Maldives is known for her natural environment including the Blue Ocean, white beaches, and clean air. Its climate is ideal for visitors to get engaged in water sports such as swimming, fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling, and water-skiing. Windsurfing and kite boarding.
The natural environment of the Maldives attracts tourists all over the world and every year. Its tourism industry is today the Maldives’ largest revenue generator.
Officially the Republic of Maldives, is a small archipelagic island country in South Asia, situated in the Arabian Sea of the Indian Ocean. It lies southwest of Sri Lanka and India, about 700 kilometres from the Asian continents
Maldives consists of about 1,200 small coral islands and sandbanks (some 200 of which are inhabited), grouped in clusters, or atolls.
The islands extend more than 510 miles (820 km) from north to south and 80 miles (130 km) from east to west. The northernmost atoll is about 370 miles (600 km) south-southwest of the Indian mainland, and the central area, including the capital island of Male (Male’), is about 400 miles (645 km) southwest of Sri Lanka. Land
The Maldive Islands are a series of coral atolls built up from the crowns of a submerged ancient volcanic mountain range. All the islands are low-lying, none rising to more than 6 feet (1.8 metres) above sea level. Barrier reefs protect the islands from the destructive effects of monsoons. The rainy season, from May to August, is brought by the southwest monsoon; from December to March the northeast monsoon brings dry and mild winds. The average annual temperature varies from 76 to 86 °F (24 to 30 °C). Rainfall averages about 84 inches (2,130 mm) per year. The atolls have sandy beaches, lagoons, and a luxuriant growth of coconut palms, together with breadfruit trees and tropical bushes. Fish abound in the reefs, lagoons, and seas adjoining the islands; sea turtles are caught for food and for their oil, a traditional medicine.
The People of Maldives
Maldives is entirely dominated by the Maldivian ethnic group, which is the result of various peoples settling in the islands successively through the country’s history. The first settlers, it is generally believed, were Tamil and Sinhalese peoples from southern India and Sri Lanka. Traders from Arab countries, Malaya, Madagascar, Indonesia, and China visited the islands through the centuries. The official language is an Indo-European language called Dhivehi (or Maldivian); Arabic, Hindi, and English are also spoken. Islam is the state religion. Slightly more than half of the population is considered rural. With the exception of those living in Male, the only relatively large settlement in the country, the inhabitants of the Maldives live in villages on small islands in scattered atolls. Only about 20 of the islands have more than 1,000 inhabitants, and the southern islands are more densely populated than the northern ones. The birth rate for the Maldives is somewhat higher than the world average, but the death rate is lower. More than one-fifth of the total population is under 15 years of age.
Tourism
Maldives consists of exclusive hotel on its own island, with its population entirely made up of tourists and work force, with no local people or houses.
The islands developed for tourism are typically 800 by 200 metres in size, and are composed of sand and coral to a maximum height of about 2 metres above the sea. In addition to its beach encircling the island, each island has its own “house reef” which serves as a coral garden and natural aquarium for scuba divers and snorkelers. The shallow water enclosed by the house reef also serves as a large natural swimming pool and protects swimmers from the ocean waves and strong tidal currents outside the house reef.
The buildings on a typical resort include rooms and suites reserved for use by its guests, restaurants, coffee shops, shops, lounges, bars, discos and diving schools. A portion of the island also contains staff lodgings and support services such as catering, power generators, laundry, and a sewage plant. On-island shops offer a wide range of products, such as souvenirs and artifacts. Most resorts offer a wide variety of activities such as aerobics, volleyball and table tennis.
Workers of the tourism industry are represented by the Tourism Employees Association of Maldives (TEAM).
Due to their extraordinary underwater scenery and clean water, the Maldives is ranked among the best recreational diving destinations of the world, with over 60 local dive sites across the islands. It was also reported to be the world’s most desired honeymoon destination, according to a global survey by Agoda.com.
HOW EXPENSIVE IS MALDIVES
It is said that Maldives is not a cheap destination. However, it depends on how long you want to go for but you will be lucky to get change out of $3000 for flights, transfers, standard room, food and drink for 7 nights’ per2 people.
Going the other way, the sky really is the limit with some rooms going for in excess of $10,000 per night.
While some people argue that Maldives is the most expensive beach holiday destination overall, but remains the very best. It is exceedingly expensive, and would be more expensive in the future.
Prices do drop quite a lot in the wet season, starting from May to November making December to March its peak season, but the Maldives is still expensive. It is not just the cost of accommodation but also the cost of food and drink. Then there are taxes and service charges which can add 20% to the cost of food and drink and other services.
Some Tourists Sites in Maldives
Maafushi: One of the inhabited islands of Kaafu Atoll and the proposed capital for the Medhu Uthuru Province of the Maldives.
Meeru Island: An island on the easternmost tip of North Malé Atoll in the Maldives. It is located South West of Sri Lanka on the equator. There is a choice of restaurants and bars on the island as well as a coffee shop.
Malé Hukuru Miskiy: Also known as the Old Friday Mosque is one of the oldest and most ornate mosques in the city of Malé, Kaafu Atoll, Maldives.