Paradise Found
By Kamin
Mohammadi
Lying In the
Indian ocean, the coral islands of the Maldives
have become a Mecca for well-heeled travellers in search of
exotic bliss
Gazing down from
the plane as we started our descent, it hardly seemed
credible.
A dozen palm tree-topped islands edged by white beach were
drizzled across the turquoise ocean, looking exactly like
islands in a children’s picture book. The Maldives
fit so precisely the collective fantasy of desert islands
that it takes a while to adjust your sense of reality and
realise that no, it’s not all a dream.
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Can the Maldives Survive Man?
By
Kamin Mohammadi
The Maldives islands are renowned for their pristine beaches and spectacular diving. But global warming is a dark cloud on their horizon, says Kamin Mohammadi.
The
Four Seasons Resort at Kuda Huraa in the Maldives
understands well the ‘Robinson Crusoe’ factor, identified by
the Maldivian Ministry for Tourism as key to the Maldives
appeal. All Maldivian resorts occupy their own islands which are
otherwise uninhabited, so for the length of your holiday, you
really are a castaway on your own desert island. The Four
Seasons Resort knows all about castaway comfort, about clean
towels for the beach and fresh fruit cocktails on tap. There
appear to be several staff for each guest, three restaurants, an
infinity pool and fantastic waterspouts and diving facilities on
an island so tiny that you can walk its circumference in ten
minutes. Yet among all this luxury, there are signs of other
concerns creeping in. Every night in the library, guests gather
for the ‘Fish Talk’, a perfectly serious 45-minute lecture
given by the resort’s marine biologist and aimed at raising
awareness of the underwater environment, including the creation
of coral and the recent bleaching phenomenon.
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Desert Islands De Luxe
By John Borthwick
The blue abyss beyond the reef is littered with mug lair fish of every hue. The Maldives are famous for excellent diving, and although many corals were decimated by a warm current in 1997, the deeper reefs are still outstanding. With visibility of up to 30 metres, you’re diving in waters so gin-clear you're tempted to say "Cheers!" and drink it.
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Barefoot Luxury in the Maldives
By Jim Keeble
Is a naked-toed luxury holiday worth the price of a small compact car? Could you not get a cheap flight to somewhere beachy, take off your shoes, find a wooden cabin and a man to cook you curry, for a fraction of the cost?
They’ve stolen my shoes. After thirteen hours on a plane, a smiling man has placed them firmly into a bag labelled “No News, No Shoes” and pulled the draw-string tight. I am now barefoot in the Maldives. I feel distinctly uncomfortable. Some people have a thing about their thighs, stomach or numerous chins. Personally, I can’t stand my feet. They’re big and hairy, a combination that’s rarely attractive outside a zoo.
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