6
Sep
2015
4

20 Reasons to Visit Maldives

Ankur and I were mountain-lovers until a few years ago. We loved the wild flowers on the Himalayan slopes and the snow covered peaks. Neither of us knows how, when and why, our love for the mountains succumbed to that for beaches. Now, we are drawn to sandy and rocky beaches alike and hence, are completely enamored by Maldives. It is amongst the few countries that we have revisited…and we would love to go back again and again!

If you haven’t been to Maldives till date, here are twenty reasons to put this mesmerising island nation on your travel map…

  1. Visa: A thirty day free visa entry is issued to all nationalities on arrival.
  2. Flight: A return flight to Male from India/SriLanka can cost as little as USD 250 per person.
  3. Sea Plane: A sea plane flight sure is exciting…taking off and landing on water. The views of the atolls from up above will make you swoon.

    Atolls, as seen from the sea plane

    Atolls, as seen from the sea plane

  4. Water Bungalows: Maldives is amongst that few places in the world that provides an option of staying in water bungalows… step into the ocean lagoon straight from your sun deck.

    Water bungalows in the background

    Water bungalows in the background

  5. Beaches: Sandy, sun kissed beaches are picture perfect….every picture will look like a postcard.

    Picture perfect beaches

    Picture perfect beaches

  6. Oceanic Lagoon: Most atoll are surrounded by a coral wall that break the high waves before they hit the shores. Thus, the oceanic lagoon is the perfect swimming pool created by Nature.
  7. Weather: It’s always warm and sunny in Maldives, even during the off season months from June – September, when it might rain for a couple of hours a day (still having over 6 hours of bright sunshine each day).
  8. Diving: The atolls are breathing with live corals, flying fish and mega marine life forms, including turtles, manta rays and whale sharks. Every resort has a dive school to let you bubble in the depths of the ocean. Male has plenty of dive schools that are much cheaper than those in the resorts.

    Diving in Maldives

    Diving in Maldives

  9. Snorkelling: Don’t want to don the cylinder and dive in deep blue ocean? No worries! Snorkelling in Maldives is like swimming in an aquarium!

    All set to go snorkeling

    All set to go snorkeling

  10. Water Sports: Sailing, kayaking, windsurfing and more…there is enough and more to keep you busy.
  11. Surfing: While typical island resorts are surrounded by a calm lagoon, there are few islands that let you ride the waves, a majority of the locations being suitable for intermediate and advanced surfers only.
  12. Luxury: If you have the money to spend, you have the option of vacationing in uber luxury resorts that cost over USD 1500 per night.
  13. Spas: Spoil yourself and pamper yourself silly in the spas. As we lay on the massage table, face downward, parrot fish entertained us by swimming round and round in circles…and we could see the show as the spa stood on stilts in the ocean lagoon and the floor was made of glass.
  14. Budget: If you are a budget traveller, do not despair. You can enjoy the sun and sand by staying a bed and breakfast at Male which may cost you as low as USD 100 per night.
  15. Privacy: Whether you are staying in a luxury resort or in a budget B&B, you can always hop onto a day trip that takes you to an uninhabited island with a picnic basket for ideal the ‘Robinson Crusoe’ feeling.
  16. Food: Maldivian cuisine offers delightfully fresh sea food. Vegetarians, do not despair. We loved the cocnut based vegetable curry, made in the Maldivian style.
  17. Sunsets: The Maldivian islands have shown us some of the most colourful sunsets that we have ever seen!

    Sunset selfie!

    Sunset selfie!

  18. Visit before its too late: Global warming and rise in oceanic water levels might result in islands going down under…visit before its too late!
  19. People: The Maldivians are a friendly bunch, especially the staff in the resorts. Being a tourist destination, service levels are high to ensure that you have a happy vacation.
  20. Packing: How much would you want to carry if you want to spend the entire day at the beach or in the sea? A small backpack with a couple shorts, t-shirts and swim wear…and you are all set to leave. Don’t forget the camera!

So, when are you off to Maldives?

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13 Responses

  1. As an avid scuba diver, I’ve always wanted to visit the beautiful Maldives, but soooo expensive! Great to hear there are bed and breakfast options available for us budget minded travelers. Beautiful photos! Rob

  2. That’s good that it’s possible to go anytime of year and good weather is guaranteed. I need to go to the Maldives, thanks for giving an idea of the hotels, at those prices I think I’ll stay in Male and take day tours. You have put an urgency on my trip by mentioning the global warming and that the Islands could sink!

  3. The Maldives is on all of my friend’s bucket list and may have gone there. It has not been on mine but you sure give some compelling reasons to go there. I was mainly concerned of cost but you provided some nice alternatives to going the expensive route. Thanks for providing some cost information. Enjoyed the post.

  4. Sea Planes, water bungalows and the white sand beaches are my prime reasons to visit Maldives. And you just added so many more to them 🙂 Can’t wait anymore

  5. I didn’t need twenty reasons, but they are all good ones! Your pictures make it look so lovely with the turquoise water, palm trees, and tropical fish. So sad that we are going to love the Maldives (and so much more) to global warming.

  6. Even before I read your post, Maldives has always been on my bucket list. Just seeing those gorgeous photos of the beach and the sunset… ahh, I want to go there right now. But I didn’t realize there are more reasons to go. Your photos of Maldives are just beautiful too – the ocean behind you with the snorkeling gear is unbelievably gorgeous!

  7. OOH I would love to visit the Maldives. Wanted to before, but this blog post has enhanced my travel envy lol The main reason I would want to go is diving though. Couldn’t stay on the beach the whole day.

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