Maldives
Always Natural
The Maldives is one of the most imaginative romantic holiday destinations in the world. This is the ultimate dream destination for tranquillity, beach lovers, romantics, honeymooners and of course for divers and snorkelers.
The Maldives are located about 700 km southwest of Sri Lanka in the middle of the Indian Ocean, just north of the equator. An archipelago consisting of some 1,200 tiny coral islands and atolls, of which only about 200 are permanently inhabited. The islands are grouped into atolls and the distance between the northernmost and southernmost island is no less than 870 km. From the air it seems like a huge pearl necklace. This explains the name of the islands, as in Sanskrit Maldvipa means "garland of islands". Only 1% of the total area of the Maldives consists of land, the rest is water. Most of the islands (or rather, islands) are not more than 1 km long and only a few hundred meters wide. You can walk around it in 15-20 minutes.
Flora & Fauna
On some islands, there is some tropical rainforest, but the majority of the Maldivian flora was planted by man. The national tree is the coconut palm. This tree is so important for Maldivian it is also called the tree of life. Typical is that almost all the coconut palms are someone's property, they are often even numbered.
Diving & snorkelling
The Maldives are a paradise for underwater lovers and is an idyllic scuba diving paradise. During a diving or snorkelling trip, you may see sea turtles, dolphins, manta rays, whale sharks, reef sharks, soft & hard corals and much more.
While you can dive in the Maldives year-round, for the best conditions and more mantas and whale sharks, plan your trip in February, March, or April.
For more information, please contact the experts of BMS-Travelers.
