Maldives: Always Natural
The Maldives are a string of coral atolls in the Indian Ocean, a tropical paradise of pristine beaches, turquoise lagoons and swaying palm trees. Since the advent of tourism here in the 1970s, the Maldives managed a one island, one resort policy and managed to keep visitors separate from the inhabited islands. Running a smooth operating machine, tourists were transported by seaplane or speedboat to their packaged holiday.
The appeal to travelers is huge with 1,200 islands and only a hundred or so of them being utilized as either inhabited islands or exclusive resorts. It is safe to say, much of the Maldives remains unexplored – a final frontier. The Indian Ocean is scattered with Virgin Islands that have not seen a human footprint for many years. It is certainly not an easy place to negotiate travel, being geographically, politically and socially challenged, but travelers are now arriving in their thousands, hoping to discover the ‘Robinson Crusoe lifestyle’ and engage with local people. December through to April signals peak season in the Maldives, with higher prices and more visitors but the lowest rainfall with average temperatures of 28°C.
