm feeling nothing.
365
00:23:33,873 --> 00:23:35,834
Do you normally do stuff like this?
366
00:23:35,834 --> 00:23:38,920
- I never do anything like this. No.
- Really, nothing?
367
00:23:40,839 --> 00:23:46,219
You have a love of the sea
that I don't share.
368
00:23:46,803 --> 00:23:49,306
- No?
- But I know with me, it's just fear.
369
00:23:49,306 --> 00:23:52,017
- You know? It's fear of drowning...
- Yeah.
370
00:23:52,017 --> 00:23:56,521
...and fear of losing chunks of your body
371
00:23:56,521 --> 00:23:59,065
- to a shark and then drowning.
- To a big shark. Yeah.
372
00:24:00,650 --> 00:24:05,697
What is it about the Maldives
that makes them so unique?
373
00:24:05,697 --> 00:24:09,534
So, Maldives has 5% of the coral reefs
in the whole entire world.
374
00:24:09,534 --> 00:24:12,037
- Well, that's incredible...
- That's a lot, isn't it?
375
00:24:12,037 --> 00:24:15,332
...because if you look at the Maldives
on a map, it's like a speck.
376
00:24:15,332 --> 00:24:17,208
- It's not even on the map sometimes.
- Right.
377
00:24:17,208 --> 00:24:18,710
So that's a lot of coral.
378
00:24:18,710 --> 00:24:20,128
- So much coral...
- Yeah.
379
00:24:20,128 --> 00:24:22,881
...and a quarter of all marine life
in the ocean right now
380
00:24:22,881 --> 00:24:24,466
lives on a coral reef.
381
00:24:25,425 --> 00:24:31,389
So, that's what makes the marine life
so special here.
382
00:24:31,389 --> 00:24:33,516
- Yes.
- And the reef is also
383
00:24:33,516 --> 00:24:37,437
what makes the sand here
so impossibly powdery white.
384
00:24:38,980 --> 00:24:44,110
In fact, only 5% of the world's beaches
are made up of coral like this.
385
00:24:46,029 --> 00:24:48,448
I mean, I have to say,
the ocean, being here,
386
00:24:48,448 --> 00:24:50,325
I mean, it's quite beautiful.
387
00:24:50,325 --> 00:24:51,409
- Right?
- Yes. Yeah.
388
00:24:51,409 --> 00:24:55,872
And then, as if on cue,
the sea gives me a moment
389
00:24:55,872 --> 00:25:00,210
that I don't even think my personal butler
could've planned better.
390
00:25:01,419 --> 00:25:03,672
There. Behind you. You see?
391
00:25:05,298 --> 00:25:09,719
- You see that?
- Oh, yes! We've got some dolphins!
392
00:25:11,054 --> 00:25:12,847
Look down. You see?
393
00:25:13,431 --> 00:25:16,726
- Oh, yes. Yes!
- One. Here.
394
00:25:16,726 --> 00:25:18,728
- Four, five.
- There they are!
395
00:25:18,728 --> 00:25:20,855
- Yeah.
- Yes!
396
00:25:20,855 --> 00:25:22,566
- See them?
- They're jumping.
397
00:25:28,113 --> 00:25:29,489
So, this must be exciting, huh?
398
00:25:29,489 --> 00:25:33,660
Insane. Absolutely incredible experience.
399
00:25:33,660 --> 00:25:36,496
The Maldives are an island paradise,
400
00:25:36,496 --> 00:25:39,416
and you can't have islands without water.
401
00:25:39,416 --> 00:25:41,626
The clue is in the name.
402
00:25:43,336 --> 00:25:46,006
And while it's gonna take
a few more boat rides
403
00:25:46,006 --> 00:25:47,632
for me to earn my sea legs,
404
00:25:47,632 --> 00:25:51,344
I'm ending the day confident
in the knowledge that
405
00:25:51,344 --> 00:25:54,973
not everything in the ocean
is out to get me.
406
00:26:03,273 --> 00:26:06,067
I've taken to this life of luxury like--
407
00:26:06,651 --> 00:26:09,112
well, a fish that's not out of water.
408
00:26:10,780 --> 00:26:14,701
But I'm a little embarrassed
by the level of indulgence here
409
00:26:14,701 --> 00:26:17,120
and feel the need to explore this country
410
00:26:17,120 --> 00:26:20,665
without a personal butler
catering to my every whim.
411
00:26:23,793 --> 00:26:26,838
Around a half million people
live in the Maldives.
412
00:26:26,838 --> 00:26:29,132
They're scattered across 200 islands,
413
00:26:29,132 --> 00:26:34,179
making it one of the most geographically
dispersed countries in the world.
414
00:26:34,179 --> 00:26:38,975
So, it's no surprise,
other than the staff, I've met no one.
415
00:26:41,895 --> 00:26:47,150
In a very uncharacteristic move,
I'm voluntarily hopping on a boat
416
00:26:47,150 --> 00:26:50,654
to one of the most populated islands, Naifaru,
417
00:26:50,654 --> 00:26:54,574
to find someone who actually lives here.
418
00:26:55,367 --> 00:26:57,661
- You must be Sandy.
- Hello.
419
00:26:58,453 --> 00:27:02,916
Unsurprisingly, tourism is now
the largest industry on the islands
420
00:27:02,916 --> 00:27:06,461
and accounts for over a quarter
of Maldivian income.
421
00:27:07,087 --> 00:27:11,841
Many of the people who live on Naifaru
work on the neighboring tourist resorts.
422
00:27:11,841 --> 00:27:14,928
But Sandy has recently retired.
423
00:27:14,928 --> 00:27:17,222
Now what is this thing here?
424
00:27:17,222 --> 00:27:19,808
- I'm trying to catch a fish. It's--
- No, I get that.
425
00:27:19,808 --> 00:27:21,142
But w-- I'm not sure--
426
00:27:21,142 --> 00:27:24,104
This one was--
my wife used for cleaning the toilet.
427
00:27:24,104 --> 00:27:26,773
I'm reusing it. This is my fishing reel.
428
00:27:26,773 --> 00:27:28,024
Do you wanna try?
429
00:27:28,024 --> 00:27:29,818
Oh, yes, I would-- Yeah.
430
00:27:33,780 --> 00:27:34,864
That was a good toss.
431
00:27:34,864 --> 00:27:36,825
- You need to hold on.
- Yes.
432
00:27:38,910 --> 00:27:40,120
Is it nibbling?
433
00:27:40,120 --> 00:27:41,413
I felt something.
434
00:27:42,831 --> 00:27:44,958
But I don't think anything's there now.
435
00:27:47,961 --> 00:27:51,423
Catch a fish?
I think I might be able to achieve that.
436
00:27:52,173 --> 00:27:53,592
I got a nibble.
437
00:27:53,592 --> 00:27:55,635
If I was here long enough.
438
00:27:56,845 --> 00:27:59,222
But nothing's there. Not yet.
439
00:27:59,806 --> 00:28:01,308
And I mean long enough.
440
00:28:02,100 --> 00:28:03,435
Do I have something?
441
00:28:03,435 --> 00:28:05,395
- Nah, nothing.
- Bait.
442
00:28:05,395 --> 00:28:07,772
Like, probably would take years.
443
00:28:09,399 --> 00:28:11,401
That's why I'm not getting a nibble.
444
00:28:11,401 --> 00:28:13,612
That's why I'm not getting a nibble!
445
00:28:13,612 --> 00:28:15,447
I was pulling it out of the water.
446
00:28:18,283 --> 00:28:20,201
Well, there you go.
447
00:28:20,201 --> 00:28:23,496
This area is the crossroads
of the ancient trading routes
448
00:28:23,496 --> 00:28:26,750
between Asia, Africa and the Middle East.
449
00:28:26,750 --> 00:28:30,337
Meaning that the culture is
a real Maldivian melting pot.
450
00:28:32,422 --> 00:28:35,383
So Sandy,
tell me about life in the Maldives.
451
00:28:35,383 --> 00:28:39,888
Everything here is ocean,
so for us, that's the resources.
452
00:28:39,888 --> 00:28:43,391
I call it Kandu Bhanda.
453
00:28:44,351 --> 00:28:47,395
- Kandu, ocean. Bhanda is stomach.
- Yeah.
454
00:28:47,395 --> 00:28:49,731
- From the ocean to your stomach.
- Yeah.
455
00:28:49,731 --> 00:28:53,026
That's a very self-sustaining lifestyle.
456
00:28:53,026 --> 00:28:56,821
Yeah, I mean, when you live in a city,
457
00:28:57,405 --> 00:29:00,784
- you see people with anxiety, stressed.
- Yeah.
458
00:29:00,784 --> 00:29:02,077
Yeah, that's me.
459
00:29:04,162 --> 00:29:05,372
Then you see the ocean,
460
00:29:05,372 --> 00:29:08,416
you are connected
to the universe, you know?
461
00:29:08,416 --> 00:29:12,045
That's where the love, the joy comes.
462
00:29:15,507 --> 00:29:18,385
- This way?
- All the way-- You can see the beach.
463
00:29:19,344 --> 00:29:20,345
Fifty years ago,
464
00:29:20,345 --> 00:29:24,891
the Maldives was mostly inhabited
by local people like Sandy.
465
00:29:25,559 --> 00:29:29,938
But since the first resort
opened here in 1972,
466
00:29:29,938 --> 00:29:34,734
tourists have been coming to discover
the island's secrets for themselves.
467
00:29:34,734 --> 00:29:38,113
You just seem to get so much joy
out of life,
468
00:29:38,113 --> 00:29:41,324
so what advice can you give people?
469
00:29:41,908 --> 00:29:44,536
You really need to connect.
470
00:29:45,245 --> 00:29:50,750
Remove your shoes,
feel the sand, go in the water,
471
00:29:50,750 --> 00:29:53,712
feel the wind, taste the salt,
472
00:29:53,712 --> 00:29:57,841
and then I think
you'll forget about anxiety, depression.
473
00:29:57,841 --> 00:29:59,551
So, just learn to connect.
474
00:30:00,760 --> 00:30:03,597
The resorts offer something spectacular,
475
00:30:03,597 --> 00:30:06,182
but spending an afternoon with Sandy
476
00:30:06,182 --> 00:30:09,644
has shown me
the real magic of the Maldives.
477
00:30:09,644 --> 00:30:12,856
I'll take back with me some of your aura.
478
00:30:12,856 --> 00:30:15,609
That kind of makes this trip worthwhile
for me.
479
00:30:15,609 --> 00:30:16,818
It's really a pleasure.
480
00:30:16,818 --> 00:30:22,657
I always love to show others
the beauty of my country.
481
00:30:22,657 --> 00:30:23,825
This is a lovely man.
482
00:30:25,660 --> 00:30:26,661
Thank you.
483
00:30:28,830 --> 00:30:32,918
Sandy, loved the personality,
wish I had it.
484
00:30:33,627 --> 00:30:38,006
To be honest,
I would rather be around Sandy than me.
485
00:30:39,716 --> 00:30:41,927
As I head back to my island,
486
00:30:41,927 --> 00:30:45,555
I can't help but feel
that Sandy's version of the Maldives
487
00:30:45,555 --> 00:30:50,393
is the kind of paradise you simply
can't package into a vacation,
488
00:30:50,393 --> 00:30:52,187
no matter your budget.
489
00:30:53,855 --> 00:30:55,482
Even before I arrived,
490
00:30:55,482 --> 00:30:59,361
Kudadoo had been promising me
wishes fulfilled.
491
00:30:59,361 --> 00:31:01,196
And in the spirit of Sandy,
492
00:31:01,196 --> 00:31:06,534
they've laid on a stripped back experience
that I'm assured won't disappoint.
493
00:31:08,995 --> 00:31:10,163
Is that for me?
494
00:31:12,457 --> 00:31:14,334
I've got to hand it to Shofa.
495
00:31:14,334 --> 00:31:17,837
I've arrived in my own slice
of Levy heaven.
496
00:31:19,256 --> 00:31:22,509
Come on. Is this my dream meal?
497
00:31:23,760 --> 00:31:26,596
Vanilla shake, truffle fries. Has to be...
498
00:31:27,514 --> 00:31:28,515
a cheeseburger.
499
00:31:30,600 --> 00:31:33,895
Oh, my. I love Edouard.
500
00:31:40,527 --> 00:31:41,820
Guess what?
501
00:31:41,820 --> 00:31:44,781
It's the best cheeseburger
I have ever tasted.
502
00:31:46,741 --> 00:31:50,370
Listen, I get it.
I'm a bit of pain in the ass, okay?
503
00:31:50,370 --> 00:31:53,206
When it comes to things like complaining.
504
00:31:53,957 --> 00:31:55,750
It doesn't get much better than this.
505
00:31:57,794 --> 00:31:59,629
Happiest moments of my life?
506
00:31:59,629 --> 00:32:01,006
My marriage,
507
00:32:01,006 --> 00:32:02,966
birth of my son, Daniel,
508
00:32:02,966 --> 00:32:04,718
birth of my daughter, Sarah.
509
00:32:04,718 --> 00:32:10,682
So, this meal and this day
and this place is in good company.
510
00:32:12,309 --> 00:32:15,103
As Sandy says, simple pleasures.
511
00:32:16,271 --> 00:32:17,647
Once upon a time,
512
00:32:17,647 --> 00:32:21,192
I wouldn't have even entertained
the idea of coming here.
513
00:32:21,192 --> 00:32:23,737
Way too much water for my liking.
514
00:32:23,737 --> 00:32:29,826
But I've discovered a spectacular,
utterly unique, natural paradise.
515
00:32:30,660 --> 00:32:34,789
This is one of the most beautiful spots...
516
00:32:35,874 --> 00:32:37,208
I've ever seen.
517
00:32:40,003 --> 00:32:44,341
Despite beginning the journey
as a bona fide land lover,
518
00:32:44,341 --> 00:32:47,761
the Maldives have made me forget myself.
519
00:32:49,262 --> 00:32:50,764
- Eugene.
- Yeah?
520
00:32:50,764 --> 00:32:52,349
You're in the ocean.
521
00:32:59,814 --> 00:33:01,233
I am in the ocean.
522
00:33:02,776 --> 00:33:04,277
Not just any ocean.
523
00:33:05,070 --> 00:33:06,446
The Indian Ocean.
524
00:33:07,197 --> 00:33:10,784
There's really only one thing
that could top this,
525
00:33:11,743 --> 00:33:14,412
and Shofa has kept good on her promise.
526
00:33:17,374 --> 00:33:22,254
"Don't worry.
The golf balls are fully biodegradable
527
00:33:22,254 --> 00:33:25,549
and contain fish food. Enjoy."
528
00:33:33,139 --> 00:33:34,641
This is insane.
529
00:33:36,226 --> 00:33:37,477
Geez, wow.
530
00:33:39,938 --> 00:33:42,816
I'm getting the incredible beauty
of the Maldives.
531
00:33:44,317 --> 00:33:48,113
I came here looking for paradise,
532
00:33:48,655 --> 00:33:52,409
and by golly, I've found it.