Beach villa at Vommuli. [Photo by Lin Xiaoli and Zhao Xu/provided to China Daily]

When Cui first left China, she was a second-year student at a Beijing occupational school for would-be tour guides.

"To be honest, attending that school was more about paying money for a certificate than about receiving a quality education, so I quit as soon as the right opportunity came up."

What sounds like a natural choice today must have been a bold step move for a 21-year-old who had never been abroad before.

The Maldives, despite its soothing calmness, is in fact for dreamers and risk-takers, those who dare to live differently.

Fan the diving coach knows all about that.

"For the Maldives, each one of us is merely a passing ship, but as we do so the ocean waves leave their mark. Under Maldives law you're not allowed to take anything away from this country, not even a tiny branch of dead coral. For me, a net full of memories is more than enough."