Joanna James
The Maldives is the real deal; white sand beaches, glistening ocean, and house reefs teeming with marine life. And if you are gleefully planning that much anticipated holiday, listed are a few points you may find handy knowing, before you hit the archipelago.
The Maldivian archipelago is made up of close to 2000 islands. Twenty six coral atolls which are made up of around 1,190 individual islands, to be slightly more precise and some of these islands are the smallest in the world and are really only a few square metres in size. You may have to do a close-up zoom on Google maps, in case you are checking out the region. The Maldives is located below India and the sunny island of Sri Lanka; both countries have greatly influenced this island nation.
Of the over 1000 islands on the archipelago only 200 are inhabited; some are local islands housing fishing and farming communities, while others belong to private resorts such as Adaaran Select Meedhupparu. The rest are left uninhabited or used as 'picnic islands' to which guests are whisked away for a romantic sojourn, while others are kept as industry or farmlands. The best Maldives resorts as you will come to notice are the ones located on a private island, surrounded by a verdant house reef.
That's right, the archipelago may boast over 1000 islands, but not every one of them is real. The natural islands are believed to have formed from volcanoes and what are left are in fact the summits of these volcanic islands. Head over to Huhulmale and you will be standing on an artificial island. The island closest to the airport, Huhulmale was created by dumping loads of concrete and sand in the ocean to form a sturdy foundation. Today the island blessed with a fine infrastructure and even an artificial beach is hard to define from the real thing.
If you are planning to visit the Maldives, the time is now, as the islands are disappearing with over a 100 already lost to the sea. Natural erosion and rising levels of water are contributory factors, with more islands tipped to be swallowed up by the sea. As a means of preserving islands, many of them now have seawalls surrounding the beaches as a barricade to break waves, while others have pumps on the beach, pumping back sand from the sea.
The Maldives is a Muslim nation, practising strict Islamic laws. Visitors must keep this in mind and learn the rules. For starters, no alcoholic beverages or pork is allowed to be brought into the country. Airport customs are very strict on this. Women should wear bathing suits only within their private resort islands or on designated tourist beaches. You must dress modestly and appropriately when exploring a mosque, while alcohol is freely available on your Maldives resort it is not served at public places.
A true believer that the pen is a mighty weapon, ventures into reaching the minds of every reader with the earnest hope of leaving an indelible stream of thought.
A travel writer who has a passion for fashion and a deep interest in admiring new and exotic attractions around the world.
