Maldives 'The Last Paradise On Earth'

If you're looking for a few extra hours of sunshine then you should visit the Maldives between December and April, which is also the brilliant height of the dry season. However, this is also the main season for tourism - resorts can be fully booked and prices are higher than the rest of the year.

The Christmas-New Year period is the busiest and most expensive part of the high season, when many of the all-inclusive package tourists arrive from Europe and America. Between May and November it's still warm, but the skies can be cloudy, humidity is higher and rain squalls and tropical storms blow in on the southwest monsoon.

This is the official low season - prices are lower and there are fewer tourists but some resorts close for annual repairs. The transition months of November and April are said to be associated with increased water clarity and better visibility for divers.

The Maldivian capital of Malé is the islands' only real attraction as such. Home to a third of the country's population Malé is one of Asia's most densely populated cities. As the only island in the Maldives with traffic, a commercial centre and no natural beaches, Malé certainly is an interesting anomaly in this part of the world. One highlight for holidaymakers is the Grand Mosque, while the city's markets overflow with local colour.

Many of the Maldivian resorts are family orientated and boast all the usual resort facilities including child-friendly restaurants, swimming pools, organised activities and sports facilities. Kilometres of unspoiled, uncrowded beach, a wide variety of watersports and the calm sea are also big hits with kids, as are island-hopping excursions.

Scuba Diving in Maldives

The Maldives Islands are a paradise for Scuba Diving holidaymakers and a mecca for marine biologists. A majority of the Maldives islands resorts have diving schools and offer you the service of professional diving instructors. There are numerous diving sites throughout the country. Some are ranked among the best in the world. The Ministry of Tourism and your resort itself would be able to give you detailed information on location (including maps), life forms, information on safety and environmental protection and special information on unique sites such as shipwrecks to make your Scuba Diving Holiday in Maldives a memorable one.

Popular Maldives Scuba Diving Sites

Banana Reef

This protected marine area has a bit of everything: dramatic cliffs, caves and overhangs; brilliant coral growths; big predators such as sharks, barracuda and groper; and prolific reef fish including jackfish, morays and bluestriped snapper. It was one of the first Maldives dive sites to become internationally known. The reeftop is excellent for snorkelling.
Mantas drop in at several cleaning stations around the reef.

Wreck of the Maldive Victory

This is an impressive and challenging dive because of the potential for strong currents. This cargo ship hit a reef and sank in 1981 and now sits with the wheelhouse at around 15m (49ft) and the propeller at 35m (115ft). The ship's structure is almost intact and provides a home for a rich growth of new coral, sponges, tubastrea and large schools of fish.

Shark Point

As the name suggests, encountering and observing sharks at this point is a frequent and regular happening. They swim to and from at the end of the channel where the currents are strongest. Friendly Gray reef sharks and whitetip reef sharks are those most likely to approach the divers.

Reference : Lonely Planet Destination Guide