The first image that comes to your mind when you think of the Maldives should be of an atoll or a coral island. An island with white sandy beaches and dotted picturesquely with palm trees and a beautiful assortment of colourful coral reefs surrounding a lagoon.

The coral reefs, like the barrier reefs found on the Australian shore side or the fringing reefs found along the coast of Florida are different from an atoll. What differentiates atolls from the coral reefs is the fact that they do not border anything. Atolls are founded on a coral base and often rise up thousands of metres from the ocean bed.

Many lush, tropical islands are based on the larger, individual reefs.

The living coral structures attract all types of marine life. This abundance of marine life has made the Maldives a top diving destination. The atolls of the Maldives have many of the top diving destinations in their vicinity. Amongst the main atolls there are:

Baa, Raa, North and South Kaafu, North and South Ari, Vaavu, Faafu, Dhaalu, Meemu and Lhaviyani.

The names above. are code letters assigned to the present administrative divisions of the Maldives. They are not the proper names of these divisions or atolls. The order followed by the code letters is from North to South, beginning with the first letters of the Dhivehi (the official language of the country) alphabet. These code letters have become popular among tourists and foreigners in the Maldives who find them easier to pronounce than the true atoll names in Dhivehi, (save a few exceptions, like Ari Atoll).

The Maldivian islands are located at the equator and they experience a monsoonal climate. There are two distinct seasons: dry season (northeast monsoon) and wet season (southwest monsoon). In these two seasons the temperature hardly varies. The northeast monsoon extends from November to May and the southwest monsoon runs from mid-May to November. During this season the Maldives experience torrential rain. The wettest weather is usually between June and August In general big fish action is experienced on the eastern side of the atolls during the southwest monsoon and on the western side during the northeast monsoon.

The Maldives really are ‘no news, no shoes’ islands and not for those looking for culture and sophistication! Accommodation ranges from the simple to the understated elegant with services from friendly laid-back staff. Most food and drink is imported, so will suit the western palate. Fresh fish features strongly in the local cuisine. Air travel by sea-plane between the islands allows for convenient island hopping, but is at the mercy of local conditions and may be hastily cancelled or postponed.

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