Maldives Resort holidays: popular islands for diving and relaxation

Many travelers and outdoor enthusiasts often cannot decide on a place for a holiday resort, so that beautiful views and all possible entertainment are relevant. In this post, we will tell you about the five most popular inhabited islands of the Maldives archipelago.

Maldives

The Maldives is an archipelago of islands of volcanic origin and surrounding coral reefs and lagoons. There are 26 coral atolls in the equatorial waters of the Indian Ocean, all of which form 19 administrative districts. The capital of the Republic of Maldives, the island city of Male, consists of 20 districts. Maldives is a very popular place for luxury beach holidays, relaxation and diving.

For the most part, island formations are represented by atolls — coral islands or groups of islands that look like a continuous or broken ring surrounding the lagoon.

1. Baa Atoll

Baa Atoll is the pearl of the Maldivian Republic, one of the best resort places. Picturesque tropical nature, crystal clear azure water, snow-white sand, bright sun and excellent service make this resort one of the most popular in the Maldives. Baa Atoll consists of 10 inhabited and 41 uninhabited islands. Residents of the atoll are engaged in fishing, making and selling souvenirs, and numerous tourists and visitors to the island come here to go diving.

A distinctive feature of Baa Atoll is the comfortable modern Royal Island Hotel, which is located on the island of Horubadhoo. The hotel offers incredible scenic views of the lagoon, lush rainforests, pools and beaches.

Fonimagoodoo Island (English: Fonimagoodhoo) of Baa Atoll is a place of pilgrimage for divers from all over the world. The island is surrounded by peculiar coral reefs. There is also a modern diving center on the island, thanks to which everyone can see amazing underwater worlds.

2. Gaafu Alif Atoll

Gaafu Alif Atoll, called the "King" of the archipelago, offers a lot of opportunities for an unforgettable trip. It is one of the largest natural atolls in the world, its length is 82 kilometers and its width is about 65 kilometers! Gaafu Alif Atoll is a real national reserve where you can meet rare inhabitants of the ocean and land.

For those who like active recreation, a great choice would be to visit Gaafa Alif Atoll. The westerly wind brings high waves to the island, which allow you to practice professional and amateur surfing. The hotels organize diving and snorkeling (scuba diving) for their guests. Experienced qualified instructors will help you get acquainted with the exotic underwater world. In your free time, you can play beach volleyball or table tennis, go water skiing or try windsurfing (sailing on a board).

3. Raa Atoll

One of the most mysterious is Rasgetiimu Island, surrounded by myths and legends, according to one of which the royal family lived here. And the island of Alifushi pleases with beautiful comfortable beaches, the hot sun is combined with refreshing cool water. Also, the island of Ungufaaru, which will delight real fishing enthusiasts, will give you an excellent catch!

Raa Atoll is the farthest from civilization, it is located 130 kilometers north of the island's capital, Male. They get to Raa by seaplane, the journey time is about 40 minutes. Due to the remoteness, the islands of the atoll have preserved their untouched nature, originality and individuality, but soon this idyll will come to an end. Active construction of hotels and other similar infrastructure for tourists continues on 15 inhabited islands. Local villages of the indigenous population are becoming resort towns, so you should not postpone visiting this place if you want to see it in its original form.

4. Laamu Atoll

Laamu Atoll is a complex of 82 islands, of which only 12 are inhabited. Laamu forms the southern border of the Central Maldives and is the largest by area. Therefore, for many centuries Laamu has played an important role in the history of the island state.

A feature of Laamu Atoll are many important archaeological sites and ruins. And the atoll's domestic airport, named Kadhoo, is located on one of the islands of Laamu.

In the southeastern part of Laamu there are many shallow reefs, in the western part of the atoll you will find deep lagoons, and in southern Laamu there are unique places for surfing, water sports and other entertainment. One of the best hotels in the Maldives is Six Senses Laamu 5*.

5. Addu Atoll

On Addu Atoll, you can visit many picturesque villages of local residents. The atoll is interesting for its small freshwater lake, the only one in the country where parrots nest and brown bustards rest during flights.

Excursions to the islands of the atoll, which last all day, are also very common and popular in Addu. Morning and night fishing, an excursion in a glass-bottomed boat, in which the real underwater world is visible, helicopter excursions, water safaris, which are located around the small islands of the atoll and other similar entertainment.

Addu Atoll is one of the few places in the world where manta rays, whale sharks and other underwater inhabitants can be observed in their natural habitat at a short distance from the coast of the island, and local reefs suffer much less from water warming harmful to corals, since in the cold season, on average, during the day +30°C, and the water temperature is about +26°C.