The Most Beautiful Collections of Tropical Islands on Earth

Aisa’s rating of destinations - Maldives

Beaches | Diving & Snorkeling
Surfing
Culture & Sightseeing | Shopping

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Aisa votes Maldives one of the Top 10 Tropical Paradises in Asia. Maldives boasts spectacular white sand beaches, colorful coral reefs, blue lagoons and lush tropical forest. When it comes to tranquility & peace, and marvelous sea scenery, there is no rival of Maldives. It’s indeed an earthly paradise!

Besides, the Maldives is the smallest country in Asia in terms of population, thus comparing to Bali or Phuket there there can be many local tourist, Maldives is a quieter, more peaceful and relaxing place to be with a sense of detachment from anything urban!

The Maldives is an island nation in the Indian Ocean, with 1192 islands and 193 of them inhabited. These numerous islands were can be grouped into 26 coral atolls. Atolls are giant ring like coral formations. It is located south of India’s Lakshadweep islands, and about 700 kilometers south-west of Sri Lanka. Male is the capital city of Maldives.

The beaches in Maldives are nothing but spectacular. One of the best beaches in Maldives is Sun Island in the South Ari Atoll of Nalaguraidhoo island. It’s 62 miles from the Maldives airport at male. Sun Island, also known as flower of the indies, is a real paradise with soft sand, sparkling turquoise lagoons and over water bungalows.

Maldives is a great place for diving. It’s voted one of the top 10 dive sites in the world (the other two top 10 dive sites are Sipadan Island of Borneo in Malaysia and Similan Islands of Phuket in Thailand). Aisa thinks it’s probably the best in Indian Ocean, if not in Asia!

The water are very clear and warm throughout the year, and marine life is abundant and you will find amazingly diverse fish species. The reefs form exciting labyrinths for you to explore! North Male atoll and South Ari atoll provide reliably good diving around the atoll walls. If you are particularly interested in seeing turtles (and mantas), head to the Turtle Head Point!

When it comes to diving, every season has its charm in Maldives. From December to March, the water visibility is the best (can be as deep as 50 meters) and the humidity is very low, and it’s considered the best season to dive. During the south-west monsoon seasons from May to August, and the visibility is reduced. But you are likely to meet whale sharks in May. Night dives is fun as the reefs get active at night. However there are not many or interesting shipwrecks there.

While diving in Maldives is world standard, it can be expensive, comparing to other Asian tropical destinations. One tank scuba dive and equipment rental can cost over US$100.

Read more about Maldives at Surfing

Sightseeing activities are concentrated in Male, e.g., King’s Palace, Grand Friday Mosque, the Mulle Aage (Sultan’s Palace), the harbor, fish market, etc. Read more about Maldives at Shopping

Overwater bungalow is a Maldivian classic. The bungalows are built on stilts directly above a lagoon. Many Maldives repeaters prefer a bungalow with a private beach.

Did you know Weekend in Maldives runs from Friday to Saturday, during which government offices, banks and many shops are closed. You won’t notice this at the resorts though, as tourists.

The Maldives have a remarkably easy visa policy: everybody gets a free 30-day visa on arrival, provided that they have a valid travel document, a return ticket and proof of sufficient funds (either a confirmed reservation in any resort, or US$100 + $50/day in cash). This can be extended up to 90 days at Male. Importing alcohol, pork or pornography (very broadly defined) into the Maldives is forbidden. Alcohol is only sold on the resorts. All the luggage are X-rayed. Exporting sand or seashells is also forbidden.

The Maldives is the flattest country in the world, with a maximum natural ground level of only 2.3 meters. 80% of the area is one meter or less above sea level. The rising sea levels pose serious risks to the country.

Seasons The southwest monsoon brought wet season from mid-May to November. The tourist season are from November to April.

Official Website http://www.visitmaldives.com/

Text partly derived from Wikipedia and Wikitravel