Top 10 Places to Visit in Maldives – It's not Just About Brilliant Beaches

The Malé Friday Mosque is located in the capital city of the Maldivian archipelago and is one of island nation's oldest and most impressive mosques. The ornate structure, built mostly with coral, was constructed in 1658 and is said to be built over another mosque erected by the first Muslim Sultan of Maldives in 1153. It's majestic architecture, intricate carvings and sculpture is a thing of wonder and a fine example of the creative excellence of the ancient Maldivian people.

Situated close to the Malé Friday Mosque is Mulee'aage, the official residence of the President of Maldives. The palace, fashioned after Ceylonese colonial era bungalows, was commissioned by Sultan Muhammad Shamsuddeen III for Prince Hassan Izzuddin, his son and heir, and completed in 1919. It is an extremely popular tourist spot in the Maldives, especially for the ornate carvings that decorate its white walls.

Malé's Artificial Beach, was built to remedy its absence of natural beaches. While one will likely experience their fair share of fantastic beaches when travelling around the archipelago, the Artificial Beach is still a great respite from the hustle and bustle of Maldives' capital city, Malé. It is also the venue for a great many recreational activities and entertainment in the city and regularly hosts live musical performances, parades and carnivals!

Tucked inside the little island of Utheemu, among luscious palms surrounded by white sand beaches and crystal clear waters, is the gorgeous timber palace known as Utheemu Ganduvaru. The palace was the childhood home of Sultan Mohamed Thakurufaanu, the leader who is credited with freeing the Maldives from Portuguese invaders in the 16th century.

Shaped like a banana, this 300 metre long reef offers an unforgettable diving experience. The small reef is a cornucopia of marine life, complete with brilliantly coloured corals and fishes. The myriad of species here includes, Napolean wrasse, black snapper fish, oriental sweetlips, moray eels, barracudas, turtles, reef sharks and gigantic schools of bannerfish and yellow snappers that sometimes number by the thousands!

This Marine Protected Area, is another of the more famous Maldivian dive spots and is a fantastic place to encounter more of Maldives wonderful and diverse array of marine fauna and flora. The site features a gorgeous 25m vertical, swim-through chimney, as well as some truly wondrous underwater caves! Many a Maldives beach resort offer diving experiences to visitors; Cinnamon Dhonveli Maldives, for instance, stands in close proximity to both Banana Reef and HP Reef.

A mandatory stop on every Dive enthusiast's bucket list! Manta Point, as the name suggests, is where one is sure to encounter the Ghost of the Sea, the spectacular Manta Ray. These immense species swim up, from the depths of the ocean to use the reef, which harbours a giant colony of cleaner wrasses, as a cleaning station.

The National Museum of Maldives is part of the Maldivian Palace compound and houses a diverse collection of artefacts including, religious relics, ancient household wares, ancient weapons, thrones and grandiose carved Arabic woodwork. It is a well-rounded and wonderful record of the Island nation's long and rich history.

The charming island of Gan was once an airbase for the British Royal Air Force during World War II. The island's previous inhabitants were, in fact, moved to neighbouring islands when the air force took command! Gan is one of the most economical ways to go island hopping, as it connects to three of its neighbouring islands via causeways.

Whale Submarine isn't a particular place, but it is definitely one of the top things to do while visiting Malé! Take a literal submarine ride to the surrounding natural reefs and to witness an innumerable array of reef fishes like lionfish, yellow box fish, blue striped snappers and even turtles and reef sharks!