Once a completely remote and isolated tropical paradise, the Maldives has now become a very popular holiday destination for Europeans and Americans. The Maldives is made up of a group of atolls with luxury resorts scattered around its coastline.
The Republic of Maldives is located in the Indian Ocean. Situated south of India and south west of Sri Lanka, the Maldives total twenty-six atolls with over 1000 small islands, most of which are inhabitable.
Most of the resorts have their own entities with some resorts taking up whole islands - these resorts offer great privacy and ensure a relaxing vacation. Nearly all of the holiday resorts are located on the five main atolls, which are Kaafu, Vaavu, Baa, Alifu and Lhaviyani. Alifu is the main tourist zone where new hotels and resorts are in the process of being built.
Travelling to the Maldives is pretty straightforward. Standard travel documents, such as a passport are needed, but you don‘t need a visa. Visas are only required if you are planning to work there.
Accommodation in the Maldives differs from resort to resort and from island to island. Some resorts offer basic huts with outdoor bathroom facilities that will give you the traditional island feel, while others offer all the standard services that we are accustomed too.
Most of the resorts in the Maldives provide some, or all, types of water trips. Night time fishing trips are a special treat. The Maldives is also known as one of the best diving destinations in the world and the resorts cater very well for this. Most of the resorts have got their own diving school.
The seas around the Maldives also provide great areas for snorkelling; the coral reefs are amazing and are full of great and wonderful marine life. But to see the full extent of the amazing sea around the Maldives you need to go deep into the sea. A deep-sea dive will certainly be worth it and these are widely available.
The Maldives is also a perfect spot for any type of water sports, especially windsurfing and scuba diving and is also a great destination for sailing and water-skiing.
Most of the resorts have their own bars and restaurants. The food is similar on most resorts with restaurants ranging from Oriental to Middle Eastern. Most resorts have coffee shops that serve light snacks. Fish and rice are the two most common dishes in the Maldives.
If you are looking for some thing different a cruise around the islands of the Maldives is certainly the best way to see the area. This is a unique experience and will give you a great insight into the region.
The resorts of the Maldives are very well known for their lavish spa treatment. Along with its stunning white sandy beaches and glorious sunshine the Maldives will certainly make for a great holiday.
