Whilst relaxing on the beach or wading in the pristine turquoise waters are what the Maldives is most famous for, you’d be missing out on a world of adventure if you didn’t explore the world beneath the waves during your time here. You’ll also encounter a splendid array of resorts in Maldives that will be more than happy to set up a series of fun excursions under water. One of the best Maldives island resorts that offer a thrilling itinerary is the Maafushivaru Maldives which even features a resident Marine Biologist who provides all guests with a complimentary information session at the onsite Water Sports School. Use your new-found knowledge to explore the reef located in-house, and familiarise yourself with the quaint coral offerings before heading out to wilder waters at sea. When you’re ready to come face-to-face with mantas and reef sharks, embark on fun excursions that’ll provide excellent fodder for your camera. The Bodu (large) and Kuda (small) reefs are decorated with brightly coloured soft coral and feature a charming array of reef fish dancing and flitting about in their natural habitat. Or get up close and personal with one of the earth’s oldest reptiles, the sea turtle, which populates the dive site at Boli Thila, a popular snorkelling site amongst marine life lovers. And of course, no excursion in the Maldives is truly complete without a night diving experience, with guided tours that reveal the enigmatic lives of nighttime denizens such as coral polyps, bioluminescent plankton (yup, they glow in the dark), and other intriguing specimens guaranteed to take your breath away. Which is perfectly fine, since you’ve already got your breathing apparatus on.
Angela Fernando is an impassioned travel writer who composes pieces under the pen name Sumaira Narayan. She loves writing about new and exciting places around the world and intends to visit them all someday.