Maldives Become a Disney Travel Agent Near Me

The Maldives is a great place to play Robinson Crusoe: You can stay on a tiny island that has a soft, sandy beach, a sparkling turquoise lagoon and only a single dwelling (although Crusoe only could have imagined the comfort of some of the better resort hotels). And if you plunge beneath the surface of the lagoon, you'll find extraordinary underwater scenery with an amazing variety of colorful reef fish.

The luxurious escapes you'll find in the Maldives (pronounced MAHL-deeves) are not merely an accident of geography, but a matter of deliberate design. Overwhelmed by an influx of tourists during the 1970s, government leaders created a master plan for the tourist industry, with the aim of emphasizing quality over quantity and minimizing the impact of tourism on the natural—and human—environment. The result was the development of a series of high-quality island resorts that have been cited as models for sustainable tourism development.

This model remained more or less the same for decades until a change of government in 2008. The first democratically elected president of the Maldives, Mohamed Nasheed, encouraged the development of interisland and interatoll public ferry services at affordable prices, which means that Maldivians and tourists alike can travel more freely around the Maldives. Foreigners were no longer required to obtain permits or special permission to visit inhabited islands.

A new master plan to encourage the growth of guesthouse tourism alongside the existing luxury resorts was drawn up, and in 2009 legislation was changed to allow Maldivians to open guesthouses on inhabited islands. The aim was to diversify the market and encourage more entrepreneurship among Maldivians, helping to direct the flow of tourism revenue back into the local economy. As a result, a spate of new guesthouses and associated services such as independent watersports centers and dive centers sprang up across the country. The guesthouses vary greatly in their offerings; from very basic rooms to boutique, hotel-style accommodation.

The liveaboard yacht industry also greatly expanded, with around 170 vessels operating in the Maldives, offering diving and surfing charters throughout the year.

Climate change remains a pressing issue in the Maldives. The latest research suggests that although sea levels are rising internationally, the low-lying Maldives is not likely to encounter serious problems until 2100. However, rising sea surface temperatures and acidity in the ocean have caused widespread damage to the surrounding coral in places. Not only are the coral reefs natural barriers against erosion and tsunamis, but they are also an integral part of the appeal to tourists, as diving and snorkeling are the top activities in the Maldives. Although some of the damaged areas have spontaneously begun to recover, many areas still suffer from widespread coral bleaching.

Geography

The archipelago of 1,190 coral islands and atolls stretches some 575 mi/925 km north to south in the Indian Ocean. Of that number, only 202 are inhabited, and 120 are exclusive island resorts. The atolls are barely higher than sea level, and their sandy soil does not allow for the kind of lush vegetation usually associated with island paradises, but coconut trees, sea cabbage and pandans grow in abundance. Some of the vegetation that decorates and surrounds the resorts is imported.

Many atolls are quite close together, whereas others seem a million miles from anywhere. However, they all share great fishing, excellent diving and snorkeling, the finest white sand and some of the clearest waters in the world.

At an average of 5 ft/2 m above sea level, the Maldives islands are vulnerable to tsunami waves. The tsunamis of December 2004 caused considerable damage in the Maldives, although the impact was less devastating than in neighboring countries because of the Maldives' unique topography. The 2004 tsunami saw water levels reach an average of nearly 11 ft/3 m. However, geologists report that the coral reefs surrounding many of the islands helped to dissipate the destructive force of the tsunami waves.

Nevertheless, there were around 80 recorded deaths and approximately 21,000 people were displaced. Many residents from flooded islands were relocated to other islands, some permanently. Disaster-relief agencies such as the Red Crescent undertook a range of projects to help rebuild communities with a particular emphasis on providing clean water and sanitation. The majority of these projects have been wrapped up.

History

The Maldives' earliest settlers probably arrived sometime before 500 BC. Several centuries later, Arab, Asian and African sailors began to visit the islands, stopping regularly to trade shells, ceramics and fish. Arab influence led to the islands' conversion to Islam in 1153.

For the next 800 years, the country was largely ruled by a succession of sultanates (though the sultans were sometimes forced to share authority with colonial powers from Portugal and the Netherlands). The Maldives became a British protectorate in 1887 and gained full independence in 1965. Three years later, Ibrahim Nasir was elected president of the new republic.

The first tourist resorts opened in 1972, but they were one of few bright spots in the 10-year rule of Nasir. A failing economy and increasingly repressive government pushed the Maldivians to the brink of revolt, and Nasir fled the country in 1978. He was replaced by the autocrat Maumoon Abdul Gayoom. Tourism flourished under Gayoom, and the early 1990s saw the opening of the first high-end luxury resorts in the country. It was around this time that the Maldives started marketing itself as an elite holiday destination.

Gayoom remained in office for the next 30 years until the country's first democratic elections were held following pressure from the international community for major reforms. A candidate from the Maldivian Democratic Party, Mohamed Nasheed, was elected president in 2008.

In 2012, Nasheed resigned in controversial circumstances and allegations of a coup d'etat. Violent street protests ensued as the police took over the state broadcaster MNBC and fought with the Maldives army, MNDF. Most of the unrest was contained within Male', which is geographically separate from the resort islands where the majority of tourists stay.

Vice president Mohammed Waheed Hassan Manik was sworn in and acted as president until the next general election (supported by international observers) in 2013. Later that year, Abdulla Yameen, younger brother of Gayoom, was elected president, beating Nasheed by a 3% margin. In 2018, Ibrahim Mohamed Solih of the Maldivian Democratic Party was elected president.

Snapshot

Among the main attractions of the Maldives are fishing, snorkeling and scuba diving, glorious sunsets, surfing, spectacular beaches, sailboat rides, spas, meeting local residents and loafing.

It seems one has to travel forever to get to the Maldives, so a trip there is often part of a visit to India or Sri Lanka. The Maldives will appeal to travelers who enjoy flat, fairly isolated islands, with spectacular watersports and great beaches. However, nightlife is limited, even on Male, and while you may expect terrific food and comprehensive wine cellars in certain island resorts, none of it comes cheap. It may indeed be a paradise, but it's mostly Robinson Crusoe with a gold card.

Potpourri

You'll see Male' spelled several ways, even in the Maldives. Sometimes there's an accent above the "e," and sometimes it's followed by an apostrophe. Because of difficulties in transliterating the Maldivian language, Dhivehi, neither spelling is entirely correct, so both are used.

The Maldives is known in Sanskrit as Malodheep, which means "a garland of islands."

The waters surrounding the Maldives are said to contain two-thirds of the world's species of reef fish.

It is appropriate that the word "atoll" (an island of uplifted coral) comes from the Maldivian language. The country has the world's largest: Huvadhu Atoll has a lagoon almost 45 mi/72 km wide.

Maldivians have a dozen words for "coconut."

The Maldives has one of the highest population growth rates in Asia.

Because none of the islands in the Maldives is higher than 10 ft/3 m above sea level, many global-warming theorists are afraid that the country will disappear if worldwide sea levels continue to rise.

The online English-language newspaper Maldives Independent has very little world news—local events dominate the coverage, but it is the only independent media operating in the Maldives and has a wide international readership.

Drink plenty of coconut water. It's refreshing—locals will also tell you that it reduces the chances of sunburn, although you should still use sunscreen.

English is spoken by many Maldivians, and on the resorts you can find a mixture of French, German, Urdu, Italian and Japanese, as well.

The Maldives is the world's biggest seaplane operator, with more than 500 Twin Otter flights per week during high season and more than 75,000 passengers per year.

There are no dogs in the Maldives, by law. In fact, there are very few creatures to be found anywhere on the land aside from cats and bats. However, the sea is home to a wealth of creatures, including whale sharks, reef sharks and dolphins.