The [url=http://www.visitmaldives.com/en]Maldives[/url] (Dhivehi: ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ Dhivehi Raajje) are an archipelago of 1,192 coral islands grouped into 26 coral atolls (200 inhabited islands, plus 80 islands with tourist resorts) in the [wiki=a9f5e37ec0192d1e1636276243d0fc1d]Indian Ocean[/wiki]. They lie south-southwest of [wiki=7d31e0da1ab99fe8b08a22118e2f402b]India[/wiki] and are considered part of [wiki=403f70e9d6069258f33c90df81153b5b]Southern[/wiki] [wiki=154a67340e8c14dd5253dc4ff6120197]Asia[/wiki].
Maldives was for the most part unknown to tourists until the early 1970s. Just 185 of the islands are home to its 300,000 inhabitants. The other islands are used entirely for economic functions, of that tourism and agriculture are dominant. Tourism accounts for 28% of the GDP. Over 90% of the state government income comes from import duties and tourism-related taxes.
Formerly a Sultanate under Dutch and British protection, the Maldives are now a republic. Long ruled over with an iron fist by Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who did not hesitate to jail dissidents and was re-elected five times in more or less rigged elections, resistance to his rule culminated in violent rioting in 2003 and 2004. Under international pressure, free and fair elections were finally held in 2008, and Gayoom gracefully conceded defeat to opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed, "Anni".
Following protests that started on 1 May 2011, Mohamed Nasheed was forced to resign from office on 7 February 2012. Mohammed Waheed Hassan, supported by the former dictator, was appointed president of the Maldives. There have been reports of violence and human rights violations by the security forces against protesters backing Nasheed.
The Tsunami of 26 December 2004 caused extensive damage to the Maldives - of a population of only 290,000, over a third was directly affected by the tsunami and more than 15,000 people were left homeless. The economic damage alone was over 62% of the GDP or USD470 million.
The immediate response from international donors and agencies mobilized more than USD400 million in aid after the disaster, much of which was used to help misplaced persons rebuild their homes and infrastructure damaged by the waves. As of December 24, 2010, six years after the tsunami, the number of persons living in temporary shelters had fallen from 15,000 to only 1,600 people.
Tourism, Maldives largest industry, accounts for 20% of GDP and more than 60% of the Maldives' foreign exchange receipts. Over 90% of government tax revenue comes from import duties and tourism-related taxes. Over 600,000 tourists visited the islands in 2006. Fishing is a second leading sector. The Maldivian Government began an economic reform program in 1989 initially by lifting import quotas and opening some exports to the private sector. Subsequently, it has liberalized regulations to allow more foreign investment. Agriculture and manufacturing continue to play a minor role in the economy, constrained by the limited availability of cultivable land and the shortage of domestic labour. Most staple foods must be imported. Industry, which consists mainly of garment production, boat building, and handicrafts, accounts for about 18% of GDP. Maldivian authorities worry about the impact of erosion and global warming on their low-lying country; 80% of the area is one meter or less above sea level.
Maldivians are almost entirely Sunni Muslim, and the local culture is a mixture of South Indian, Sinhalese and Arab influences. While alcohol, pork, drugs and public observance of non-Muslim religions are banned on the inhabited islands, the resort islands are allowed to exist in a bubble where almost anything goes.
The weekend in the Maldives runs from Friday to Saturday, during which banks, government offices and many shops are closed. You won't notice this at the resorts though, except that lunch hours may be shifted for Friday prayers.
The Maldives are tropical, with plenty of sunshine and temperatures around 30°C throughout the year. However, rainfall increases considerably during the April-October southwest monsoon, particularly from June to August.
Practically all visitors arrive at Malé International Airport , located on Hulhulé Island right next to the capital [wiki=63889cfb9d3cbe05d1bd2be5cc9953fd]Male[/wiki]. The airport is served by a wide array of flights to [wiki=ae54a5c026f31ada088992587d92cb3a]China[/wiki], [wiki=7d31e0da1ab99fe8b08a22118e2f402b]India[/wiki], [wiki=ef547e2d9750443f6d203233dfa38e39]Sri Lanka[/wiki], [wiki=23b998b19b5f60dbbc4eedc53328b0c7]Dubai[/wiki] and major airports in [wiki=36e85a7c742410f535310d112e9db390]South-East Asia[/wiki], as well as an increasing number of charters from Europe. Many flights stop in [wiki=7bcd79e863547e9833b79aace39471b8]Colombo[/wiki] (Sri Lanka) on the way.
Gan Airport , on the southern atoll of [wiki=58a21f0d76323dcc09de93906e8ec870]Addu[/wiki], also serves an international flight to [wiki=437d461430ecc08e2d51abbcf5ce9b3c]Milan[/wiki] several times a week.
Departure taxes are included in your ticket.
British Airways now flies directly from London Gatwick to Male 3 times a week (Sunday, Tuesday and Friday)
Cathay Pacific Airlines flies 4 times a week from Hong Kong (Wed, Thu, Sat, Sun)
Singapore Airlines flies daily direct from Singapore to Male, with late night timings.
Turkish Airlines flies directly from Istanbul Ataturk to Male 5 times in a week.
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Male', twice a day.
Austrian Airlines flies between Vienna and Male once a week (outbound Vienna on Wednesday, inbound on Thursday morning)
There are no regular passenger boats to the Maldives. Even yachts usually steer clear, as navigating around the reefs is hazardous and permits are expensive.
No point in the Maldives is more than 90 minutes away by plane from Male, and visitors to the more far-flung resorts use air taxi services. There are two main operators: Maldivian Air Taxi [url=http://www.maldivianairtaxi.com/],]with red and white planes, and Trans Maldivian Airways [url=http://www.tma.com.mv/[/url],]with yellow and blue planes. The services are largely identical, with both flying DHC-6 Twin Otter seaplanes that take around 15 passengers. In 2013, Maldivian Air Taxi (MAT) and Trans Maldivian Airways (TMA) were both acquired by the Blackstone group and the company was named Trans Maldivian Airways.
Scheduled inter-island services are provided by Island Aviation [url=http://www.island.com.mv/[/url],]which flies from Male to [[Gan[/url]], [wiki=70b853d54068e8f3246b177801d68025]Hanimaadhoo[/wiki], [wiki=c5b947b3fb910f6ea50477f40f267cb2]Kaadeddhoo[/wiki] and [wiki=be5d70405f730c1323600a76e662d514]Kaddhoo[/wiki]. Travel permits are required.
Water transport take three board forms:
* Public ferries cheap and infrequent (normally 3-6 times weekly) to population centres. See [url=http://www.mtcc.com.mv/]MTCC[/url].
* Semi-public/private ferries/scheduled speedboats Fringe services that complement public services to population centres, airport transfers and occasionally 'picnic islands' day trips. See [url=http://www.atolltransfer.com/]Atoll Transfer[/url] based in Male, and [url=http://www.icomtours.com/]ICom tours[/url] who are based in Maafushi. Getting information on private ferries is a challenge as they are run by and for locals, and hence there little need to put any information on the internet.
* Charter speedboats that allow you to get anywhere, anytime, at high cost (more people the cheaper per person). These are much faster than public ferries and will leave when you want to. If you are visiting any resort island this is how you will need to get there. These are 'taxi boats'.
The taxi boats generally take tourists to and from the islands and resort islands. They come in all different shapes and sizes depending on the quality of the resort you stay in the Four Seasons has a large enclosed motor cruiser with drinks and food, while the lesser resorts have open sided dhoni type boats.
No public ferries run on Friday. Timetables can be found at [http://www.mtcc.com.mv/]. The nature of ferry times and their regularity can make 'island-hopping' a challenge but not impossible. More difficult is going between atolls by public ferry, as few inter-atoll ferries exist. Getting decent information (even from locals) is tough. Getting anywhere that is not a population centre will normally need a speedboat charter and very deep pockets.
If trying to plan a island hopping vacation a good way to start is by looking at islands with guesthouses and contacting the guesthouses for information on how to get there, guesthouse owners will know all the options - you can then look at how to string together 2 or 3 islands using public ferries. Most popular are the islands in the South Male atoll, with Maafushi the clear tourist hub.
If visiting a resort as a FIT ('free independent traveler' in the tourist jargon) you may be able to organise a transfer from Maafushi or elsewhere, saving on expensive transfers from the airport. For example transfers from Maafushi to a South Male atoll resort are around $25-$30 per person each way.
Aside from making the water bungalow rock on your honeymoon, the primary activity on the Maldives is [wiki=f0a9e1d85f606b67d581023c8420933a]scuba diving[/wiki]. The atolls are all coral reefs hundreds of kilometres away from any major landmass, meaning that water clarity is excellent and underwater life is abundant. Manta rays, sharks, even a few wrecks, you name it, you can find it in the Maldives.
While diving is very good by world standards even in the immediate vicinity of Male, visibility and the chance of encountering large pelagics increases as you head to the outer atolls. Many divers opt for liveaboards, which can actually work out much cheaper than paying high resort fees. Currents vary considerably, with generally little inside the atolls but some powerful streams to be found on the sides facing the open sea. Water in the Maldives is warm throughout the year and a 3mm shorty or Lycra diveskin is plenty. Diving is possible throughout the year, but rain, wind and waves are most common during the season of the southwest monsoon (June-August). The best time for scuba diving is from January to April, when the sea is calm, the sun is shining and the visibility can reach 30m. Decompression chambers can be found on Bandos in [wiki=a41e2b654a1d4a163025e2ef322e55e3]Kaafu[/wiki] (15min from Male), Kuredu in Lhaviyani Atoll and at Kuramathi on [wiki=85742cfba110d05d23d563c1d2427873]Alifu[/wiki].
The one downside to diving in the Maldives is that it's quite expensive by Asian standards. Prices vary considerably from resort to resort, with specialist dive resorts offering better prices, but in general, you'll be looking at around US$50 for a single boat dive with your own gear and closer to USD75 without. Beware of surcharges: you may be charged extra for boat use, guided dives, larger tanks, etc. On the upside, safety standards are usually very high, with well-maintained gear and strict adherence to protocol (check dives, maximum depth, computer use, etc) being the rule rather than the exception.
For the people who don't know dive, they can practice underwater scooters in Malé.
The Maldives is becoming an increasingly popular surfing destination. Turquoise water and perfect waves makes it an ideal and uncrowded destination for surfers looking for smooth surfing conditions.
The best period for surfing in the Maldives is between March and October; the biggest waves occurring in June, July and August. This paradise is exposed to the same swells as Indonesia is, except that its higher latitude and its South-East exposure offers cooler and less hardcore surfing.
The recent O’Neil Deep Blue Contests held in the Maldives has placed Maldives firmly on the world’s surf map. While most of the recognized surf breaks are in Male’ Atoll, there is certainly more to be discovered.
Specialized companies organize tailored multi-day boat trips in the region, allowing surfers to move easily from one point to another and maximizing the surfing time.
Friendly and professional staff offering over 40 dive sites with full facilities. Dive Courses, dive packages, single dive options available.
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Maldivian food revolves largely around fish (mas), in particular tuna (kandu mas), and draws heavily from the Sri Lankan and south Indian tradition, especially [wiki=e369d9fd2ab54455129816db19e37fd4]Kerala[/wiki]. Dishes are often hot, spicy and flavored with coconut, but use very few vegetables. A traditional meal consists of rice, a clear fish broth called garudhiya and side dishes of lime, chili and onions. Curries known as riha are also popular and the rice is often supplemented with roshi, unleavened bread akin to Indian roti, and papadhu, the Maldivian version of crispy Indian poppadums. Some other common dishes include:
* mas huni - shredded smoked fish with grated coconuts and onions, the most common Maldivian breakfast
* fihunu mas - barbequed fish basted with chili
* bambukeylu hiti - breadfruit curry
Snacks called hedhikaa, almost invariably fish-based and deep-fried, can be found in any Maldivian restaurant.
* bajiya - pastry stuffed with fish, coconut and onions
* gulha - pastry balls stuffed with smoked fish
* keemia - deep-fried fish rolls
* kulhi borkibaa - spicy fish cake
* masroshi - mas huni wrapped in roshi bread and baked
* theluli mas - fried fish with chili and garlic
Most resorts take up their own island (from the tiny 250x250m to the sprawling 1500x1500m), meaning that the ratio of beach to guests must be one of the best in the world and it is hard to imagine that you would ever have to struggle to find your own private piece of beach to relax on. Many have a "no shoes" policy and with such soft sands it is easy to love this idea.
The range and themes or the resorts is impressive, and most people will find one they like. Broadly speaking, however, they can be grouped into three brackets:
* Dive resorts, designed primarily for divers. Geared expressly for people who want to spend most of their time underwater, facilities on land are limited, but the house reef is usually excellent. Often found in the more far-flung parts of the archipelago.
* Holiday resorts, designed primarily for families. These are large and have a full complement of facilities (multiple restaurants, day-care centers, etc), but don't have over-the-top luxury and have less privacy. Most of these are located on [wiki=a41e2b654a1d4a163025e2ef322e55e3]Kaafu[/wiki], with easy access from Male.
* Luxury resorts, designed primarily for guests seeking romance, quality services in an idyllic location. The place to be if you want designer furniture, gourmet food and a plasma TV in an overwater villa reachable only by rowboat, and are willing to pay top dollar for the privilege.
A Maldivian classic is the overwater bungalow, built on stilts directly above a lagoon. While these look fabulous and sound appealing, they have their downsides:
* They're usually packed tightly together (often sharing a wall), meaning little privacy.
* Especially at low tide, the water level may be too low to allow swimming or snorkelling.
* Resort facilities may be a fair distance from the bungalows.
* The lapping of waves is romantic enough on a calm day, but can make it next to impossible to sleep if a storm blows through.
These factors vary from resort to resort, so research carefully. A good one is definitely worth trying at least once, but many Maldives repeaters prefer a bungalow with a private beach.
When considering where to go, factor in transport time and costs from the airport: the more far-flung resorts generally require an expensive seaplane transfer and you may have to stay overnight at the airport on the way. On the upside, the further away you are from Male, the more peaceful the islands and the better the diving.
Many resorts, especially the smaller dive-oriented ones, cater largely to a single nationality, leading to "Italian" resorts, "Dutch" resorts, "German" resorts, etc. While almost all welcome any nationality and have some English-speaking staff on hand, you may be cut off from any evening entertainment and have problems eg. diving if you don't speak the local lingo.
By now there are many guesthouses on inhabited islands. Maafushi island is popular among tourists looking for hassle-free accommodations of this sort. Low end prices are €25-35.
More examples include: Equator Village on Addu Atoll, a former RAF base converted to a 78 room hotel. Cost is around USD100-150 pp/per day all inclusive (includes regular brand alcohol). Another unique location is Keyodhoo Guest House, this guest house is located on top of a recreation centre build by Australian after the tsunami (USD20 pp/per night). Most travellers to these locations are scuba divers for the diving or adventure travellers. Other Inns/B&B can also be found on Vaavu Atoll, Dhaalu Atoll, Kaafu Atoll, North and South Male Atoll. Only a few of these Inn/B&B have their own pool. Be sure to inquire if bikini is allowed on the local beach. Travel between the inn and beach are usually very close but be sure to dress appropriately with Maldive customs.
More independent-minded travellers and those looking for cultural experience may consider renting rooms in villages. This will require either walking through the village and asking around if you're particularly confident of your social skills, or inquiring in Male whether someone can put you in contact with their friends or relatives on remote island for such an informal homestay. Prices can be as low as 15 euros per night for a clean functional room.
* For stays on the Fonadhoo island of the Laamu atoll, you can attempt to contact Mr. Wajeeh at 9990967, 9999364, emwajyh@gmail.com . He can also arrange pick-ups from Kadhdhoo airport (KDO).
Violence and discrimination often happens towards LGBT people and the government turns a blind eye towards it. Homosexuality is illegal: vigilante enforcement of Sharia law (i.e., murder on the spot) is possible though official government laws are limited to punishments of whipping/6 years in prison/house arrest/deportation.