You are visitor no. to the Maldives

Introduction

There's one place I would rather be right now. Guaranteed. The Maldives. Think 'Waterworld', that 1995 mega-budget film with Kevin Costner. The water-part is identical.

Consisting of about 1200 tiny coral islands scattered like jewels in the warm, emerald-green Indian Ocean, they are to be found 720km south-west of Sri Lanka. If you don't know where Sri Lanka is then this page is not for you. Visitors to the Indian Ocean have to consider the attraction of Mauritius and the Seychelles, but the Maldives are unique in their flatness and tranquillity. The flatness is not an illusion - the maximum height of these sand banks is just 2m, yet they can support coconut palms and flowering bushes. The tranquillity is hard to appreciate until you arrive there by speed boat, dhoni or seaplane. Forget roads - there is nowhere for them to go between. When you wake-up the first morning on your desert island paradise all you can hear is the sea. And all you can see is the sea.

The Maldives encompasses 19 large 'atolls' or ring-shaped coral islands surrounding a large lagoon with shallow water. They cover a land area of only 298 square km but spread over an ocean 960km by 128km. There is a population of about 180,000 Maldivians. The native language is Divehi which closely resembles Arabic. English is commonly spoken. The capital is Male - a densely-packed island of 40,000 people. The international airport is close by on an island resembling an aircraft carrier. It is little more than a runway and terminal building in the Indian Ocean.

The main industry is tourism and fishing. Most islands are uninhabited. Only a few are of 'sufficient standard' for Western tourists.

You don't go to the Maldives if you don't like swimming. Snorkelling and diving are the 2 principal activities - it is far too hot to do anything else. And for honeymooning couples I really do mean anything else. You can descend through the water to a much greater depth than your island is high. Exotic wildlife ? Under the sea yes, above the sea no. Forget clubs and discos. If the thought of doing nothing terrifies you then maybe Spain is a better choice.

The Atolls

• North & South Male ( Kaafu )
• North & South Ari ( Alifu )
• North Nilandhel ( Nilandhe Uthuruburi, Faafu )
• South Nilandhel ( Nilandhe Dhekunuburi, Dhaalu )
• Meemu ( Mulakatholhu )
• Raa ( Maalhosmadulu Uthuruburi )
• Baa ( Maalhosmadulu Dhekunuburi )
• Lhaviyani ( Faadhippolhu )
• Vaavu or Vavuu ( Felidhu )
• Thaa ( Kolhumadulu )
• Laamu ( Hadhdhunmathi )
• Gaafu Alifu
• Gaafu Dhaalu
• Gnaviyani ( Foammullah )
• Seenu ( Addu )
• Noonu ( Miladhunmadulu Dhekunuburi )
• Shaviyani ( Miladhunmadulu Uthuruburi )
• Haa-Dhaalu ( Thiladhunmathi )
• Haa-Alifu
• (Rasdu / Rash Doo)

One thing you will quickly get used to is the random 'Maldivian to English' spelling. Every book uses a different spelling, and often spelling varies within the same book. It is common for two words to be concatenated and for endings to vary e.g. -dhu or -doo. Best not to worry about it unduly. A nightmare for cartographers but amusing for everybody else.

The Best Time of Year to Go

At a latitude of just over 4 degrees north it's going to be a bit on the tropical side. In fact, the year round temperature does not vary much from 27°C so the only decision you have to make is how much rain you want. The more rain, the cheaper the holiday. The wet season runs May to October, peaking in June. The dry season runs November to April with the best months being February and March. But really, you will have a good time whenever you go and remember - it doesn't rain underwater.

Another way to look at it is now is the best time of year to go. With global warming in the next 30 years it could all go underwater meaning a total conversion to water bungalows.

What to Take

One of the few holiday destinations where you don't need to take anything. On an island you can circumnavigate in ten minutes your best friend is a book. It's the 'no news, no shoes' tag line which sells this part of the world. Formal dressing in the evening means a short-sleeved shirt for men and a sarong for women. So pack your case with swimming gear, sun cream, sunglasses, sun hat, snorkel, camera and books. No mosquitoes to worry about. The coral can be sharp so take some sticking plasters and antiseptic cream. And maybe a few more books.

Food

If you were Maldivian you would eat fish until it comes out of your ears. As you are a tourist then you will get what is called at best 'international cuisine'. Basically you will get a buffet and the quality will reflect what you paid for the holiday.

Glossary

Fisherman's Island

Wherever you end up, there is fisherman's island a short boat trip away. It soon becomes apparent that anything that isn't a tourist resort is a fisherman's island. This has the authentic ( run-down ) look of place with real people struggling to make a living from the sea and a few market stalls to entice the half-day-trippers to convert their currency into coconut shell merchandise. A useful tonic to the 'aren't the Maldives wonderful' ( European ) or 'aren't the Maldives awesome' ( American ) rose-coloured spectacles that tourists use to filter out reality.

Night Fishing

The principal evening entertainment of the Maldives. You set off at dusk in a little wooden boat with your hi-tech fishing equipment. OK, I lied. It's a plastic Coke bottle with a twine wrapped around it and a lead weight / very sharp hook at the end. After attaching the guts of some disembowelled fish on the pointy end, you spend about an hour with it hanging in the water before returning home with nothing. Actually, that's just me - other people do seem to catch angry-looking fish which can in theory be cooked for you when you get back. At the very least you learn that with all the food necessary to maintain life lying under the water, Europeans would last about a week if shipwrecked on a desert island. Fishing looks easy but isn't - it's a skill. And one more thing, the wooden boats with fish-bits all over the deck are a perfect place for cockroaches to become as big as mice. Remember that in your flip-flops or bare feet.

Spa Resort

To get a decent aromatherapy massage you need to chose a 'spa' resort. Unfortunately those 3 little letters multiply the cost of your holiday by 3. Run by some of the biggest names in the business they pile on the luxury and put them out of reach of most people. But save up your money and you can be friends with detoxing pop stars, footballers and eco-concerned politicians.

A Table of 93 Islands and Resorts in 2003

Resort	Brand	Island	Atoll	Distance in km	Transport	Star Rating	Room Size	House Reef	Water Bungalows	All-Inclusive	Beauty Rating	Travel Agents
	-	-			-							-
Kanuhura Resort & Spa	-	-	Lhaviyani	125	35m plane	5	97	No	Yes	-	-	Iglu
Taj Exotica ( Lagoon )	Taj	Emboodhu Finolhu	South Male	8	-	4	61	Yes	Yes	-	4	Iglu
Soneva Gili Resort & Spa	Six Senses	Lankaifushi	North Male	10	-	5	44	-	Yes	-	-	Iglu
Huvafen Fushi	-	Nakatchafushi	Norrth Male	24	45m boat	5	51	Yes	Yes	-	5	New for 2004
Twin Island	-	Maafushivaru	Ari	96	-	3	38	-	Yes	-	-	-
Kuramathi Cottage Club & Spa	Universal Resorts	Kuramathi	Rasdu	56	20m plane	4	80	Yes	Yes	-	4	Iglu
Kihaadhuffaru Island Resort	Le Meridien	-	Baa	105	35m plane	4	100	-	Yes	-	-	-
Maachchafushi	-	-	South Ari	87	30m boat	3	49	-	Yes	-	3	-
Moofushi	-	-	Ari	80	25m plane	3	60	Yes	Yes	-	2	-
Palm Beach Island	-	Madhiriguraidhoo	Lhaviyani	129	-	5	100	-	No	-	5	-
Nika Island Resort	-	Kuda Folhudhoo	Ari	68	25m plane	4	27	Yes	No	-	4	-
Palm Tree Island	-	Dhigufinolhu / Veligandu Huraa	South Male	19	45m boat	4	97	-	-	-	-	-
Boduhithi Coral Isle	Club Vacanza	-	North Male	29	1hr boat	3	87	-	-	-	3	-
Velidhu Island (Avi Island Resort)	-	-	Ari	86	25m plane	3	87	-	-	-	2	-
Equator Village ( Ocean Reef Club )	-	-	Seenu	480	75m plane	3	78	-	-	-	2	-
Dhiggiri Tourist Resort	-	-	Vavuu	51	-	3	45	-	-	-	-	-
Fesdu Fun Island Resort	-	-	North Ari	72	25m plane	3	60	Yes	-	-	-	Iglu
Angsana Resort & Spa	-	Ihuru	North Male	19	25m boat	5	45	Yes	-	-	4	Iglu
Asdu Sun Island	-	-	North Male	32	1.5hr boat	2	30	Yes	-	-	3	-
Hudhuveli Beach Resort	-	-	North Male	12	-	3	44	-	-	-	2	-
Bolifushi Tourist Resort	-	-	South Male	12	30m boat	3	43	-	-	-	3	-
Gasfinolhu Island Resort	-	-	North Male	22	-	3	40	-	-	-	-	-
Kuda Rah	-	-	Ari	88	55m plane	3	30	-	-	-	2	-
Kudahithi	-	-	North Male	27	1hr boat	3	7	-	-	-	4	-
Pearl Island	-	-	Raa	130	-	3	215	-	-	-	-	-
Club Med	-	Farukolhoo Fushi	North Male	34	15m boat	4	152	-	-	-	2	-
Kanifinolhu	-	-	North Male	16	30m boat	3	145	-	-	-	3	-
Alimatha Aquatic Resort	-	-	Vavuu	48	-	4	102	-	-	-	-	-
Dhigufinolhoo Tourist Resort	-	-	South Male	21	45m boat	3	97	-	-	-	-	-
Club Rannalhi	Aitken Spence Hotels	-	South Male	35	45m boat	3	116	Yes	Yes	No	4	-
Medhufushi	-	-	Meemu	129	40m plane	4+	120	No	Yes	No	4	Hayes and Jarvis/Kuoni/Iglu
Kuda Huraa	Four Seasons	Kuda Huraa	North Male	20	25m boat	5	106	No	Yes	No	4	Hayes and Jarvis/Iglu
Kandooma	-	-	South Male	35	40m boat	3	102	No	No	No	-	Kuoni/Iglu
Bandos	-	-	North Male	7	-	4	225	No	No	No	3	Hayes and Jarvis/Cosmos/First Choice/Kuoni/Iglu
Fihalhohi	-	-	South Male	35	1hr boat	3	92	No	No	No	4	First Choice/Iglu
Ellaidhoo	-	-	North Ari	42	-	3	156	No	No	No	-	Thomson
Angagau Island Resort	-	-	Ari	85	35m plane	3	55	Yes	No	No	4	-
Embudhoo Village Resort	-	-	South Male	8	-	3	117	Yes	No	No	3	-
Ranveli Resort	-	-	Ari	77	25m plane	3	77	Yes	No	No	3	-
Helengeli	-	-	North Ari	43	1hr boat	3	50	Yes	No	No	3	Thomson
Madoogali Tourist Resort	-	-	Ari	72	20m plane	3	50	Yes	No	No	4	-
Vakarufalhi	-	-	South Ari	90	30m plane	4	50	Yes	No	No	4	Hayes and Jarvis/Iglu
Banyan Tree	Banyan Tree	Vabbinfaru	North Male	16	20m boat	5	48	-	No	No	-	Iglu
Kurumba	Universal Resorts	-	North Male	3	15m boat	4+	179	Yes	No	No	3	Thomson/Kuoni/Iglu
Halaveli Holiday Village	-	-	Ari	62	20m plane	3	56	No	No	No	4	-
Holiday Island	-	-	Ari	97	35m plane	3	142	No	No	No	2	-
Tari Village	-	Kanu Huraa	North Male	13	30m boat	2	24	No	No	No	1	-
Biyadhoo	-	-	South Male	29	1hr boat	3	96	Yes	No	No	3	-
Bathala Island	-	-	Ari	56	20m plane	3	37	Yes	No	No	4	-
Full Moon	Universal Resorts	-	North Male	6	25m boat	4	156	No	Yes	No	2	Kuoni/Iglu
Eriyadu Island Resort	-	-	North Male	42	1hr boat	3	60	No	No	No	2	Iglu
Soneva Fushi	-	Kunfunadhoo	Baa	105	25m plane	4+	59	No	No	No	4	Iglu
Thulhagiri Island Resort	-	-	North Male	13	25m boat	3	58	No	No	No	3	-
Vadoo Diving Paradise	-	-	South Male	8	20m boat	4	33	Yes	Yes	No	5	-
Mirihi	-	-	Ari	85	25m plane	4	36	Yes	Yes	No	4	Thomson
Reethi Rah	-	-	North Male	35	45m boat	3	50	No	Yes	No	4	Kuoni/Iglu
Paradise Island	-	-	North Male	10	20m boat	4	260	No	Yes	No	3	Thomson/Iglu
Hilton Resort & Spa	Hilton	Rangali/Rangalifinolhu	South Ari	90	35m plane	5	150	No	Yes	No	4	Thomson/Hayes and Jarvis/Kuoni/Iglu
Olhuveli Beach & Spa	-	-	South Male	35	50m boat	4	125	No	Yes	No	2	Thomson/Iglu
Cocoa Beach and Spa	-	Makunufushi	South Male	30	30m boat	5	33	No	Yes	No	5	Hayes and Jarvis
Baros	Universal Resorts	-	North Male	14	30m boat	4	76	Yes	Yes	No	5	Kuoni
Vilamendhoo	-	-	South Ari	82	30m plane	3	141	Yes	No	Optional	3	Thomson/Cosmos/Kuoni/Iglu
Reethi Beach	-	Fonimangoodhoo	Baa	105	35m plane	4	100	No	Partial	Optional	-	Thomson/Kuoni/Iglu
Lohifushi	-	-	North Male	26	30m boat	3	127	Yes	No	Optional	3	Thomson/Hayes and Jarvis/Kuoni
Kuramathi Blue Lagoon	-	Kuramathi	Rasdu	56	20m plane	3	50	Yes	No	Optional	4	Iglu
Villi Varu	-	-	South Male	30	45m boat	2+	60	Yes	No	Optional	3	Hayes and Jarvis/Iglu
Meeru Island	-	Meerufenfushi	North Male	37	1hr boat	3+	227	Yes	Partial	Optional	3	Hayes and Jarvis/First Choice/Iglu
Velavaru	-	-	South Nilandhe	125	45m plane	3	84	Yes	Yes	Optional	4	Hayes and Jarvis/Kuoni/Iglu
White Sands Water Village	-	Dhidhoofinolhu	South Ari	100	35m plane	3	50	No	Yes	Optional	4	Kuoni/Iglu
White Sands Beach Resort (Ari Beach)	-	-	South Ari	100	35m plane	3	120	No	No	Optional	4	Kuoni/Iglu
Veligandu	-	-	Rasdu	51	20m plane	4	73	Yes	Yes	Optional	4	Hayes and Jarvis/Iglu
Royal Island	Villa Hotels	-	Baa	100	35m plane	4	158	-	No	Optional	3	Iglu
Komandoo	-	-	Lhaviyani	128	45m plane	4	45	Yes	No	Yes	5	Hayes and Jarvis/Iglu
Kuramathi Village	-	Kuramathi	Rasdu	56	20m plane	3	151	Yes	No	Yes	4	Iglu
Makunudu	-	-	North Male	35	50m boat	4+	36	Yes	No	Yes	4	Cosmos
Thu(n)dufushi	-	-	South Ari	80	25m plane	4	47	Yes	No	Yes	4	-
Athuruga	-	-	South Ari	80	25m plane	4	46	Yes	No	Yes	3	Cosmos/Kuoni/Iglu
Summer Island Village	-	Ziyaaraifushi	North Male	35	1.5hr boat	3	110	No	Yes	Yes	2	Cosmos/Iglu
Sun Island	Villa Hotels	Nalaguraidhoo	South Ari	100	35m plane	4	350	No	Yes	Yes	2	Thomson/Iglu
Coco Palm Resort & Spa	-	Dunikolu	Baa	120	-	5	98	No	Yes	Yes	4	Cosmos/Iglu
Lily Beach	-	-	South Ari	80	30m plane	4	85	Yes	Partial	Yes	2	Thomson/Hayes and Jarvis/Cosmos/Iglu
Fun Island	-	Bodufinolhu	South Male	38	50m boat	3	100	No	No	Yes	2	First Choice/Iglu
Rihiveli Beach	-	-	South Male	40	50m boat	3	50	No	-	Yes	-	-
Giravaru	-	-	North Male	11	15m boat	3+	66	Yes	No	Yes	2	Cosmos/Iglu
Vilu Reef	-	-	Ari	128	-	3	104	No	No	Yes	4	Iglu
Taj Coral Reef	Taj	Hembadhu	North Male	32	-	4	65	Yes	Yes	Yes	4	Thomson/Iglu
Laguna Beach	-	-	South Male	12	45m boat	4	132	No	Yes	Yes	4	Kuoni/Iglu
Kuredu	-	-	Lhaviyani	128	45m plane	3+	300	No	Yes	Yes	3	Hayes and Jarvis/First Choice/Kuoni/Iglu
Hakuraa Club	-	-	Meemu	140	30m plane	3	70	No	Yes	Yes	3	Iglu
Maayaafushi	-	-	North Ari	63	25m plane	3	60	No	No	Yes	3	Thomson/Iglu
Filitheyo Island	-	-	Faafu	120	35m plane	3	125	No	Yes	Yes	4	Iglu
Meedhupparu	-	-	Raa	130	-	4	240	Yes	No	Yes	2	Thomson/Iglu/First Choice
Gangehi Island Resort	-	-	North Ari	77	20m plane	3	25	No	Yes	Yes	2	-

Accuracy of Data

Not very. Compiled from a wide variety of disreputable sources. Use as a rough guide only and you can't go wrong. Use as a navigational aid on a flotilla holiday and you will go wrong.

But I'm happy to make improvements where I can so if you have some useful updates then please email me.

Key

Resort

The tourist name for the resort or island. They change constantly, both in spelling and content. Makes you think that off-peak they consist of a massive, marine construction site. Perhaps in a hundred years time you will be able to walk between all the islands as all the water bungalow jetties will have joined together.

Brand

Ownership seems to change hands fairly frequently as well but some of the big chains are listed here. The idea is that the service is of the same high standard you are accustomed to in other parts of the world. There is nothing like a familiar pair of bath robes behind the door to make you feel at home.

Island

The island the resort is on.

Atoll

The atoll the island is in. If it says Ari then it could be North Ari or South Ari ( or somewhere-in-the-middle Ari ) - I'm not sure.

Distance in km

There is only one way in and one way out of the Maldives, and that is Hulhule international airport near Male. So the distance to your resort from the airport is given here. Under about 50km you go by fast speedboat ( a great deal of fun ) and over you go by sea-plane ( even more fun ). Handy tips : the sea-plane is quite expensive so make sure it is included in the price of your holiday. Also, they don't fly at night ( no headlights ? ) so make sure the time of your arrival or departure doesn't mean an overnight stay in Male. It might do and maybe you don't care which is fine by me but I think you should know about it.

Transport

See above. Times are approximate ( what a surprise ).

Star Rating

These vary from 2 stars to 5 stars ( with + = half a star ) and represent an average of opinions from travel agents. Being the Maldives means nothing gets 1 star - even a hole in the ground would get a respectable 2 stars. Like most hotels round the world, stars are associated with facilities so even a drop-dead gorgeous resort which lacks swimming pools, tennis courts, 24 hour room-service, mini-bar and trouser press gets marked down. So treat with caution. Perhaps 5 stars means you are not escaping what you wanted to.

Room Size

The smaller the number of rooms, the more exclusive your island and the higher the price. Well, kind of.

House Reef

Being the Maldives, everywhere is good for swimming and you get to see fish. And turtles. And sharks. And being coral islands, you get to see coral. It is just that some islands have exceptional coral, close to the island and without currents that sweep you out into the middle of the Indian Ocean. So if you prefer snorkelling to diving then pick an island with a superb house reef.

Water Bungalows

What distinguishes the Maldives from every other fabulous tropical destination is the stilt-like accommodation. Not all islands have it, they tend to be few in number, get booked up quickly and increase the cost of your holiday up to 50%. But there is nothing to compare with sleeping above the lapping waves of a warm lagoon. Many are made of wood and retain a Maldivian flavour. Some have glass floor panels so you can watch the fish without getting eaten. Some have 'open' bathrooms so you can observe the curvature of the earth as you go about your business. So if you can push the boat out that bit further, upgrade to a water bungalow - you won't regret it. At least it will make you think 'where does all the sewage go?'.

All-Inclusive

As you can imagine on a small island with no natural resources, food and drink can be a bit pricy as it all has to be brought in by boat and stored in massive underground bunkers. If you can arrange an all-inclusive deal before you get there and don't mind being restricted in restaurant choice ( most islands only have one restaurant anyway ) then this saves on a credit-card shock when you get home. Not all islands offer all-inclusive. On some it is optional, on others it is mandatory.

Beauty Rating

Totally subjective and meaningless so pay no attention to this column. It is just that I have in my mind a 'perfect' tropical island paradise. I give points for being a small island without big hotel facilities, using natural looking materials, looking 'stunning' from the air, having a beautiful lagoon with good coral and lots of fish. I knock points off for concrete, shortage of lush vegetation, ugly groynes and a lack of up-keep. You will disagree because the island you went to was fabulous - so let me know.

Travel Agents

More useful to UK residents, a non-comprehensive 2003 snapshot of some UK travel agents who can be bothered to fly people all the way to the Maldives and back.

• Cosmos
• First Choice
• Hayes and Jarvis
• Iglu ( www.iglutropical.com )
• Kuoni
• Thomson

Reader's Fishfood

Have you been to the Maldives ? Then PLEASE let me have your experiences - good or bad. There was no way it was ugly.

If you disagree with any of my 'ratings' then let me know. I'm not proud.

Click here to see what people have written so far.

Island you have visited. Or add an island I have missed out. Any kind of spelling will do.

When did you visit e.g. 2002. If you don't know when then put 'I'm too old to remember'.

Comments about your chosen island ( did you go on honeymoon ? ) or this page in general. Or life in general.

And your name is....

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