This is one of the world’s major destinations for divers who visit the Atols.  They are attracted by the beauty of its coral reefs and rich marine life. However, there is not suitable facility’s for backpackers with a low budget or for lovers of independent travel.  Any Maldives travel guide will tell you that tourism is controlled with scrupulous guidelines with a management plan that identifies the tourism environment.

The Robinson Crusoe lifestyle is one of the main attractions, but Maldives travel guide recommendations consider this incompatible with mass tourism, low budget and large scale tourism is strictly discouraged. The lack of local resources forces the importation of a large portion of the needs of visitors, from furniture to fresh vegetables, so it is impossible for the Maldives travel guide to offer holidays that can compete on price.

The strategy used was based on developing a limited number of quality centres on each uninhabited island, free of traffic, crime and rampant commercialism.

The strategy also seeks tourists and guide Maldives on a path to minimize the harmful effects of tourism on traditional Muslim communities. Passengers may often make brief visits to fishing villages and then return to the more tourist related areas. Most feel happy to glimpse local life and local culture but those wishing to stay longer or travel to the atolls outside recreational areas, must argue a compelling reason and have a special permit together to local guarantor as well as the services of a licensed Maldives travel guide.

Like it or not, this so rigidly controlled tourism industry has achieved a huge success, there are a relatively small number of  high quality resorts, the number of visitors is increasing steadily and the impact on the natural and social environment is minimal. The Maldives is internationally recognized as a model for sustainable tourism development that respects the environment and serves as an eco tourism guide. Maldives quality of accommodations and facilities is the envy of many other destinations that have allowed uncontrolled and destructive tourism expansion.

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The reason there is no shortage of stunning beach locations is that there are over 1190 atolls making up this island nation, each with miles of breathtaking coastline. Each of these islands is encircled with a reef which encloses a shallow lagoon holding back the waves from the snow white sands.

These beaches are not exactly over-crowded. With so many choices there is always a totally deserted spot to get away from the rest of the world and find total and complete solitude.

Most of the famed beaches in Maldives are found at the 80 resorts dotted throughout the atolls. Each of these resorts occupies its own private island with all the luxuries and tranquillity imaginable. These islands provide totally unspoilt pure white sand beaches backed by picture perfect palm trees leaning out at impossible angles to reach towards the azure blue crystal clear waters that have never encountered any of the worlds pollution.

If you ever tire of lazing in a hammock under a coconut palm sipping exotic fruit drinks, the beaches in the Maldives can offer all kinds of other temptations including many exciting trips to other tiny uninhabited islands with there own ring of footprint-less beachfront.

Diving and snorkelling are incredibly popular and that is hardly surprising with all the excitement of endless miles of stunning coral reefs lying just a few hundred yards offshore. Many people love the fishing that can be enjoyed either from the beach itself, or on deeper water fishing excursions with local expert guides.

Swimming, windsurfing, sailing and all kinds of water sports can be arranged at most resorts allowing you to make full use of the beaches in the Maldives facilities.

If you are seeking a romantic getaway or a relaxing laid back escape, it’s hard to imagine anywhere that can compete with the endless beaches in Maldives that offer the visitor the opportunity to experience life as it was meant to be.

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Many visitors still get to see Male via day trips organized by several of the resort islands.

Male isn’t particularly large - in fact it’s possible to walk around the island in slightly over an hour (it’s dimensions being approximately 2km long and 1km wide).

For its land mass, Male is pretty densely populated with around a 70,000 strong population. There are ongoing land reclamation projects in progress to increase the amount of space on the island.

Despite being a small city, Male offers the kind of services you would come to expect from any capital including books, post office, internet access, bookshops, travel agents, a myriad of eateries and so on.

There are a few points of interest for those who venture into Male to get a glimpse of life in the capital.

The Islamic centre & mosque is one of the grander structures in the city. Hukuru Miskiiy is the most ancient mosque in Male and dates back to the 1650’s.

There is a National Museum displaying various artifacts once owned by the Sultans (from clothing to weapons).

You may also enjoy visiting the Muleeaage (a structure initially built as a palace and also used as presidential residence in the past).

Shoppers will find quite a few places of interest in Male - for instance Chandanee Magu and Orchid Magu have a cluster of souvenir shops & cafes.

Male isn’t a place to go to for bars or clubs but other forms of entertainment do exist - there are a couple of cinemas (the Star & Olympus on Majeedi Magu). There are also opportunities to catch an outdoor concert at New Harbour.

For sports enthusiasts there is the National Stadium where football & cricket games are regularly contested.

Male has several hotels, guest-houses & inns to suit a wide range of budgets should you have the opportunity to spend a couple of nights.

Those who do get to visit Male for any length of time can enjoy a wide range of eateries serving many different types of international cuisine. Male has several small tea shops offering (non-alcoholic) drinks and small snacks or “short eats” (hedhikaa). Tea shops also offer “long eats”, which tend to be larger more filling dishes.

Tea shops in Male are on the whole cheap and chirpy affairs, serving simple foods at low prices. There are also several higher priced restaurants to choose from. These include cuisines such as Italian, Thai, Indian, American & Chinese. Most restaurants also have their own in-house restaurant.

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The islands have an incredible number of colorful, tropical fish and when you visit you’re bound to see many of them. A few of these include Butterfly fish, Dolphins, Anglefish, Parrotfish and Flutemouth. The colors and shapes of some of these fish are as varied and intriguing as their names would suggest. Divers are sure to have an experience of a lifetime in the Maldives.

While there are a healthy variety of birds inhabiting the islands, there are fewer varieties of land based animals. Common to the islands are flying foxes, geckos and garden lizards. There are also a couple of species of snake (not dangerous).

There are over 100 species of birds expect to see crows, parakeets, and waterhens as well as koel birds. Also present are herons, seagulls and noddys.

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This is a fabulous beach view of the Maldive islands.

There are approximately 1200 separate islands in the Maldives and this photo provides you with an insight into the magical crystal clear blue waters of this paradise.

Below is a short video clip of the Maldive islands located in the Indian ocean: Please have a look:

beach-cafe-1.wmv

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