Joanna James
The celebrated holiday destination, the Maldives is an archipelago in Southeast Asia. Often cited as a water sports hotspot, the Maldives offers its visitors much more than just water sports.
The Maldives is made up of a bunch of other islands – around 1,190 islands. Not all of these islands are inhabited or tourists friendly. Some of these islands are way too small, it's difficult to even detect them on google maps.
You'd think all these islands are natural – most of them are – but some of the islands are artificial. For example, Huhulmale island – the one close to the airport – was made by dumping tons of concrete and sand to form a foundation. Also, the naturally formed islands are volcanic islands.
The Maldives is an Islamic country, and there are some rules and regulations locals and foreigners are supposed to respect. Alcohol, for example, can only be consumed in resorts and hotels – for example, Amilla Fushi Maldives – that are authorised to serve liquor. Going out on a night ride and get drunk with your friends is not simply one of the Maldives things to do.
If you need any sort of encouragement at all to spend your vacation in the Maldives, how about this? It's disappearing, yes, you read it right! About 100 islands have already disappeared. So why not go and enjoy what the country offers before it's too late.
Saudi Arabia has a 100-per cent Islamic population and so does the Maldives. Why you need to know this is because of the fasting period. During Ramadan, it will prove a difficult task to find a place that sells food. Most of the resorts and hotels will be closed. So, if you can, try to avoid that time of the year.
It shouldn't come as a surprise as the country is an Islamic country –absolutely no bathing suits or revealing clothes or pork products for that matter. If you are with your partner, refrain from showing affection in public which is highly frowned upon. These rules are a bit relaxed at the airport, but it would be easy all round if you follow them at all times.
Drinking water you find in the Maldives is treated and recycled through a process called osmosis desalination. Though the water is completely drinkable, the process does take some elements out of the water.
It doesn't take long to get to your resort island from Male airport. But it could be costly. In most cases, the return air ticket can go up to $1000 – could be even more so depending on where you are going.
As you may know, the Maldives boasts the best marine life in southeast Asia. For example, South Ari Atoll is known for its incredible marine life as you can glimpse whale sharks all year-round and not to mention the pods of dolphins. You also have the opportunity to see sea turtles, reef sharks, rays and many other forms of fish there.
Most tourists go to the Maldives for this alone, water sports! Snorkelling, diving, swimming, cruising, everything you've seen in travel magazines are possible in the Maldives. You can even dive or snorkel underneath the concave islands which sure is a unique experience to be had.
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.
