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Some time when we want to escape of modern city life, we dream of a deserted island where we have white sandy beaches, clear blue waters and lush green palm trees. The idea of an island paradise is well entrenched in most of us from the storybooks of our youth. But such fantasies are becoming harder and harder to realize.
Fortunately, however, there are still a few places left where you can proverbially “get away from it all” without sacrificing all the comforts, we have come to expect. A Maldives island is also from one of the “paradises” left for us. Here, you find idyllic coral islands, swaying coconut palms, blue water, clear sky, white sandy beaches and a friendly, relaxed population of around only 150,000 inhabitants present a beauty and harmony found rarely elsewhere.
Your first view of this paradise is classic. As the plane closes in on the archipelago, the sparkling, crystal clear sea below becomes dotted with patches of land covered with green palms encircled by white coral and sand. You see your paradise as you always imagined. Then the plane landed on a seemingly impossible runway, looks like a coral strip literally in the middle of the ocean. For those that do visit the islands the attractions are such that the temptation to never leave is very real.
Maldives islands are situated almost in the center of the Indian Ocean, 595 kilometer south of India and 670 kilometer southwest of Sri Lanka. The Republic of Maldives comprises of a long coral archipelago of almost 2,000 islands. Among these 2,000 islands of Republic of Maldives slightly more than 200 are inhabited. Islam is the major religion and most of the population is Muslim.
As a fully independent nation, The Maldives has retained its relaxed atmosphere and life continues at normal pace. Fishing is still the principal industry, involving almost 90% of the population, with tunny, bonito and skipjack being the main catches. Fishing industry holds number one position as foreign exchange earner. The dried and raw fish is exported to Japan and Korea. After fishing, shipping and tourism are the main economic activities.
The accommodation has been built in cottage style, mainly from local materials and is in keeping with the natural setting of the islands.
The price of accommodation at the resorts varies but usually includes meals, and once settled into your simple and comfortable cottage the sea, sun and sand is yours for the tasking. The calm water is ideal for swimming. The numbers of island resorts have mushroomed, providing the visitor with comfortable cottage accommodation and facilities for deep-sea fishing, scuba diving and sailing. For the less energetic there is the opportunity of shell collection or simply just lazing on the beach on white sand beneath swaying palms, far from crowd of modern cities and very near to your paradise.
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