Sunny, white sandy beaches, sounds good, doesn’t it?  While you can find these nearly anywhere, the Maldives, which are located southwest of Sri Lanka, are one of the most relaxing yet adventurous tropical paradise locations that you can find.  In terms of tourism the country is relatively new since tourists did not start pouring into the country until the 1970s.

How did that snake get there? He’ll be lonely

Since then, the country has worked hard to provide their guests with a once in a lifetime experience. However, because of environmental factors that threaten to overwhelm the Maldives, many will only have a chance to experience them once in their life.

The Maldives are a collection of 1,190 coral islands that together form 26 major atolls.  Of the islands, there are 202 that are inhabited and 87 that are private resort islands.  While the islands offer a lot for visitors to do, one of the most interesting aspects of the islands is their culture.  The islands were originally inhabited by a variety of settlers who were from different parts of the world; this resulted in a melting pot of cultures that still thrives today with some of most noticeable influences being African, Asian, and British.

For a private resort, it’s pretty crowded, isn’t it?

Those who enjoy diving or even those who have never tried it will want to experience it in the Maldives.  The coral reefs and atolls that make up the Maldives provide an unforgettable journey under the sea.  This journey is so unbelievable that it is not surprising that it is ranked among some of the best diving locations in the world.  Each resort provides extraordinary diving opportunities through the dive schools that are located onsite.  Each dive school will vary depending on the size of the resort and the demographic of resort guests however; each resort does offer beginner courses.

In addition to this all of the schools have the appropriate equipment for diving.  If you are not a beginner, there are other more advanced classes that are offered at some of the dive schools.  Such classes include night diving, rescue diving, underwater photography, and diving near shark specialists.    Regardless of whether you choose to take a beginner class or an advanced class, courses are offered in English, German, Italian, French, and Japanese.  It is advisable though that you check the course language prior to signing up.

You can swim with the fishes in a non-mafia way

Diving excursions are performed on a daily basis, year round.  On very rare occasions the dives may be cancelled.  In the event of strong winds and rough seas, most resorts have access to protected reefs that are safe for divers.  Diving isn’t for everyone though.  If diving isn’t your thing, snorkelling is widely available.  The reefs are located just a few feet from the shore.  Most resorts have snorkelling equipment available for its guests and some even organize regular trips that allow guests to enjoy the reefs even more.

There are some people who don’t want to dive or snorkel and at one point there was the thought that if you couldn’t dive there was no point in visiting the Maldives, but thanks to the submarine, everyone can enjoy the underwater beauty without getting wet.  The submarine, which is a German built Whale Submarine, can take visitors underwater where they can view the underwater life and reefs.

The submarine is air-conditioned and dives 100 feet below the surface, a depth that could previously only be seen by divers.  The submarine has a 100% safety record both in the Maldives and all over the world.  The submarine dives every 90 minutes from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm.  Reservations are required and can be made either through the website at or through your resort’s front desk.

It would be amazing to dive in the submarine

Visitors can also participate in swimming or surfing.  The surfing in the Maldives is relatively new, but the Maldives has quickly made its mark on the surfing world.  You can surf year-round at the Maldives, but November-April while providing good surfing opportunities is also the peak of the tourist season.  May through October will provide you with the best surfing opportunities, but will often be rainy and wet which may hinder you from getting in the water.  Those who choose to stay in a resort but wish to surf should choose a resort on the eastern side of the North Male Atoll.  Here you will have the most opportunities to surf.

While the Maldives is famous for the beautiful coral reefs, they are equally famous for their marine life.  Nearly 20 different species of whales and dolphins live in the Maldives.  The species range from the blue whale to spinner dolphin.  The dolphins have developed a daily routine and therefore it is easy to watch them.  In fact many resorts have begun offering daily trips to watch the dolphins.  These trips are offered in both the morning and afternoon.  If you would like to see more species of dolphins or want the chance to view a blue whale or some other sea life, you can also catch a ride on one of the safari boats.  On a safari boat it is not uncommon to see a sperm whale, bottlenose dolphin, melon-headed whale, rough-toothed dolphin and even a killer whale.

Whales, Dolphins and Shark - a rich variety

When travelling to a foreign country, currency and language is always an important factor.  The native language for the Maldives is Dhivehi.  However, English is widely used and the resort workers are often fluent in English, French, German, Italian, and Japanese.  The currency is Rufiyaa and Laaree.  The most common currency is the US Dollar and therefore most resorts do accept this currency.  Resorts also accept major credit cards such as the Visa, MasterCard, Euro, and JCB.

The dress for the Maldives for both natives and visitors is relaxed.  T-shirts and other cotton apparel items are the most popular.  However, in Male (the capital of the Maldives), it is recommended that women wear conservative clothing.

From the sandy beaches to the whale watching, the Maldives are definitely a paradise away from home, however, sadly they are in danger of being completely submerged by rising sea levels. A call to reduce all greenhouse emissions is coming from every corner of the world, but that call couldn’t be louder than from the Maldives.

Can’t be anything else other than a paradise

In 2008, the then President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom sent a warning to the world that because of growing greenhouse gas emissions and the subsequent melting of the Polar Icecaps, that the sea level was rising to a point that was putting the Maldives in jeopardy of being covered completely by water.  In 2009, the new President Mohamed Nasheed pledged to do his part in saving the islands and in cutting greenhouse emissions by making the Maldives completely carbon-neutral as well as moving to solar and wind power within the next decade.

Sure the rise in sea level has everyone concerned, but is the Maldives in any real jeopardy?  Presently, the Maldives holds the current record as the lowest country in the world above sea level.  The maximum amount of land that is currently above sea level is 2.3 metres (7.5 ft).  There are some portions of the Maldives that are only 1.5 metres above sea level.  During the last 100 years, the sea level has risen 20 centimetres or 8 inches while estimates indicate that by 2100 the sea level will have risen 59 centimetres or a little over half a metre.  This means that by 2100, some of the lowest lying areas of the Maldives will only be one metre, the average height of a four-year old child, above sea level.

We must act now, or they’ll be gone

So obviously, the Maldives are in danger of being submerged, and once they are gone there will be no chance to ever again enjoy the level of diving, surfing, or whale watching that the Maldives has to offer.

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