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All those dreams of playing Robinson Crusoe, being cast away to your own private idyll and living out the natural life can all come true on a Maldivian island. What’s even better is you can do all that with hot and cold running water, have plenty of friendly staff to play Man Friday for you and go diving at the same time.
Your first glimpse of the Maldives will be the spectacular aerial view of the north Male atoll as your flight descends to the airport. There are nearly 100 designated resorts across 7 atoll groups and all have similar charms.
Over the years, we have dived from six different islands: Bandos and Eriyadu in the North Male Atoll; Lily Beach, Vilamendhoo and Fesdhu in South Male and Filitheyo in Nilandhe Atoll.
Each island has it's own character but apart from their hotel star rating there is little to differentiate them. As time goes by they are all becoming more upmarket, taking on "international standards".
Marine life in the Maldives is always plentiful and schooling fish are the order of the day. For divers contemplating which island to choose there are a couple of things to look for. First, smaller islands with good house reefs are likely to allow shore and night diving and so be more diver orientated.
The other is weather patterns can influence your choice as well. In the southwest monsoon season (May - November) it’s more comfortable to be on an island that has access to the west of the atoll and in the northeast monsoon (December - April) you need the other side.
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TRAVELOGUE: Flights: Singapore Airlines, Emirates, European charters.. Complete reports on this area are in Diving the World |
PROS AND CONS: Being on an island can be a charming and romantic time - providing you choose carefully. Many newer resorts are crowded and you may find yourself sharing a table with a stranger. However, you are free to shore and night dive whenever you want. |
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