5 Pristine Places to Visit in Maldives - Islands, Beaches, Historical Attractions and More

One of the most well known destinations for diving, the Rasdhoo Island is located in the Alif Alif Atoll. It can be seen from nearby island resorts such as Kuramathi Island Resort as it is quite small in size. However, over one thousand people live on the island. Though inhabited, Rasdhoo island is one of the best places for exploring the wonders of the marine world. It has a house reef and is ideal for diving and snorkelling. Rasdhoo Island can also be accessed by ferry on Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. However, keep in mind that the ferry takes over three hours to reach Rasdhoo Island.

Located in the North Male Atoll, Banana Reef is extremely well known as it is the first dive site that was designated as such in Maldives. Anyone who undertakes Maldives excursions to Banana Reef will be greeted with a myriad of fish species such as oriental sweetlips, barracudas, morays and squirrelfish, as well as several overhangs and coral reefs. The dive itself ranges from five to thirty metres. It is now known as the Protected Marine Area of Banana Reef.

Utheemu Ganduvaru is located on Utheemu in the Haa Alif Atoll. Utheemu is also famous for being the birth place of Sultan Mohamed Thakurufaanu who later became a ruler of the Utheemu Dynasty. Utheemu Gandavaru refers to the residence of Sultan Mohamed Thakurufaanu, who fought an eight-year war against the Portuguese along with his siblings. The residence is a wooden palace and is where the Sultan grew up. It is also well preserved.

While one may find it surprising to have the capital city of Male listed as one of the pristine places to visit in the Maldives, the capital of Male is actually home to a number of attractions that are in fact pristinely preserved. These include the Male Friday Mosque which is the oldest mosque in the country dating back to the 17th century, the Islamic Centre and the National Museum which houses artefacts of historical and cultural importance. You can also find the Sultan Park and the Theemuge which is the former presidential palace that presently houses the Supreme Court of Maldives, the Republic Square. One of the most significant attractions is the Tsunami Monument which represents the lives that were lost during the December 2014 tsunami, and the tomb of Abdul Barakat Yoosuf Al Barbary who introduced Islam to the islands.

One might find it puzzling that the Republic of Maldives, blessed with some of the most beautiful and stunning beaches in the world, went ahead and created an artificial beach in Male, its capital city. The rationale for creating this artificial beach was because, even though the Maldivian islands were blessed with beautiful beaches, the capital city of Male, was not. Therefore, in order to provide the locals living in Male with the opportunity to enjoy the waters of their own country, the Artificial Beach was created. This reclaimed stretch of land also hosts musical shows, carnivals and parades as well.