Overview

Though there are things of visual interest to be found across the Maldivian archipelago, Malé is home to the most popular and significant attractions. Whether it’s impressive buildings of state, magnificent mosques, busy markets or fascinating museums, the Maldives’ most populated atoll is where the best of the sightseeing action is to be found.

President's Palace

Located along the scenic promenade of Malé Beach is this magnificent stately structure that was built just before WWI and is the official residence of the president of the island nation. Though entrance to the building is not permitted, visitors can get close enough to its exterior to appreciate its fine architectural features.

National Museum

Malé Island is home to the impressive National Museum, a visitor centre set inside an old colonial structure located alongside the popular Botanical Gardens. The museum's collection features exhibits collected from different parts of the archipelago and includes royal antiquities, items of traditional costume and Buddhist icons among other objects of interest.

Republic Square

Few holiday makers visit the island of Malé without paying a visit to the famous Republic Square. Besides being the home of a number of key government buildings, such as the National Security Service building and the Police Headquarters, the square is a popular meeting place for locals and an ideal location to enjoy people-watching.

Grand Friday Mosque (Masjid-al-Sultan Muhammad Tha

Sometimes referred to simply as the Grand Mosque, this magnificent structure is every bit worth the adjective used to describe it. Indeed, with a capacity for 5,000 worshippers, it's exterior is as imposing as you might expect. Only Muslim visitors that are intent on attending daily prayer may enter the building although non-Muslim visitors may view its interior by prior appointment.

Friday Mosque (Hukuru Misikiy)

The Friday Mosque is situated nearby the President's Palace and is famous for being one of the oldest mosques in the archipelago. The mosque's oldest structural features date back to the mid- to late 17th century and include the notable drum-shaped minaret. The wooden carvings and examples of Islamic art inside the mosque are especially worth seeing.

Muslim Graveyard

Though a somewhat unusual and sombre destination to include on a sightseeing tour, the Muslim Graveyard in Malé is worth a visit if you are at interested in the history of the island. A wander around the cemetery and a perusal of the gravestones reveals that the remains of a number of famous and important Maldivian nationals are buried here.

Malé Market

There are few opportunities to experience the local culture in quite as raw and undiluted a fashion as at the busy day market located in the capital city of the Maldives. A genuine multi-sensory experience, the market offers a myriad of different smells, sights and sounds and is the perfect location to watch the locals go about their daily life. Sampling the edible delicacies on offer in the market is an integral part of the experience.

Overview

If you are an outdoor type, then you'll be in your element on a Maldives holiday. Even if you prefer to lounge, you'll rarely want to be stuck inside when you realise how beautiful the atolls are and how fantastic the weather is. The beach is the focus of the sports and activities on offer to holiday makers, with both sand and sea lending themselves to outdoor pursuits. Able-bodied persons not afraid of the water shouldn't miss the opportunity to scuba dive in the fantastically clear waters of the archipelago.

Beach fun

The beaches of the Maldives are truly beautiful settings and ideal locations for young children and adults alike to engage in a variety of games, sports and activities. Ball games such as boules, cricket, volleyball and takraw can all be enjoyed, provided soft balls are used and they're not played in heavily populated areas. Frisbee is another popular sand-based activity while kite-flying can be fun for visitors of all ages on days when there's a good sea breeze.

Water sports

If you prefer your beach activities to be wet and a little more edgy, then you'll want to take part in sports such as waterskiing, jet-skiing, parasailing, windsurfing and body surfing. The main beaches are the best places to find the action, with local companies providing the equipment and know-how to assist novices and experts alike.

Scuba diving

The scuba diving scene in the Maldives is world class, such is its reputation among serious enthusiasts of the sport. With some of the most coral-rich waters to be found anywhere on the planet, divers can be sure of truly stunning underwater sights. Visibility is good for most of the year, making for clear and easy viewing of the myriad of sea creatures that reside in the waters around the atolls.

Golf

You'll need to hop across to Kuredu Island if you're not already staying there but if you're a golf enthusiast, you'll find the effort well worth it for the chance to play a round or two at the recently landscaped Kuredu Golf Club. With gorgeous tropical scenery surrounding the course, the experience is sure to be relaxing, even if your game is not up to scratch on the day. The course is only six-holes long but there's also a driving range and a putting green onsite.

Fishing

With water all around, it will come as no surprise to angling fans that the Maldives is a great destination to enjoy fishing, with big-game fishing being especially popular. The majority of the main beach resorts have tour operators offering fishing excursions, with trips taking place both day and night. Invariably, the cost of these tours includes all equipment and food and drink.

Dining and shopping

An essential part of any Maldivian holiday is partaking of the fantastic cuisine that is unique to this small but culturally rich island nation. Local delicacies are many and varied and range from simple snacks that can be enjoyed at any time of the day, to delicious meals that can satisfy the biggest of appetites.

The local food is based around the fresh natural produce that is prevalent on the islands. With a tropical climate presiding, coconut is a common ingredient and with the sea never more than a stone's throw away, fish and seafood are also heavily incorporated. Tuna in particular makes its way into a vast number of dishes. Rice is the staple accompaniment of most meals, while fish sauce is a standard flavour enhancer in numerous dishes and coconut milk the foundation of most curries.

If you want to try the nation's signature dishes, then the watery soup made with tuna, onion, lime juice and seasoning that is known as garudhiya should not be missed. Basha ria made from eggplant, tuna, coconut and seasoning is also a favourite while the sweet snack known as bis haluuva, made from eggs, ghee, sugar and milk, is also well worth sampling.

Eating out on the islands, you can go as cheap or as upscale as you desire with establishments covering the majority of price brackets. Many of the restaurants in the main tourist areas tailor their cuisine to suit Western palates so if you are looking for authentic food, visit a casual eatery where locals dine. Here you'll find dishes with unadulterated degrees of spiciness and pungency and prices that are more favourable to boot.

Shopping in the Maldives could be a disappointing experience if you're the kind of holiday maker that enjoys splashing out on branded goods such as clothing, accessories and electronic products. If, however, you are a fan of ethnic arts and crafts, you'll be pleased with the selection of retail outlets on offer.

Avoid buying the traditional souvenir items in the hotel shops as prices are fixed and generally vastly over what you will pay for the same goods at a local market or small independent retailer. Check out the market in the capital for the best prices on souvenirs.

Bargaining is an essential part of the shopping experience and is your best approach to getting favourable prices at establishments that don't put price tags on their goods. On the small islands, you'll find lots of opportunities to pick up unusual handmade goods and playing the haggling game with the vendors is fun part of the shopping experience.

Local goods to look out for if you want to take something home that's typical of the Maldives include carved wooden statues and figurines, jewellery made from bamboo and coconut shell, sarongs and batik artworks.

Many of the restaurants favoured most by tourists are those belonging to the major resorts, with Malé Island offering the best selection. You needn't be a guest at a resort to dine in its restaurant as proprietors welcome passing custom and treat all diners with the same sense of hospitality. The restaurants at the Taj Exotica resort are among the most reputable in the archipelago and are a sure bet if you are looking for consistency in standards of food and service.

Overview

Since the Maldives is an island nation with its nearest neighbour located 700kms away, air travel is the only means of reaching the archipelago. A single international airport can be found at the nation's capital city but with limited direct connections, most Western visitors are obliged to make transfers from other major Asian or Middle Eastern airports.

Airports

There's only one airport serving flights into the Maldives from international destinations and it's based on Malé Island, close to the capital city of Malé. Flight routes available are limited and currently there are connections with Dubai (UAE), Thrivandum (India), Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Bangkok (Thailand) and Colombo (Sri Lanka). For most international visitors, a flight to Dubai International Airport followed by a four-hour long connecting flight to Malé is the main option for reaching the Maldives.

The airport operates a single terminal, within which passengers will find facilities such as a bank, a post office, ATMs, shops and eateries, a first aid centre, a mother and baby room and a mosque. From the airport, the only option for reaching the city or other parts of the island is by taxi. Cabs can be found outside of the terminal building.

For transfers to other atolls in the archipelago, there are domestic flights operated by the national airline, Air Maldives, and air taxi services operated by Maldivian Air Taxi. Airports on the other islands are extremely small and do not receive any international flights.

Public transportation

The cheapest and most common means of travelling between different atolls in the Maldives is by the engine-powered boats known as dhoni. These vessels operate regularly and are commonly considered to be the sea taxis of the archipelago.

For longer distance journeys to islands in the outer regions of the Maldives, visitors can make use of sturdier vessels known as vedis. However, if your budget permits, travel by plane, seaplane or helicopter is a faster option.

Malé is the only island in the archipelago on which there are proper roads and motorised transport is permitted. For getting around the island, taxis are the only option available. On the other islands most destinations can be reached easily on foot.