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Resort Islands Travel Guide

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Most visitors to the Maldives come on prearranged package tours that include accommodation on any one of the 87 resort islands. All the resorts are located on pristine islands, with idyllic settings for water activities and long, lazy beach days.

The resorts are predominantly located in the three atolls closest to the Maldivian capital, in Malé (Kaafu) atoll. A few are found in Vaavu, Baa, Lhaviyani and the Ari (Alifu) atoll. Each resort has an individual character supported by traditional or modern architecture. Ari has recently been earmarked for development as the new Tourism Zone, and the tourism industry there is growing.

The larger, less expensive resorts attract young, adventure-seeking tourists whilst some of the smaller, expensive options offer a more reclusive, intimate holiday. The excursions provided by the resorts vary, depending on their proximity to dive sites, local villages and natural attractions. All the resorts, however, offer watersports, such as night-fishing trips, scuba diving, parasailing, windsurfing, jetskiing, banana-boating, knee-boarding or ringo-riding. Very popular are excursions in glass-bottomed boats and dolphin-viewing trips.

Most resorts in the Maldives are not cheap, with little in the way of budget accommodation or transport. By law, resorts charge in US dollars, although visitors find that having a bit of money in local rufiyaa can be handy in Malé and other inhabited islands.