Maldives

Events:
Most holidays are based on the Islamic lunar calendar and the dates vary from year to year. The most important religious event is Ramadan (known locally as rorda mas), the Islamic month of fasting. Other noteworthy events are Kuda Id, the sighting of the new moon (celebrated at the end of Ramadan), and the Prophet’s Birthday, which commemorates the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed.
Currency:
Rufiya (Rf)
If you stay at a resort, you don’t need to carry money at all since everything will be billed to your room and you can settle up when you leave with travellers’ cheques or credit cards. It’s best to carry money in US dollar denominations, but British pounds, German marks are all pretty acceptable.
Officially, tipping is discouraged in the Maldives. Unofficially, if the service is good – and it usually is – it’s quite customary to tip room staff and waiters in your resort.
Beaten Track:
Fuamulaku
This solitary island in the middle of the Equatorial Channel is exceptionally fertile, producing fruits and vegetables not grown elsewhere in the country, like mangoes, oranges and pineapples. The people are said to be bigger and healthier and to live longer than other islanders.
Kudahuvadhoo
In South Nilandhoo Atoll, the island of Kudahuvadhoo has one of the mysterious mounds known as hawittas. They are probably the ruins of Buddhist temples, but have not been thoroughly investigated by archaeologists. Thor Heyerdahl explored the island, and commented that its old mosque had some of the finest masonry he had ever seen, surpassing even the famous Inca wall in Cuzco, Peru.
History:
The first inhabitants arrived in the archipelago from Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and south India before 500 BC. Maldivians believe that an ancient race of sun-worshipping people called the Redin were the first settlers. The Redin left around 500 BC or were absorbed by Buddhists from Ceylon and by Hindus from India. Because building materials were limited, each group built its important structures on top of those left by previous inhabitants. This is why many Maldivian mosques are oriented towards the sun and not Mecca. Arab traders en route to the Far East recorded visits to the Maldives from the 2nd century AD. Known as the ‘Money Isles’, they provided enormous quantities of cowrie shells, an international currency of the early ages.
The conversion to Islam, in 1153 AD, is a watershed in Maldivian history. Abu Al Barakat, originally a North African Arab, was the first sultan. A series of six sultanic dynasties followed – 84 sultans and sultanas in all. At one stage, when the Portuguese first arrived in the 16th century, there were actually two ruling dynasties: the Malei and the Hilali.
The Portuguese, eager for a greater share of the profitable trade routes of the Indian Ocean, were granted permission to build a fort and a factory in Mala, but it wasn’t long before they wanted more from the Maldives. In 1558, Captain Andreas Andre led a Portuguese invasion, which killed Sultan Ali VI. Andre ruled Mala and much of the country for the next 15 years. Portuguese occupation came to a sticky end in 1573 when an island chief, Mohammed Thakurufaan, led an attack on the main Portuguese garrison and slew the lot.
In the 17th century, the Maldives came under the protection of the Dutch and later the British, but neither established a colonial administration. In the 1860s Borah merchants from Bombay set up warehouses and shops in Mala, and quickly acquired an almost exclusive monopoly on foreign trade. Sultan Mohammed Mueenuddin II, weary of the Borahs’ economic grip, signed an agreement with the British in 1867, which guaranteed the islands’ full independence. The Maldives subsequently became a British protectorate, and allowed the British to establish defense facilities.
The sultanate became an elected rather than a hereditary position when the islands’ first constitution was drawn up in 1932. In 1953 the sultanate was abolished and a republic proclaimed with Amin Didi as the first president. Less than a year later Didi was overthrown; the sultanate was returned with Mohammed Farid Didi elected as the 94th sultan of the Maldives. Around the same time, the British secured permission to re-establish its wartime airfield on Addu Atoll in the far south of the country. In 1956 the Royal Air Force began developing the base as a staging post, employing hundreds of Maldivians and undertaking the resettlement of the Gan islanders. But when Ibrahim Nasir was elected prime minister in 1957 he immediately called for a review of the agreement, demanding that the lease be shortened and the annual payment increased.
This was followed by an insurrection against the government by the inhabitants of Addu and Suvadiva (Huvadu) atolls who objected to Nasir’s demand that the British cease employing local labor. Influenced by the British presence, they decided to cut ties altogether and form an independent state. In 1962 Nasir sent gunboats to the southern atolls and the rebellion was quashed. Britain recognized the islands’ sovereignty soon after and in 1965, the Maldives became fully independent.
Culture:
A contemporary Divehi culture is strong and adaptive. This, despite foreign influences which range from Hindi movies and Oriental martial arts to Michael Jackson and Muslim fundamentalism. Western fashions, pop music and videos are visible in the capital, but on public occasions, like the beginning and end of Ramadan, the celebrations always have a distinctly Maldivian touch. Islam is the national religion and all Maldivians are Sunni Muslims. No other religion is permitted here.
There are three daily newspapers and several magazines in the unique national language, rock bands who sing Divehi lyrics, and multi-storey buildings which echo the architecture of Maldivian island houses.
A bodu beru means a big drum, and gives its name to the best known form of traditional music and dance. It’s what tourist resorts put on for a local culture night, and it can be quite sophisticated and compelling. Contemporary local rock bands often perform at resorts where they do credible covers of the usual old favorites. Performing for a local audience they may incorporate elements of bodu beru in their music, with lots of percussion and extended drum solos.
Fish and rice are the staple foods of Maldivians with meat and chicken eaten only on special occasions. National dishes include fried fish, fish curry and fish soup. Arecanut is the equivalent of an after-dinner mint. Alcohol is only available in tourist resorts.
Environment:
The Maldives is a chain of 26 coral atolls southwest of Sri Lanka, extending across the equator in a north-south strip 754 km long and 118 km wide. The 1192 low-lying coral islands are so small that dry land makes up less than 4% of the country’s total territory. Most of the time the lagoons are a brilliant blue, with amazing coral reefs and abundant marine life. Strict local regulation of fishing and commercial exploitation has kept the marine environment in a near-pristine state.
Though many of the bigger islands look like the picture-perfect, palm-fringed tropical fantasy, most have poor, sandy soil which supports only a limited range of plants – bamboo, pandanus, banana, mangroves, breadfruit trees, banyans, tropical vines and numerous coconut palms. The larger, wetter islands have small areas of rainforest. The main crops are limited to sweet potatoes, yams, taro, millet and watermelon.
Generally, the year is divided into two monsoon periods: the north-east monsoon or ruvai lasts from December to March, which are the drier months; the south-west monsoon or ulhangu lasts from April to November, and is wetter, with more storms and occasional strong winds.
Getting There:
There are regular flights to Colombo (Sri Lanka), Trivandrum (south-west India), Dubai (United Arab Emirates), and Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), as well as many charter flights from European centers. Mala International Airport is the only international gateway.
Getting Around:
Tourism is strictly regulated, and independent travel is discouraged because it is seen as disruptive to traditional island communities. Those wanting to see the Maldivian way of life can stay in Mala, and make daytime visits to island communities close to tourist resorts. An Inter Atoll Travel Permit is required to visit islands outside the tourist zone, and the Ministry of Atolls Administration will only issue them to those whose visit is sponsored by a resident of the island concerned.
Air Maldives, the small national airline, has regular and very scenic flights to the four airstrips in the outer atolls. Helicopters and seaplanes are used to transfer guests to some of the remoter resorts. The main form of local transport is the dhoni, a traditional all-purpose vessel now usually powered by a diesel engine. Larger boats called vedis are used for longer trips to outer atolls.