Maldives Islands

Maldives

So you are worn out from working hard and want to take a vacation somewhere exotic, somewhere with tall palm trees and beautiful beaches. There are not many places like this which have been left relatively untouched but there is one place which holds a strong timeless feeling. This is of course The Maldives, where resorts are so natural that there are no cars, buses, traffic, no high rise apartments. The Maldives is actually a group of 1192 islands and these are in small groups of atolls.
The total area of 90,000 square kilometres that is Maldives islands consists of sparkling white beaches, palm-fringed islands, crystalline lagoons studded with colorful corals and warm, azure seas with exotic marine life – a mesmerizing mixture that remains the same throughout the year, continue to enthral visitors from far and wide.

Tourism in Maldives

Tourism is the main industry in the Maldives and one look at the islands will show you why, its untouched beauty is like nowhere else in the world. The range of places to stay means that the country can accommodate anyone, from celebrities, superstars, young honeymooning couples to large families with a small budget; everyone can have a great time in The Maldives!

The massive amounts of islands in The Maldives are divided up into atolls. Atolls are islands formed from a coral reef, these are often circular or horseshoe-shaped, and have alagoon in the middle. These atolls are located in the Indian Ocean, south of India and Sri Lanka. The 1192 separate islands are grouped into 26 natural atolls, these atolls formed over many years and mean that there are great coral reefs in the area. The Maldives islands used to be the ring shaped coral formations at the edge of large volcanic mountains which sunk into the sea creating open lagoons at the center of each atoll. The result of this is that although the ocean lagoons are not all that deep, the channels in between the atolls are often very deep,especially where the channels are the widest. The Maldives Islands were first charted in 1834 to 1836 and due to the large number of islands as well as the treacherous conditions; this was a very difficult thing to complete. Captain Robert Moresby performed this arduous task with help from Lieutenants Christopher and Young. Although this feat occurred some time ago the maps are still around today and many people familiar with the Maldives claim that they are more useful than the current satellite maps. The Maldives have really boomed over the recent years due to the tourism that the unique environment has attracted. Many people are employed by the tourism industry and with the devastating tsunami which hit parts of the Maldives, supporting the country will help many others while you enjoy yourself.

The Maldives Resorts

As there are so many islands in The Maldives, most of them are relatively small. However this is beneficial if you intend on staying at a luxury resort as all resorts are secluded islands each. These resorts are the ideal location of beauty and magnificence for the fact that the resort staff and occupants are the only ones on their islands. There are no private houses or other people and this will make your trip much more exotic and surreal. An average resort Island is 800 by 200 meters and completely made of sand and coral. Beach surrounds all the islands with obvious space for enjoying the water. If you are one of the many people who prefer to snorkel or scuba dive over swimming, each resort island also has a private reef where these activities can be enjoyed. There are also natural pools of shallower water which is good for weaker swimmers and these are protected from currents and waves. Each resort is like a small town with many shops and other facilities which can be used by the patrons. Some of these facilities include restaurants, shops, discos, bars, spas and dive schools. There are always activities run by the staff for people of all ages and most staff stay on the islands for extended periods of time and live in separate lodging on the island. Although many resorts are very expensive, you can still stay at a luxurious resort at a reasonable price, especially if it is not peak season.

If you have a larger family or do not think you could afford such luxury, you can still have just as much fun in the Maldives. This can be done by staying in a city hotel on one of the islands of the Maldives. These hotels can be very luxurious in themselves but they lack some of the extra features such as larger disco's and bars. They also do not occupy an entire island and may share an island with other hotels. Staying in a Maldives hotel will still mean you get to experience the beautiful Maldives first hand and you will also meet some great people staying at other hotels. There are also great facilities such as restaurants, bars, swimming pools as well as sports and leisure activities. The good thing about the city hotels is that there are often private shops on the islands which provide cheaper goods as well as goods that would otherwise not be sold. Be assured that all the hotels are of top quality even if they are cheaper than the resorts. There are many more hotels in the southern parts of the Maldives as compared with the northern areas. If you want to experience the magnificence of the Maldives without delving too deep into your savings, then a Maldives hotel is perfect for you.

Maldives Holidays

If you are just taking a vacation in the Maldives, there is still lots of things which will occupy your time and let you enjoy every second of your vacation. If you have swum in the clear waters enough for the time-being, you can take part in many activities while on a Maldives holiday. The climate of the Maldives sets it apart from many other island destinations and there are many water activities that are on offer. If you have had enough swimming, you can take part in scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing, water-skiing and windsurfing. The Maldives is known for its excellent scuba diving and is known as one of the highest ranking scuba diving locations in the world. You can also spend some of your Maldives holiday away from the water and enjoying the company of old friends or new friends as you are guaranteed to make many new friends on your trip. Time can be spent in the many bars, clubs, discos and lounges. You may even find that special person in this romantic destination. It can be seen from this that a Maldives vacation offers an amazing experience for both more active and less active people, as well as more and less social people with the large range of activities on offer. If you are worried about polluting the natural beauty and do not want to contribute to the spoiling of such an untouched environment, than you will be consoled by the fact that the Maldives resorts are heavy supporters of eco-tourism. Many different tactics are undertaken such as greener power production to the correct recycling of waste. The government of the Maldives is also strong in enforcing laws to protect the marine wildlife as well as the delicate coral reefs.

Climate

Although the Maldives is known for its constant weather conditions throughout the year – 25 – 30 degrees Celsius, the weather of the Maldives is highly important to consider before booking a holiday, most notably the difference in climate between the northern and southern atolls. The northern atolls generally have much higher temperate and less rainfall when compared to the southern atolls. This is dependent on the season however. There are two monsoon seasons during the year and the first during November to April brings some rain while the monsoon season from June to August tends to bring heavy rains and gales. This influences the peak seasons and therefore the prices. The best time to go, therefore the peak season, is from December to April. If you do not mind a little wet weather and want to save a considerable amount of money, travelling to the Maldives at other times is possible. Although the Maldives are located in a tropical area, severe storms and cyclones are rare weather events. However it is much more likely that a cyclone nearby may cause clouding and rainfall on the northern parts of the Maldives as opposed to a direct experience with severe weather. The wet season of weather occurs from June to September and this is when the Southwest monsoon occurs. There are often storms with high winds as well as rough seas. The hot season occurs in March and April. During this time, North East winds as well as varied sea breezes occur.

Getting Here

Getting to the Maldives by flight is easier than it may seem as the destination is becoming so popular most popular international flights fly to the Maldives. Although there are no flights directly from the USA, many flights come out of London Gatwick and Paris Charles de Gaulle airports headed for the Maldives. If you are from the east, then most flights stopover at Singapore from which you can catch a plane to the Maldives. Singapore airlines offer these flights every single day which makes getting to the Maldives easy. Also flights from Sri Lanka are a popular way to arrive at the Maldives. Most flights head into Male, the capital of the Maldives and from there tourists will either take a small plane or boat to their island booking. Most return flights to and from Male are under $3000 which is very affordable considering that you will feel more than a world away from home when you are relaxing on the white beaches. It is a small price to pay to get to what will most likely be the best holiday you have ever had.

So if you want to get away from your current lifestyle and relax in a beautiful untouched environment like no other, a vacation in the Maldives is definitely right for you. Whether you just want to bask in the warm sun for a great tan, or meet lots of great people from around the world in the clubs, or get some physical action swimming and scuba diving, the Maldives caters for everyone. It doesn't matter if you are single, just married or with a large family, there will be one of the 1192 islands that is just perfect for you. It may sound too perfect to be true and too exotic to be affordable but you can really live on a tropical island at an affordable rate. So what are you waiting for? Go book a trip to the Maldives now, your only regret would be that you didn't try it sooner!

Maldives Pictures

Foreign Investors:

Tourism Market Outlook
MALDIVES TOURISM ACT (Law No. 2/99) - PDF
Foreign Investment Regitration Form - DOC
TOURIST OPINION SURVEY REPORT 2004 - PDF
Maldives Tourism Master Plan (1996 – 2005) - PDF

Travel Sites

Maldives Islands - Maldives honeymoon and holiday portal
www.maldives.at - Maldives Portal