«This was the dream of my whole life.» A Belarusian woman flew to the Maldives and cannot return home

«The tour ended on March 5, the plane did not depart (although the tour operator promised otherwise), and I was evicted from the hotel with nowhere to go,» Volha states. Later, her departure was postponed, first to the 12th, and then to March 15, but accommodation, as the reader assures, was offered to be found independently. What the tour organizers say and how Volha's situation unexpectedly resolved itself is written by Onliner.by.

«This was the dream of my whole life,» Volha says about the trip to the Maldives. «The tour, with departure from Moscow via Sharjah (one of the UAE emirates), was scheduled until March 5. I was vacationing on the local island of Maafushi. And when on February 28 the skies began to close and news of flight cancellations started coming in, I immediately wrote to the travel agency: I asked for a refund or for them to find alternative flight options. They reassured me, saying that by March 5, the situation would stabilize, and I would fly.»

Volha spent the remaining days on pins and needles, fearing to be left without money in a foreign country and to miss work. Her fears were confirmed: on Tuesday, March 3, the flight was finally cancelled, and the organizers offered to postpone the departure first to the 12th, and then to March 15. There was also an option for a refund in the form of a credit voucher, which could be used within a certain period to purchase Air Arabia tickets.

«At the same time, the operator wrote: 'The tourist needs to book accommodation independently.' And with what money?»

According to Volha, if the tour organizers had reacted in time, she would already be home: there were options for earlier and cheaper flights, but due to cancellations and the hype, they quickly disappeared.

Павялічыць

«When I wrote asking for help, the tour operator Anex (with whom the contract was concluded) sent me to the travel agent, and for accommodation issues — to the airline. The director of the travel agency '360 Travel' helped draft appeals to the airline and Anex, but explained: his authority ends there, all key issues must be resolved by the major operator. On Thursday, March 5, I was evicted from the hotel. Through Threads, I managed to find a girl from Prague who was in a similar situation. She rented an apartment in Malé and let me stay with her until March 7.»

One might rejoice at the opportunity for an extended vacation in the Maldives, but the girl assures that there is little good in her current situation:

«It's Ramadan here now, all women walk covered, so we don't really go out.»

When Volha's story became known to friends and acquaintances from her hometown of Dzyarzhynsk, they raised money for her return ticket — a total of about 2 thousand dollars.

«I tried to 'catch' tickets myself, but it's impossible to figure out these tables and connections without experience. The agent just sent screenshots of websites, but it was difficult for me to understand what was what. The options that were available for the nearest dates cost from 4 thousand dollars and up.»

As a result, another compatriot — the director of the travel agency «Royal Tour» from Dzyarzhynsk — helped Volha find a ticket home.

«Maksim Andreevich is in touch with me around the clock. He helped find an option with 'Aeroflot'. I'll stay with an acquaintance until the 7th, and then, apparently, I'll go to the airport. They say at least they provide water and pillows there.»

Since there is no Belarusian embassy in the Maldives, Volha turned to the Belarusian embassy in India for help in resolving the situation. There, they offered her the option of flying in transit through India, explaining that there would be no evacuation flights in the near future.

What do the travel agency and operator say?

Anex confirmed to Onliner that they were aware of the tourist stuck in the Maldives, but declined to provide official comments.

The director of the travel agency «360 Travel», Dzianis Siamashka, informed via messenger that Volha is their only tourist stuck on Maafushi (the most popular local resort island in the Maldives). He also said that he helped draft appeals to the airline and Anex, but explained: all key issues must be resolved by the major operator — Anex.

Павялічыць

On the evening of March 5, Volha received an official message from the operator: «Due to the current situation, the guest's accommodation from 06.03.2026 until the departure date will be provided in a Guesthouse in Malé at the operator's expense. Please inform the tourist.»

The news brought Volha relief:

«I dream of returning home as soon as possible and hugging everyone who supported and waited for me,» says the girl. «Of course, I would like to remember the vacation only in bright, positive images: turquoise sea, palm trees, sharks, and turtles, with whom I still managed to swim (a dream come true!). But for now, there's only one thought in my head: how scary it is to fly so far. Because now I know that one might simply not return.»

While the material was being prepared, the operator sent the girl another message, and it again spoke of changes. Today, Volha is offered to spend one night at Noomoo Huhumale hotel, and from March 7 — two nights at Amber Sea Side hotel. «Information about other accommodation dates will be provided as it becomes available from partners.»

Volha does not yet know when she will be able to fly back.

«There is no certainty: something is constantly changing. Upon returning home, I plan to contact a lawyer to assess the situation with Anex Tour.»

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