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It is made up of 1,192 little islands, 199 of which are inhabited, and the archipelago covers 34,000 square miles. The beautiful lagoons and ocean seem to stretch forever, with a simply fantastic marine life and some of the best dive sites in the world.
Islands of the Maldives usually have a shallow lagoon, vast expanses of beach and spectacular marine environments. The Maldives Destination has been named at the 16th World Travel Awards, as the leading destination in the Indian Ocean. In the travel industry, the World Travel Awards are the equivalent of the Oscars.
Land and sea are one entity in the Maldives. Naiade 5 star luxury hotel: DIVA stands on South Ari Atoll on the 25 acre private island of Dhidhoofinolhu. The island is easily reached by seaplane or luxury motor boat from Malé, the capital.
It is the place to go for complete relaxation and a total change of scenery, well away from all the bustle of modern life. Activity centres around the lagoon itself but there is also a host of daytime excursions to other islands and sites, as well as all the Resort facilities.
The nearby dive sites are some of the world’s best and, even for those who have never dived before, the diving centre at Dhidhoofinolhu has superb training facilities.
In its pristine waters and its coral gardens, manta rays, colourful tropical fish, whale-sharks swim around. Those marine species have found a natural protected area in the Maldives. On the Ari atoll, Diva is the ideal destination for diving enthusiasts. They will discover beneath the sea surface a very colourful world...
The country is some 400 miles south-west of Sri Lanka and lies close to the Equator. It is generally sunny and humid throughout the year, with average daytime temperatures varying between 29° and 36° C.
Not much is known about the early history of Maldives. According to local legend, a Singhalese prince called Koimale and his young wife ran aground in one of the lagoons and he then became the first Sultan. From 1153, Maldives remained an independent Islamic Sultanate for most of its history, but became a British protectorate from 1887 to 25 July 1965. Maldives was finally proclaimed a fully independent republic on 11 November 1968.
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