The Maldives (Dhivehi: ދިވެހިރާއްޖެ Dhivehi Raajje) are an archipelago of 1,192 coral islands grouped into 26 coral atolls (200 inhabited islands, plus 80 islands with tourist resorts) in the Indian Ocean. They lie south-southwest of India and are considered part of Southern Asia.
Maldives was for the most part unknown to tourists until the early 1970s. Just 185 of the islands are home to its 300,000 inhabitants. The other islands are used entirely for economic functions, of that tourism and agriculture are dominant. Tourism accounts for 28% of the GDP. Over 90% of the state government income comes from import duties and tourism-related taxes.
Understand[edit]
History[edit]
Formerly a Sultanate under Dutch and British protection, the Maldives are now a republic. Long ruled over with an iron fist by Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, who did not hesitate to jail dissidents and was re-elected five times in more or less rigged elections, resistance to his rule culminated in violent rioting in 2003 and 2004. Under international pressure, free and fair elections were finally held in 2008, and Gayoom gracefully conceded defeat to opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed, "Anni".
Following protests that started on 1 May 2011, Mohamed Nasheed was forced to resign from office on 7 February 2012. Mohammed Waheed Hassan, supported by the former dictator, was appointed president of the Maldives. There have been reports of violence and human rights violations by the security forces against protesters backing Nasheed.
The Tsunami of 26 December 2004 caused extensive damage to the Maldives - of a population of only 290,000, over a third was directly affected by the tsunami and more than 15,000 people were left homeless. The economic damage alone was over 62% of the GDP or USD470 million.
The immediate response from international donors and agencies mobilized more than USD400 million in aid after the disaster, much of which was used to help misplaced persons rebuild their homes and infrastructure damaged by the waves. As of December 24, 2010, six years after the tsunami, the number of persons living in temporary shelters had fallen from 15,000 to only 1,600 people.
Economy[edit]
Tourism, Maldives largest industry, accounts for 20% of GDP and more than 60% of the Maldives' foreign exchange receipts. Over 90% of government tax revenue comes from import duties and tourism-related taxes. Over 600,000 tourists visited the islands in 2006. Fishing is a second leading sector. The Maldivian Government began an economic reform program in 1989 initially by lifting import quotas and opening some exports to the private sector. Subsequently, it has liberalized regulations to allow more foreign investment. Agriculture and manufacturing continue to play a minor role in the economy, constrained by the limited availability of cultivable land and the shortage of domestic labour. Most staple foods must be imported. Industry, which consists mainly of garment production, boat building, and handicrafts, accounts for about 18% of GDP. Maldivian authorities worry about the impact of erosion and global warming on their low-lying country; 80% of the area is one meter or less above sea level.
Culture[edit]
Maldivians are almost entirely Sunni Muslim, and the local culture is a mixture of South Indian, Sinhalese and Arab influences. While alcohol, pork, drugs and public observance of non-Muslim religions are banned on the inhabited islands, the resort islands are allowed to exist in a bubble where almost anything goes.
The weekend in the Maldives runs from Friday to Saturday, during which banks, government offices and many shops are closed. You won't notice this at the resorts though, except that lunch hours may be shifted for Friday prayers.
Climate[edit]
The Maldives are tropical, with plenty of sunshine and temperatures around 30°C throughout the year. However, rainfall increases considerably during the April-October southwest monsoon, particularly from June to August.
Regions[edit]
The Maldives are formed of 26 atolls, or atholhu in Dhivehi — the source of the English word. These are not single islands, but giant ringlike coral formations hundreds of kilometres wide that have fragmented into countless islands.
Atoll naming is complex, as the atolls have both lengthy traditional Dhivehi names like Maalhosmadulu Dhekunuburi, and snappy code names like Baathat refer to administrative regions and may consist of more than one geographical atoll. The code names are actually just the letters of Dhivehi alphabet, but being easier for non-Maldivians to remember and pronounce, the code names are popular in the travel industry and are hence also used here. Of the 20 administrative atoll groups, only (parts of) 10 are open to tourism, and from north to south these are:
| Lhaviyani (Faadhihpolhu) |
| Raa (Maalhosmadulu Uthuruburi) |
| Baa (Maalhosmadulu Dhekunuburi) |
| Kaafu (North and South Male Atoll) Site of the capital Male and the airport, home of most Maldivian resorts. |
| Alifu (Ari) To the west of Kaafu, the second most popular group. |
| Vaavu (Felidhu) |
| Meemu (Mulak) |
| Faafu (Nilandhe Atholhu Uthuruburi) |
| Dhaalu (Nilandhe Atholhu Dhekunuburi) |
| Seenu (Addu) The southernmost atoll, the second-largest in population and site of Gan International Airport. |
The other atolls are Gaafu Alifu, Gaafu Dhaalu, Gnaviyani, Haa Alifu, Haa Dhaalu, Laamu, Nyavinani, Seenu, Shaviyani, and Thaa.
Cities[edit]
- Male - The capital and largest city
- Addu City - Second-largest city and short-lived home of the Suvadive secessionist movement
Get in[edit]
The Maldives have a remarkably easy visa policy -- Everybody gets a free 30-day visa on arrival, provided that they have a valid travel document, a ticket out and proof of sufficient funds, defined as either a confirmed reservation in any resort or USD100 + USD50/day [25] in cash. This can be extended up to 90 days at Male, but you'll need to indicate where you're staying for that long. See Maldives Immigration website [26]for details.
Importing alcohol, pork or pornography (very broadly defined) into the Maldives is forbidden and all luggage is X-rayed on arrival. On the way out, note that exporting sand, seashells or coral is also forbidden.
By plane[edit]
Practically all visitors arrive at Malé International Airport (IATA: MLE, ICAO: VRMM), located on Hulhulé Island right next to the capital Male. The airport is served by a wide array of flights to China, India, Sri Lanka, Dubai and major airports in South-East Asia, as well as an increasing number of charters from Europe. Many flights stop in Colombo (Sri Lanka) on the way.
Gan Airport (IATA: GAN, ICAO: VRMG), on the southern atoll of Addu, also serves an international flight to Colombo
Departure taxes are included in your ticket.
British Airways now flies directly from London Gatwick to Male 3 times a week (Sunday, Tuesday and Friday)
Cathay Pacific Airlines flies 4 times a week from Hong Kong (Wed, Thu, Sat, Sun)
Singapore Airlines flies daily direct from Singapore to Male, with late night timings.
Turkish Airlines flies directly from Istanbul Ataturk to Male 5 times in a week.
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Male', twice a day.
Austrian Airlines flies between Vienna and Male once a week (outbound Vienna on Wednesday, inbound on Thursday morning)
Condor flies direct from Frankfurt to Male', twice a week (Wednesday & Sunday).
By boat[edit]
There are no regular passenger boats to the Maldives. Even yachts usually steer clear, as navigating around the reefs is hazardous and permits are expensive.
Get around[edit]
Getting around in the Maldives takes three forms: boats, sea planes (air taxis) and private yachts. The boats are the Maldivian equivalent of a car, while planes and private yachts are mainly reserved for tourists.
Air taxis and boats prefer not to operate at night, so if you arrive at the airport after dark and are going to a distant resort, you may have to spend the night in Male or at the airport hotel in Hulhule. Private transfers, though expensive can be opted for resort transfers, instead of spending the whole night at Male. Private transfers could cost anywhere between USD500-800. On the way back, there may also be a significant gap between the time your transfer arrives and your flight departure. Check with your resort or travel agent.
Public ferries and cargo boats are available for more independent-minded and budget-conscious travellers.
Inter Atoll Traveling Permits (IATP) are now no longer required.
By plane[edit]
No point in the Maldives is more than 90 minutes away by plane from Male, and visitors to the more far-flung resorts use air taxi services. There are two main operators: Maldivian Air Taxi [27], with red and white planes, and Trans Maldivian Airways [28], with yellow and blue planes. The services are largely identical, with both flying DHC-6 Twin Otter seaplanes that take around 15 passengers. In 2013, Maldivian Air Taxi (MAT) and Trans Maldivian Airways (TMA) were both acquired by the Blackstone group and the company was named Trans Maldivian Airways.
Scheduled inter-island services are provided by Island Aviation [29], which flies from Male to Gan, Hanimaadhoo, Kaadeddhoo and Kaddhoo. Travel permits are required.
By boat[edit]
Water transport take four forms:
- Public ferries cheap and infrequent (normally 3-6 times weekly) to population centres. See MTCC.
- Private ferries Fringe services that complement public services to population centres. E.g. a private ferry often runs from Male to Maafushi, taking some of the strain of the public ferry. Getting information on private ferries is a challenge as they are run by and for locals, and hence there little need to put any information on the internet.
- Scheduled speedboats These are shared, timetabled speedboats aimed at tourists providing airport transfers and occasionally 'picnic islands' day trips. See Atoll Transfer based in Male, and ICom tours who are based in Maafushi.
- Charter speedboats that allow you to get anywhere, anytime, at high cost (more people the cheaper per person). These are much faster than public ferries and will leave when you want to. If you are visiting any resort island this is how you will need to get there. These are also known as 'taxi boats'.
The taxi boats generally take tourists to and from the islands and resort islands. They come in all different shapes and sizes depending on the quality of the resort you stay in the Four Seasons has a large enclosed motor cruiser with drinks and food, while the lesser resorts have open sided dhoni type boats. No public ferries run on Friday. Timetables can be found at [30]. The nature of ferry times and their regularity can make 'island-hopping' a challenge but not impossible. More difficult is going between atolls by public ferry, as few inter-atoll ferries exist. Getting decent information (even from locals) is tough. Getting anywhere that is not a population centre will normally need a speedboat charter and very deep pockets. If trying to plan a island hopping vacation a good way to start is by looking at islands with guesthouses and contacting the guesthouses for information on how to get there, guesthouse owners will know all the options - you can then look at how to string together 2 or 3 islands using public ferries. Most popular are the islands in the South Male atoll, with Maafushi the clear tourist hub. If visiting a resort as a FIT ('free independent traveler' in the tourist jargon) you may be able to organise a transfer from Maafushi or elsewhere, saving on expensive transfers from the airport. For example transfers from Maafushi to a South Male atoll resort are around $25-$30 per person each way.
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