Maldives

* Male' is much smaller to make it necessary to refer to a map for you to move around. In fact it is hard to get lost even if you try! Male' the capital offers a wide choice of interesting places to see, including a beautiful old mosque which boasts some of the most intricate and oldest coral carvings in the world.


* Fish Market
On Marine Drive, just a few hundred metres west of Jumhooree Maidhaan is the Fish Market. The Market is busiest in the evening when dozens of Dhoni arrive
to land the day's catch, usually tuna. During this time, the place is noisy and
crowded with fishermen and customers, bargaining for a better deal. Maldivians have been fishing people since time immemorial. Its no surprise that our resorts can guide you to the best fishing spots around. Just a block away from the Fish Market is the Local Market, where home grown agricultural produce is sold. Most stall owners here are also engaged in selling a wide range of local products.
In front of the Local Market is an open ground where people from the atolls visit to sell mostly firewood. Sometimes this place is also used to sell other local goods. Visitors to this area may observe islanders unloading fruits, vegetables or firewood from vessels that travel between the atolls.
A short walk of two or three minutes further down from the local market is the island's largest super market. "People's Choice" with its wide variety of goods is a convenient shopping centre for expatriates.


* The National Museum
Was opened on the National Day 1 Rabeeul Awwal 1372 AH (19th November 1952) by the then Prime Minister Muhammad Amin Didi. The museum was established in the hope to preserve the history and to invoke a sense of patriotism among the people.


* Souvenir Shopping
In addition to every resort having a shop full of souvenirs for you to take home, Male' offers a wide choice including electronics and duty free shopping.


* Islamic Centre
The 3-storey Islamic Centre, opened on 11 November 1984, is the island's most
famous and most vivid architecture buildings such as the classrooms and the grand mosque, named after Sultan Muhammad Thakurufaanu Al A'zam, with a capacity of over 5,000 people. Its main prayer hall displays beautiful woodcarvings and Arabic calligraphy done by Maldivian craftsmen.


* Hukru Miskiiy
Built in 1656, during the reign of Ibrahim Iskandar. The interior of the mosque is
intricately carved Arab writings dating back to the time it was built, and dealing with such subjects as the conversion of Maldives to Islam. As to preserve this historic
mosque, built from coral stones, the western end is covered with corrugated
iron sheets to avoid sun's direct action on the mosque. The mosque compound encloses a number of ancient tombstones, erected in memory of past kings, noblemen and heroes.


* Munnaru
Built in 1675, by Sultan Ibrahim Iskandhar shortly after the construction of the Friday Mosque, Munnaru is still an attracted spot in Male'. This structure in front of Hukuru
Miskiiy was used in early times for calling prayers. The minaret in the Grand Mosque, at Islamic Centre, replaced the function in 1984.


* Scuba Diving
This is the main attraction in the Maldives, and it's estimated that over 60% of visitors dive at least once. There are hundreds of recognised and named dive sites, many of which are accessible from resorts - the rest can be reached by boat on diving safari trips. Aside from multitudinous fish and corals, there's the thrill of diving with turtles, moray eels, manta rays, sharks and whales and exploring some of the Maldives accessible wrecks, including the Maldive Victory off Hulule Airport, believed by many enthusiasts to be one of the most exciting wreck dives in the world. Virtually every resort runs a diving school to keep its guests occupied, but you can also just don a mask and flippers and swim a couple of strokes from a beach to enjoy the delights of the Maldives' submarine world.


* Surfing
This has become more popular in the islands since there are excellent breaks accessible from resorts close to Malé. Surfing safaris to the outer atolls can also be arranged. It's always best to book surf trips with a reputable surf travel operator because the Maldives is definitely not the sort of place where a surfer can rock up with a few boards and head for the waves. For the avid watersport enthusiast there are plenty of opportunities to go sailing, parasailing, windsurfing, waterskiing and jetskiing. Big game fishing is an upmarket option at some resorts, but there is a `tag and release' policy, so you can't keep your catch. If you can't get your fill in the daytime, you can also go night fishing on board a dhoni (a traditional boat). Some people can just never get enough, which must be why banana riding has become a popular pastime at resorts. This involves up to a dozen people climbing onto a giant, inflatable banana which is then dragged around a lagoon by a speedboat. Coconut volleyball is only a matter of time.