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The Maldives, a famous "resident" of the equatorial waters of the Indian Ocean, is rightly considered one of the best exotic destinations. There are 1,190 islands (or rather atolls) and all of them - as a selection: with blue lagoons, sandy beaches and unique vegetation. There is everything to have a decent relax time: peace and quiet, beautiful nature, rich underwater world. The essential part of any vacation for those who desire comfort - great hotels and high level of service

The capital of this country is Male’, by being mentioned in the Guinness Book of Records, as the smallest capital in the world it is 2.5 km long and 1 km wide and as the most densely populated city in the world, 37,000 people per 1 sq. meters, going ahead of Manila, Mumbai and Cairo. The area of Male' can be walked around in a few hours. The island also has an airport, which is also listed in the book as the smallest of all international airports in the world.

The streets are narrow and traffic is almost one-way. The phenomenon of this expanse in such a limited living space is in the way of life of the islanders. The way of life mainly takes place behind the high walls of the houses, which hide tiny, but neat yards with swings and plants in tubs. Maldivians are homebodies and family men. And no super-profits will make them stay in the office, missing the lunch time with family.

Visit the Maldives and linger for a few hours in this unique world, visit sightseeing and you'll find out that the Maldives can be quite different from what you expect.

Maldives is a Muslim country. The majority of the population belongs to the largest and most traditional Islamic movement - Sunnis. Interesting fact is that before Islam was adopted everywhere on the islands (around the 13th century A.D.), Maldivians practiced Buddhism and the rulers of the then existing state with its writing and architecture were not men but women.

Famous Arab traveler and entrepreneur Ibn Battuta wrote that this was here since the ancient times. Perhaps, this is where the assumption comes from, according to the most ancient Sri Lankan scripture "Mahawamsa", which describes these islands as Mahiladiva "Islands of Women".

The culture of the Maldives is a combination of Muslim wisdom, Buddhist serenity and Asian enterprise. Each visitor to the Maldives in search of his or her own private place has brought a piece of his or her own culture, music, paintings and recipes. Over time, all cultures have blended together, giving new life to the music of the Maldives. As with the rest of the world, time is making its own adjustments and trends, but still Maldives is one of the few places on earth where national sounds and rhythms are still in great reverence.

Bodoubert, Fatiganda Jekan, Thara, Bolimalafa Neshan, Kadha Maali and many other rhythms and dances are the symbol of the country, and the most popular direction is considered to be music of Bodoubert.

Bodoubert - the dance is performed strictly by men, about 15 people who gathered after a working day and to the sounds of drums, bells and "onuganda" (bamboo nozzle), spent their leisure time. The action began with the sounds of drums, which increased the pace and set the rhythm of the whole dance. As the pace grows, the dancers come out of the troupe swinging in tune, the locals call it the vibration of the island. By the acceleration of pace, the dancers jump and go into a trance, singing words that make no sense in the African dialect, with the addition of various local languages. The audience also starts clapping and dancing. The old people suddenly move to a new rhythm and go out into the center of the action, to the mad applause of the crowd they spin and make up in the dance, passing on to the young what they learned from their ancestors.

According to some historians, Boduber was brought to the country by African slaves in the early 19th century. During the reign of Mueenuddeen I, these slaves gained their freedom and were sent to Feridhoo Island by Ari Atoll. It is believed that Baudoubera spread from there and became one of the most popular attractions in the country.

Nowadays, it has become fashionable among tourists to rest in the Maldives on honeymoon.

The most common way of spending time in the Maldives is diving, with coral reefs near every island. Also popular are windsurfing, catamaran, water skiing, snorkeling, beach volleyball, tennis, billiards, squash and darts. Fishing - morning, day and evening, deep-sea fishing on a specially equipped boat, the price includes a fish barbecue, even if you can't catch anything). Some hotels have discos, live music (played and sung by local celebrities) and karaoke (including - in Russian). There are a lot of SPA facilities.

Do you know how the Atoll differs from just an island? Just in case we give you a note: the Atoll is a coral island in the form of a continuous or torn ring surrounding the lagoon. If you look out from under the water, the atoll is likely to be an extinct volcano, on the slopes of which once began to grow coral reef - so much so that it gradually found itself on the surface. The tip of the volcano, on the other hand, has collapsed over many centuries and has fallen under water. The rest you know: people came to the ring from somewhere, set up hotels, restaurants, spas and opened diving centers.

Wave riding is a relatively recent entertainment in the Maldives, until the late 80s it was not that popular. Today, the islands are considered one of the most attractive surf spots in the world: it is never crowded (the number of people going out to sea is regulated by a special service), and waves - just a glimpse: high, stable, perfect shape. The island of Lohifushi regularly hosts the prestigious O'Neill Deep Blue Open international tournament.

There are seven popular surf spots in the Maldives, including Sultans, Pasta Point (with the exclusive right to "rent" the waves by Atoll Adventures Club) and the"Police Island" surf spot. The most remarkable surfing is from June to September, with local wave heights ranging from 1 to 2.5m.

Surfing is also possible in the capital Male': there is a sandy bottom, and there is no risk to cut yourself on the coral at low tide. However, the scenery is not as picturesque as in the atoll resorts.

Since Maldives is a Muslim country, the official holidays are equated with those celebrated by the Islamic community. The Islamic calendar is significantly different from the Gregorian calendar, so it is difficult to say exactly on what dates this or that religious holiday will fall.

But given the influx of tourists from all over the world, it is a pleasure to organize festive events for Christian Christmas, European New Year, Valentine's Day and even Irish St. Patrick's Day. It is true that these festivities are not official and are not celebrated throughout the country.

Non-working days:

January 1

January 20-24

February 10

April 10

April 21

May 10

July 26-27

October 4

November 3-6

November 11th.

Days considered as holidays in the Maldives:

January 1 New Year.

Mulud is the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed and is celebrated around mid-April for three days.

26-27 July is Independence Day.

September 1 is Khuravi Day.

Eid al-Kebid - Sacrifice Day, which falls around the end of September.

Ramadan begins around the end of September and lasts 28 days.

Ade al Fitr - A celebration of the end of Ramadan.

28 October is Martyrs' Day.

November 3-6 Victory Day (the overthrow of the president by Lankan mercenaries was prevented).

9 November - Victim's Day in memory of Sultan Ali, who was killed under Portuguese occupation.

11 November Republic Day (the day the Maldives was recognized as a Republic), the adoption of the third Constitution.

10 December Fisherman's Day.

25 December - Christmas.

Weekends in the country - Friday and Saturday.

The climate of the Maldives is warm and humid. The air temperature during the day is around +30 °C, at night +26 °C and water +26 °C. Due to its close proximity to the equator, seasonal monsoon-related changes are almost imperceptible. During the south-western monsoon (from May to October) rains more often and the weather is windier. The north-eastern monsoon season (November to February) is considered less humid.

Most inter-island transportation is by seaplane, helicopter and boat. The most common waterborne mode of transport in the Maldives is a flat-roofed wooden Doni boat. It takes 1.5-2 hours to sail from island to island. Overland travel is mainly by bicycles and motorbikes, cars are only available in the capital.

The Maldives is located very close to the equator, and each guest can appreciate the proximity of the stars to the earth and discover completely different constellations, like constellations of the equator and the southern hemisphere.

You can also get the experience of "stargazing" in the hotel "Soneva Fushi by Six Senses". This is the first resort in the Robinson Crusoe style, where everyone will find something to do both during the day and at starry nights.

Ever Soneva So Celestial is a unique place in the Maldives. Observation of galaxies and planets gives birth to stormy emotions inside everyone and gives rise to madly pleasant sensations. An experienced astronomer, PhD in astronomy, Mr. Paraguay Mahajani, will introduce you to the vast and powerful universe.

Equipped with the powerful Meade RCX400 telescope, the observatory offers a magical spectacle of the starry sky, where guests can even see the rings of Saturn.