More than a thousand tiny coral islands scattered like glitter in the turquoise Indian Ocean, make up the Republic of the Maldives. These islands are the epitome of an island castaway. Beautiful ice-white sands, coral reefs, and fantastic marine life and diving make the Maldives as beautiful a getaway as you are ever likely to experience.

I have been to the island resort of Bandos several times now and it one of my favourites, if not thee favourite. Located within North Mal Atoll, the Maldives Holiday resort of Bandos is one of the closest to the capital island of Mal which is very convenient for those of you who want to explore more of the cultural side of the Maldives capital, which is more westernized than the remaining islands. Transfers from Mal are by boat and take approximately 20 minutes.

The diving in Bandos is spectacular with an excellent PADI dive school, shipwrecks to explore, and an abundant array of marine species from clown fish, barracuda, giant stingrays and my favourite the white tip reef sharks. For the water-sports lovers the reef also provides some sporting surf. I loved my last holiday when I got to do some kite-boarding here.

Bandos is a 4-star resort and has 100 standard rooms, 48 Junior suites and 48 Beach Villas. The standard rooms are a mix of double and twin rooms to help accommodate families and overall they are nicely furnished. The only thing I would say is that the bathrooms are slightly on the small side in these rooms, but on the upside, most face west and so get a good sunset and the majority of them are beach fronted.

The Junior suites are nicely decorated and I was lucky enough to stay in one of these during my recent visit. For people with small children I would just point out that at high tide the beach in this area of the island is pretty much completely submerged. The Beach water villas are two-storey, with an upstairs bedroom and a sea balcony. These buildings have been carefully and tastefully done to give you that superior feel, with the bathrooms half inside and half outside, complete with thatched jacuzzi.

The resort is popular with families, so kids who are not quite old enough to take part in some of the older activities can probably find other children their age to play with. Visitors with young children should be aware that the lagoon tends to deepen quite quickly.

Bandos offers the “Kuda Bandos Sunset Wedding” for couples intent on getting married in paradise which features a taste of traditional island ceremony including sunset boat ride and Maldivian drums. The ceremony is held on the beach of one of the uninhabited islands and later, the newlyweds can enjoy a romantic private dinner set on the beach of Kuda Bandos.

Popularity: 19% [?]

Over a thousand small coral islands make up the Republic of the Maldives and are scattered like glitter in the turquoise Indian Ocean. Beautiful sparkling white sands, coral reefs, and fantastic marine life provide one of planet Earths most beautiful settings for a holiday.

The Maldives island resort of Bandos is located in the North Mal Atoll, which is the closest atoll to the capital of Mal. Transfer from Mali, which is where the main airport is, takes roughly 20 minutes by boat and allowing you to easily nip back during your stay if you wish to explore the capital city which is more westernized than the remaining islands.

Bandos has some of the most excellent dive sites in North Mal Atoll and the Maldives in particular. It is within easy reach of shipwrecks to explore, and is renowned in the diving world for its diverse range of marine life that are common and easy to see here, including white tip sharks, barracuda, and colourful reef fish. Bandos is also blessed with some excellent coral reef surf for the sport watersports enthusiasts amongst you.

Bandos is a 4-star resort and has 100 standard rooms, 48 Junior suites and 48 Beach Villas. The standard rooms are a mix of double and twin rooms to help accommodate families and overall they are nicely furnished. The only thing I would say is that the bathrooms are slightly on the small side in these rooms, but on the upside, most face west and so get a good sunset and the majority of them are beach fronted.

The 48 Junior suites on the resort are arranged in groups and are stylishly decorated, with a ochre color scheme and solid wooden four-poster beds. The only small downside, as far as I could tell, is the beach in this section of the resort is almost completely submerged at high tide, but then these rooms dont cost as much as the Water Bungalows so in a way some may think this a pleasant feature of their stay.

The resort has gone out of its way to accommodate families, with a purpose-built childcare facility complete with female staff on hand to look after the children and provide babysitting in the evenings. Some of the rooms in the standard and junior class have an interconnecting door for families split between several rooms.

Bandos offers the “Kuda Bandos Sunset Wedding” for couples intent on getting married in paradise which features a taste of traditional island ceremony including sunset boat ride and Maldivian drums. The ceremony is held on the beach of one of the uninhabited islands and later, the newlyweds can enjoy a romantic private dinner set on the beach of Kuda Bandos.

Popularity: 19% [?]

The Maldives archipelago consists of around 1200 islands covering an area of approximately 800 kilometers in the Indian Ocean, and they are generally thought to be some of the most beautiful tropical islands on our planet. These islands, and indeed this country, are threatened by rising sea levels since they are all only a couple of meters above sea level.

Even a small increase in sea levels, eg. half a metre would relinquish many of the islands back to the Indian Ocean, and make pretty much all of them virtually uninhabitable. Maldives islands such Bandos island, Baros island, Filitheyo island and Kuredu island which are popular destinations for thousands of visitors each years may be lost to the sea within a matter of decades.

Sea-level change isnt the only threat to these islands however, they are also under a real threat from an increase in sea temperatures. Increases in ocean water temperature can destroy coral reefs which are sensitive to change, and these play a large part in protecting islands such as the Maldives from waves.

Whilst global warming has tended to be a point of conjecture among environmentalists, the unprecedented event of the rapid melting of Arctic sea ice in 2007 has caused many environmentalists to agree that warming is not only inevitable, but is happening more rapidly than was originally suspected.

In 2008 a leading climatologist, James Hansen, published a research paper which demonstrated that the actual safe limit for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was at most 350 parts per million, anything higher than that causing significant negative environmental effects globally. We have already reached that level with the current concentration at 390 ppm and rising.

Not only are the Maldives under immediate threat, countries like Bangladesh are already suffering saltwater flooding as sea levels rise; Australia is experiencing epic droughts in the last few years, and forests across western North America and Europe are succumbing to pests multiplying in the growing heat.

Since it has become clear that globe is already suffering the effects of warming is probably the main reason why no one is overly content with the recent pledge of the G8 nations to take measures to try and restrict temperature increase to only 2 degrees and atmospheric concentration of Carbon Dioxide to 450 parts per million - a figure that many feel is too high. A few years ago, those might have been realistic goals, but our current evidence suggests they are out of date.

Over 100 world leaders will meet later this month (October 2009) for the United Nations? Climate Change Summit. On 24th October 2009, the Maldives will hold the largest underwater political demonstration in history with and divers taking banners down to the coral reefs as a publicity stunt to remind everyone of what is at stake. At present we are not totally sure, but it seems inevitable that holidays to the Maldives may be over in the future.

Popularity: 22% [?]

The Maldives is made up of an archipelago of 1200 islands stretching roughly 800 kilometers in a north south direction in the Indian Ocean. They are sometimes referred to as the jewel of the Indian Ocean due to their outstanding natural beauty but they are at risk from the sea because the whole group of islands is only a few meters above sea level.

A rise of half a metre in the Indian Ocean would render pretty much all of them uninhabitable. Popular island resorts such as Filitheyo island, Baros island and Bandos island may be lost to the sea within the next 50 years.

These islands are not only threatened by sea-level rises however, they are also under threat from ocean warming. Coral reefs are very sensitive to change in temperature and warmer oceans would destroy these reefs that play a significant part in protecting islands from wave erosion.

Whilst global warming has tended to be a point of conjecture among environmentalists, the unprecedented event of the rapid melting of Arctic sea ice in 2007 has caused many environmentalists to agree that warming is not only inevitable, but is happening more rapidly than was originally suspected.

James Hansen, a leading climatologist, published a research paper in 2008 which demonstrated that the safe atmospheric limit for carbon dioxide in the atmosphere was 350 parts per million, anything higher bringing about a negative envrionmental impacts. The level of CO2 is already at a concentration of 390 ppm and rising.

The Maldives are not the only country under immediate threat, countries like Bangladesh are already suffering flooding to the sea levels have risen in the last decade; forests across western North America and Europe are succumbing to non-native pests that are moving into these warmer areas.

The fact that many countries are already suffering the effects of global warming is probably the main reason why no one is totally happy with the recent pledge of the G8 nations to take steps to try and restrict temperature increase to 2 degrees and atmospheric concentration of Carbon Dioxide to 450 parts per million. A few years ago, these levels might have been realistic but current scientific findings indicate that they are out of date.

Over 100 world leaders will meet later this month (October 2009) for the United Nations? Climate Change Summit. On 24th October 2009, the Maldives will hold the largest underwater political demonstration in history with and divers taking banners down to the coral reefs as a publicity stunt to remind everyone of what is at stake. At present we are not totally sure, but it seems inevitable that holidays to the Maldives may be over in the future.

Popularity: 22% [?]

by Paul Terry

Trying to find the definitive tropical paradise to enjoy luxury holidays can sometimes seem a daunting task. Well, not any more. Become introduced to Maldives, a series of more than eighty islands perched in the warmest waters of the world and home to the most brilliantly colored marine life anywhere. Luxury, quality and affordability can all be yours if you wish. Read the rest of this entry »

Popularity: 54% [?]

No matter who you are or what you are looking for holiday wise there is a place you can go that lets you escape and enjoy a time of fun and not to mention tranquility. Maldives are the place to be for the ideal holiday. There are 80 stunning islands that you can explore along with many activities you can take advantage of. This particular tropical escape has many things to offer from the exciting resorts to the beautiful scenery that you can enjoy with your family or partner.

The monsoonal climate provides lush greenery everywhere you look. The Maldives are located on the equator where the climate changes very little and the temperatures seldom vary further than the perfect 70-80 degrees (F). Cooling ocean breezes keep the inland areas cool even on the warmest days. This tropical paradise has the perfect climate to welcome visitors all year round. Whether day or night, the weather is enchanting and a delight to holiday guests from all over the world.

One of the most intriguing aspects of the Maldives is the marine life. Because these islands are surrounded by some of the warmest and clearest waters in the world, the aquatic environment thrives. While enjoying your Maldives holiday, you can take pleasure in a special recreation by taking a relaxing, yet at the same time, exciting safari cruise. This allows you to take a deeper look into the vibrant and thrilling underwater creatures.

The Maldives have some outstanding activities for the visitors. Surfing, diving, boat rides swimming in the clear, warm waters that surround the islands are among the favorite holiday activities that a Maldives holiday holds in store. Imagine parasailing above the clear waters and looking down to the ocean floor! The scenery and tropical atmosphere make all the activities even more exciting and enjoyable. Island hopping by boat is another favorite pastime. Seeing as many of the beautiful islands as your eyes can imagine is a thrilling activity for visitors from all over the world.

Whatever the reason for visiting the Maldives, you’ll find one delight after another. Spectacular tropical plant life is everywhere on the islands. Gardens abound with beautiful flowers and trees native to this magnificent tropical paradise. The natural panoramas extend spectacular views both on the islands and far out to the blue horizon.

The Bandos Maldives offers wonderful service and great lodgings for those on a budget. The food and suites are of a high standard. Parasailing, skin diving, billiards, water skiing and volleyball are among the activities you can enjoy at the Bandos Maldives. Or you can swim and then relax on the white sands beside a sparkling blue lagoon. All this for only about 800 pounds a week!

Now, if you are looking to go all out, and you want this to be your dream vacation, Reethi Rah Resort is what you are looking for. The price is higher, but it is well worth the cost. From the famous food, to divine service and luxurious accommodations, you will surely enjoy your stay at the Reethi Rah Resort. You would pay around 2,000 pounds per week yet enjoy amazing scenery, privacy and unforgettable activities.

Popularity: 57% [?]