Maldives
Maldives Holiday
Due west of the southern tip of India is a group of tiny coral islands scattered across the Indian Ocean like a string of pearls. The archipelago consists of over 1,000 islands, all surrounded by the finest white sand beaches and warm crystal blue waters offering an underwater utopia of unparalleled colour and marine life.
This stunning destination is one of the top dive locations and is also perfect for a whole variety of watersports in the shallow, emerald lagoons ideal for the novice or expert.
We have chosen a small selection of islands which vary greatly in size, standards and facilities. Some are more sophisticated resorts offering swimming pools, entertainment and a wider choice of cuisine and accommodation. Others have retained the typical 'no news, no shoes' flavour with thatched roofs, ceiling fans and open air bathrooms. This secluded setting where temperatures average around 85°F year all year round and peace and quiet are the order of the day really is the nearest thing to paradise.
If you travel to the Maldives by ship, chances are that you'll be greeted by a shower of flying fish or a school of dolphin leaping in welcome. By air the spectacle is just as beguiling. About 1,200 islands and sandbanks lie across the sea like specks of dust blown from a giant hand. Some carry a knot of coconut palms or a cluster of buildings. Most people dream of a perfect island, a microcosm of sunshine and peace. Here in the Maldives you'll be convinced you've found it.This flotilla of land masses trails down the centre of the Indian Ocean, some 720 km (450 miles) southwest of Sri Lanka. The Maldives are composed of 26 natural atolls divided into 20 administrative areas. The word "atoll" in the Maldivian language describes a ring-shaped coral island surrounding a lagoon.
The islands take all shapes-crescent, heart-shaped or nearly circular. None is more than 6 ft above sea-level and only 203 are inhabited. Total land area is 300 sq km (115 sq miles), scattered over a stretch of ocean 800 km (500 miles) long by 130 km (80 miles) at its widest point. It supports a population of some 263,000 Maldivians.The people are a mixture of Sri Lankans, Indians, Indonesians, Malayans, Arabs, Africans and Europeans. Originally Buddhist, they were converted to Islam in the 12th century. Their language, Dhivehi, contains a great many Arabic words. However, most people speak English thanks to British presence as late as 1976, the year from which the country dates its existence as the independent Republic of the Maldives.
Maldivians are a reticent, polite, attractive race whose self-contained manner should not be mistaken for unfriendliness. Ninety per cent of them fish for a living. For centuries they have put out to sea in dhow-like boats called dhoni, built from coconut wood. When conditions are right some eight to ten men, working with pole and line, can bring in 500 big fish in a couple of hours from one of these simple craft. Once the catch was dried to make "Maldive fish" for Sri Lanka, while today fresh fish is sold to foreign companies for freezing, canning and export, especially to the Far East. Shipping, tourism, handicrafts and limited agriculture are the islands' only other resources.
Maldivian clothing is simple and striking. You won't see many women in the streets but their traditional dress is the feyli, long-skirted, with a tunic top sometimes beautifully embroidered. The men wear a long, wrap-around skirt and turban or other head-covering. Dress is strictly modest, for the Muslim population here takes its religion seriously-no pork or alcohol is allowed on the non-touristic islands. But European drinking habits are taken for granted in the hotels.Life here is a one-island, one-idea affair. The airport occupies Hulule, the tiny capital sits on Male, the prison has an island to itself and each hotel resort commands a whole lagoon-encircled, palm-embroidered world. It may take you all of 20 minutes to cross your island-if you walk very slowly indeed.