The Maldives is a country consisted of many islands in the Indian ocean-Arabian Sea. The country is a part of Southern Asia. It is known for its wonderful beaches, sands, and also blue sea water  that only can be seen nowhere else but the islands. Many tourists from different parts of the world come to the Maldives every year to spend holidays and enjoy the beauty of the islands. The name of the islands came from several words of Sanskrit and Sinhala and then changed by the British into what it is called now.

Exploring the Maldives

The Maldives is often called as chain islands because it consists of about 1200 islands forming a curve and joined together. The capital of the country is Male. It is also considered as the largest city of the islands. People living there are called Maldivians. Their religion is mainly Sunni Muslim. Many people call the islands as a tropical paradise because it hides a lot uniqueness including the beaches, the scenery, and flora and fauna. Maldives temperature can reach 30 degree of Celsius. The people there get enough sunrays every year, meaning that it can be the best place for those who love sunbathing.

The Maldives had not been exposed to the public until 1970. Most of the islands there are uninhabited until these days. The tourists are only allowed to go to certain areas including the capital of the island, Male. Several things such as alcohol pork drug and several activities like partying are only allowed in the resort islands. This is because the government wants to keep the purity of traditional Muslims culture there and limit the influences of outsiders’ culture. The local culture of the country is influenced by Indian, Sinhalese, and Arab. In addition, most of the income of the country comes from its tourism and imports.

Unlike other countries, the weekend starts from Friday to Saturday in the Maldives. In those days, most offices and stores are closed. However, this usually does not happen at the resorts. One thing tourists may see is only changes in stores’ opening time on Friday since Muslims need to do Friday prayers at that day.

Almost all visitors from around the world visit The Maldives by plane. The airports available are Male International Airport and Gan Airport. The first airport, Male international airport is located right beside the city of Male in Hulhule Island. It offers flights to several countries such as India, Sri Lanka and China. The other airport, Gan airport is located on the southern part of Addu. The airport also provides International flight to Milan several times a week. Tourists usually take boats, private yachts, flights or sea planes to explore the islands. However, one should remember that speedboats or seaplane tend to be more expensive. Most guests with limited budget usually prefer dhoni, Maldivian boat, as a transportation to get around the islands. Although it may take longer time, dhoni is relatively cheap and offers different experience to the tourists.