The Maldives
The Maldives has a population of approximately 300 000 people with 100 000 of them located in the capital city of Male. The Maldives is and island nation stretching from north to south and is made up of 26 Atolls with 1190 islands. Only 200 of these islands are inhabited. The Maldives has an average ground level of 1.5 meters with the highest point being only 2.3 meters above sea level. The temperature of the Maldives ranges between 24 to 34 degrees with a water temperature sitting around the 27 degrees mark. The South West monsoon pattern (rainy season) begins in April/May and ends in September. Although the humidity is relatively high in the Maldives the constant sea breezes keep the heat mitigated.
The Locals
The local Maldivians are a reserved yet friendly people. The youth today are influenced heavily by western society but still stick to their strict Islamic practices. It is not uncommon for adults and children alike to say hello to you whilst walking down the streets especially in the more remote locations. The Maldivian people are intelligent and have an understanding of modern day business practices. An indication of this is their adult literacy rate of 99% and school children enrolment also in the high 90% range.
History
The Maldives are believed to have been originally settled by people from the south of India and western coast of Sri Lanka. Historians also see early evidence of Arab semitic inhabitants in the south of the country. There is also distance similarities to south western Asia with similar boat building practices and the use of silver punched mark coins giving credit to this.
The Maldives in recent years became a British protectorate from 1887 until 1965. Although self governed during this period the Maldives exchanged a monetary sum for military protection.
The Surf
The Maldives is a great surf destination for all levels and types of surfers. Whether hunting 10 seccond tubes or just looking for a soft easy wave to share with mates, the Maldives has it all. Equally split between rights and lefts there are waves for everybody. The reefs are generally pretty flat and not particularly sharp. For how perfect the waves are it's amazing how user friendly they can be.
Island Time
Nothing happens too fast in the Maldives. We refer to this as “Island time”. Once guests unwind they find themselves strolling, not walking around. It is not uncommon for guests to loose track of what day it is and more importantly not caring about it. This island time is infectious and guests will find themselves lost in the lifestyle and have a hard time going back to their everyday hustle and bustle.