Introduction:
Resorts in the Maldives woo tourists with promises of 'the
last paradise on earth', and if your idea of paradise is a
pristine tropical island with swaying palm trees, pure white
beaches and brilliant turquoise lagoons, then the Maldives
will not disappoint.
It's also a major destination for scuba divers, who come for
the fabulous coral reefs and the wealth of marine life. But
it's not a place for low budget backpackers or amateur anthropologists
who want to travel independently and live as the locals do.
Tourism in the Maldives is carefully managed. The lack of
local resources makes it necessary to import virtually everything
a visitor needs, so it can't really compete on price. The
strategy has been to develop a limited number of quality resorts,
each on its own uninhabited island, free from traffic, crime
and crass commercialism.
The tourism strategy also aims to minimise the adverse effects
of tourism on traditional Muslim communities. Tourists can
make short guided visits to local fishing villages, but must
then return to their resort. To stay longer or to travel to
atolls outside the tourist zone requires a good reason, a
special permit, and a local person to sponsor the visitor.
 When
to Visit Maldives:
If you're looking for a few extra hours of sunshine then you
should visit the Maldives between December and April, which
is the dry season. This is the high season, however, and resorts
can be fully booked and prices are higher than the rest of
the year. The Christmas-New Year period is the busiest and
most expensive part of the high season. Between May and November
it's still warm, but the skies can be cloudy, humidity is
higher and rain is more likely. This is the low season, and
there are fewer tourists and prices are lower. The transition
months of November and April are said to be associated with
increased water clarity and better visibility for divers.
Attraction
in Maldives Malé:
About 2km (1.2mi) long and 1km (0.62mi) wide, Malé
is small, quaint, and densely settled. Though not spectacular,
it is quite unique as a capital city. It's clean and tidy,
with mosques, markets, a maze of small streets and a certain,
sometimes sleepy, charm all its own.
 Malé is packed to the edges with buildings, roads and
a few well-used open spaces. Officially, the population is
around 65,000, but with foreign workers and short-term visitors
from other islands, there may be as many as 100,000 people
in town - it certainly feels like it.
Resorts:
The vast majority of visitors come to the Maldives on package
tours, staying at one of the 70-plus resort islands. Most
resorts are in the three atolls closest to the capital - North
Malé Atoll, South Malé Atoll and Ari Atoll.
Despite their apparent similarity, however, they differ considerably.
Judging by the brochures, all the resorts are beautiful and
are blessed with white sand, blue sea and swaying palm trees,
and they all promise great diving. But they can vary distinctly
in their comfort, cuisine, clientele, character and their
suitability for various excursions and activities.
Seenu (Addu Atoll):
This is the 'second city' of the Maldives, and the resort
here is the best base from which to visit traditional Maldivian
island communities. The Addu people are fiercely independent,
speak differently from folk in the capital and at one time
even tried to secede from the republic.
 Tourist development in Addu has been slow to start, but a
resort has been established in the old RAF buildings on Gan.
Gan is linked by causeways to the adjacent islands, and it's
easy to get around them by bicycle, giving unmatched opportunities
to visit the local villages and see village life.
Reaching
Maldives:
There are regular flights to Colombo (Sri Lanka), Thrivandrum
(southwest India), Dubai (United Arab Emirates), and Kuala
Lumpur (Malaysia), as well as many charter flights from European
centres. Malé International Airport is the only international
gateway; departure tax is 10.00. There are regular cargo ships,
but they don't usually take passengers. The Maldives is not
popular with private yachts because the reefs are so hazardous
and cruising permits are restrictive and expensive. |
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