Holidays in The Maldives are all about doing as little as possible - but doing it in style. If you think not, then think again because, yes you are made for the Maldives. Whether you want a special holiday for the family or for just a couple of you, be it a Honeymoon or Wedding, a lively or quite time, you want to dive, surf, snorkel, dine well, read, fish or party, you can do it all in The Maldives.
Not only are there bungalows and villas by the water, there are also bungalows and villas on the water - yes built on stilts over that crystal ice blue clear water. There are also first class hotels on these stunning islands. Eighty plus resorts with all the facilities and activities to make your Maldive hoilday a perfect unforgettable experience. There is even one island with just seven holiday properties, with no one else around.
The Maldive experience however is not only for those seeking the super luxurious holiday. The Maldives also offer holidays for the more budget conscious of us that will allow almost anyone to experience the sensational Maldives.
There are twenty six atolls of the Maldives encompassing a territory featuring 1,192 islets of which 250 are inhabited. Imagine spending some of your holiday time on an uninhabited island.
Following the Portuguese in 1558 and the Dutch in 1854, the Maldives became a British protectorate in 1887. Maldives obtained indepenence from Britain in 1965 and became a republic in 1968. The Maldives is the smallest Asian country in terms of population and area; it is the smallest predominantly Muslim nation.
On December 26th 2004, the Maldives were devastated by a tsunami following the Indian Ocean earthquake. Nine islands only were reported to have escaped serious flooding while 57 islands faced serious damage to critical infrastructure. Fourteen islands has to be totally evacuated and 6 islands were decimated. A further 21 islands were forced to shut down due to serious damage. Four hundred million dollars was the estimated damage cost.
Tourism only began to be developed at the beginning of the 1970's. The first tourist resorts were Bandos Island and Kurumba Village. The Island of Bandos is a perfect romantic getaway for those two weeks of bliss away from work. The sense of calm and serenity the island emanates is truly otherworldly. Kurumba resort was completely reconstructed in 2003 and has emerged as a grand resort of distinctive style and panache.
