Cross Asia Travel : : Things To Do

With over 1,190 tropical islands grouped under 26 atolls, Maldives is virtually a dream paradise for the surfers. Surfing is a popular activity especially at the island resorts with excellent breaks close to Malé. You can also enjoy surfing safaris to the outer atolls by arrangement with professional surf travel operators. Maldives is certainly not a place where you can venture far out into the waves with a few boards strapped on. The best time for surfers is from March to November when the wind is favourable. Get into a dhoni to enter the shallow lagoons, move around the islands and find an ideal surf site.

Endowed with rich and diverse marine life, warm waters and high visibility, coral reefs and cool resorts, Maldives is also famously known for its world class diving sites and schools. Many tourists often come to Maldives for the sole pleasures of diving and snorkelling. Most resorts sport dive schools with professional trainers and offer courses for learners and veterans alike. They have not only house reefs but also all the kit necessary for diving and snorkelling. You can experience the pleasures of diving or snorkelling just a short swim away from the beach. Among the Top 5 dive sites in Maldives are: Banana Reef, Broken Rock (Kuda Rah Thila), Guraidhoo Corner (Shark Thila), Maldives Victory Wreck, and Mushimasmingili Thila.

With water making up as much as 99% of its total area, Maldives offers some of the best fishing grounds that one can find across the world. Its waters are home to over a thousand species of fish including the local rarity, the Maldivian clown fish. Available for the fishing enthusiast is a range of fishing styles and techniques such as night fishing, big game fishing, and traditional fishing using weights. You can opt for a style based on your preferred time of day and the type of fish. Big game fishing, on offer mostly at upmarket resorts, follows ‘tag and release’ while hooking dolphins, turtles, whales, sharks and such other large fishes is prohibited.

If you like to simply relax even as you relish the captivating natural beauty of the verdant islands, azure seas, blue lagoons and kaleidoscopic corals, then a live-aboard cruise might be a perfect fit. Cruise operators can arrange for you a diving safari or a leisurely cruise or safari boating through the amazing atolls. Among the atolls more frequently touched by cruises are the Ari Atoll, Felidu Atoll, Faadippolu Atoll, and North and South Malé Atoll, all complete with a variety of services for tourists. Some of the best known diving and surfing sites in Maldives are located around these atolls. Professional instructors and diving kit are available on most of the cruises.

At the duty-free shops in Malé international airport, you can get a variety of items including chocolates and electronic goods, jewellery and liquor, perfumes and souvenirs, stationery and toys. Most resorts in Maldives also have a shop to provide you essential items like cosmetics and perfumes, sun cream and tanning solutions, shorts and swimwear. Souvenir shops are also available on most islands in the tourism zone to cater to those on islandhopping excursions. In particular, the islands of Guraidhoo, Himmafushi, Huuraa, and Maafushi in Malé Atoll, as well as Dhangethi, Mahibadhoo and Rasdhoo in Ari Atoll, are well known for their souvenir shops.

Take your time to go around and see the things on sale at different shops, and compare the prices before you bag your buys. And don’t let the sellers’ nagging pleas or persuasion get the better of your purse or pleasure.

Shops in Maldives are generally open from 9.00 a.m. and down their shutters by 11.00 p.m. They close for about 15 minutes during prayer time.

Chaandanee Magu: Among the best and busiest places for shopping, Chaandanee Magu is the hub of commercial activity in Maldives. Earlier known as the Singapore Bazaar, this market has large rows of souvenir shops and consumer stores including those imported from Singapore. Items you can shop here range from gifts and curios to miniature wooden dhonis. A typical Maldivian mat made of local fibres, thudu kuna , is a specialty. And while you are out shopping, do take note that the export of certain products such as those made of black or red coral, pearl oyster shell and turtle shell is prohibited.
Local Market: Located on the northern waterfront is the Local Market, only a block away from the Fish Market. It includes several small stalls, each stacked with an amazing range of local produces, many of them from atolls. Available here are fruits and vegetables, nuts and yams, breadfruit chips, sweetmeat packets, bananas and pickles, and what-have-you. You can also get dried or smoked fish in a building nearby. This market has a quiet ambience unlike most markets that are generally noisy.
Majeedhee Magu: Located at the main road in Malé, the Majeedhee Magu has a large number of shops selling a variety of goods and merchandise. Items you can pick up here include garments and jewellery, watches and handbags, cosmetics and perfumes, and a wide array of electronic goods.

If you are looking at an out-of-the-box session of business meeting or brainstorming in an exotic environment, Maldives is just the place to be in, any time of the year. There might perhaps be no better backdrop for an exclusive seminar or annual conference than the calm and panoramic beauty of the Maldivian islands.

Be it a board meeting or convention, exhibition or excursion, resorts will ensure that you have a magic blend of Maldivian courtesy, comfort and efficient service delivery in the most congenial environment to make your business event a success. They are well equipped with all the modern amenities and ambience necessary to effectively conduct meetings and conferences. In particular, incentive groups will find the island nation a virtual Elysian experience that frees people from the stress and strains of modern work life.