On board my houseboat, the Flying Fish, my guests' Maldivian dreams become a reality. Breathing the salty ocean air, dining outdoors with a rich buffet which combines Italian and Maldivian gastronomic culture. Diving, surfing, snorkeling and relaxation, far away from resorts and other boats…

The Flying Fish

In 2004, I met Mr. Abdulla Hameed, Director of the Panorama Maldives company and owner of two boats. Of the two boats I had chosen the “Flying Fish”because it was on that boat that I had the strongest feelings. Feelings of home, of my houseboat in the Maldives. I never dreamed of a mansion but of a house, my house. I wanted to wake up and jump into the sea, to meet the ocean with my body every time that a new seascape brought forth the desire. Breathe in the ocean air, eat outdoors and not be locked in a cocoon-like environment with air conditioning, or even worse, with a limited view from the portholes. I had all of these sensaztions only on board the Flying Fish. Together with Hameed, we slowly started working on this adventure together - believing in the dream and having mutual trust. With 20 years of experience, Hameed is the logistics support on ground, while on board I make my guest's Maldivian dreams come true.

The Kitchen

The guests' day is marked by of the various activities, the meals which are buffet style and are a combination of Italian and Maldivian culinary culture. In the morning, for breakfast there may be sweet rolls, croissant and cakes or roshi and mashuni, which would be the typical Maldivian breakfast. At lunch and dinner, spaghetti, pasta and rice are alternated with curries. Afternoon tea and coffee are served with whatever my imagination and the cooks' fancy inspire!

One week menu' on board :

1.

Lunch

• Spaghetti with garlic, chili , extra virgin oil
• Fried rise 
• Fresh fish slices with salt , pepper, rosemary , garlic
• Salad with fresh coconut, carrots , lime, pepper, salt, oil 
• Baby spinach with garlic and oyster sauce
• Fresh fruit

Dinner

• Pasta with tomato and carrots sauce 
• White rise
• Pumpkin curry
• Chicken oven with rosemary, garlic, salt , pepper , oil 
• Mix salad 
• Bread home made
• Desert

2.

Lunch

• Pasta with cheese and chicken sausages flavored with leeks
• Rice with curry
• Bruschetta , bread with cheese , oregano salt, and pepper cook on oven
• Devil chicken with  tomato, capsicum, onion, barbecue sauce 
• Mix salad
• Fresh fruit

Dinner

• Pizza with chicken sausages, peel tomato, salt pepper ,oil
• Spaghetti with fresh fish tomato sauce
• Fried butter fish 
• French fries 
• Fresh salad
• Fruit  salad with milk cream

3.

Lunch

• Noodles with vegetable
• Tuna fried rice
• Fish slices with barbecue sauce and garlic 
• Brinjals oven with breadcrumbs, slices of garlic, parsley chopped, fresh tomato on top 
• Mix fresh salad
• Fresh fruit

Dinner

• Spaghetti  Carbonara with chicken sausages flavored with onion salt and pepper at last eggs
• Focaccia with rosemary salt and pepper
• Fried butter curry chicken  
• Fried butter curry onion rings
• Papadam
• Mix fresh 
• Ice cream

4.

Lunch

• Pasta with tuna sauce, tuna flavored with garlic , parsley and peel tomato
• Rice with cashew nuts
• Fish slices flavored with lime and cooking cream
• Lentils curry
• Mix fresh salad
• Fresh fruit

Dinner

• Spaghetti all'arrabbiata , peel tomato flavored with garlic ,oil, chili , parsley 
• Rice with mushroom, garlic and parsley 
• Fish curry
• Boil vegetable
• Mix fresh salad
• Bread home made
• Mix fruit salad

5.

Lunch

• Pasta with dry smoked fish flavored with onion and chily
• Yellow rice with turmeric
• Chicken alla cacciatora flavored with onion, oil , peel tomato, olive , salt and pepper
• Brinjal butter curry fried 
• Mix fresh salad
• Fresh fruit 

Beach dinner * can be changed with other day

• Noodles
• Fried rise
• Pizza
• Boil potato with skin in aluminum foil
• Boil egg
• Skewers of sausages , tomato bel pepper, onion
• Fish
• Mix fresh salad
• Fruit cocktail  with milk cream

6.

Lunch

• Spaghetti with garlic , oil , chili, bread crumbs
• Small bread chef made with sausage , slice tomato, chees , sauces
• Fresh fish oven 
• French fried
• Mix fresh salad
• Fresh fruit

Dinner

• Lasagne with beef sauce 
• Pasta with brinjal and onion sauce 
• Fish slices flavored with sauce of onion, carrot , parsley and olive
• Fresh salad with coconut , carrot  , salt and pepper
• Chickpeas flavored with onion , coconut , dry chili
• Bread home made
• Apple cake 

7.

Lunch

• Pasta with sauce of peel tomato , onion and dry smoked fish
• Fried rice
• Chicken oven with rosemary, garlic , salt and pepper 
• Banana flower flavored with onion salt and pepper
• Mix fresh salad
• Fresh fruit

Dinner 

• Spaghetti with sauce of fresh fish and peel tomato 
• White rice
• Pumpkin curry
• Fish slices with fresh tomato slices , black olive , potato slices , salt and pepper oven cook
• Mix fresh salad
• Dessert 

The Routes

With the captain's help I choose the routes, recommending the most appropriate with regards to weather conditions and the type of cruise we are doing - diving, surfing, snorkeling or relaxing. But the best route that I always recommend to everyone is the one that is far from resorts and other vessels !

Photographs