Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru

The Republic of Maldives is made up of a double string of 1,190 coral islands 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, which provide a natural defence against wind and wave, 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, tourism is the dominant support for the economy.

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.

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

After just a short 20-minute speedboat ride from the Resort, guests can see mass gatherings of manta rays and perhaps even encounter a whale shark at renowned pelagic hotspots close to the Resort, such as Hanifaru Bay and Bathalaa.

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.

Whether you need to know local public holidays or highlights through the seasons, we hope you will find the facts gathered below useful tools for your travel planning. Please feel free to contact us if we can assist you further.