The Maldives is located in the Indian Ocean, south of Asia. It consists of about 1,200 islands and atolls, but only about 200 are inhabited. Only about 200 are inhabited, while the rest are used for cultivating crops or for private beaches. However, not all are natural islands. For example, one island was artificially created in 2004 due to a lack of land on an adjacent island. Meanwhile, the number of islands is gradually decreasing. This is mainly due to sea level rise. More than 100 islands have already disappeared this way. Soil erosion is another common reason.
The population of the archipelago is about 530,954, 100% of whom follow Islam. Therefore, it is not only travel agencies that urge tourists to be very careful, especially during Ramadan. Most stores and restaurants are closed during this time. And even if they do visit stores, they are not allowed to buy alcohol or pork. Another problem is wearing bikinis in public and making various displays of affection towards others. This is also forbidden in Muslim countries. In hotel resorts, however, everything is different.
There are regular flights from Prague to the capital, Malé, with one change in Dubai. In the Maldives, the so-called seaplane is used as a means of transportation. This is air transportation between islands. The only drawback, however, is that flight schedules do not exist. Therefore, one never knows when any plane will fly to a destination, and one may have to wait several hours for a flight. The cheapest way is by ferry. However, they do not operate on Fridays or in bad weather. A faster way is by speedboat (speedboat). In many cases, this method is offered by hotels, mainly because they rent the entire boat and take you wherever you want to go. Seaplanes, cabs, and buses can also be used to get around. Locals often get around by bicycle, motorcycle, or on foot.
Without a doubt, one of the best experiences is scuba diving. Many of the islands in the Maldives are so-called atolls. That is, islands consisting of coral reefs surrounded by a lagoon. Some of the islands are convex, and you can dive right under them. An essential part of any Maldives vacation is relaxing on the beach. The beaches of the Maldives are breathtakingly beautiful.
