If you’re planning to visit Maldives, water sports must be on the bucket list of things to do. Windsurfing and kitesurfing are both thrilling adventures you can try on the islands and enjoy the summer breeze and adrenaline. Here are some tips to get you started on these activities.
Islands with long stretches of the sea are the best settings for windsurfing and kitesurfing. Some islands are quite popular for water sports in Maldives and even provide the gear, guides, and assistance for those who indulge in these activities. If you choose Kandolhu Maldives, you will kill two birds with one stone! It has great accommodations and perfect beaches.
Can Beginners Learn These?
Beginners can try learning windsurfing and kitesurfing with smaller sails and utilise a good instructor to learn the basics right. Sometimes even a friendly local will offer to teach you how to windsurf or kitesurf. Be careful of the snorkellers and swimmers and choose less crowded spots to practice until you make it perfect.
Best Season
While beginners can learn and enjoy these activities anytime, advanced kitesurfers and windsurfers prefer the monsoon season when the weather is rougher and more challenging. The strong winds make these activities a thrilling adventure to try. Keep in mind that rain can always become an obstacle and prepare yourself!
Koh Samui, a tropical paradise in Thailand, is renowned for its palm-fringed beaches, crystal-clear waters, and vibrant marine life. Beyond its stunning shoreline, the island offers a plethora of thrilling water sports and activities that cater to all adventure enthusiasts. Whether you’re a novice or an experienced water sports enthusiast, Koh Samui has something to offer everyone.
Scuba Diving and Snorkeling
Explore the underwater wonders of Koh Samui by embarking on scuba diving or snorkelling adventures. Dive into a vibrant underwater realm teeming with colourful coral reefs, exotic fish species, and other marine creatures. Popular dive sites include Sail Rock, Koh Tao, and Ang Thong Marine Park. If you’re new to diving, numerous dive centres on the island offer courses for beginners, while snorkelling trips provide a more accessible option to witness the marine beauty at shallower depths. If you’re staying at a place like Santiburi Koh Samui you’re most likely to find many fun activities like this to keep your days occupied.
Jet Skiing
Experience an unparalleled surge of adrenaline as you ride the waves on a jet ski, immersing yourself in the exhilarating thrill. Koh Samui’s pristine beaches present abundant possibilities for jet skiing, enabling you to swiftly traverse the mesmerizing turquoise waters and leisurely discover the captivating coastline. Regardless of your skill level, whether a beginner or a seasoned rider, jet skiing guarantees a breathtaking escapade and an opportunity to relish the island’s breathtaking vistas from an extraordinary vantage point. Your beach villa at Koh Samui will most likely offer a myriad of water-based activities such as this, so make sure you inquire with the hotel staff about how you can partake in such activities.
Stand-Up Paddleboarding (SUP)
Embrace tranquillity while engaging in a popular water sport – stand-up paddleboarding (SUP). Cruise along the calm waters of Koh Samui’s bays, taking in the breathtaking scenery as you glide across the surface. SUP is not only a fun and rewarding activity but also a fantastic way to improve your balance and core strength. Rent a paddleboard from the beach and set off on a peaceful adventure, exploring hidden coves and enjoying the serenity of the island.
Kayaking
Discover the hidden corners of Koh Samui’s coastline by kayaking through its pristine waters. Rent a kayak and set off on a self-guided exploration or join a guided tour to uncover the island’s natural beauty. Paddle through mangrove forests, explore secluded beaches, and navigate around rocky cliffs. Kayaking allows you to get up close to nature, providing opportunities to spot local wildlife and enjoy the tranquillity of your surroundings.
Get a bird’s-eye view of Koh Samui as you soar through the sky during a thrilling parasailing experience. Attached to a parachute, you’ll be lifted high above the water, taking in panoramic vistas of the island’s stunning coastline. Feel the rush of adrenaline as you glide through the air, enjoying an unforgettable perspective of Koh Samui’s natural beauty.
If you think the perfect family holiday destination does not exist, then you have not been to the Maldives yet! Here are some reasons why families all over the world love coming here on their vacations.
Your family members will love the chance to spend time on an enchanting private island resort in the North Male Atoll which can be quickly reached by speedboat from the airport. Ideal options include Grand Park Kodhipparu, Maldives by the Park Hotel Group; here, you can stay at a luxurious beach pool villa with direct access to the shore or a pool water villa from where you can snorkel in the lagoon or ocean below. Such resorts also feature a kids’ club with fun activities and games, a beach club with a daily recreational programme, dining options with a kids’ menu and exciting family adventures.
Stunning Marine Life
The Indian Ocean that surrounds the islands are home to a mesmerising array of marine life and the great thing is, they are easy to encounter. One of the best things to do in Maldives for families is to go snorkelling or join a guided house reef snorkelling session with a resort’s marine biologist who will help you identify colourful reef fish and more. Some properties will offer snorkel safaris to spot specific marine life like turtles, and depending on the age of your children, you can introduce them to the joy of scuba diving too.
Fun Things to Do
There’s never a dull moment in the Maldives with a diverse range of activities for young and old alike. The ideal choice would be to stay at a family-friendly resort that has a marine sports centre, offering specific water sports like jet-skiing and diving for kids. Of course, kayaking, and stand-up paddling can be enjoyed too, while you can also go on dolphin-watching excursions to spot these playful marine mammals. Some resorts offer special family packages as well which can include speedboat trips, snorkelling, a visit to a secluded sandbank, fun tube rides and more.
A Year-Round Destination
The Maldives is a great place to visit year-round, making it a perfect choice be it for a summer escape or to spend colder seasons in a tropical paradise! You can expect around eight hours of heavenly sunshine each day, while the temperature of the water barely drops below 25°C, making it ideal for underwater escapades. Generally, November to April is considered the best period to visit with divine sunshine and calm waters; that said, the rest of the year offers plenty to experience as well.
Sri Lanka is a lush island brimming with astoundingly diverse natural, heritage, and experiential endowments, and there’s no shortage of spine-tingling adventures to be savoured.
Whether it’s the lush forests, glistening plains, and windswept ocean vistas of Yala National Park, where you can snatch thrilling glimpses of leopards, fishing cats, sloth bears, crocodiles, and peacocks, or the dreamy sanctuary of Udawalawe with its gently gigantic elephant herds and kaleidoscopic community of bird species, Sri Lanka’s jaunty wildlife-rich jeep safaris are always eye-opening and exhilarating.
Aquatic Antics
From taking on the surf-perfect swells, spinning across the jewel-toned ocean in a banana boat, or peaceful sunset kayaking at Bentota to kitesurfing over blue-green lagoons and racing 4WDs across the mesmerising coastal dunes of Kalpitiya beach, you can do loads more than sunbathe and sip fruity drinks at Sri Lanka’s balmy wavefronts!
Whale Watching
Dramatically beautiful Mirissa, with its palm tree precipice, secret beach, and jungle-clad panoramas, is also Sri Lanka’s Whale Watching Capital; you can set sail into the deep blue and get up close and personal with majestically graceful blue, sperm, Bryde’s, and humpback whales, as well as enjoy the playful trajectory of the native dolphins. If you’re looking for epic places to visit in Sri Lanka, make sure that you go through travel blogs such as Truly Sri Lanka.
Highland Escapades
Whether it’s the legendary Flying Ravana zip lining rush, chasing Instagram-worthy waterfalls, scenic mountain biking, hiking panoramic peaks, or the world-famous Kandy to Ella train ride affording arresting views of undulating hills and tea-steeped valleys, Sri Lankan uplands hide plenty of thrills underneath the rustic glamour.
Doha is an interesting place to visit offering stunning attractions that will make all leisure travellers from around the world to stay in this wonderful city. Here are a few exciting sports to try out.
Image via Al Najada Doha Hotel by Tivoli
Desert Safari
You’ll miss a major part of your Qatar trip if you don’t go on a desert safari tour. The best time to enjoy the thrills and spills of a desert safari is in the evening since during the daytime it’s quite difficult with the scorching heat. Feel thrilling moments of a dune bashing session as you go by a 4×4 land cruiser. You’ll say ‘Do more!’
A game of golf
You might have known Qatar for its epitome of modern living and vibrant culture but now it comes as an appealing destination for the most discerning of golfers. Want to discover its incredible golf courses? Savour your stay with a host of social events, numerous leisure activities and dining options. If you are in search of one of the many best hotels in Doha close to the famous Doha Golf Club, try out an option such as Al Najada Doha Hotel by Tivoli which is located 25 minutes away from the club.
Watersports
You’ll find no better place to try out some coastal adventures other than Oman’s huge coastline. There are many environmentally friendly beaches where one can try out diving, jet skiing, snorkelling, kayaking, stand-up paddle boating and sailing.
Beach fun
If you are not fond of any of these water sports activities, you can simply choose a deserted beach like Bimmah Beach to have a fantastic camping adventure. Have you ever heard of ‘Norway of Arabia’? Excited to know and explore it during your holiday? It is worth a visit!
With gorgeous white-sand beaches, clean oceans, and opulent resorts, the Maldives’ topography is already breathtaking. Underneath its alluring exterior, however, is something even better: a thriving aquatic life that can easily exceed your expectations and astound you. Here are some of the creatures you can meet on your next trip.
Manta Rays
Manta rays are thought to have the largest brains of all the species of cold-blooded fish. They are very intelligent and can even pass the mirror test, which may help to explain this. Manta rays can perform remarkable self-directed activities, such as dolphins and elephants, as well as contingency checking.
Whale Sharks
They are the largest and slowest swimming fish in the ocean that feeds on filters. The length of each confirmed individual is 18.8 meters. It extends its powerful jaws when it wants to eat and passively filters everything that gets in its way. With their enormous gaping mouths, they suck up neighbouring small fishes, plants, and other creatures that are swimming close to the water’s surface.
The Maldives is home to seven different kinds of sea turtles, often known as marine turtles: green, loggerhead, Kemp’s ridley, olive ridley, hawksbill, flatback, and leatherback. In comparison to their terrestrial or freshwater relatives, sea turtles generally have a more fusiform body pattern. And unlike many other turtles and tortoises, sea turtles cannot retreat their head and limbs into their shells for protection because of this tapering at both ends.
Where they commonly are
Manta rays like to feed in Hanifaru Bay in the Baa Atoll. While scuba diving is no longer legal, you may still swim or snorkel among these gentle giants and get up close to whale sharks. Between June and the beginning of October is the ideal season to travel. Dhigurah in the South Ari Atoll is a location where you can take part in whale shark snorkelling or diving. South Ari Atoll is another excellent place to watch whale sharks. The best months for sightings are from August to November, though they are excellent year-round. The northeast monsoon, which lasts from around October to May, is another time when manta rays can be spotted. If you want to see them, you can easily book one of Maldives beach hotels the likes of Cinnamon Velifushi Maldives, and have your hotel arrange an excursion for you.
If you’re looking to add some adventure to your getaway of beachside bliss in the Maldives, here are some activities that will add some exhilaration to your holiday.
This water sport is one that the whole family can try and with the waters surrounding the islands home to thriving coral and marine life, you can look forward to many fascinating discoveries. For something truly memorable, stay at properties like Amilla Maldives Resort and Residences and go snorkelling amidst manta rays and whale sharks at Hanifaru Bay in the Baa Atoll during the season! You also get night snorkelling that offers a whole new perspective of life beneath the waves.
Scuba Diving
There are more marine marvels to encounter deeper underwater which is why scuba diving is amongst the best things to do in Maldives for adventure seekers. Stay at a resort that not only offers the needed PADI certification and training but access to key sites in the Baa Atoll, a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. On your exploration, apart from vibrant coral, you can encounter butterflyfish, manta rays, eagle rays, nurse sharks, squirrelfish, stingrays, moray eels, turtles and more.
Dolphin Watching
Back above the waves, you can embark on a captivating dolphin-watching cruise at sunset. This time of the day makes excursions even more special as the skies radiate with colour as the sun slips below the horizon; best of all, is the chance to see dolphins swimming freely in their natural habitat without a care in the world. Amongst the memorable encounters, you can look forward to, is spotting playful spinner dolphins spinning or even leaping above the ocean waters!
Fishing
Those who love to fish are in for a treat since there are various activities to try including big game fishing; you get a chance to reel-in sought-after species like barracuda, sailfish, yellowfin tuna, wahoo, and barracuda. If you’re looking to experience something different, you can head off on a traditional sunrise fishing excursion to catch emperor fish or jackfish. Alternatively, you also get sunset fishing using the traditional Maldivian handline technique.
Phuket is an island of stunning beauty when it comes to land, everyone knows that! But what about under the water? if you really want to know you’ll just have to see for yourself. Here’s a bit about snorkelling and diving in Phuket.
The best time to dive in Phuket would be during the period when the weather is warm. It is at this time that visibility is at its best. This season would be between November and April. Nonetheless, the dive sites are less crowded and Phuket resorts bring down their prices.
Marine life
Each dive site may differ in marine life slightly, but the Andaman Sea definitely offers an under-sea spectacle with creatures like manta rays, reef sharks, whale sharks and a variety of turtle species.
Diving schools
Phuket island has plenty of diving schools to choose from. If you are staying at a resort like Anantara Mai Khao Phuket Villas, it’s best to ask for recommendations from your hotel. Scuba Cat, Sunrise Divers and Merlin Divers are some of the recognised schools here.
Phuket diving spots
Within the waters of Phuket are some wonderful, yet underrated diving spots! Phuket Shark Point, Anemone Reef and Karon Bay are a few sites you ought to check out.
The Maldives may be known for its laidback charm, but don’t forget it has lots of action-packed activities too! Here’s a look at some of its best.
Image credit- Unsplash,Yuriy Vinnicov,CC0
Night Diving & Snorkelling
These two activities are captivating during the day, but at night, provide a whole new level of adventure! Available at private resorts like Huvafen Fushi Maldives that have PADI-certified diving courses, night diving and snorkelling let you encounter nocturnal creatures of the deep and bioluminescence via yellow mask filters and UV lights.
Jet-Skiing
If speed is what will fill your desire for an adrenaline rush, then jet-skiing is not to be missed; think of the vast Indian Ocean as your water-filled playground in the Maldives! Island resorts provide jet-skiing excursions which are ideal to explore the area around where you stay or even to head further afield into the horizon.
Seabob Adventures
A relatively new entrant into the field of water sports in Maldives, the Seabob is a high-powered underwater scooter that propels you on an amazing ride. It can reach speeds of around 20 km/h and you just need to hold on tight and manoeuvre it in and out of the water; if you ever wanted a “dolphin experience”, this will provide it!
Parasailing
If you’re not afraid of heights or want to conquer your fear of it, in an exhilarating way, then parasailing is perfect. You will be securely attached to a parasail which will be lifted to heights of around 150 metres when the speedboat reaches optimal velocity; couples seeking to take their love to new heights can opt for tandem parasailing at sunset!
Adventurers heading to the Maldives may be surprised to find the sheer variety of thrilling activities on offer. Here’s a rundown of some of the country’s top activities for active visitors.
Catamaran Sailing
Although there are a great many sailing adventures accessible to visitors based at Cinnamon Velifushi Maldives or any similar Maldives beach hotels, none are quite as exciting as catamaran sailing. Offering one the chance to sail across the azure blue waters of the archipelago on board a vessel that is not as easy to navigate as a modern-day yacht can prove to be the experience of a lifetime for those who dare.
Parasailing
Those who wish to take to the skies and catch a glimpse of paradise from a unique vantage point should sign up for a parasailing tour of the coast. Available through a plethora of local tour operators and resorts, the thrill of being suspended above the waves is a feeling that is difficult to describe and replicate outside a beach paradise such as the Maldives.
Often listed among the best scuba diving hubs on the planet, no trip to the Maldives would be complete without travelling through the underwater caves, channels and shipwrecks that litter the seafloor of the archipelago. From HP Reef to Banana Reef and Manta Point, the large number of excellent dive sites makes this water sports activity a true adventure. The best time to visit the Maldives for a diving holiday is from December to March.
Kitesurfing
The idyllic lagoons of the Maldives are perfect for kitesurfing excursions for both seasoned surfers and novices.
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