Spotlight on Honeymoon Destinations: The Maldives

5 July, 2011

Maldives. Just the name is arguably exotic. Officially called the Republic of Maldives, this island nation in the Indian Ocean is made up of close to 1,200 coral islands grouped into two chains of 26 atolls.

The Maldives attract a variety of people — from the rich and famous to die-hard scuba divers who regard this as one of the best underwater spots anywhere in the world.

Recently, the African nation of the Seychelles popped onto more travelers’ radars thanks to “the” royal honeymoon that took place there. And now, alert the paparazzi to head to the Maldives. While his celebrity status might not rival William and Kate’s, a certain TravBuddy founder is “rumored” to be honeymooning in the Maldives right now.

For today’s post, we will allow the green monster to rise to the surface a bit and spotlight the Maldives, a destination on nearly every TravBuddy’s dream destination list.

Sadly, the Maldives have been in the news quite a lot in the last few years due to increasing sea levels. While that may not seem like a big deal, the Maldives is the lowest country in the world and the rising sea levels threaten to wipe them out. It is said that over 80% of the country’s “land” is less than one meter above sea level. Ultimately, the Maldives could be completely submerged in the Indian Ocean.

Over the water bungalows in the Maldives

One of the reasons people flock to the Maldives is the scuba diving. The incredibly diverse marine ecosystem is a paradise to those looking to explore the sea. From colorful coral reefs to over 300 species of fish, including several previously unrecorded ones, scuba divers would find the Maldives best explored on liveaboards.

If you have never heard of a liveaboard, it is the ideal option for die-hard scuba divers. You forgo the over the water hut and five star dining to travel around to different key dive spots on a smaller, more rugged dive boat. If you are coming to experience the underwater treasures of the Maldives, why would you waste your money on a luxury resort on one island when you can spend the same amount on a week trip exploring seven or more islands?

For TravBuddies who prefer to stay a little closer to the surface, the shallow reefs and clear water make snorkeling a viable choice as well. Look for Moray Eels, Eagle and Spotted Rays, lots of colorful fish, turtles, and even several different types of reef sharks.

Ray swimming in the Maldives

Unfortunately, the Maldives marine ecosystem has taken some hard hits in recent years. The 1998 El Nino warming destroyed 2/3 of the reefs due to “bleaching”. The term coral reef bleaching comes from the loss of photosymbiotic microorganisms and the whitening of hosts that possess few pigments on their own. In addition to concerns of coral reef bleaching, the Maldives took a massive hit in the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Over 100 people died in the Maldives and many of the islands were affected — from infrastructure damage and forced evacuations to complete devastation of some other islands.

The Maldives have also made news for some other less devastating events. You might’ve heard about a country holding their cabinet meeting underwater recently — that was the Maldives. They were making a statement on climate change and were part of an international campaign to raise awareness and enact global changes. The Maldives also set a world record in 2006 for the largest number of divers participating in one single dive – nearly 1,000 divers! They have since lost the world record, but certainly set the bar high right off!

For TravBuddies looking to visit the Maldives, the easiest point of entry is through Male, the capital. You can then transit to a number of other islands and resorts that are more remote and less populated than the capital. There are daily flight into Male from South East Asia, India, Sri Lanka, Dubai and more.

Male from aerial view

Have you visited the Maldives? Any recommendations for other TravBuddies looking to visit this remote paradise? Please share by writing a review and/or sharing comments below!

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