Playing Crusoe by a lazy lagoon, tropical islands at their unspoilt best, underwater reef gardens teeming with fish - the ultimate get-away-from-it-all holiday
Imagine a group of over 1000 perfectly unspoilt coral islands, most of them idyllically palm-fringed and uninhabited. Picture their powder soft, white sandy beaches, crystal clear, coral-ringed lagoons and underwater reef gardens, teeming with colourful fish and coral shells. This paradise for beach lovers and snorkellers is the Maldives, which lie on the equator some 300 miles south west of Sri Lanka, in the Indian Ocean.
A protectorate of Britain for over 75 years until 1965, the Maldives first came to the attention of the outside world when they were discovered by Arab traders at the beginning of the last millennium, marking the beginning of trade in pearls and spices. Despite brief periods of Portuguese and British influence, and raiding parties from India, the islands have been independent for most of their known history and today maintain relations with many countries, especially Sri Lanka, their main trading partner.
With a total population of under 250,000, a quarter of them in and around the capital, Male, the Maldivian economy relies mainly on traditional industries such as boat building, the production of handicrafts, mat weaving and, of course, tourism. Agriculture is a cottage industry, the principal crops being sweet potatoes, maize, coconuts and vegetables produced for mixed salads which, with lime juice for added flavour, is an island favourite.
General Information
An 11 hour flight from the UK transports you to this tropical paradise
(5 hours ahead of Britain) where, on arrival at Male Airport, you will
be met by our local representative and transferred to the island of your
choice by boat or seaplane (see 'Island Transfers' below). A local phone
number for contact in case of emergency is provided but, due to the geographical
dispersion of the islands, the representative will not travel with you
or pay regular visits. Hotels, however, will organise island-hopping day
trips to other resorts and boat trips to reefs for snorkelling and many
have on-site dive centres. Entertainment tends to be low key but occasional
local events are organised at individual resorts. As the Maldives are
located on the Indian Ocean's trade routes a strong Arabic influence is
evident in culture and language. As a courtesy to the Islamic tradition
one should remember to adopt suitable modest clothing when visiting Male
and be prepared for the restrictions applied during Ramadan.
Island transfers
There are three forms of transport for getting from island to island,
check hotel details to see which one applies in each case. As the sea
can be rough from May to July an air transfer may be preferred.
Dhonis: local transport used by hotels for transfers to seaplane jetties or nearby islands. Speed boats: used by most hotels for longer transfers. Sea Planes: used by more remote hotels but also available to most resorts at a supplement.
NB: as transfers are subject to weather conditions it may sometimes be necessary to overnight in Male on inbound or outbound journeys in the event of flight delays or rough seas. Sea planes are not permitted to fly in darkness.
