Maldives is situated in the south west of India and considered as a southern Asian country. The Maldives are an archipelago of a total of 1192 coral islands with 26 inhabited islands and 80 islands with tourist resorts. The 26 inhabited islands are called “atolls” which are not single islands but giant ring like coral formations which are hundreds of kilometers wide that have fragmented into large number of islands. There are about 300,000 inhabitants in the island. It is a tropical country with a temperature of 30 Celsius throughout the year. However, rainfall increases during the April-October southwest monsoon.
The country is a tourist paradise where tourism accounts for 28% of the GDP. The islands are used for agriculture, fishing and economic functions apart from tourism. It is a low-lying country with 80% of the area one meter or less above the sea level. Male is the capital of Maldives and is the largest city.
The country until 1970 was unknown to the tourist. Maldives is now a republic but was formally under the Dutch and British protection. It is recorded that over 600,000 tourists visit the country every year.

It is an entirely Sunni Muslim country where the people and culture is a mix of South Indian, Sinhalese and Arabic. Any tourist who wish to visit the country must know that alcohol, pork, and public observance of non-Muslim religions are banned on the inhabitant islands but resort islands are free from the ban.
The weekends in the Maldives runs from Friday to Saturday during which banks, government offices and many shops are closed. The Maldives have an easy visa policy. Note that on the way out exporting sand, seashells or coral are forbidden.
Getting around in the country can be done in three forms, namely by boats, sea planes and private yachts. Boats are the Maldivian equivalent for cars and the planes and private yachts are reserved for tourists.
The language spoken in the country is known as “Dhivehi” which is closely related to Sinhalese which is spoken in Sri Lanka. English is widely spoken; therefore, you will have no inconvenience during your stay regarding languages.
Activities

• The main activity on the Maldives for tourists is scuba diving. You can find corals, manta rays, sharks and a few wrecks in the oceans of the Maldives. Baa Atoll is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve where the waters are protected and homes diverse marine life including 250 species of stony and soft coral, over 1000 types of reef fish. The best time for scuba diving is from January – April.
• Hanifaru Bay is also one of Maldives’ most famous marine sites for diving. It homes one of the largest gatherings of manta rays.
• Blue Hole, Baa Atoll is a coral-lined underwater chimney that narrows from 22 meters to seven meters provides a spectacular experience for divers and snorkelers alike, who may spot myriad marine life including Hawksbill turtles, triggerfish and perhaps the resident Guitar shark.
• Best islands for snorkeling are Maalhosmadulu, Bandos, Baros, Fihalholi, Biyadhoo, Mandhoo, Vilamendhoo, Machchafushi, Moofushi, Maayafushi, Bathala and Filtiheyo Islands.
• The Maldives is becoming an increasingly popular surfing destination. The higher latitude and its South-East exposure offers cooler and less hardcore surfing. Turquoise water and perfect waves makes it an ideal and uncrowded destination for surfers looking for smooth surfing conditions. The best period for surfing in the Maldives is between March and October; the biggest waves occurring in June, July and August. The recent O’Neil Deep Blue Contests held in the Maldives has placed Maldives firmly on the world’s surf map.