About
The Maldives is a tropical paradise in the Indian Ocean southwest of Sri Lanka. It is renown for its crystal clear waters, white sandy beaches and luxurious resorts.
There are over 160 resorts spread over the many atolls and islands that make up the Maldives. Most islands are 1 resort per island. The main attractions centre around the perfect waters and include swimming, snorkeling, diving, surfing, non-motorised water sports such as SUP’s, paddleboats and windsurfing aswell as motorised water sports like banana boat rides. Of course there is always the option of pure relaxation on the white sandy beach or by the resort pool or why not treat yourself to a relaxing spa treatment.
Accommodation – ranges depending on your resort of choice but most will have a variety of standard villas, beachfront villas and overwater villas. Some also come with the option of your own private pool.
Day Trips – Most resorts will offer a variety of day trips to choose from at additional cost. These may include snorkeling at an outer reef, fishing or even swimming with the gentle giants of the ocean, whale sharks (depending on season). Be warned though, you will come across many reef sharks, don’t worry, they aren’t dangerous, an abundance of multi-coloured fish and coral, sting rays, eagle rays (my favourite) and as I personally experienced, the occasional Hammerhead. It was confronting to see this shark but it was just curious, swam up to see what everyone was doing then turned around and swam away again.
Marine Conservation – Most resorts are very conscious about the importance of marine and coral conservation in the region and actively support and participate in coral restoration. Some also have their own coral “nurseries” where they grow coral and relocate it once it reaches a certain size.
When swimming in coral regions, no matter where you are in the world, it is important to play your part to ensure the survival of these beautiful reefs for future generations to enjoy. Make sure you don’t stand on or break any of the coral and make sure your sunscreen is marine safe as some sunscreens are known to kill coral. Better yet, wear a swimming vest when snorkeling that way you really only require sunscreen on your face and not your whole body.
Facts – Capital Male. Language Dhivehi but English is widely spoken at all resorts Best time to visit is November – April (dry season) Currency Maldivian Rufiyaa but the majority of resorts will only deal with USD Visas are not required for Australian passport holders. A 30day visitor visa will be issued on arrival. Getting there will depend on your resort. You will arrive at Male airport and from there you will be transferred to your island paradise by either high speed boat or by seaplane. Please be aware of your arrival times though if you require a seaplane transfer as these do not operate after 4pm. If your flight arrives in Male in the afternoon, you may need to one nights accommodation in Male first. Dress Code is casual so leave your fancy clothes at home. The one main rule is you must be covered to enter a restaurant which means no bare chests, no singlets, no bikinis but shorts and tshirt or casual dress is completely acceptable. Shoes are optional everywhere including restaurants. Word of warning though, the boardwalks get HOT so please don’t leave your villa without some sort of footwear unless you are prepared to sprint or get third degree burns on the soles of your feet. Boardwalks are prone to getting that hot that resorts of large vats of water spread along the boardwalk with large ladles so that you can cool your feet off. Wi-Fi is available at most resorts
If you are loving the sound of a tropical island holiday and Maldives is top of your list, head to my blog to find out all about the time I spent there with my daughter.
If you like doing your own planning but would appreciate a little extra help, you can always purchase one of my downloadable itineraries where all the hard work is done for you.
All information was correct at the time of writing this article. Avanti Travel takes measures to ensure that information contained is kept up to date but does not accept any liability if details of any tour, activity, event etc changes after publishing.
