A small scattered chain of islands located south west of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean is the island nation known as Maldives. An accumulation of 1,190 coral islands and stretching over 820 kilometers, the 26 major atolls top the charts of most beautiful secluded beaches in the world.
While only 202 of the small beaches are inhabited, tourists have more than 87 individual islands to choose from primarily devoted to resorts and tourist residences. A large majority of the islands speak primarily English with a small percent speaking Dhivehi native to the early settlements in the surrounding areas.
After the devastating 2006 Indian Ocean tsunami that destroyed many structures on the “necklace” shaped assortment of islands and driving away much of the marine life that surrounded, it seemed a famous destination might be lost. However, after rigorous rebuilds the following year brought more than 650,000 tourists to the beautiful island nation.
As if being surrounded by the clear blue waters of the Indian Ocean weren’t enough for beach bodies, Maldives offers diving/scuba lessons at the world famous Bluetribe Moofushi in the South Ari Atoll. Thousands of lucky tourists have partaken in the diving festivities giving the Bluetribe Moofushi a Tripadvisor rating of four and a half out of five stars.
If you’re past the lessons and prepared for even more of the ocean’s wonders, Manta Point is a diver’s dream site. Appropriately named Manta Point for its massive amounts of large manta rays, the clear blue waters surrounding the coral reef formation puts traveler’s minds at rest when considering safety. A boastful Tripadvisor rating of five out of 5 stars puts Manta Point not only atop Maldivian attractions but world wide tourist destinations for diving enthusiasts.
