Maldives

The Maldives is a world-famous “resident” of the equatorial waters of the Indian Ocean, rightly considered to be one of the best exotic destinations on this planet. The country comprises 1190 islands (or more precisely atolls), and all of them have something in common: blue lagoons, sandy beaches and unique flora. For a decent recreation the Maldives has it all, including beautiful nature, rich underwater world, the sun shining year round and white-sand beaches. And the best fact here is that all of this is paralleled with high-class hotels and an excellent level of service.

The Maldives is a perfect example of how a human being can actually live in harmony with nature without spoiling and destroying it, but rather trying to improve it adding heavenly resorts and hotels that only enhance the beauty of this paradise-like destination that is definitely the dream of millions, if not of everyone. Male, which is the capital city of the Maldives, is one of the smallest capitals in the world with an area of only two square miles. However, this city, which almost entirely occupies an eponymous island, is home to the one-third of the population of the entire state, overall making about 90,000 people.

Tourists visiting the Maldives will be shocked at the big architectural contrast between Male and all the other islands. After the tropical paradise islands, they will be impressed to see its skyscrapers and highways, finding no natural beaches in the capital, which certainly sounds quite strange to those who imagine beaches first of all when recalling a rest in the Maldives. However, recently in the south-west region of the island an artificial recreation area has been created, which is often visited by people living and working in Male especially in the evenings when it gets cooler. Still, tourists visit Male not as a best beach resort location, but rather to get closer to the culture and history of the country.

The main street of Male is Boduthakurufaanu Magu, where you will find the government buildings, banks and offices. In the middle of the city the Jumhooree Maidhaan Square is located, which is the Republic Square of the city. Also not far from it, you will find the large line of ferries that take the guests to the airport.

Most of the souvenir shops are located at the north end of Male in Chaandhanee Magu, which used to be called “Singapore Bazaar” because many of the goods sold there were imported from Singapore. The most famous souvenir from the Maldives islands is certainly the iconic thudu kuna, which is Maldivian mat woven from local palm natural fibers. Another souvenir you can take home is a dhoni’s, which is a miniature traditional wooden fishing boat that can be seen almost everywhere in the Maldives. By the way, choosing a souvenir made of tortoise shell, black coral, shells of pearl oysters and red coral is strictly prohibited. In addition, if you’re a big fan of fish and seafood, there you can buy canned fish (like canned tuna) and dried fish.

The Maldives is capable of hosting different types of recreation, both tranquil rests for those who want to escape from the hustle and bustle of big cities and active leisure for fans of water sports, and no one will be disappointed. Surfers will enjoy the “great waves and the fans of water sports will appreciate the variety of equipment available for active recreation. Those who prefer a quiet family holiday with children will not be sorry as some hotels are specially designed for such holidays. As for the romantic couples, there they will be able to find the nicest hotel, which are offering something special for the couples enjoying their honeymoon, from spa massage to the enchanting night on a deserted island. Actually, Maldives is a popular destination for loving couples to tie the knot in a romantic atmosphere.