Olivia and Raul De Freitas left for the Maldives on March 22 to spend a 6-day honeymoon at Cinnamon Velifushi Maldives. At the time, the travel agency assured them that they would return home safely, despite the chaos caused by the pandemic.
Unfortunately, during the holidays, it was announced that South Africa would close all airports within 24 hours and the couple did not know if they would be able to return home in such a short time.
They decided to stay at the resort because they did not know if they would be allowed to return if they left for the airport. They were given the opportunity to return home with other South Africans to the Maldives via a private jet that cost more than $ 100,000.
The embassy failed to communicate with all South Africans in the Maldives and so the couple decided to stay at the resort.
Everyone else had left, which means they had the whole resort for themselves.
They spent a lot of time asleep, in the pool or just sitting. The staff, all for them, was maximally engaged; organized romantic dinners by the sea, staged a performance, nine waiters served only the two of them. The diving instructor even asked them to explore a little.
Day after day, expenses increased for the couple.
They were contacted by the South African embassy yesterday and given an hour to pack. They were then transported to another five-star resort with other compatriots stranded in the Maldives. Thus, sending them home would be easier to organize.
Adapted from The New York Times
