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5 Informative Facts That You Must Know About the Maldives

The Maldives is one of the most popular holiday destinations in the world, particularly among honeymooners. The island nation boasts a rich history, delicious cuisine, and a range of exciting activities.

The Maldives Is Located Close to the Equator

The Maldives is located quite close to the equator. And this means that sun rays will shine almost directly on you while you’re relaxing at your Maldives resort. So, make sure to bring plenty of sunscreen to protect your skin!

The Maldives Was Initially a Buddhist Nation

The Maldives was only converted to Islam in 1153 A.D. and today it stands as a proud Muslim nation. So, make sure that you leave any other religious texts, pork products, and alcoholic beverages at home when you’re about to head towards Kurumba Maldives or any other resort in the country for a splendid tropical vacation.

The Maldives Boasts Over 1000 Islands

The Maldives is formed out of 1,192 coral islands that are grouped in 26 atolls. These are peppered over the Indian Ocean over an area of roughly 90,000 square kilometres.

The Maldives’ Sand Is Smooth as Can Be

Usually, the beaches are made of sands that are made from quartz. However, the Maldives’ beaches contain sands that are extremely fine as they are coralline in origin. Coralline beaches are quite rare and represent less than five percent of the world’s beaches.

Important Facts to Know About Maldives Tourism When Planning Your Next Visit

Planning your next holiday to the stunning islands of the Maldives? Read on for some facts regarding the country’s tourism!

Regulations

As the Maldives is an Islamic nation, there’s a prevailing ban on bringing pork products and liquor into the country. Apart from those, firearms, drugs, and pornography are also off-limits. However, you can buy alcoholic drinks at your Maldives resort.

On Arrival…

Almost all tourists arrive by air from Velana International Airport; this is situated on Hulhule Island. After being cleared from the airport, you can head to your island resort; for instance, if you’ve booked your holiday at a resort like the Kurumba Maldives, you will be most likely arriving there by speedboat.

Best Time to Visit

November to April is considered the best time to visit the North Male Atoll, with minimum rainfall. However, this is when rains prevail in the South Male Atoll.

Travel Requirements

All tourists arriving in the Maldives require a valid passport although no visa is needed in advance. On arrival, all tourists with a valid passport will be granted a tourist visa of 30 days.

Travelling by Seaplane & Speedboat in Maldives

There are two main ways to get around the Maldives, which is by air or sea; considering the country has over 1,000 islands it’s hardly surprising! Here are a couple of available transport options.

Image credit- Unsplash,Shifaaz shamoon,CC0

Seaplanes

Be it from the main airport in Hulhule or one of the other international airports, you may have to take a seaplane to your island resort if it’s located far away. Some properties will offer transfer options of a seaplane or a speedboat with the former taking much less time to reach the destination.

Speedboats

For those arriving at Hulhule near Male, the capital of the Maldives, resort properties in this atoll can be easily reached by speedboat be it a shared or private transfer. In fact, resorts the likes of Kurumba Maldives are only around ten minutes away meaning you can maximise your holiday time!

Scenic Seaplane Flights

Be it on the way to or from the resort or as part of excursions by air, seaplanes offer an amazing perspective of the country. Generally, chartered or private seaplane flights will fly closer to the ground level so you can enjoy the view of the islands and reefs surrounded by the ocean even more.

The Thrills of Speedboats

Of course, those looking for an exhilarating ride will enjoy the thrills of skimming along the water at high speeds! It is little surprise that speedboats are also used at island resorts in Maldives for water sports like wakeboarding, parasailing, banana boating and water-skiing as well as to provide fast access to Male for tours.

The Adventure of Snorkelling

From vibrant corals to a range of fish species including ethereal-like manta rays, the Maldives offers one of the best snorkelling destinations on the planet. Here’s your chance to enter this whole new “world”.

Best times for snorkelling

Snorkelling in Maldives can be pretty much enjoyed all year round while at your Maldives resort; however January to April is a particularly great time for this activity since the waters are clearer and the weather at its best. Do keep in mind that the weather from May to September can be less predictable.

In search of Nemo & Co.

Be it clownfish (Nemo!), bannerfish, powder blue tangs, fusiliers parrotfish, butterflyfish or hawksbill turtles, the ocean surrounding the Maldives offers much to see. Resorts the likes of Anantara Dhigu Maldives Resort have reefs nearby providing the ideal chance to get up close to this marine life.

Underwater superstars

Of course, there are certain marine creatures that add to the excitement of a snorkelling adventure; graceful manta rays, unhurried whale sharks and stealthy blacktip reef sharks swimming in their natural habitats are sights that are certainly unforgettable.

Image of resort — Image Credit: Anantara Dhigu Maldives Resort

Adding splashes of colour

Marine life aside, you can also look forward to seeing a stunningly vibrant array of corals on your snorkelling expeditions; staghorn, finger, brain and table corals are amongst the varieties that can be spotted here, each adding to the charm of this underwater spectacle.

Image Credit: Anantara Dhigu Maldives Resort

Roland Lefevre is a travel writer who specializes in creating features on leisure as well as business travel destinations across the globe. Google+

Watersport activities in Maldives -Exciting must-try water sports

Maldives is a heavenly beach paradise where there is less land and more sea and there’s something for everyone between the turquoise waters and the golden sun.

Parasailing in Maldives

Parasailing | Image Courtesy : By Badr Naseem (Parasailing) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

This unique water sport combines speed with the adrenaline pumping aspect of lifting you off the ground. Participants are strapped securely to a harness with one end fastened to a speed boat. The vessel pulls you on an awe-inspiring journey that provides breathtaking aerial views of the coastal landscapes below.

Kayaking, Windsurfing and More

In a country where water exceeds land, you can expect a range of water-sports. Consider staying in a Maldives resort such as the COMO Hotels & Resorts that offer facilities for enjoying the sea and sunny weather.

Surfing Paradise

Most locals spend endless hours surfing; it’s a way of life here. Surf buffs will benefit from the massive waves brought on by the southwest monsoon around the months of June to September

Diving in Maldives

Blessed with stunning marine and coral life, the Maldives is one of the best places for diving. As you explore the world beneath the waves, you will come across vivid corals of all shapes and sizes as well as fish species including angelfish, sweet lips, butterfly fish, barracudas and even sharks.

Caleb Falcon is a travel writer who specializes in writing content based on the many exciting world adventures that await intrepid travellers. Google+

National Museum at Maldives

The island nation of the Maldives is hailed the world over for her natural splendour. The collection of islands that form the Maldives have stunningly pristine beaches, lush tropical landscapes and a diverse range of wild-life, mostly beneath her waters. Her God-given exuberance and many a Maldives resort such as the Kurumba Maldives, however can take people’s attention away from the incredible historical heritage that the country has to offer. There is one place where you can obtain a comprehensive insight into Maldivian history, and that is the National Museum of the Maldives.
Maldives’ National Museum, the first and only one of its kind, opened her doors coincidentally on the Maldivian National Day of 1952. The Prime Minister at the time, Mohamed Amin Didi led the opening ceremony. The purpose of the museum was to inspire a sense of patriotism within the Maldivian people while simultaneously preserving and showcasing the history of the Nation.
Presently, the museum is located at Sultan Park on the island of Male, the site of the Royal Palace ever since the 17th century, and has a distinctly traditional atmosphere with the interior bearing a strong Sultanate influence.
The museum initially had a vast collection of artefacts showcasing the country’s pre-Islamic history but following a recent attack almost all of the delicate artefacts from the pre-Islamic era were destroyed.
Within the museum you will find a tremendous assortment of traditional relics such as ceremonial dresses, creative embroidery and various items of past Maldivian nobility. Some of the currently contained relics date as far back as the 13th century.
If you’d like to take some time off from basking in the serene splendour of the island, be sure to visit the iconic National Museum on the island of Male, you never know what surprises lie within her walls.

Filled with wanderlust that seeks to explore distant shores and captivated by the colors and vibrancy of exotic cultures, Kanya Mae writes on the beautiful, exciting, and enchanting wonders of the world. She is a writer who not only has a passion for travel, but also has a background in fashion, art and media. Google+

Diving in North Ari Atoll

While the Maldives offers plenty of fantastic dive sites for you to explore, one area that is well worth heading to is the North Ari Atoll. Those in search of Maldives diving resorts that offer easy access to some of these spots can opt to stay at Kandolhu Island. This luxurious Maldives resort has a Dive School that provides PADI certification as well as organising diving tours and night dives too.

Look to explore the underwater worlds that lie beneath the waters of the North Ari Atoll where one will come face to face with a vivid array of marine life both great and small. Hafusa Thila is a site that one can visit as is the Fesdu Wreck which is a 30 metre fishing trawler that has sunk and that houses an artificial reef. Also of note is Ukulhas Thila which is well known for its manta rays that can be spotted especially from December to March, snappers and moray eels. Other fish species one can come across when diving in North Ari Atoll include batfish, lionfish, cleaner wrasse and blue fish.

Chandrishan Williams is a travel writer who writes under the pen name, Caleb Falcon. He specializes in writing content based on the many exciting world adventures that await intrepid travellers. Google+

Out of this World

Maldives, while being a favourite holiday destination for its relaxed and peaceful vibe and beautiful coastal scenery also plays host to thousands of visitors who come there to experience the fabulous underwater scenery. Excellent under water visibility, an incredible array of marine life and spectacular underwater landscapes add much to the diving experience.

Maldives is well geared to provide the best underwater adventures that anyone could have. Every resort island has a PADI certified diving school with UDI and PADI certified instructors and excellent quality, well maintained equipment for hire so that visitors may enjoy the underwater adventures in store beneath the waves. The natural coastal lagoons around resorts are perfect for diver training. The dive schools also teach courses in rescue diving, night diving and underwater photography that adds to the range of adventures to be had beneath the waves. While it is possible to dive in the coastal water off resorts, scuba diving off coastal crafts is one of the preferred ways to experience popular dive sites and to have that much vaunted underwater adventure at any time of day. Maldives is said to have more than 1001 dive sites and living aboard is the best way to get access to them. Night diving that is said to have a ‘completely different feel’ is another way of having a really great underwater adventure. Although visibility is reduced to only the beam of the torch, this is the best way to see some of the micro and mega fauna that are nocturnal, coming to life. Even the colours of the corals are said to be different. Some night diving tours offer special lamps and masks capable of detecting bio luminescence. Bumping into a shark in the dark while scary will definitely enhance the experience. Seasonal diving provides excellent opportunities for adventurers to view concentrations of specific marine species. These include large shoals of manta rays that gather to feed on plankton at Hanifaru Bay and sightings of Whale Sharks, mantas, hammerheads, eagle rays and schools of pelagic fish at Ari Atoll. Drift diving past some of the most spectacular underwater scenery of cliffs, channels, precipitous walls and caves is perhaps the greatest thrill of all.

Those who do not dive can also have their own underwater adventure. A whale submarine sets off from Male and non divers can enjoy great views of coral reefs and schools of colourful fish as it dives down to a depth of 100 meters.

Cocoa Island Maldives offers privacy, seclusion, gorgeous vistas and access to a range of water sports. But best of all, it offers beautifully designed and decorated spacious private overwater accommodation that many people rave about. As one of Maldives luxury resorts guests have access to a range of modern and exceptional services and facilities that make their stay here memorable. Experience an elegant yet laid back Maldives resort that offers a truly holistic holiday experience.

Jet Skiing in Maldives

If you love the adrenaline pumping thrills of skimming along the water at pulse-pounding speeds, then jet skiing in Maldives is definitely the activity for you! The Maldives is in fact the perfect destination for water sport enthusiasts and staying at aMaldives island hotel which provides such activities is a great way to have fun in the surf. Velassaru Maldives is one such Maldives resort known for offering a range of water sport activities for young and old alike.

A thrilling way to soak up the sun and enjoy the sight of picturesque coastal landscapes, jet skiing provides plenty of adventure on the waves. These speedy crafts operate on either 650 cc or 400 cc engines, offering all the speed to make this an activity that is bound to have you catching your breath in delight. Apart from jet skis for individual riders, you do get models that can accommodate two riders as well, letting you share in the fun. Experienced jet skiers can even take part in freestyle riding amidst a seemingly endless azure playground.

Outdoor things to do in Maldives

Maldives is a spectacular tourist destination since there are so many fun activities you can do when you visit. The most popular activities are the outdoor adventures like diving, snorkelling and exploring the reefs around the island. Throughout the year Maldives waters are warm and clear so it is ideal for exploration. There are over 1000 different types of species that dwell in the sea and you could see them, swim amongst them and observe the wonderful corals embedded on the reef. Diving lessons and packages are easy to come by when in the area. There are a number of agents and companies that are willing to rent diving equipment and to teach you how to navigate through the waters. The best thing is that you do not need to be a professional diver to enjoy an expedition underwater; snorkelling is one of the easiest activities which you can learn and master while you are in the country.

You could also take part in an island excursion and travel to one of the local islands. A visit to the local islands will expose you to the unique Maldivian culture and cuisine which is a very gratifying experience. The island culture and lifestyle in Maldives is influenced by fishing. The fishing community has their own stories and folk tales; their heroic adventures out at sea are fascinating. Maldivian people are extremely friendly and hospitable and they always welcome you to listen to their stories and share a meal. The key ingredients in all of the dishes are coconut, rice and seafood. When you visit a local island you should taste some local cuisine for it is quite simply delicious.

Maldives is also a great destination for visitors who want to relax and detoxify. There are so many spas; wellness centres and massage clinics that will help one unwind. The traditional healing methods are perfect to ease stress and anxiety. Try out Gandhakolhi leaf treatments and those remedies offered at Hakeembe as these are authentic therapy sessions which one can only find in the Maldives. For all-inclusive vacation deals stay at a Maldives resort. There is a variety of hotels which provides accommodation in Maldives so one will find it easy to book a room which fits one’s budget. Anantara Dhigu Maldives is a great place to spend your vacation for the rooms are luxurious and the hotel offers various tours and spa treatments for their guests.