Exploring the Beaches of Maldives

Maldives is an island country located in the Indian Ocean, and is comprised of 26 atolls. There are about 1,190 coral islands that are spread out through 90,000 square kilometers. As Maldives is the least populated Asian country, most of these island are uninhabited. Several of them have been turned into luxurious beach resorts.

Cocoa Island Beach

Cocoa Island Beach is a private resort island located at the South Male Atoll. Around this island are a number of other islands, which are mostly small and uninhabited. It is a rather private location meant for luxurious travel, with beautiful sandy beaches, turquoise waters and many opportunities for sailing and diving. People can also go explore the other islands.

Nika

Nika is an island located in the South Ari Atoll, which is famous for its powdery white sand, palm trees and turquoise waters. It is one of the most private islands in the country. Nika is a safe place to swim because there is no current.

Mirihi Island

Mirihi Island is located in the South Ari Atoll. It is named after small yellow flowers that grow around the island. Mirihi Island is a very small place, and there are lots of opportunities to snorkel or scuba dive and observe corals, squid, seahorses, turtles and other fascinating sea creatures.

Vabbinfaru Island

Vabbinfaru Island is located in the North Male Atoll. It is a small, luxurious island filled with palms and sand.

Nalaguraidhoo

Nalaguraidhoo is located in the South Ari Atoll, and it has fascinating shores with a nice cool breeze from the water, as well as soft white sand. People travel to this grand lagoon to participate in many water sports, like fishing and diving, as well as many other land sports. Other names for this island are “Sun Island” and “flower of the indies.” There is also a barrier reef pretty close to shore, and people go there for snorkeling and scuba diving.

Malé, Republic of Maldives

Is your idea of a dream expat escape a remote tropical island, but not so isolated from the luxuries and benefits of living in a large, culturally diverse, international city? Malé might be the perfect place for you.

Located among the tiny tropical atolls of the Maldives Islands in the Indian Ocean, Malé still boasts a bustling population of just over 100,000. The island’s landmass is entirely urbanized, as the picture shows, but there is ready access to many of the nation’s other 250 inhabited islands via seaplane and boat.

Understandably, the nation is a popular tourist destination, and in fact tourism is its most lucrative industry. For the expat, that means there’s a constant international atmosphere. A recent census estimated as many as 70,000 foreign employees living on the islands, out of a total population of around 300,000. At the same time, though, the Maldivian racial and ethnic identity is a blend of cultures which still strongly reflect the people who first settled the islands from southern India and Sri Lanka.

Originally the island was predominantly Buddhist, although that influence has now been replaced with a strong Muslim presence. Local businesses are required to close temporarily several times a day for Prayer Call. You can get the times each day by texting ‘prayer’ to +131 on your mobile. Fridays are the holy day of the week– as it ought to be!– so most services are closed then too.

If you’re a lover of seafood, get ready to enter your personal culinary paradise.

As for activities, if you enjoy the ocean it’ll be within view from every angle. Fishing, snorkeling and diving are stellar, and the island’s many reefs are regularly visited by spectacular (and entirely peaceful) whale sharks!

The nation’s president, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has pledged to make the islands carbon-neutral within the next decade, and they plan to do so by moving to a system entirely powered by wind and solar power.

You can network with current and future expats of Maldives at expat-blog.com’s Maldives expat network.

Exploring the Beaches of Maldives

Maldives is an island country located in the Indian Ocean, and is comprised of 26 atolls. There are about 1,190 coral islands that are spread out through 90,000 square kilometers. As Maldives is the least populated Asian country, most of these island are uninhabited. Several of them have been turned into luxurious beach resorts.

Cocoa Island Beach

Cocoa Island Beach is a private resort island located at the South Male Atoll. Around this island are a number of other islands, which are mostly small and uninhabited. It is a rather private location meant for luxurious travel, with beautiful sandy beaches, turquoise waters and many opportunities for sailing and diving. People can also go explore the other islands.

Nika

Nika is an island located in the South Ari Atoll, which is famous for its powdery white sand, palm trees and turquoise waters. It is one of the most private islands in the country. Nika is a safe place to swim because there is no current.

Mirihi Island

Mirihi Island is located in the South Ari Atoll. It is named after small yellow flowers that grow around the island. Mirihi Island is a very small place, and there are lots of opportunities to snorkel or scuba dive and observe corals, squid, seahorses, turtles and other fascinating sea creatures.

Vabbinfaru Island

Vabbinfaru Island is located in the North Male Atoll. It is a small, luxurious island filled with palms and sand.

Nalaguraidhoo

Nalaguraidhoo is located in the South Ari Atoll, and it has fascinating shores with a nice cool breeze from the water, as well as soft white sand. People travel to this grand lagoon to participate in many water sports, like fishing and diving, as well as many other land sports. Other names for this island are “Sun Island” and “flower of the indies.” There is also a barrier reef pretty close to shore, and people go there for snorkeling and scuba diving.

Malé, Republic of Maldives

Is your idea of a dream expat escape a remote tropical island, but not so isolated from the luxuries and benefits of living in a large, culturally diverse, international city? Malé might be the perfect place for you.

Located among the tiny tropical atolls of the Maldives Islands in the Indian Ocean, Malé still boasts a bustling population of just over 100,000. The island’s landmass is entirely urbanized, as the picture shows, but there is ready access to many of the nation’s other 250 inhabited islands via seaplane and boat.

Understandably, the nation is a popular tourist destination, and in fact tourism is its most lucrative industry. For the expat, that means there’s a constant international atmosphere. A recent census estimated as many as 70,000 foreign employees living on the islands, out of a total population of around 300,000. At the same time, though, the Maldivian racial and ethnic identity is a blend of cultures which still strongly reflect the people who first settled the islands from southern India and Sri Lanka.

Originally the island was predominantly Buddhist, although that influence has now been replaced with a strong Muslim presence. Local businesses are required to close temporarily several times a day for Prayer Call. You can get the times each day by texting ‘prayer’ to +131 on your mobile. Fridays are the holy day of the week– as it ought to be!– so most services are closed then too.

If you’re a lover of seafood, get ready to enter your personal culinary paradise.

As for activities, if you enjoy the ocean it’ll be within view from every angle. Fishing, snorkeling and diving are stellar, and the island’s many reefs are regularly visited by spectacular (and entirely peaceful) whale sharks!

The nation’s president, Maumoon Abdul Gayoom has pledged to make the islands carbon-neutral within the next decade, and they plan to do so by moving to a system entirely powered by wind and solar power.

You can network with current and future expats of Maldives at expat-blog.com’s Maldives expat network.