With it’s 1190 islands, some have described the Maldives as paradise on earth.  One thing is for certain, these islands that are located on 26 atolls (a ring-like formation of coral islands surrounding a lagoon), make for the most idyllic resort settings.  These lagoon like settings also ensure that the waters are calm, allowing the resorts to build underwater restaurants and over water cabins, for which the Maldives has become famous.  These safe waters are also a wonderland for the different coral life and the Maldives is the only place on earth where one can see the enormous whale shark all year round.

Unfortunately, these beautiful islands that have an average land mass height of 1.5m are also known as the flattest country in the world and are constantly under threat due to global warming.  Something that the Maldivians take very seriously, so much so that in Oct 2009 the cabinet held the world’s first, underwater global warming summit, to drive home the point to the rest of the world.