The Maldives - A Diver's Paradise

Picture a scene of white powder sand and sparkling turquoise waters, lush green landscapes and a perfectly sunny climate. Now imagine relaxing amid this superbly peaceful scene - whether relaxation for you means lying under the golden sun, sipping a cool Pina Colada in the shade, or partaking in some of the best snorkeling and diving opportunities in the world. Are you in paradise? You could say that, after all, you are in the Maldives.

The Maldives is located to the south east of India and it is renowned for many things with stunning natural beauty being just one of them. Hundreds of thousands of holidaymakers flock to the Maldives each year to experience idyllic beaches, tropical seclusion and its sunny year-round climate. One of the most popular reasons people choose to holiday in the Maldives is for its diving and snorkeling. With its vast and diverse marine life, the Maldives makes for one of the world's top diving and snorkeling destinations.

Described as a "treasure trove of marine life", the Maldives is home to many beautiful types of fish, coral and sea plants. In fact, there are more than 700 types of fish swimming around the Maldives' coral reefs and atolls - some of the most common including the skipjack, sweetlips, fusiliers, dogtooth tuna and butterfly fish. With all of this variety, it's no wonder the Maldives have proven so popular with divers and snorkelers for many years. Close to the reefs where it's safe to swim, divers and snorkelers can also expect to see eels, sea turtles, octopus, anemones and manta rays. As well as exceptional diving and snorkeling opportunities, the Maldives is also a popular destination for underwater photography - so don't forget a waterproof camera on your trip.

However, experiencing marine life under the water isn't your only option on a holiday to the Maldives - you can also go dolphin or whale watching by boat. Local dolphin and whale watching companies will know exactly where to take you for the most opportune sightings in the area. There are over 20 different species of whales and dolphins that call the Maldives their home, including blue whales, sperm whales, bottlenose dolphins and spinner dolphins.

Even though the Maldives is the smallest Asian country in terms of both population and area, Maldives holidays have so much to offer - from stunning tropical beauty to a range of exhilarating water sport and land activities. After any trip to the Maldives you're bound to come away with one of the most memorable holiday experiences of your life.

What Everyone Ought to know about maldives

If you choose to travel to Maldives on holiday, you will experience a tranquil setting with a variety of water sports and other activities. However, before you go, you will need to read this Maldives travel guide to ensure you get the most out of your holiday.

The Maldives Islands are the ideal tropical holiday spot, comprised of 1,190 islands in the Indian Ocean. The temperature is warm, the water is clear, and the beaches are unpolluted. You can experience it all first-hand when you travel to Maldives and stay in a waterfront bungalow where you can simply open your front door to a breathtaking view.

Maldives offers many water sports you can try while you're there. You can choose to scuba dive, snorkel, surf or fish, or just sit back and watch the whales and dolphins. Maldives travelers can see a variety of sharks during their stay. Maldives has some 26 types of sharks, including the snaggletooth shark, scalloped hammerhead shark and the blacktip reef shark.

Are you looking for something to do besides water sports? There are plenty of other things to do when you travel to Maldives. Male (pronounced Mah-lay) is the largest city in Maldives. It has a dense population of more than 80,000 people, but it offers a host of attractions. Some of the most popular places to visit include:

* Sultan Park and the National Museum

* The Republic Square

* The Presidential Palace

* The Islamic Center

* The Grand Mosque

* The Fish Market

How to Get to Maldives

There aren't a lot of choices for how to travel to Maldives. No boats go to Maldives on a regular basis. This is because in addition to the costs involved, it is also difficult to maneuver around the reefs. Most people travel to Maldives by plane and arrive at the Male International Airport.

With 89 existing resorts and more in the works, tourism is a booming business. A large percentage of the visitors to Maldives are European, therefore most of the flights come from the UK, Germany and Italy.

How to Travel the Maldives Islands Constance Moofushi

Getting around in Maldives Islands is fairly easy because the distance from Point A to Point B is never very great. Once on the islands, boats are used as the main mode of transportation. Helicopter rides are always an option. Private yachts are also available for local transportation if you are willing to splurge a little.

Environmental Concerns in Maldives

There are a few simple rules to keep in mind during your Maldives holidays. Maldives is experiencing some environmental concerns due to global warming, overpopulation, air pollution and deforestation. The environment is fragile. Therefore, travelers aren't allowed to take any sand or seashells home with them. Fishing is often limited to the catch-and-release method, as well, and travelers aren't allowed to kill turtles. The idea is to preserve and protect the Maldives so future generations also can enjoy the pleasure of these islands.

A Luxurious and Relaxing Holiday Destination

Anyone traveling to Maldives can expect Maldives luxury Resorts, relaxation and fun in the sun. You'll be surrounded by paradise, treated like royalty and blanketed in the warmth of the sun. You couldn't ask for a more picturesque location for holiday than Maldives.

Maldives Are the Ultimate Destination

You may have heard of the Maldives, an island nation located near the equator in the Indian Ocean, but you may not be aware of what an amazing location it is for those who love diving. The Maldives is made up of 26 atolls running north to south, about 700 km to the southwest of Sri Lanka.

The islands are actually the tops of an undersea mountain range and spread out over 90,000 square kilometers. Of the 1,192 islets that make up the Maldives, about 200 are inhabited. The population is greatest in the city of Malé, the capital city, and this is where most Maldives vacations begin, because of the international airport located there.

Over 80% of the land in the Maldives is made up of coral islands, composed of both living coral and coral debris from around 200 different species of coral. The coral reefs act as a protective barrier against the sea, forming numerous lagoons. The barrier reefs protect the Maldives from higher waves off the Indian Ocean, making for some of the best diving on earth! The array of sea life you can see on a Maldives holiday is astounding, with not only corals, but more than 2,000 different fish species, including eagle rays, stingrays, reef sharks, and species that have not even been classified yet Hudhuran Fushi Resort

April to October is the rainy season in the Maldives the season of the moist, southwest monsoons. The temperature year-round is nearly constant, with overnight lows around 25 degrees C (77 Fahrenheit) and daytime highs around 30 degrees C (86 degrees Fahrenheit). Nearly constant cool sea breezes keep the warm climate from being uncomfortable.

The first tourist resorts in the Maldives didn't open until the 1970s, but between then and 2007, over 8 million people visited the nation, and a large percentage of those visitors went for the amazing diving experiences. Usually visitors arrive at Malé International Airport, which is served by flights from Southeast Asia, Dubai, Doha, and Sri Lanka. The Gan Airport on the atoll of Addu, is served by international flights to Milan several days a week.

A diving safari in the Maldives is the ultimate vacation for the person who loves diving. The sheer extent of the waters that can be explored is amazing, and you can book liveaboard diving safaris in which you live on-board cruise ships, cruising the atolls and finding the very best diving spots to explore, under the guidance of Maldivian dive instructors.

Package holidays are available that cover airport transfers to and from the cruise ship. For liveaboard diving, a minimum of a PADI Open Water Diver or equivalent certificate is required, with a PADI Advanced Open Water certificate preferred so that the diver can dive up to 30 meters along with the rest of the group. Divers undergo an initial check guide to check out gear and for the dive guide to assess diving abilities in the group. For divers who would like extra dive support, guided dives can be arranged, usually for a cost of around US$10 per dive.

Maldives diving is the best anywhere, and a diving safari in the Maldives is the ultimate diving vacation. The Maldives as a nation is focused on making diving holidays the best anywhere in the world. There's no question that the coral reefs, the beautiful tropical waters, and the huge array of sea life make the Maldives the best destination on earth for an unforgettable diving vacation.

If you are looking for exciting Holidays to Maldives you will find that there are many things to do on your holiday including Maldives Diving.

Wildlife In The Maldives

While most people would expect a tropical paradise to contain large variety of land animals, this just isn't true of the Maldives. There are a number of different bats, most memorable of which are the large fruit bats that roost in the trees at night. There are also many species of lizard and gecko that are pretty ubiquitous and can be seen crawling on most walls and even ceilings.
There is one important point to make about the land animals in the Maldives, and that is that they are relatively safe. There are very few animals that will do you harm, and even mosquitoes are rare. There are ants centipedes and even scorpions but these are generally not a problem unless you go about intentionally annoying them.

There are as can be expected a large number of seabirds, most of which are migratory or introduced, as the land mass in the Maldives is just not big enough to support large populations of many different species. However, there are about 12 or 13 different species of Heron that can be seen feeding in the shallows at low tide.

The real exciting wildlife in the Maldives can only be seen when you put on your swimsuit and get into the water, preferably with either a snorkel or dive gear. The underwater fauna is absolutely amazing. There are several species of turtle, many of which are endangered that can be found in the waters around the Maldives, at least four of which nest on the islands. However, widespread collection of eggs and reduction in the number of nesting sites means these turtles are in serious trouble.

Coral is probably the single most important organism in the Maldives, as it is responsible for all of the reefs surrounding each island. The coral reefs are particularly beautiful, creating habitats for hundreds if not thousands of tropical fish. It is these reefs that pull the thousands of tourists that visit the Maldives every year. If you are interested in tropical fish it might be worthwhile taking a field guide with you as they are very easy to find and most are easy to identify with the right guide.

Sharks! There are of course many different species of shark in the Maldives, from the white tipped reef shark, through to hammer heads and even the occasional whale shark. However, this should not put you off diving in the Maldives as there is such an abundance of food in the waters that the chances of being attacked are slim to none. And this is probably one of the few places in the world where you can feel safe swimming with 2m sharks!

Dolphins and Whales are also relatively common in the Maldives, however you will need to take a tour boat or whale watching trip to see them up close.
The Maldives are renowned the world over for there dive sites and abundance of tropical fish, we all want it to stay that way so be careful and don't take any fish or damage any coral while you are enjoying yourself.

For more great resources and tips about the Maldives visit my site Maldives Vacations. Or for great travel deals visit Maldives Vacations Enjoy the Maldives

Travel to the Maldives

If you are looking for extreme luxury with tropical surroundings, you don't have to look any further - the Maldives is a perfect destination for a once in a lifetime vacation.

Once a completely remote and isolated tropical paradise, the Maldives has now become a very popular holiday destination for Europeans and Americans. The Maldives is made up of a group of atolls with luxury resorts scattered around its coastline.

The Republic of Maldives is located in the Indian Ocean. Situated south of India and south west of Sri Lanka, the Maldives total twenty-six atolls with over 1000 small islands, most of which are inhabitable.

Most of the resorts have their own entities with some resorts taking up whole islands - these resorts offer great privacy and ensure a relaxing vacation. Nearly all of the holiday resorts are located on the five main atolls, which are Kaafu, Vaavu, Baa, Alifu and Lhaviyani. Alifu is the main tourist zone where new hotels and resorts are in the process of being built.

Travelling to the Maldives is pretty straightforward. Standard travel documents, such as a passport are needed, but you don't need a visa. Visas are only required if you are planning to work there.

Accommodation in the Maldives differs from resort to resort and from island to island. Some resorts offer basic huts with outdoor bathroom facilities that will give you the traditional island feel, while others offer all the standard services that we are accustomed too.

Most of the resorts in the Maldives provide some, or all, types of water trips. Night time fishing trips are a special treat. The Maldives is also known as one of the best diving destinations in the world and the resorts cater very well for this. Most of the resorts have got their own diving school.

The seas around the Maldives also provide great areas for snorkelling; the coral reefs are amazing and are full of great and wonderful marine life. But to see the full extent of the amazing sea around the Maldives you need to go deep into the sea. A deep-sea dive will certainly be worth it and these are widely available.

The Maldives is also a perfect spot for any type of water sports, especially windsurfing and scuba diving and is also a great destination like Anantara Kihavah for sailing and water-skiing.

Most of the resorts have their own bars and restaurants. The food is similar on most resorts with restaurants ranging from Oriental to Middle Eastern. Most resorts have coffee shops that serve light snacks. Fish and rice are the two most common dishes in the Maldives

If you are looking for some thing different a cruise around the islands of the Maldives is certainly the best way to see the area. This is a unique experience and will give you a great insight into the region.

The resorts of the Maldives are very well known for their lavish spa treatment. Along with its stunning white sandy beaches and glorious sunshine the Maldives will certainly make for a great holiday.

Maldivians take to the streets to witness Supermoon

The “supermoon” visible to the Maldives on March 20, 2011 around around 12.10 am midnight. HAVEERU PHOTO/ AHMED ABDULLA SAEED

By Ali Naafiz

MALE, March 20 (HNS) – Dozens of Maldivians took to the streets of the capital Male, and gathered in Hulhumale, to witness the “supermoon”, as a fluke of orbital mechanics brought the moon closer to Earth than it has been in more than 18 years, last evening.

Last night at around 12.10 am midnight, the moon arrived at its closest point to the Earth in 2011: a distance of 221,565 miles (356,575 kilometres) away, making it appear some 14 percent larger and 32 percent brighter than normal.

“The moon has never caught my attention before; I’ve never spared any time to look at it. But today, it seems it’s an opportunity that one can get once in his lifetime,” an enthusiastic young Maldivian in the ‘Lonuziyaaraiykolhu’ area of capital Male said.

The Maldivian Association for the Advancement of Science (MAAS), meanwhile, organized a special ‘moon viewing’ event in Hulhumale, where they set up telescopes, providing the chance for enthusiastic Maldivians to have a much closer look at the “supermoon”.

“We made arrangements for anyone to come up to us at any time, starting from 8pm last evening, to view the moon. A lot of people turned up to view the moon; the turnout was much higher than our expectations,” the association’s founder member, Ahid said.

A large number of people also gathered at ‘Lonuziyaaraiykolhu’ area, the area of Boduthakurufaanu Magu where small stalls which sell locally made snacks, the ‘Thin Ruh’ park area and several other places, to witness the phenomenon.

“I came here to see the moon, just to have a look at it. I expect the moon to be as large and as beautiful as they say it is,” Ismail Hassan, 21, who was also at the ‘Lonuziyaaraiykolhu’ area, said.

At the special moon viewing event, maldives holidays organized by MAAS at the Hulhumale stage area from 8-11pm, the association gave two presentations to educate the crowd starring at the bright moon.

“The moon, at its nearest point to the Earth, was in mid-sky. So when people look at the moon through the telescope, their neck gets strained. Moreover, the moon was so bright it makes it difficult to look at it for long,” Ahid said.

Joyous comments erupted from several Maldivians on several social networking websites such as Twitter and Facebook, with some describing the moon “a beauty that should be seen”.

The Moon’s distance varies each month between approximately 354,000km (220,000 miles) and 410,000 km (254,000 miles) due to its elliptical orbit around Earth. The moon has not been in a position to appear this large since March 1993.

We are with Japan

Japan had been one of the biggest donor country to Maldives, Japanese aid had benefited average Maldivian life much in past few decades. And Maldivians are in debt to Japan and it people. We would like sympathize with its people for the loss they had been going through recent earth quack and tsunami. We would like to assure Japanese clients visiting Maldives and those who have not visited Maldives that the people of Maldives are with you. May god give you courage and may you rebuild the loss soon.

 

Maldives Holidays

Latest Special Offers to Maldives

 

Maldives Special Offers, Maldives Holidays

Resort: Sun Island Resort and Spa
Validity: 21st Apr 2011 till 25th July 2011

The following is inclusive on your Package: 

7 nights accommodation in Deluxe Room, with Half Board Meals that is Daily Breakfast and Dinner, Seaplane Return Transfer, Bed Tax, Service charge and GST. All Included

The above price is per person on Twin Share basis. 

If You intend to have a holiday on another period or for fewer or longer days please do let us know. We will contact you instantly

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Resort: Bandos Island Resort & Spa
Validity: 1st May till 31st July 2011

Your Package include 4 nights accommodation in Bandos Island Resort, Standard Beach Front Room, Daily Breakfast and Return Speed Boat Transfer

The above price is based on Twin Share Basis per person. 

Please note if you want to customize the package for your requirement we are more than happy to

 

For More information and bookings please visit

http://www.maldivesholidays.travel

 

Maldives Resort Islands

Maldives Comprises of some of the best resort islands in the world. The true beauty of natural islands, and its one island resort concept is some rare in the world. Today some 600,000 visitors spend their holiday in Maldives. The growing markets are English, Italian and Chinese. Chinese market is believe to grow immensely in the next few years. In order to cater to tourist demand, Maldives is remaking its infrastructure to and government of Maldives has successfully awarded its International airport to be developed as 6 Million tourist airport by making a new terminal in line with latest technology.

 

Maldives luxury island resorts are today the best places for those who want to find a hideaway and spa, some of the islands include Shangrila Villingili, Hilton Maldives Irufushi , Kanuhura Maldives