Introducing the Maldives
The Maldives is an archipelago comprising of 26 magnificent atolls settled in the Arabian Sea of the Indian Ocean. The atolls spread out on a 298 kilometer square area placing the Maldives among the world’s most geographically scattered countries. The Maldives is the smallest Asian country. Its population is made up of about 393,500 inhabitants. The capital of the archipelago is Malé which is also known as King’s Island.
The most important and largest Economic Industry of the Maldives is the Tourism Industry. The latter attracts a significant amount of visitors from the United Kingdom, Italy, China, Indian, France, Japan, South Korea, Germany, Russia and Switzerland. In 2015, a total of 1,234,248 people visited the Maldives from those countries.
Brief overview
The Maldives are reputed for their gorgeous beaches and its blue ocean. The Maldives is blessed with a rich marine life which attracts visitors from all over the world! It has a wide variety of water sports that it offers to the tourism such as Scuba diving, Snorkeling, Windsurfing, big sea fishing, Kite boarding and water-skiing.
The Maldives is one of the top honeymoon destinations where couples get to experience the most romantic underwater scenery and have an amazing honeymoon in the Maldives. The latter is in fact believed to be one of the most superb recreational diving destinations of the entire world! A global survey conducted by Agoda.com suggested that the Maldives is the most desired destination for honeymooners.
Best season to go to the Maldives
Weather & Climate
Before you set out for any foreign countries, the weather and climate are something you should definitely do your research on!
In the Maldives, you are most likely to be blessed with the ideal weather conditions for your holiday. For the majority of the year, the weather in the archipelago is bright and shiny. As a tropical destination, the Maldives offers the perfect weather conditions for your holidays.
The average temperature in the Maldives varies at 30 degrees Celsius. The temperature is pretty much stable and does not fluctuate much in the archipelago where the lowest point ever registered was 25 degrees Celsius while the highest temperature recorded in the past was 33 degrees Celsius.
The Maldives has two distinct seasons like every tropical island in the Indian Ocean which are the Wet season and the Dry season.
The Dry Season
The Dry season occurs from December to the end of March. This is the time during which you should plan your holiday trip to the Maldives. During this season, the climate is hot and humid while the islands are blessed with sunshine followed with cooling sea breezes. Periodic rain might occur here and there.
The Wet Season
The Wet season appears from May to October. You might want to avoid coming to the Maldives during this season where rainfalls occurs frequently! The temperature rises to over 30 degrees and humidity level also increases.
The Capital of the Maldives-Malé
The capital of the Maldives is densely populated as you can observe in the picture above. It has a population of more than 130 000 living in a mere area of 5.8 kilometer square which ranks it among the most densely populated cities in the world. Malé is geographically situated in the Kaafu Atoll. The latter is heavily urbanized and is a unique city which is definitely worth your time.
Stroll around the city and have a blast discovering its history, culture and religion as you get to know this unique city full of wonderful surprises. Be sure to climb up the city’s tallest buildings to get to contemplate the gorgeous bird eye view of Malé.
The main attractions in Malé are the National Museum, the Fish Market, Old Friday mosque and Sultan Park.
The National Musuem
The National Museum encloses a compilation of historical artifacts relating to the absorbing past of the islands. Don’t be deceived by the ugly building of the Museum. It contains a lot of interesting artifacts which is definitely worth a visit! However, in 2012 many ancient Buddhist coral stone which dates back to the Maldives pre-Islamic period were destroyed by mobs during protests against the then President of the Maldives.
The Old Friday Mosque
The Old Friday Mosque is the oldest mosque in the Maldives which dates back to 1656, making it a ancient building of 361 years old! It includes a wonderful structure of Quranic script fabricated from coral stone. You need to be well-dressed and respectful to be granted access to the mosque. Note that the majority of the staffs of the mosque are officials of the ministry!
Water Sports in the Maldives
Scuba diving
Prepare yourself for the most amazing adventure of your life in the underwater world of the Maldives. Dive in the open ocean and explore the picturesque scenery that opens up to you, a digital underwater camera will be needed to capture those extra ordinary moments!
Meet up with a variety of sharks, tuna, manta rays, sea turtles, eagle rays and many more. Explore the giant colorful corals and have an amazing diving experience in the Maldives.
Submarine tour
Set up for a 45 minute tour 100 feet under the ocean of the Maldives and enjoy the sceneries that follow. Being under a certified crew, they will make sure that you have a wonderful experience. You will be exposed to interesting information on the creatures and wonders that you encounter in the underwater world of Maldives.
Snorkeling
Discover how beautiful and exotic the marine life of the Maldives is with snorkeling. The lagoon is filled with innocent reef sharks, sting rays, eagle rays and sea turtles and many more. Be among the lucky ones to spot these beautiful creatures while having a relaxed snorkeling experience under the blue sky and bright sun of the Maldives. Contemplate the wide variety of colorful corals and marine creatures. You will access the deep lagoon by speedboat which you will embark on from Malé. Surrounded by Certified snorkeling guides, they will ensure that you have a wonderful experience!
