The Maldives
Sun, sand and sparkling blue sea... A thousand islands where you can play at Robinson Crusoe, turquoise lagoons with waters that are incredibly rich in flora and fauna… You are in the Maldives aboard your catamaran, and if you’re not in heaven, you’re close to it!
This archipelago is more than 650km to the South West of Sri Lanka. It stretches over 820km from North to South and over 120km from East to West. The Maldives are made up of 26 atolls with a total of 1190 islands. Eleven atolls are open to tourism and 87 islands have been turned into hotels or ‘resorts’. The capital of the Maldives is Mahé. This incredible town which emerges from the waves, counts 100,000 inhabitants in its 2 km², a third of the total population…
Climate: The climate is tropical. There is a dry season, from November to May, and a wet season from May to November. The temperatures fluctuate between 26°C and 32°C throughout the year. During the wet season, it rains almost every day, but rarely for more than an hour, before the sun appears again. The wind is light to moderate during the dry season and blows from the north-east. It is light and from the south west during the wet season and occasionally reaches 25 knots in the squalls. This is why the Maldives is a destination you can discover all the year round, with a slight slack season from June to August.
Getting there : There are no direct flights from Europe or the USA. You will generally have to change at Dubai, Doha or Sri Lanka. Note that the arrival at the only airport in the world to be built on a lagoon is superb. From Paris, 12 – 14 hours flying, with the changes.
Time difference : + 4 h in winter / + 3 h in summer.
Money : the Rufyah, but pay in US dollars.
Formalities : Valid passport.
Vaccinations : none
Language : Divehi and English.
Recommended period : September to May.
Temperature : water 29°, air 35°
Customs : The Maldives is a fairly strict Muslim country. It is forbidden to import alcohol, pork meat…
For more information: www.visitmaldives.com.
