Maldives Four Seasons Explorer

The Republic of Maldives is made up of a double string of 1,190 coral islands located to the southwest of Sri Lanka, in the Indian Ocean. Stretching north to a point just south of the equator, the archipelago is 130 kilometres (81 miles) wide at its widest point and 820 kilometres (510 miles) long. It is the flattest land in the world, with the highest natural point less than 2.4 metres (8 feet) above sea level.

Grouped into 26 atolls – ring-shaped coral formations that provide a natural defence against wind and waves, enclosing a lagoon – the Maldives covers a total area of 859,000 square kilometres (331,661 square miles), only 1% of which is land. Not surprisingly, this aquatic nation is considered one of the top 10 diving spots in the world. With only 200 inhabited islands and an additional 98 islands developed exclusively as tourist resorts, the Maldives gains the majority of its economic support from tourism.

Malé, the capital of the Republic of Maldives, is an island 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) long and 1 kilometre (0.6 mile) wide. Malé is clean and quaint, with markets, mosques and a maze of small streets that approximately 103,000 people call home. Thirty minutes by seaplane northwest of Malé, visitors are transported into the idyllic world of Four Seasons Resort Maldives on the enchanting island of Landaa Giraavaru. Alternatively, a pleasant 25-minute speedboat ride from Malé International Airport takes visitors to the enchanting island of Kuda Huraa, where Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa is the point of embarkation for Four Seasons Explorer as well as a destination in itself.

January-December

Guests can see Napoleon wrasse, reef fish and turtles while diving and snorkelling.

February-March

• Seas are generally calm with a glass-like surface, providing excellent opportunities for a variety of water sports, including wakeboarding and waterskiing.
• Guests can see coral spawning during night dives, with the greatest display in late March.

May-October

• Guests can see manta rays while diving and snorkelling.
• A combination of large swells from ocean currents and the western monsoon creates ideal conditions for surfing charters.

November-March

• This is the season to see sharks, eagle rays and dolphins during dives.
• The Maldives is on the migration path of dolphins and some of the world's largest whales, including sperm, false killer and blue whales. Limited sightings of these gentle giants are possible during dives.