Guide to Maldives

Beaches

Nothing quite prepares you for that initial glimpse of the Maldives and the deep blue sea of the Indian Ocean as you fly in. Of course, clapping eyes on this necklace of pearly-white atolls for the first time is soul-stirring stuff - but that's nothing compared to seeing them up close. Palm trees tickle long sweeps of impossibly soft, white sand. And the sea's an intense, almost unnatural shade of turquoise. But that's not all. The water's as warm as a bath and boy is it clear – diamond clear, in fact. And shallow enough that you're treated to a knee-deep technicolour marine show as you pad along the shoreline. Little wonder snorkelling and scuba diving are the top pastimes here. Goggles and snorkels open a portal into a wonderland of luminous fish and waving anemones. Not to mention turtles, rays and harmless baby reef sharks. When it comes to underwater rainbows, this coral-laden briny gives the Red Sea a run for its money. And there's more in store for aqua-holics. Most of the island resorts offer up something in the way of watersports. Zip up a wetsuit and perfect your windsurfing skills. Or maybe paddle out in a sea kayak and watch flying fish skim across the waves. Yep, in the beach stakes, the Maldives is in a league of its own.

Eating out

• When it comes to taking it easy, the Maldives is a pro. And we don't just mean beaches and spas. Dining is a hassle-free affair, too. You see breakfast, lunch and dinner is usually taken care of, with many of the islands offering Full Board meal plans. No surprises then that buffets are a set feature in the hotels. Typically you can kick the day off with fresh fruit, pastries and omelettes, and at some of the more upmarket resorts, smoothies, waffles and pancakes make an appearance. Lunch usually revolves around salads, pasta and casseroles, while fresh fish is rustled up on show-cooking grills in many of the four and five star complexes. Dinner, meanwhile, often revolves around a theme night, such as Italian, Indian or Oriental. But buffet meals aside, lots of the top-end hotels also have Italian restaurants, Japanese sushi bars and American grills. Some even have a la carte restaurants on the beach so you can dine on lobster and sip champagne to the sound of lapping waves. The thing to remember is when it comes to food options, the further up the star rating you go, the greater the choice. If you do decide to leave the comfort of your resort though, Male's a good place to head food-wise. The city certainly isn't short on places to eat. There are Indian restaurants, Chinese, Italian, Thai, Indonesian - you name it they've got it. Do bear in mind though, as the Maldives is a Muslim country, they don't serve alcohol in the capital – although non-alcoholic beer is widely available. Male's also a great place to try some authentic Maldivian food. The teashops serve finger food known as 'hedhikaa'. Choose from tapas-sized samosa triangles, spiced dough balls and chilli-coated fish. But you don't have to hotfoot it over to Male for a taste of Maldivian cuisine. More and more hotels are serving up home-grown dishes like fish curry and 'roshi' flatbread. You might even find 'mas huni', too - a Maldivian breakfast favourite of tuna, onion, coconut and chilli.
  
  
• Hulhule Island Hotel, Male Tucked on Airport Island, this is the only hotel in Male that serves alcohol. And the menu's a polished international affair serving everything from crisp Caesar salads to posh bangers and mash.
  
  
• Meedhupparu Island Resort, Raa Atoll When it comes to buffets, other hotels could learn a thing or two from this place. Breakfast's an endless selection of croissants, pancakes and eggs to order. And the evening carvery does a mean roast dinner complete with Yorkshire puddings!
  
  
• Kurumba Village, North Male Atoll As the first resort to open in the Maldives back in 1975, Kurumba has had time to perfect its culinary credentials. At this country club-like resort you'll find seven restaurants to choose from, including an a la carte Italian, Indian and Chinese, and a funky sushi bar.
  
  
• Royal Island, Baa Atoll The piece de resistance of this classy resort is the a la carte restaurant. Slap on the sands, you can tuck into jumbo prawns and steaks by candlelight as the sea laps at your feet.
  
  
• Huvafen Fushi, North Male Atoll Talk about cutting-edge. This ultra-luxurious resort has three a la carte restaurants – 'Salt' for fish, 'Celsius' for world dishes and aptly-named 'Raw' for Japanese. Add a wine cellar to rival any French bistro and you're in for a real treat.

Nightlife

• Just like shopping and dining, nightlife in the Maldives tends to be hotel-centric. Some of the larger resorts have their own discos where you can strut your stuff John Travolta-style. Others have large, open bar areas where you can settle down with a cocktail to some live jazz or catch a troupe of traditional 'bodu beru' drummers doing their thing. And now and again karaoke makes it onto the bill, too. Generally speaking though, the Maldives sidesteps high jinks and glitterballs in favour of more low-key evening entertainment - a quiet meal, a moonlight stroll. As with most things in the Maldives, 'busy doing nothing' is the holiday mantra here.
  
  
• Queen of the Night One, Male of Male's most popular teashops, it's always packed out. Tables and chairs spill out onto the street where locals play chess until the wee small hours.
  
  
• Shell Beans, Male A favourite among travellers and expats, this ever-popular coffee bar is just the ticket for a late-night caffeine shot and a sticky pastry.
  
  
• Olympus, Male Screening everything from Hollywood hits to Bollywood blockbusters, this is Male's premier cinema. It also shows Maldivian movies if you really want to soak up the culture.
  
  
• Kurumba Village, North Male Atoll Come sundown there's only one place to be – the Rendezvous lounge bar. Order a G&T and sidle up to the mic for a chorus of lung-busting karaoke.
  
  
• Club Med Kani, North Male Atoll Packed with French and Italian holidaymakers, this island is wall-to-wall fun. The resident animation team make sure there's never a dull moment and the nightly disco makes it one of the Maldives' liveliest spots.

Shopping

The Maldives sits firmly at the fly-and-flop end of the destinations scale. As such, shopping doesn't score very highly on most people's 'to do' list. Plus the fact that you're based on just one island does limit your options a bit. Having said that, many of the resorts offer up something in the way of retail therapy. Some have little souvenir shops selling beachwear, knick-knacks and snorkelling equipment. Others go all out with swanky boutiques and jewellery stores. It all depends where you're staying. If you really want to hit the shops, however, you'll need to get yourself over to Male, the capital of the Maldives. A full-on city, it's got plenty in the way of shops and markets. For video cameras, diving equipment and clothes, make a beeline for Chandanee Magu, a long street that runs next to the Grand Friday Mosque. You'll also find traditional crafts here like sarongs, coconut graters and wooden measuring cups. If you really want to experience the local way of life though, the fish market's the place to go. The heart and soul of Male, it's an eye-popping affair with scales piled high with snapper, tuna and reef fish. For more in the way of Maldivian authenticity, check out the island of Gadhdhoo in the Gaaf Dhaal Atoll – it's famous for making 'tundu kunaa' mats woven from natural fibres. Handmade lacquer-work bowls and boxes are commonplace on the islands of Eydafushi and Thuladhoo in the Baa Atoll. And if you're after something sparkly, organise a trip over to Ribudhoo and Huludeli in the South Nilandhoo Atoll - these islands are famous for their gold and silver jewellery.

Transfer time

Transfers are by either a dhoni (local craft), speedboat or seaplane. Transfers may be rough, particularly May to October. Customers are advised to wear flat shoes for transfers as they will have to climb in and out of boats. Certain resorts are reached by seaplane and in such cases a 20kg baggage allowance will apply and your luggage may follow in a boat and not arrive until late in the night. Therefore, we recommend you pack a small bag with essentials. There may be a wait of up to 2 hours for your onward transfer to your chosen hotel. For safety reasons seaplanes are only able to operate during daylight hours. Important note - if the flight to the Maldives is delayed it may be that you will be unable to transfer to your hotel until the following day. In this situation we will provide accommodation and board for the first night of your holiday in an alternative hotel and arrange for you to travel to your booked hotel the following morning.