Maldives: Sights

Banana Reef
Transport boat: from North Malé Atoll Keyword national park, dive site This protected marine area has a bit of everything: dramatic cliffs, caves and overhangs; brilliant coral growths; big predators such as sharks, barracuda and groper; and prolific reef fish including jackfish, morays and bluestriped snapper. It was one of the first Maldives dive sites to become internationally known. The reeftop is excellent for snorkelling.

Mantas drop in at several cleaning stations around the reef.

Fish Head
Transport boat: from Ari Atoll Keyword dive site Also called Mushimasmingali Thila, this is one of the world’s most famous dive sites. Its steep sides are spectacular, with multi-level ledges, overhangs and caves supporting sea fans, anemones and black corals. The fish life includes fusiliers, large Napoleons and schools of hungry barracuda. The main attraction, however, is the numerous grey reef sharks.

Hukuru Miskiiy (Old Friday Mosque)
Address Malé Keyword religious/spiritual, architectural highlight Hukuru Miskiiy is the oldest mosque in the country, dating from 1656. The exterior is protected by a corrugated-iron covering which doesn’t look very attractive, but the coral-stone walls are intricately carved with patterns and Arabic script. The interior is superb and famed for its fine lacquer work and elaborate woodcarvings.

The mosque was built on the foundations of an old temple that faced west to the setting sun, not northwest towards Mecca. Consequently, the worshippers have to face the corner of the mosque when they pray – the striped carpet, laid at an angle, shows the correct direction.

Overlooking the mosque is the solid, round, blue-and-white tower of the munnaaru – the squat minaret. Though it doesn’t look that old, it dates from 1675.

National Museum
Address Malé Phone tel: (960) 332 2254 (info) Hours Sun-Thu 08:00 – 18:00 Keyword museum Many of the National Museum’s exhibits are things once owned by local sultans. Some of the fabrics are beautiful, especially the rich brocades. Weapons include bonthi sticks, which were used in martial arts. Especially interesting are the pre-Islamic stone carvings collected by Thor Heyerdahl and others from sites all over the country.

Wreck of the Maldive Victory
Transport boat: from Male’ Keyword ships, dive site This is an impressive and challenging dive because of the potential for strong currents. This cargo ship hit a reef and sank in 1981 and now sits with the wheelhouse at around 15m (49ft) and the propeller at 35m (115ft). The ship’s structure is almost intact and provides a home for a rich growth of new coral, sponges, tubastrea and large schools of fish.

Maldives: Money & Costs

You could conceivably visit the Maldives on as little as US$35.00 per day, but only if you stayed in the cheap guesthouses in Malé, the built-up island capital of the Maldives, and passed up on beach activities and watersports. The cheapest resorts start at around US$50.00 per day in the low season, for a standard double room with full board – but bear in mind that the low season coincides with the rainy season. At most resorts, for most of the year, a double room with full board will cost around US$100.00 a day or more. Diving costs vary from resort to resort but keen divers expecting to undertake about 10 dives a week