The Maldives is the smallest Asian country in both population and land area. The famous group of islands is known for being a heaven on Earth. The Maldives are an archipelago of 1,192 coral islands grouped into 26 coral atolls (200 inhabited islands, plus 97 islands with tourist resorts) in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives are formed of 26 atolls. Each atoll is made of low lying islands surrounded by beautiful white sandy beaches which are a huge attraction to tourists. The Maldives is widely dispersed, covering a surface area of 35,000 square miles.
The nation is a member of the United Nations, the Commonwealth of Nations, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and the Non-Aligned Movement. The tourism industry is Maldives’ largest revenue generator.
Why Visit the Maldives?
Photo credit: Simon_sees/Flickr
It’s Paradise
The Maldives are tropical, with plenty of sunshine and temperatures around 30°C throughout the year. Due to their extraordinary underwater scenery and clean water, the Maldives is ranked among the best recreational diving destinations of the world. The Maldives are known for their natural environment including the blue ocean, white beaches, and clean air.
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Snorkeling
Water in the Maldives is warm throughout the year and it offers an extraordinary diversity of marine life, including some 250 species of stony and soft coral, over 1,000 types of reef fish. Some of the best snorkeling islands in the archipelago are Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Bandos Island, Fihalholi, Baros Island.
Baa Atoll is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, where protected waters are home to an extraordinary diversity of marine life.
Photo credit: Chris! Würbel/Flickr
Secluded Luxury
All resorts promise the same thing wherever you are. Here is the place where luxury is taken to the next level. A tourist resort in the Maldives typically consists of an exclusive hotel on its own island, with its population entirely made up of tourists and work force, with no local people or houses. One hotel occupies the whole island.
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Visa not required
When you enter Maldives a 30-day free visa is issued on arrival access to 84 countries and territories. No visa fee will be charged of the extension does not exceed 30 days. Foreigners who stay beyond the approved stay, maybe deported.
Photo credit: Christoph Würbel/Flickr
Life on a Hammock
A hammock is one of the coolest places to take an afternoon nap. Imagine having your own private island and drinking a beer on the beach and feeling the breeze or just enjoying warm weather, charming views and a romantic atmosphere.
Photo credit: Ibrahim Asad’s PHotography on Wikipedia / CC BY-NC
Beautiful Sunsets
Travelers from around the world enjoy dive into the clear turquoise water, and relax on the white powdery sand beach. Here you’ll find some of the most photographs locations, thanks to Instagram. Aqva Bar is one of the top spots to watch the sun set over Lily Beach. If you like to watch the sunset and admire sunsets over the Indian Ocean in over-the-water suites then Sunset Water Suite afford undistrupted views and the Maldives’ amazing sunsets.
One thing to remember is that located in these latitudes, sunset lasts only a few minutes up to 5.
Photo credit: Kandu Kulkulhu, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia commons
Culinary Delights
It is not surprising that fish is the most important food in the Maldivian diet since the nation is surrounded by water. Maldivian culinary is focus mostly around fish, like mass, tuna and is influenced by the Sri Lankan and South Indian traditions. The traditional cuisine of Maldivians is based on three main items and their derivatives: coconuts, fish, and starches.
In the resort area, you can taste Japanese tempura, Italian pizzas, the spicy flavors of India or traditional Chinese.
Photo credit: Simon_sees/Flickr
Private Islands
According to Business Insider the private island Baros Maldives was named as the world’s most romantic resort. You can rent a whole island for yourself. With so many inhabited islands there you can find your perfect island.
Credit: Wonder World
Electric Neon Blue Water
A natural phenomenon seen at night called electric neon blue water. The Sparkling water of Maldives due to neon blue effect has been named the ‘Sea of stars’
It may look like an alien life-form has washed up on a beach, but this striking neon blue effect is a completely natural phenomenon.
The incredible image was taken by photographer Doug Perrine during a visit to Vaadhoo, one of the Raa Atoll islands in the Maldives.
It captures a natural chemical reaction called bioluminescence, which occurs when a micro-organism in the water is disturbed by oxygen.
Photo credit: Daniel Gillaspia/Flickr
Dining Underwater
There is unusual dining experiences in the Maldives. Some Maldives resorts such as Soneva Jani for example, offer cheese, special wine, and chocolate tasting rooms.
But the biggest is the dining experiences and one of the top choices is to have a romantic dinner on the beach for a couple. Most of the resorts in the Maldives will have a special secret area, away from the crowds, and you’ll have an entire team available to cater for you and your lover and they’re also often can customize the menu according to your personal preferences.
Here you’ll have once in a lifetime experience with visiting restaurants offering dining underwaters in the Maldives. Dine five meters below the surface of the ocean, in the undersea restaurant with a transparent roof offering a 270° panoramic underwater view.
The restaurant is located at the Conrad Maldives Rangali Island in Alif Dhaal Atoll and it is open for lunch from 2:00 noon – 2:30 pm and Wednesdays and Saturdays, from 9:00 pm for Underwater Glow Party.
The restaurant serves contemporary fusion Maldivian cuisine with European and Asian influences. This underwater restaurant was designed by the Kuala Lumpur National Science Center, in 2004. Since the restaurant is placed in extreme conditions, it is estimated that will only last for 20 years.
Don’t forget to check some of our other travel resources and destinations in Asia.
