The Maldives Myth

A young nubile starlet emerged from the azure blue ocean on a bright sunny day, her footsteps leaving a trail on the white sandy beach. It was followed by a jingle advertising an opulent beach resort in Maldives inviting tourists to experience the magical tropical destination. Well! enticing advertisements only promote luxurious and indulgent resorts. The reality however is far removed from the paid promotions.

Maldives, a tropical archipelago of enthralling natural beauty, is one of the top tourist destinations of the world. The nation has transformed its geographical and tectonic handicap into desirable oases thronged by hordes of rich and famous.

Maldives is a non-secular Islamic republic. It is often confused with Mauritius or Seychelles which also are tropical islands in the Indian Ocean. The key difference is that Mauritius and Seychelles have no legal restrictions on booze and bikinis (swimwear)

Inhabited vs Uninhabited

The country is divided into 26 Atolls oriented from North to South. Many islands are populated and many are uninhabited. Some of the uninhabited islands are leased out to resort chains local and international which have been developed into luxurious resorts suiting all budgets.

Inhabited

The inhabited islands have hotels and pocket friendly resorts too. However they have certain restrictions. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited on inhabited islands. In these islands only a certain portion of the beaches are earmarked for swimwear such as bikinis and swim shorts for men. Outside these earmarked areas, tourists are expected to be dressed appropriately and the rule is enforced strictly.

Resort Islands

The resort islands are self sustained properties with own power and water generation, water supply and purification. They are resplendent with manicured walkways, water villas, pool villas, rooms which open on beach front and serve gluttonous food. These resorts serve liquor and swimwear is allowed in most of the areas. The scale of luxury increases linearly with prices. They can be accessed by sea planes or speed boats. The ultra luxurious one even have their own sea planes to fly tourists down.

Closer vs Cheaper

The main airport is Velana International Airport in Male (also the national capital). Male is the a densely populated city located on a small island surrounded by ocean all around. From the sky it resembles a pastry. There other major international airport is Gan International airport located about 80 km south of equator.

The resorts are located in the North Atoll, North of Male and South Atoll, South of Male. These resorts can be reached by sea planes and speed boats. The closer resorts (accessible by speed boats) are mostly located in the North Atoll. The resorts in South Atoll and beyond have the option of boat and sea plane. The fares of sea planes is upwards of USD 500 per person. Hence the hotels which are farther and accessed by sea planes are cheaper than those which are closer and accessed by speed boats. Speed boats are also of two kinds, privately operated and resort owned. Most of the resorts have mandatory sea plane and boat tickets included in the tariff and their schedule is matched with check in and check out.

There are beautiful resorts almost in every atoll and those far from Male can be accessed by domestic flights after de-boarding the International flights followed by a speed boat.

Maldivian Airlines

There are two domestic airlines which operate across the islands of Maldives which has an excellent infrastructure of airports. Maldivian Airlines are the national airlines operating 40 seater turbo-prop aircraft (DASH 800). The privately operated Manta Air is the other airline which also operates DASH 800.

During season and national/ school holidays the flights are heavily booked and advance booking is recommended. Resorts located beyond the range of speed boats and sea planes can be accessed by domestic airlines.

The sea planes operate from sunrise to sunset and in calm sea conditions. Early morning departures and late noon arrivals are forced to make overnight halts at Male. In the eventuality of cancellation of domestic flights or sea planes too passengers need to take an enforced halt in Male. As a consequence Male hotels are fairly expensive and are mostly sold out.

Water Adventure Haven

Maldives is a haven of aquatic adventures which include jet skiing, scuba diving, snorkeling, windsurfing, whale watching and swimming with Manta rays etc. The agencies which offer these adventure activities are certified and safe.

The local populace is kind, helpful and pleasant in dealing with people of all nationalities.

Notwithstanding all the tips which I have mentioned above, Maldives is a true tropical paradise and it is not a budget destination. Resources are scarce and majority of the items including those which promise to make the holiday memorable are imported, which naturally drives the prices up.

• Alcohol. Carriage of Alcoholic beverages into the country is strictly prohibited.
• Island Resorts. Private Island resorts serve alcohol within their property
• Drinking Water. Water is chargeable except for the complementary bottles in the rooms.
• Plan Well. Time your arrivals and departures well to cater for delays and avoid missing connecting domestic flights, sea planes and speed boats
• Tourism Restrictions. When visiting a populated local island be cognizant of local tourism restrictions
• Save your Skin. It is bright, sunny and hot. Sunscreen and clothes saving the skin from harsh sun are recommended.
• Cell Coverage and Data. The main network provider is ‘Dhiragu’ which offers excellent network coverage across all islands even while flying over islands in domestic airlines. Tourist packages are available at the airport on arrival.