What are the Maldives. Maldives (country). History and legend

Useful data for tourists about the Maldives, cities and resorts of the country. As well as information about the population, currency of the Maldives, cuisine, features of visa and customs restrictions of the Maldives.

Geography of the Maldives

The Republic of Maldives is located in South Asia, on the islands of the Maldives archipelago, which is a chain of 20 atolls (about 2000 coral islands) in the equatorial waters of the Indian Ocean, southwest of the island of Sri Lanka.

State

State structure

Democratic Republic, part of the Commonwealth. The head of state and government is the president. The legislature is a unicameral parliament (54 deputies).

Language

State language: dikhevi

English is spoken in tourist centers.

Religion

The majority of the population professes Sunni Islam.

Currency

International name: MVR

One rufiyaa is equal to 100 lari. The circulation has banknotes in denominations of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500 rufiyaas, as well as coins in 1, 2, 5, 10, 25 and 50 lari. US dollars and major credit cards are accepted throughout. Upon departure, the remaining rufiyaa is allowed to be exchanged back for dollars.

History of the Maldives

The beginning of the history of the Maldives is unknown, but we know that people lived on the islands already 3000 years ago. About 800 years ago, the rulers of the Maldives - Buddhist kings - accepted Islam from Arab merchants. The Maldives was a British colony at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries and gained independence in 1965. In 1968, the Republic of the Maldives was proclaimed.

Maldives Map

Popular Attractions

Maldives Tourism

Where to stay

Maldivian hotel complexes are quite different, but they are all united by the hospitality of local residents and excellent service. There is a very interesting hotel building system in the Maldives - one island = one hotel.

There is no official classification of hotels in the Maldives. The local hotels are classified according to a special system for assessing hotel service: Deluxe, Superior and Standard. Most of the country's hotels are four- and five-star level, bungalow type. There are very few three-star hotels here.

All Maldivian hotels are of a high level, with a huge territory (the whole island) and a unique design. Even the most budget hotels provide their guests with good rooms with mini-bars, air conditioners, safes and other necessary accessories. On the territory of most hotels there are diving and spa centers, golf courses, volleyball and tennis courts, round-the-clock bars and restaurants. Swimming pools are not in all hotels.

In the hotels of the country, vacationers are available both half and full board in the "buffet" format. A separate table is attached to each room in the hotel restaurant.

Most Maldivian hotels are complexes that consist of dozens of one- or two-story bungalows and cottages, each of which houses one or more rooms. These rooms are equipped with a kettle and daily replenished coffee and tea, air conditioning and a TV. Bed linen is changed every other day and cleaning is done twice a day.

Many hotels offer tourists accommodation in "water bungalows" - spacious wooden houses on stilts, standing right on the beach above the water. Available - bathroom with ocean view and terrace.

In addition, accommodation in boutique hotels is possible in the Maldives - these are 10-12 detached villas. Each has an outdoor shower and a private terrace.

Another, not the most traditional option for living in this country, are yachts, the cost of living on which is very high.

Popular hotels

Tips

Tips are usually 10% of the bill.

Visa

Office Hours

Banks are usually open from 9 am to 1 pm from Saturday to Thursday. Day off - Friday.

Store hours are variable. Most, especially on the larger islands, are open from 7-8 a.m. to 9 p.m., but during the summer many shops are open from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Souvenirs

You can bring shark jaws, coconut oil, shells, sarongs, wood crafts (red and black figurines), coconut monkeys.

The medicine

Vaccination against hepatitis A and B is recommended. If necessary, it is better to bring medicines with you, since there are practically no pharmacies on the islands, and medicines sold in hotels are extremely expensive. It is recommended to drink bottled water.

After the vacation, I did not find the strength to talk about. Gathered with thoughts, I tell.

Who owns the Maldives?
No one, this is an independent state, located on 2000 islands, right on the equator (only a hundred islands are inhabited). The country is run by a president. Religion - strict Islam. The population is 300 thousand people, for the most part the descendants of the Dravidians (the ancient Austroloid population of South Asia), who are colloquially referred to as "black Indians". Tourism and fishing are the main sources of income for the treasury.

Are there cities?
There is, but only one, he is the capital. The main problem of the country is that all the islands are very small, there is nowhere to build cities. The city of Male is located on one of the largest islands (it is also called Male). The airport is on a neighboring island, 15 minutes by ferry. Male is built up very densely; in terms of population density, this island ranks second in the world after one of the islands of Hong Kong. 100 thousand people live in Male, a third of the population of the Maldives. There are practically no one-story houses, they are built in 5-6 floors, there are also 10-story buildings. There are a lot of cars on the island, including jeeps and trucks, although everywhere there is normal asphalt, and the entire island around the perimeter can be walked around in an hour. Sports cars were especially surprising, because in Male it is difficult to accelerate faster than 40 km / h. Typical street:

Why is everything so expensive there?
Everything is very expensive, because each island is self-sufficient. Male has its own large thermal power plant, on the islands - only small diesel power plants. Male has wells, other islands have distillers, just like Tatooine from Star Wars. And all the water in the water supply comes from distillers. On the tourist islands, all products are imported, including fish and fruits (nothing grows except coconuts). There are no factories for the production of, say, drinks in the Maldives - bottled drinks are from abroad. To get from island to island, you need to overcome many kilometers of the ocean surface, and trips on speed boats and, especially, on seaplanes are also not cheap. Prices for a tourist in Sri Lanka, where I visited on the same trip, are one and a half to two times lower than the Maldivian ones.

Is it really heaven on earth?
Depends on how you imagine paradise. In any case, paradise is not in Male, but on the tourist islands. One island, according to the unwritten rule of the Maldives, is one hotel. The tourist lives in a bungalow, a simple one-story structure, the pomp of decoration of which depends on the "star" of the hotel. From the bungalow there is direct access to a snow-white beach with the purest water, around the expanses of the ocean, coconut palms and helpful hotel workers. Food and drinks in bars-restaurants. For some, Crimea is a paradise. On the beach:

But what about the original nature?
Do not deceive: there is a lot of nature. In the sea next to you swim colorful equatorial fish and fatty tuna. We saw a reef shark at a depth of one and a half meters on the first day. Moray eels and stingrays were not noticed, but they were heard about. The sand is strewn with pieces of coral, you can admire the living ones by diving with a mask. Hefty crabs teem on the beach in the evening. A palm-sized tropical cockroach and lizards roamed the bathroom. Most of all I liked the fearless herons, ignoring beachgoers, and flying foxes - huge bats (wingspan more than a meter), hanging on trees and flying overhead at dusk. Foxes do not drink blood, but love fruits.
Tourists are urged to take care of the local nature. For offending a fish, you will receive a fine of several hundred dollars. At the same time, locals fish with impunity anywhere and any kind. The central sewer in Male and other islands flows directly into the ocean. Since there are no incinerators in the Maldives, garbage is also drowned in the sea. But, of course, they are not in a hurry to tell tourists about this.

What other pitfalls are there?
An ordinary tourist who comes to the Maldives does not see the country - he is taken from the airport to the island-hotel, and then back. I, as a curious tourist, spent a day and a half in the capital. Few people know that the Maldives has its own currency "rufiyaa", because in hotels settlements are in dollars. Since the water supply on the islands is connected to distillers, in the event of a breakdown, the entire island loses not only its soul, but also food - there is nothing to wash the dishes with. Yes, remember, I spoke about strict Islam? It is forbidden to import alcohol into the country, that is, it is useless to buy a bag of booze in a Moscow duty-free shop - they will take it away at the entrance. Alcohol is available only in tourist hotels on the islands, and at a sky-high price ($7 for a pint of bad beer, $5 for 50 g of whiskey). In Male, alcohol is not sold at all, but there is a wide range of “non-alcoholic beer”. Tastes like lemonade lemonade. Here, for example, is Holsten's choice (Holsten is not local, but brewed in Hamburg specifically for the Maldives!):

It takes 8.5 hours to fly to the Maldives, only Transaero makes a direct flight from Moscow, twice a week. Is it worth it? Well, I've always wanted to know what it's like to live in paradise on the islands. Learned. There is nothing to do. :)

The Republic of Maldives is located in equatorial waters south of India. The state is a chain of atolls, which consist of 1192 islands of coral origin. The capital of the state - Male - is the only city in the entire archipelago.

The Maldives have been inhabited for over 2,000 years. Twice the Portuguese and the Dutch tried to establish power over the islands, but the local population did not allow this to be done. In 1887, a British protectorate was established over the Maldives. The Maldives was under British rule for more than half a century and finally gained independence in 1965. In 1968, a referendum was held in the country, as a result of which the state became a republic.

Climate and weather

The climate in the Maldives is equatorial, with a predominance of monsoonal winds. The northeast monsoon from November to April creates favorable conditions for recreation on the islands. Due to the proximity of the equator, the air temperature is approximately the same throughout the year and does not fall below +25 °C. In April, the southwest monsoon brings humid air masses to the islands. During this period, the Maldives experiences a slight decrease in temperature, precipitation and storms.

Nature

Flora in the Maldives is represented by typical tropical vegetation. There are also mangroves and fruit trees. The abundance of vegetation depends on the soil. On some small islands covered with sand, there are only shrubs and grasses. Large islands are rich in vegetation. There is also a real jungle with tropical plants, mangroves, various types of exotic flowers. But there is one plant in the Maldives that grows everywhere, regardless of the type of soil - this is a coconut palm.

The fauna of the Maldives is not very diverse. Some species of reptiles live here: snakes that are not dangerous to humans, lizards. Mosquitoes are found only on the wild islands of the archipelago. Of the insects in the Maldives, butterflies and rhinoceros beetles also live.

Much more interesting underwater world of the Maldives. At the bottom of the ocean you can find various types of corals and marine life, ranging from sea urchins to whale sharks.

Attractions

There are not many historical or cultural attractions in the Maldives. The most interesting places are in Male. Here you can visit Sultans Park. Until 1968, the palace of the Sultan was located here. Subsequently, the palace was destroyed, and the gardens surrounding the palace were turned into a park.

The Islamic Center is also of interest. This is a large mosque next to the pier. Its interior is decorated with Arabic calligraphy symbols and wood carvings. It is better to visit the mosque accompanied by one of the local residents: after all, this is a religious building in which special rules of conduct must be observed.

Another attraction of the Maldives is the National Museum, which exhibits items of clothing and jewelry of the sultans. Also here are the manuscript of the Koran and pre-Islamic statues that were found during archaeological excavations.

Nutrition

The local cuisine is based on Indian and Arabic traditions. Many dishes consist of ingredients such as rice, seafood and spices. The most common sauce is coconut curry, it is added to almost all dishes. Fish dishes are varied, for the preparation of which there are hundreds of recipes. Fish is even added to pies. The main side dish is rice, which is cooked with coconut milk, vegetables and even some fruits, such as papaya, bananas, mangoes, pumpkins. From meat, they mainly eat chicken, but very rarely. Dessert is usually served with coconut. Pastries and fruit salads are also widespread. From drinks here they mainly drink tea, coffee and various juices.

Accommodation

There are practically no high-rise buildings in the Maldives, with the exception of buildings in Male. Hotels and hotels are represented by all kinds of villas, bungalows, chalets, cottages. All of them are one- and two-story, located separately from each other and have an entrance from the street. In the main building of hotel complexes, as a rule, there is a reception, a bar and a restaurant. The houses for tourists themselves are located either in the depths of the island, or on the shore, or right on the water. In the latter case, the houses are connected to the land by a wooden bridge, and in some cases the only way to get to the room is by boat. Whatever type of accommodation is chosen, all of them are distinguished by a high level of service.

Entertainment and recreation

Most people go to the Maldives for a beach holiday. However, there are many options for active recreation. For example, lovers of diving and snorkeling can have a great time on the islands. Divers from all over the world come to the Maldives, because the reefs near the islands are home to an incredible variety of marine life of unimaginable colors and shapes. But not only fish and corals attract diving enthusiasts. In the waters surrounding the atolls, many sunken ships rest, which are also of interest to divers.

Due to the fact that the Maldives is a Muslim state, many holidays here are of a religious nature. In addition, in the Muslim calendar, almost all holidays "move", i.e. falls on different dates from year to year. The New Year (January 1), Independence Day (July 26-27), Catholic Christmas (December 25) are unchanged.

Purchases

Most of the shops are located in Male and they specialize in souvenirs. Usually these are products from corals, shells, wood. Straw mats are especially popular. Local artisans make and sell beautiful coral jewelry - bracelets, earrings, necklaces. You can also buy high-quality diving equipment in the Maldives.

Weekends in the Maldives are Friday and Saturday, respectively, shops are open from Sunday to Thursday from 7:30 to 21:00 or from 9:00 to 22:00. During the prayer time, which is performed 5 times a day, the shops are closed, but if you are there at this time, it is not necessary to leave the trading floor.

Transport

The international airport is located in Male. In general, air transport is widespread on the islands, which is associated with the peculiarity of the geography of the archipelago. Air transport is represented by seaplanes and helicopters. In addition, transportation is carried out on sailing, motor boats and boats. Public transport in the Maldives does not exist in principle. Although there is a taxi in Male. Its feature is that if the car stopped for more than a minute, then the trip is considered over and must be paid. On the islands it is possible to rent a boat or boat. This will cost an average of $140.

Connection

Mobile communication in the Maldives is well developed. You can use your operator for calls if you connect roaming, but it is cheaper to purchase a SIM card from a local mobile operator. The cost per minute of connection is on average $0.5. The Maldives is divided into several telephone zones, and the cost of calls from one zone to another is higher than within one zone.

Security

After political parties were allowed in the country, rallies and demonstrations often began to take place on the streets of Male. It is not safe for tourists, although street crime is extremely rare in the Maldives. To improve security, the law obliges all hotels to provide guests with a safe for storing documents, money and jewelry. If you find that you have lost something, you should inform the manager, who must record your appeal in writing. After that, the manager will conduct his own investigation and, if necessary, contact the police.

Going to the Maldives, you must be vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, yellow fever. In addition, it is necessary to take out medical insurance, because any treatment in the country is paid.

Business climate

If you wish, you can open your own small business in the Maldives. The most popular destinations are the hotel and restaurant business. You can also organize a diving center or a yacht club. However, the government of the country is reluctant to give business to foreigners, preferring to do it on its own. This is due to the fact that when the Maldives was first opened as a new tourist destination, attempts by foreigners to establish a tourism business here, as a rule, ended in failure.

The taxation system in the Maldives is considered one of the simplest in the world. There is no VAT and income tax.

The property

Due to the very small area of ​​the state, real estate prices in the Maldives are very high. In addition, there is a moratorium on the purchase of real estate by foreigners. Instead, the state offers to take property on a long-term lease. The minimum term of such an agreement is 35 years, the maximum is 50 years. Basically, villas are rented out, it is extremely difficult to rent an apartment on the islands. If you managed to find a suitable apartment, then you will have to pay at least $ 300,000 for it. Most of the villas for rent are luxury housing. The cost of such housing starts from $ 350,000.

Since the Maldives is a Muslim state, this imposes some obligations on tourists. You should not appear in public places in revealing outfits. Swimming topless on the wrecks is strictly prohibited and entails a fine. Alcoholic beverages are prohibited in public places. The state has a ban on catching and exporting corals, only if they were not purchased in a souvenir shop. In restaurants, it is customary to leave a tip, the amount of which is 10% of the order value.

Visa information

Citizens of the Russian Federation do not need a visa. The consulate of the Russian Federation closest to the Maldives is located on the island of Sri Lanka.

But to the question: - Where are the Maldives? not everyone will be able to give the correct answer. Meanwhile, finding their location is not at all difficult. Pick up a map, find the Indian Ocean. Two parallel chains of islands, southwest of India and not far from the equator, are the coveted Maldives.

A bit of geography

Exotic coral islands stretch from north to south for 820 kilometers. The total area of ​​the Maldives is 90 thousand square kilometers, but only 298 square kilometers are allocated to land, the rest of the territory is occupied by the sea. Coral atolls unite 1192 delightful islands, of which 994 are uninhabited.

The population of the paradise country is 393 thousand people who settled on two hundred islands. About half of them hospitably host tourists from all over the world who know very well where the Maldives is located on the world map and strive to come here as often as possible. The islands are very small, a few square kilometers, so each of them has no more than one hotel. Blue transparent lagoons, amazing sandy beaches, unique vegetation and the highest level of service make the rest here delightful and unforgettable.

Weather

Where is the Maldives located? Where there is no winter. The subequatorial monsoon climate provides an average annual temperature of 24-30 degrees. From November to March, the weather here is dry, warm and the thermometer does not fall below 17 degrees. There are rains, rough seas and temperatures of 30-32 degrees. Swimming here is pleasant all year round, because the water temperature is constantly kept at the same level - 24-27 degrees.

Flora and fauna

A distinctive feature of the animal world is the complete absence of poisonous reptiles. And you can not even be afraid of a dog bite here, the keeping of these animals is prohibited at the legislative level. But enough at a short distance from the coast you can see a huge whale shark, but, as you know, giants feed only on plankton, so those who want to swim can do it without fear.

Fans of exotic fruits just need to know where the Maldives are, because there are a great many of them. The unique climate allows you not to experience a lack of vitamins all year round.

Coconuts, bananas, mangoes, papaya, pineapples delight tourists and natives with their juicy pulp. Everywhere the delicate aroma of orchids, hibiscus, roses, their diversity and color is amazing.

Tranquility, silence and complete unity with nature allow you to completely get rid of existing problems and give yourself a good rest.

The smallest capital

The city of Male is recognized as the smallest capital in the world, because it covers an area of ​​​​only 2.5 square kilometers. This is a tiny cozy town, the main attractions of which are the Great Friday Mosque with a sparkling golden dome, the National Museum located in the Sultan Park, the Presidential Palace and the legendary burial places of the Maldivian saints. There are no noisy entertainment venues here, but you can stroll along the picturesque embankment, enjoy the floral aroma in a shady park, visit original vegetable and handicraft markets. Everything in this country is subject to the laws of nature, and it’s probably even good sometimes to take a break from the hustle and bustle of megacities in such a cozy and peaceful place.

Visa and customs control

Where the Maldives is located, those who have managed to visit this wonderful exotic corner and, for sure, will visit it again, are well aware.

To travel here, you do not need to visit consular offices -.

You can rest here for 30 days, this is the period indicated in the tourist visa, which is placed in the passport for free upon arrival in the country. At customs, they can check whether you comply with the rules by which it is prohibited to import:

• drugs;
• pork products;
• animals;
• alcohol;
• anti-Islamic literature;
• pornographic products;
• military paraphernalia.

In addition, when going on an exotic vacation, it should be remembered that nudism and topless are prohibited in this Muslim country, and women should not wear beachwear when visiting the capital and areas where natives live, knees and shoulders must be covered.

Attractiveness of the Maldives

Bans and restrictions that are important for local residents and not at all burdensome for us do not detract from the merits of a holiday in this fabulous country. Now you know that the Maldives is where the transparency of the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, exotic fruits and the aroma of exquisite flowers, sprawling palm trees and flocks of colorful fish, calm silence and solitude on a small colorful island in the middle of the ocean expanse. The Maldives is a paradise on earth, a delight and bliss that you can give yourself.