Did you know ?

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  MALDIVES COINS

  Cowries (shell) can be found by millions in Maldives. They were used as units of money during medieval times. This is why nowadays shells commonly ornate Maldivian coins.

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  FISHES IN BAKERIES?

  Feeding fishes during Snorkelling is harmful to them. Our food is not part of their ecosystem and surely not adapted to their digestive system.

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  COCONUT TREES

  The coconut tree is one of the symbols of the Maldivian emblem. National tree of the islands and only natural shade protection of Maldives beaches, they can grow up to 30 meters and reach the age of 100 years. Their wood is used to build Dhonies.

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  MALDIVIAN MELTING POT

  Crossroads of the ancient trading routes, Maldivian multiple faces of todays are the fruit of a civilization mix: Indian, African, European, Arabian, Asian...

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  CORAL SANDY BEACHES

  Maldives islands are of coralline origins. Their amazing sand is white and extremely fine. Coralline beaches are rare, they represent less than 5% of the World beaches, the rest of them are mostly made of quartz.

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  HOUSES OF CORAL

  Maldivian used to build their houses in coral. This traditional housing is now forbidden since Coral Reefs are worldwide protected. Many coral houses still can be seen in Male and local islands.

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  BODU BERU

  The drum-based traditional music, Bodu Beru ( meaning big drum) is a reminder of Maldives long relations with East Africa a few centuries ago. Bodu Beru music is very rhythmic and can be perceived as transcendental.

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  DHONI SHAPE

  The shape of the famous traditional Maldivian boat, the Dhoni, might have been inspired from the ancient Arabian sailing dhow, commonly used as a trading ship in Indian Ocean around the 11th Century.

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  ISLAND SHAPE CHANGES

  Some island shapes can be modified by nature. Their sand is moved away and eventually brought back by seasonal currents during monsoons. Some sandbanks disappear and some new ones emerge.

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  AUTHENTIC SAILORS

  Some dhoni Captains and crews still do not use compass or GPS to navigate through the islands and atolls. They find their ways throughout the coral labyrinths helping themselves with the bow of their dhonies and the stars. During clear nights, some have the rare ability to carefully observe the moves of the lagoon surface to avoid coral reefs.

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  THE SAND, ORGANIC DEBRIS

  Parrot fishes are huge contributors to the beauty of Maldives beaches. Their fine coral sand is the result of undigested corals they eat. An adult parrot fish can produce between 2 to 3 tons of sand per year.

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  MALDIVES FLAG COLORS

  Green for peace and the national Coconut Tree, a White Crescent for Islam and Red for the blood of their fights for independence.

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  EQUATORIAL SUN LIGHT

  Beware of the sun in Maldives! A very high sun protection is a must-have. Located close to the equator, Maldives receive high amount of Sunrays. Almost direct, they strike at a 90° angle.

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  DESERT ISLANDS

  There are app.1190 islands in Maldives. Around 800 of them are still uninhabited, 200 islands are populated, 93 host Hotels and Resorts. The rest of the islands are used for airports, agriculture, picnics, governmental or other industrial activities.

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  SMALLEST ISLANDS

  Maldives has some of the smallest islands in the World with no more than a few square meters size. The largest island barely reaches 6km long.

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  WORLD RECORD

  Maldives owns the title of the lowest country in the World with an average of only 1.5 meters above sea level.

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  MALDIVES ORIGINS

  Maldives are likely to be the reminiscence of a chain of sunken volcanoes formed around 60 millions of years ago. Recent studies suppose that coral reefs atolls have formed over hundreds of thousands of years on their sinking remains.

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  MALDIVES WHALE SHARKS

  The World's biggest fish has its official sanctuaries in Maldives with 3 places along the archipelago. The Maldives are one of the few places on Earth where Whale sharks can be encountered all year round.