Mystery surrounds abandoned Maldives resort left to rot with decaying villas, filthy pools & dust-covered massage tables
AN ABANDONED luxury resort rotting away in the Maldives with derelict villas and dirty pools has become shrouded in mystery.
A decaying island within the holiday hotspot - which is usually known for its picturesque sights and tropical landscapes - holds a string of villas which have been left for dead.
8
8
8
Once a promising paradise-to-be, the resort sits on one of the archipelago islands, situated southwest of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean.
YouTube star Kale Brock revealed the mysterious area in a video posted to the social media site.
The Australian said his group spotted the eerie location in the distance while on holiday with a tour guide in the Maldives - and convinced him to take them there.
Extraordinary footage showed the group touring half-finished villas, as well as piles of debris and dilapidated bedrooms.
Broken toilets stood aside heaps of rubbish at the swanky hotel surrounded by swathes of tropical forest.
Unkempt pools overflowing with algae can also be seen alongside generators which haven't been powered in years.
Brock told that the island was supposedly owned by a prominent Maldivian politician.
And he said that construction on the resort reportedly started over a decade ago.
The surfer and YouTuber said: "They were building for two years then for 'political reasons'.
"We don't really know, ostensibly maybe they ran out of money."
Abandoned EFL stadium left to rot with pitch covered in weeds just five years after hosting final match
He explained: "They've literally abandoned the project … There's bathtubs in unopened but deteriorating boxes."
Shocking footage also showed unopened spa equipment and massage tables - which were never used to accommodate visitors.
A centrepiece pool filled with murky water and dead bits of plants is also seen on the resort.
The only bit of life that can be seen is the lush palm trees which tower over the forgotten construction.
In one eerie corner of the island, the group stumble across an old Mazda and Nissan — both caked in rust and clearly untouched for years.
8
8
8
They press on to a creepy generator room, lined with bizarre, old machines.
Explorer Brock said the scenes reminded him of films like Ghostbusters, Jurassic Park, and Lost.
Chilling footage showed the most harrowing part of the island, and its supposed crown jewels.
Luxury overwater bungalows that were meant to rake in $5,000 a night sit completely empty, now just crumbling skeletons of wood and steel.
Brock is also seen strolling along a half-destroyed concrete platform where a fancy boardwalk should have been if the project was finished.
Peering out at the sea, Brock said: 'World-class lives one kilometre away.'
8
8
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Wales Online
4 hours ago
- Wales Online
YouTube star visits Swansea and immediately has her motorbike stolen
YouTube star visits Swansea and immediately has her motorbike stolen Dutch YouTuber Noraly Schoenmaker had been in Swansea for a book signing, but found her bike stolen the next day A famous travel vlogger who has toured the world on her motorbike didn't get the best Welsh reception when she found out her motorbike had been stolen from a Swansea hotel car park. Dutch YouTuber and author Noraly Schoenmaker has travelled the world on different motorcycles, chronicling her journeys on her YouTube channel, Itchy Boots,. which has 2.8 million subscribes. She was in Swansea for a book signing event last week but when she woke up next day, she could not find her bike. 'You're not going to believe this, my bike is stolen, again! The bike is gone,' she said in her latest video documenting the ordeal. Noraly had parked her bike at the hotel car park. Fortunately, she had a tracker on the bike that led her to a blue van also parked nearby. Never miss a Swansea story by signing up to our newsletter here She told hotel reception, urging them to call the police while she rushed back to the blue van, convinced that her bike was there. 'It was parked. I had the lock around it, cover over it. It wasn't even – you know the bike's not visible but they must have just ridden the van next to it, and just immediately loaded it in," she claimed. 'I'm 100% sure that the chain lock is still there, for sure. It was right in front of the reception. I'd parked it as close as possible to reception.' Article continues below But then – in a stroke of luck, workers from the hotel found her bike hidden in the bushes. Noraly was quick to apologise to the blue van owners. She said: 'I was convinced it was in the blue van. I'm so sorry people from the blue van to accuse you. 'Cause I already looked in the bushes behind but I didn't see it because they hid it. I'm really curious if we're going to see something on the footage of the hotel.' With the help of the hotel staff, Noraly was able to get the bike back down from the bushes, however, it had been damaged. It's numberplate was broken, seat ripped out, damage to the rear view mirrors, and some scratches along with the bike being covered with bushes. Noraly was able to get a clearer view of what happened when the hotel checked their security footage. She explained: 'It turns out, 10 minutes after I parked here yesterday, a guy came on a motorbike, like a little moped…scouting. He rode a few very strange circles, missing all the cameras, so we can't see the plate of that moped nor his face. 'And the at 3.30am in the morning, two guys came and they pushed the bike but because the lock was on the rear wheel they dragged [it] across the pavement, so they left a whole trail of rubber there and then they pushed it around because on the back of those bushes is another parking lot and half an hour later later a van came there.' Noraly added: 'So, 4.00am in the morning, they came there with a van and then changes their mind for whatever reason, maybe they got spooked or something, and then kind of circled back and hid the bike in the bushes but because of the scaffolding that's in front of the hotel, you cant see the faces of the two guys that pushed the bike.' The thieves did manage to get away with the bike's cover, Noraly still had praise for the people of Wales who helped her. 'See, that's the thing right, one bad thing happens, and then you just meet the loveliest people helping you get back on track,' she said 'Like first in the hotel, they were so nice to me, and giving me water and everything, and then now, I got the new license plate for free. Article continues below 'They were like 'No, you don't have to pay we want you to have a good experience in wales', and the next shop where they drilled the holes in the plate and fitted it, they also didn't want to take any payment. So there you go.'
Metro
4 hours ago
- Metro
Eye-popping music videos today's kids will never understand
Music videos used to stop time. They were culture defining, career-making moments. Iconic music videos would dominate conversations in the school playgrounds, whether it was rehearsing PSY's Gangnam Style with your friends or pinning your curls with Diet Coke cans like Lady Gaga. Nowadays they drop at midnight, trend on TikTok for 24 hours, then vanish into the depths of the algorithm. So here are seven iconic music videos that kids today just wouldn't understand… You either rehearsed this iconic dance, or you weren't trying hard enough. This wasn't just a music video, it was a movement – anything Beyoncé touched became a worldwide phenomenon. TikTok trends wish they could relate to the viral choreography that turned bedrooms into dance floors. Kids today will never understand how a black-and-white leotard and a glove could shape the music industry. Gen Alpha will never experience the nine minutes of pure cinematic chaos that is the Telephone music video. This mini movie will go down in history for its plot, fashion, and dare I say is one of the best collaborations of the 2010s. This was not just a casual YouTube video drop, this was a premiere. The short-film ended with the iconic duo racing through the desert as the screen reads 'To be continued…' Update: we are still waiting girls! In true Britney fashion, this video went viral before viral was a thing. The sweat. The snake. The stage. This video was pure pop rebellion, but Miss Spears did not stop at the video and continued to rebel through her infamous 2001 VMAs performance. Slave 4 U was the epitome of how raw and unfiltered celebrities were in noughties music videos. Kids these days will never grasp the pre-Instagram video sensations – it made headlines not hashtags. Yes it became a meme, but Wrecking Ball was a huge turning point for Miley Cyrus' image. She quite literally smashed her Disney image in real time by swinging naked on a wrecking ball. The bleach blonde buzz, the nudity, the award-show performances – this music video was responsible for putting Hannah Montana 6-feet under and introducing the world to the new version of Miley. Kids today might have a giggle watching this back, but anyone who was there knows the cultural earthquake that this video caused. Katy Perry's California Gurls wasn't just a music video, it was a combination of a pure sugar rush mixed with the ultimate pop princess anthem. From laying naked, kicking her feet on a cloud to spraying whipped cream out of her iconic sparkly red bikini, kids today will never understand having this video on repeat at girly sleepovers. As if California Gurls wasn't legendary enough, Snoop Dogg also featured in it sporting a candy-covered suit. It wasn't just a song; it was a full-on mood. A sugary escapism that defined early 2010s pop and made everyone want to be a sun-kissed California girl. The Baby music video highlighted the true duality of Justin Bieber, with it being the most disliked and viewed YouTube video at the time of its release. Set in a bowling alley turned nightclub, with Ludacris rapping about his first love, it wasn't just a video, it was a global teen takeover. Justin's swept fringe and purple get-up caused teenage girls around the world to come down with Bieber fever. Baby was a cultural paradox that only the 2010s could birth…Gen Alpha could never. Only Justin Timberlake would entice everyone into MTV by releasing the ultimate early-2000s breakup anthem with the most dramatic, moody, cinematic music video to exist. More Trending The infamous video took place in a rain-soaked mansion, with an obvious Britney Spears lookalike making an appearance. We all aspire to be Justin's level of petty. Justin managed to turn his personal pain into pop gold, and everyone went crazy for it. You really had to be there. Music videos weren't just background visuals, they defined 2010s pop culture. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: Justin Bieber changes his name in bizarre move on Instagram MORE: Orlando Bloom in cosy reunion with Kim Kardashian after 'split' from Katy Perry MORE: Glastonbury DJ reveals the surprise pop acts she's been told will perform
Daily Mirror
6 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Woman warns of 'dark side' to cruises after ditching husband to live at sea
Sick of her normal life and craving the glitz and glamour she thought a cruise ship could offer, Lynelle, "left a toxic marriage" and "quit a toxic job". She also sold her house to ditch dry land and take to the high seas for good. With just a suitcase and a backpack in her possession, she now travels the world on various large ocean liners. However, Lynelle Lee, who retired at 53 to embark on her new journey, wants to warn anyone considering doing the same that the life changing decision has its downsides and there's a darker side to life onboard. She shares her adventures on social media where one particular video reveals the often uncomfortable truth about her new world. In an episode on her You Tube channel Poverty to Paradise, she begins by pointing out that the rooms she resides in these days are far from spacious. "Take your current bedroom, cut it in half, now squeeze a queen-sized bed, a couple of nightstands and everything you need to live into that half of a bedroom, that's what your cabin is going to look like," she warned, adding that the bathrooms are also tiny. While showing an extremely compact shower cubicle wedged up next to a wash basin and toilet, she says to imagine an airplane toilet to get more of an idea. "Yeah, a lot of people have talked about how they have to parallel park when getting into the shower," she laughs as she describes the effort it takes to manoeuvre in the minuscule area. "That space can definitely make you rethink living on a cruise ship alright," she says. Lynelle also warns anyone sensitive to noise that it's not the place for them thanks to the "paper thin" cabin walls. Revealing that she's had some awful nights in her cabin with a pillow over her head and earplugs in because of the noises coming from other rooms, she says: "I have heard so many things while in my cabin that were disturbing to me." As well as snoring, arguments and TV's blaring Lynelle confirmed what you were no doubt already thinking - that she's forced to listen to the "extracurricular activities" of her fellow guests in their cabins. If being forced to listen to the excitable exploits of others wasn't bad enough, Lynelle says she's often kept up by karaoke at 2am, the sound from the shows booming out of the theatre and chairs scraping along the deck in the early hours - all of which have led to nights of "insomnia". When it comes to spending time on your own, as Lynelle, who says she's an "introvert" enjoys doing, well that too can be tricky on a cruise ship. Reading a book in a quiet corner or gazing pensively out to sea may not be possible too often. "People are going to talk to you. You're going to be on elevators, you're going to be in the dining room. Even if you get a private table, somebody's going to come and say, 'hey, how you doing?' and strike up a conversation with you," she warns. The only way to avoid "that chatty couple", she says, is to stay in your noisy room because you will see them at breakfast, lunch and dinner, in the hallways, on the deck and in the lift. "You cannot escape from them," she chuckles. It might seem like an obvious issue to consider if opting for life on a cruise ship but Lynelle says "the motion of the ocean" should be taken seriously because a lot of people get sea sick. The worst areas of the boat for feeling green tend to be at the front and back of the ship and nighttimes can also be problematic. However, Lynelle says: "If it's really bad and if there's a storm out there, forget it. You're going to feel it no matter where you're at." Another big drawback is the cost. Lynelle reckons it could set you back $100,000 (around £73.5k) or more to spend a year on a cruise ship and that's just for the basics . If you get ill, you also have to pay for healthcare. Lynelle was charged $150 (£110) just to see a doctor, before any kind of medication or treatment was administered. So anyone with health issues should definitely think twice about leaving the medical security of life on land. Other things to bear in mind apparently are the food choices, which can become "monotonous" because menus rotate on a schedule which is repeated. Keeping in contact with loved ones at home or updating your social media can be difficult too because of weak wifi, which is also costly. Crucially, Lynelle has felt the emotional cost of life onboard. As guests come and go she says it's hard to strike up lasting friendships. Although she's met plenty of wonderful people, relationships tend to be "fleeting" in nature because they leave the ship after their break. Therefore she urges anyone who needs deep, meaningful connections to think twice because they could end up feeling lonely. Despite only intending to take a 90 day cruise while she worked out what she was going to do with her life and although she is very aware of the disadvantages, Lynelle says she knows it's "perfect" for her. "I absolutely love it and the pros far outweigh the cons for me," she smiles.
