Described as ‘a place for a holiday of a lifetime’, the Maldives is a vision to behold with its spectacular sunrise and sunset, beautiful beaches and abundant marine life. THE Maldives is a maritime Muslim nation that holds magical surprises beyond its usual image.
It stretches across the vast ocean surface like a glittering collection of 1,200 emeralds rising from an oceanic treasure chest.
“A geological eccentricity nestled in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the Maldives are a series of ancient coral reefs that grew up around the sides of towering prehistoric volcanoes that have long since sunk into the ocean, leaving behind coral islands of incredible natural beauty,” says Lonely Planet of the Maldives, adding that it is “perhaps the ultimate in long-haul luxury... and a place for a holiday of a lifetime.”
Are such breathless descriptions justified? Is the Maldives really the utopia of tourism? Some critics point to its conservative Islamic practices, the dearth of terrestrial bio-diversity, the exorbitant prices, the acute poverty of a large section of the population and, more recently, the civil unrest.
Others focus on the appalling lack of sanitation or facilities for solid-waste disposal on the islands inhabited by the locals; while yet others point to the frightening fact that this nation will be one of the first to disappear off the face of the planet as the oceans rise with global warming because there is hardly anywhere in the country that is more than 2m above sea level.
A sanguine Maldivian boatman summed up things philosophically when he wryly said, “Global drowning is far away in the future and desperate poverty is far away on the remote islands, and both have nothing to do with tourism today. For tourism today, my friend, Maldives is the best place on God’s beautiful world – you can believe it!”
Cynic or sage, his words rang true on my recent visit there. Beauty was all around, from the superb sunrise to the spectacular sunset – and even at night, beneath a brilliantly star-filled sky.
Practically every tourism photograph of the Maldives shows pristine-white, sun-kissed beaches, clear blue skies, graceful coconut palms and shimmering clear aquamarine waters teeming with exotic marine life. Like Switzerland, this country is so picturesque it is almost a visual cliché. Everywhere you turn, you find picture-perfect scenes straight out of a glossy postcard.
The burgeoning number of resorts does not distract from the fact that they are all are equally spectacular, with the emphasis on style, beauty and sybaritic luxury.
Tourism is Maldives’ main economic activity, accounting for nearly 30% of GDP and over 65% of its foreign-exchange earnings.
The government is determined to steward this revenue-earner carefully, and has decreed that only top-echelon luxury resorts can be built to consolidate the country’s premium-branded tourism industry. A young Maldivian travel agent told me smilingly: “This country is definitely an expensive destination, but you will agree that the experience here is well worth the expense!”
The experience is generally two-fold. While many European and Asian visitors simply bask in the sun, enjoy the spas, soak up the idyllic atmosphere, view the gorgeous scenery and feel the gentle breezes, others come to the Maldives for serious diving.
Many divers enter the inter-atoll channels to explore the caves and overhangs where there is a riotous rainbow of colourful sponges, corals, invertebrates and gorgonian fans.
The complex network of channels and passages between the atolls causes the oceanic currents to flow freely throughout the archipelago, moving vital marine nutrients all over the underwater world. This constant movement results in a stunning diversity of brilliantly coloured marine life.
Apart from the Giant Manta Ray and several different species of dolphins out at sea, divers can also expect to see angelfish, barracudas, butterflyfish, eels, jacks, Napoleon wrasse, parrotfish, sea turtles, snappers, sweetlips, and tuna in almost every good dive site.
Tourists from Malaysia, Indonesia and the Arab world can enjoy the superb cuisine in Maldives knowing that everything is halal. Japanese, Western, Chinese and Thai restaurants can be found in the larger towns and in the luxurious resorts, and everything is absolutely halal.
Local Maldivian cuisine is naturally very big on fish, with tuna playing a major role. Coconuts and chillies also seem to feature prominently, with chapatti and rice being common staple foods.
“Maldive Fish” dishes are famous in Sri Lanka and south India, and it is easy to see why. For freshness and flavour in the seafood world, “Maldive Fish” reigns supreme, as I found out to my delight.
The memory that lingers the most of Maldives, however, is of the vibrant, vivacious colours.
While the sky is a vivid clear azure and the beaches are a lovely coral white, the waters are dramatically separated into bright turquoise and deep blue – clearly marking where the languid waves of the atolls meet the awesome ocean depths. The graceful coconut palms and limited vegetation thrive in verdant shades of green, and even local wooden handicraft comes in a variety of hues.
The few fish I saw in the clear waters of Paradise Island Lagoon showed an astonishing variety of nature’s palette, and divers assured me there was a veritable kaleidoscope of colour beneath the waves, too.
Every Maldivian fishing boat I saw seemed to be decked out in a fresh coat of paint, and even the sails of windsurfers had the full spectrum of the rainbow and more.
Buildings are painted in bright, uninhibited colours, reflecting the happy disposition of the islanders.
Conservative Islam may be the religion, but its practitioners are a warm and wonderful people who bring a special magic to marvellous, memorable Maldives!
> Malaysia Airlines flies direct to Male’ from Kuala Lumpur seven times a week. For more information on the Maldives, you can go to www.12fly.com.my or www.mysharmony.com

Edited by Carmeline A.