Tourist Attractions in Maldives |
Monuments, Tourism in Maldives | Things to do in Maldives |
Destinations in Maldives, Tourist, Attractions, Monuments,
Tourism, Destinations, Things to do, in Maldives
Welcome to the
Maldives, where sands are white as the smiles of the locals, where
fish swim happily in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, where the
weather is a dream, and the deep rays of the sun wait to engulf you
their arms.
In ancient times, the shores of the Maldives welcomed lost travellers.
Still welcoming, these shores remain, providing a tranquil haven for
visitors.
Country at a Glance
Maldives has deep blue seas, turquoise reefs, white sandy beaches and
palm trees. It is also a place full of character, where its people
have long spent their days languishing in the very essence of idyll
living. While it is the perfect place to sit on a beach and watch a
sunset with a cocktail balanced on your hand, it is also a
geographical marvel, knowing that there are thousands of fish swimming
around the vivid corals just a few feet away from where you sit.
Location
and Geography
The Maldives lies in two rows of atolls in the Indian Ocean, just
across the equator. The country is made up of 1,190 coral islands
formed around 26 natural ring-like atolls, spread over 90,000 square
kilometers. These atolls structures are formed upon a sharp ridge
rising from the ocean, making way for their secluded uniqueness.
Each atoll in the Maldives is made of a coral reef encircling a
lagoon, with deep channels dividing the reef ring. A string of islands
take their places among this atoll ring; each island has its own reef
encircling the island lagoon. The reefs of the islands, alive with
countless types of underwater creatures and vibrant corals, protect
the islands from wind and wave action of the surrounding vast oceans.
This unique structure of reefs and channels makes navigation almost
impossible for the passer-by without sufficient information about
these waters.
Ninety-nine percent of the Maldives is made up of sea. The people of
the islands are widely dispersed across the atolls, with about 200
inhabited islands. About 90 islands are developed as tourist resort
and the rest are uninhabited or used for agriculture and other
livelihood purposes.
History
For Maldivians, who love a good story, it is somehow fitting that the
early history of the country is enshrined in myth and legend. There is
the story of the Rannamaari, a tale about a sea monster than demands a
virgin sacrifice every full moon, until a brave man from Morocco, Mr
Abdul Barakaath-Ul Barbary decides to confront the monster and
prohibit him from coming into the Maldives.
There is the story of Bodu Thakurufaanu, renowned for its length, who
saved the Maldives from Portuguese Invaders. These stories, while very
much anecdotal, are based on the real facts that form the history of
the country. Written accounts portray a Maldives whose people have
traveled far and wide, adventurers whose geographical isolation had
not limited the boundaries of their world. Maldives today remains very
much like it had then – small, but not lacking; isolated, but not
invisible.
Culture
The islands of Maldives appear in-between the trading route of the
Indian Ocean. Thus settlers, and visitors from neighboring regions
and around the world have come in contact with the islands for as long
as history has been recorded. Such is the to-and-fro flow of people
and their cultures, that a marked effect has been left in the
Maldivian people, the language, beliefs, arts, and attitudes.
Tourist Attractions in Maldives | Monuments, Tourism in Maldives | Things
to do in Maldives | Destinations in Maldives, Tourist, Attractions,
Monuments, Tourism, Destinations, Things to do, in Maldives