Visiting the Maldives

The Maldives is a group of island nestled together south west of Sri Lanka. It stretches 820 km north to south and 120kkm east to west. Out of the 1,190 coral islands only 202 are inhabited.  87 of these islands are resorts.

The Maldives is a tropical holiday destination attracting families, singles and honeymooners.  Some resorts cater specifically for the newly wed and offer wedding packages. The islands have an average temperature of between 29 -32° Celsius making sunbathing and water activities possible.

The main religion of the country is Islam.  Therefore pork and alcohol is only permitted in the resorts.  When outside of the resort it is import to respect the dominant culture and cover your shoulders and thighs.  Inside the resorts tanning and swimming is not only allowed, but even encouraged! Although the locals speak Dhivehi, most will be able to communicate comfortably in English.

The beautiful turquoise warm water and white powdery beaches is probably the main attraction in the Maldives, with most activities centered around water.  Many people visit the Maldives only to dive . 
Some days the water is so clear that there is a visibility under water of 50meters plus!  Divers can expect to see Napoleon wrasse, parrotfish, snappers, barracudas, jacks and sweetlips in abundance.  There are a variety of colorful sponges and huge Gorgonian fans.  Just off the reef you will be able to see manta and eagle rays, hammerheads and maybe whale sharks. No wonder that the Maldives are recognized as one of the best diving destinations in the world.

For those people still a little hesitant to put on diving gear, it is possible to experience the underwater wonder of the sea by snorkeling at the shallower reefs. Most resorts will have snorkels, fins and masks available to guests.

In the Maldives visitors can go in a submarin e to see the wonders of the sea, without getting wet!  The Whale Submarine was imported from Germany and gives guest the unique opportunity to make a memory not easily replicated.

Surfing is relatively new to the Maldives, but more visitors are making use of the wonderful waves.  Some surfing lessons are given at certain resorts and recently a major international surfing competition was held on the island.

Over 20 different species of dolphins and whales have been spotted in the Maldives.  The big 3 of the sea  – the Sperm whale, Bryde’s whale and off course the biggest of all the Blue whale, have been seen here. Most resorts offer daily outings for their guests to see these magnificent animals. Melon-headed whales are commonest around the southern atolls, where they occur in enormous schools of 500 or more. Among the dolphins, by far the most abundant, and the most acrobatic, is the spinner dolphin. Several other varieties, including Risso’s dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, spotted dolphins and striped dolphins are also common.

The wide array of fish species attracts the fishermen.  Night-time fishing is very popular amongst the guests. At night emperors, snappers, squirrelfish, jacks and other reef fishes are usually caught. Big game fishing is done early morning and swordfish, sailfish, wahoo, marlin and yellow-fin tuna can be caught.

Different resorts offer different kinds of water sport activities. The most common activities are banana riding, wake boarding, wind surfing, water skiing, fun tubes, para sailing, knee boarding, jet skiing and kite surfing.

Whether you visit the Maldives just to relax, dive, surf or fish – you will truly have a wonderful experience.  The locals are friendly and the beauty of your surroundings truly magnificent. You will be pampered at the resorts and come home renewed and leave with a sense of loss.  The loss will only be alleviated when going back for another visit!