If your idea of paradise is a pristine tropical island with swaying palm trees, pure white beaches and brilliant turquoise lagoons, then the Maldives will not disappoint. It is also a major destination for scuba divers, who come for the fabulous coral reefs and the wealth of marine life.

The Maldives or ‘Malodheep’ as they are known in Sanskrit which means a garland of islands, lie 600 km Southwest of Sri Lanka and 670 km Southwest of India, forming the central part of the Lacadives-Chagos Ridge, a submerged volcanic mountain range which stretches 7 degrees north, to just south of the equator.

This underwater mountain range creates a chain of 26 atolls, 754 km from north to south and 118 km from east to west and the archipelago is made up of about 1192 small coral islands, spread over a geographical area of 90,000 sq. kilometres (including sea) in the Indian Ocean.

The islands that make up the Republic of Maldives are very small - the total area being around 298 square kilometres and Male' the capital island being only 450.6 acres. There are nearly 1000 uninhibited islands, none over 3m above sea level, surrounded by coral reefs. Formed above peaks from the depths of the ocean, upon layers of both dead and living coral and other remains of various marine life, the islands are densely covered with tropical vegetation such as coconut palms.

The unique islands provide visitors with one of the most breathtaking views of underwater life in the world. The protective coral reefs surrounding each island contain over a 1000 species of tropical fish, innumerable varieties of shells and countless shapes and sizes of corals.