Maldives Islands

MALDIVES is a group of coral islands scattered across the equator in the middle of the Indian Ocean. The gem like islands depict the rare vision of a tropical paradise. The palm-fringed islands with sparkling white beaches, turquoise lagoons, clear warm waters and coral reefs teeming with abundant varieties of marine flora and fauna, continue to fascinate visitors, as it has fascinated others in the past, for thousands of years. Marco Polo referred to the Maldives as the 'Flower of the Indies" and Ibn Batuta called her in his chronicles as "One of the Wonders of the World".

Measuring 820 Kilometres north to south and 120 Kilometres east to west at its greatest width, the closest neighbours are India and Sri Lanka. Comprising of 1190 coral islands of which only 202 are inhibited. Each island is surrounded by a shallow lagoon which is enclosed by a coral reef providing protection from the hazards of the sea. Hundreds of these islands along with other coral growth form an atoll. The islands are very small and low-lying with many being no more than two meters above sea level. Common features are tall coconut palms, white sandy beaches and crystal clear lagoons. There are no hills, mountains or rivers in the Maldives.

The Sun, the Sand & the Sea. These are just the three simple realities beckoning tourists from far and wide to these little islets, giving as a result, a glorious sense of happiness and proving to be a heavenly getaway from the world and its worries. The Maldives teaches the visitors the pleasurable art of doing nothing, simply lazing around and enjoying some of the most spectacular and colourful vistas offered by Nature. No wonder then that tourists flock in large numbers to the 70 odd self-contained island resorts ;provided with all the comforts and warmth exuded by traditional Maldivian hospitality. That is why Maldives is considered to be the ultimate destination, the future world for holiday-makers.

Fridays and Saturdays holidays. Private Offices : Open between 8 am and 10am and close between 6-8 pm with a lunch break. Credit cards : American Express, Diners Club, Eurocards, JCB, Marstercards, Visa. Road Transport: Travel on most of the islands takes no more than half-an-hour on foot. Bicycles and motorbikes are popular modes of transport. Water Transport: Local boats or dhoanis (average speed of 7 knots) are the most common means of water transport. One can make use of the regular ferry service operating between Male and the International Airport. Modern speedboats are also available for hire. Season: From November through April being the peak season, reservations for stay must be made well in advance. From May to October the demand and costs for accommodation are comparatively lower. In June and July, the Maldives experience regular showers with monsoons bringing in more wind and rain. Social Customs: Handshaking is the most common form of greeting. Currency: The basic monetary unit in the Maldives is the Maldivian Rufiyaa (MRf). They come in denomination of 500,100,50,20,10,5, 2 notes & coins) and 1 (coins only). Customs Regulations : It is prohibited by law to import Alcoholic beverages, pornographic literature or pictures, narcotics, firearms and idols of worship. With the government imposing a ban on the killing of turtles, export of tortoise shell and coral is forbidden.

Diving:

The 70-odd resort islands surrounded by clear turquoise waters introduces you to a fascinating world of coral gardens. To have a tete-a-tete with such underwater treasures, diving is indeed the recommended pastime. The corals offer some of the most spectacular vistas of underwater life-turtles, seaweed, shells, crustaceans and schools-and-schools of brilliantly-coloured fish. Apart from a few, most of the resorts are equipped with diving schools headed by a fully-qualified diving instructor. The waIst-deep waters of a lagoon offers a perfect start for beginners. Wind-surfing and Water-skiing facilities are also available. With a few exceptions, all resorts have a fully equipped diving school. Diving bases may also be found on some larger dive safari boats which cruise through the central atolls. The equipment used are periodically checked to make sure that they conform to the standards of safety required by law. Each School is headed by a base leader - a fully qualified diving instructor. Many bases have several assistants who may be instructors or dive guides. Learning to Dive: Beginners usually start with a discovery or introductory dive that is carried out in the waist depth shallow waters of the lagoon. From here it is just one step to experience the wonders of underwater life. An internationally recognised certificate PAD Open Water Diver can be obtained within a week after nine dives and theory lessons. Some schools offer training upto the level of a professional diver. The diving schools may require a certification of physical fitness. Qualified divers should bring their log book and copies of the certificates or cards. The Equipment: All diving schools in the Maldives are required to follow international standards of safety during diving. Therefore, participants in open water scuba diving will require fins, mask, snorkel, compressed air cylinder and valve, buoyancy-control device with low pressure inflator, backpack, regulator, alternative air source, submersible pressure gauge, weight belt and appropriate exposure protection. These items may be hired from the diving schools.

Fishing:
Fishing is another major sport in the Maldives. With water constituting over 99% of the total area, it comes as no surprise that the country flaunts some of the best fishing grounds in the World. Night fishing is a popular tourist sport with the catch - be it groupers, snappers, squirrel fish, skipjacks or barracuda making a perfect evening barbecue on the beach. Fishing also begins at dawn with dhoanis seeking luna, dolphin fish, rainbow runners and barracuda.

The seas outside the atoll enclosure reef are meant for big game fishing. Maldivians traditionally use dhoanis for big game such as sharks, rays, swordfish, wahoo, sailfish, yellow-fin tuna, marlin and barracuda. An engaging sport, many of the resort islands also have speedboats for hire equipped for western-style game fishing. However, since the Maldives follows a strict conservation policy, the use of harpoons and hunting of marine mammals such as whales, porpoises and dolphins and huge fish like the shale shark are prohibited.

Cruising:
Cruising through the islands from atoll to atoll in a yacht or in a yacht-dhoni especially converted Maldivian vessel- can be a most exhilarating holiday experience. In the Maldives, it is not unusual for schools of dolphins to play around your boat or to see hundreds of flying fish taking flight as the boast passes by. During your voyage of discovery, you are at liberty to choose from a variety of activities including diving with a cool refreshing kurumba - coconut - as the azure sea unfolds more of the islands and coral reefs of the Maldives. Of course, the facilities available will depend on the boat of your choice.

Excursions:
An essential part of the visitor's experience is taking part in the many excursions on offer. Visiting a fishing village to experience the Maldivian way of life or a trip to Male makes a visit to the Maldives more consummate. There are other excursions available; diving and sailing safaris, fishing trips by dawn and dusk, and island hopping to fishing villages, resort island and uninhibited islands. There are also aerial excursions by helicopter or sea-plane to experience the flittering shaves of blue that is the Maldives. Moonlight excursions may also be available depending on the resort of your choice.

A Visit to Male:
Male the capital is the seat of government and the location of many important historical and religious land-marks. The Grand Friday Mosque, Masjid-al-Sultan Mohammed Thakurufaan Al-A"z"am is the biggest mosque in Maldives. The fruit and vegetable market, and fire-wood market are busy colourful places where islanders trade their goods. The fish market nearby is busiest late in the afternoon when the fishermen arrive with days catch.

Clothing :
Light cotton clothes are recommended. Nudity is forbidden. When visiting an inhabited island or the capital, short and T-shirts for men and blouse or T-shirt and skirt or shorts that cover the thighs for women are a minimum requirement.

Climate :
The climate of Maldives is warm year round, determined by the monsoons. However, being on the equator, the monsoons are mild and not as defined as in neighbouring countries. Of the two monsoons, the southwest monsoon from May to October brings more rain and wind and the northeast monsoon from November to April is the dry season with very little wind. The temperature varies little with an annual average daily maximum of 30.4 degrees Celsius and the minimum at 25.4 degrees Celsius.

Entry, Immunization & Visa:
Almost all visitors to the Maldives arrive by Air. All visitors must have a valid passport. For visitors coming from yellow fever infected area, an international certificate of inoculation is required. No visa is required in advance. A tourist visa of 30 days will be granted to all visitors with valid travel documents.

All the programmes mentioned below are based on individual travel basis with exclusive transport. All itineraries can be ammended or curtailed as per your requirements, leaving aside only exception of tibet itinerary.

TOURS TO MALDIVES

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