Seniors Discover Maldives

Senior citizens, what do you know about The Maldives?  Anything?  Me neither, so let’s go exploring… I recently read that they were just waiting for our arrival for a great time.  An island, no. Islands yes. The Maldives is an island nation in the Indian Ocean consisting of a double chain of 26 atolls. The Dutch referred to the islands as the “Maldivische Eilanden” (Maldivian Islands) while the British anglicized the local name for the islands first to the “Maldive Islands” and later to the “Maldives”.

It’s counted as a country and The Maldives is the smallest Asian Country in both population and land area.  So there, now you know something about this spot that is attracting more and more senior visitors every year.  A common language (Dhivehi) and a religion (Islam) have been two blessings that unite the people into a cohesive and peaceful society.

I would not come close to matching Wikipedia for describing the Maldives so I’ll leave it up to that site that overflows with information of every nature. The area is called the “Sunny Side of Life” and rightfully so. Seniors will find a bit of everything that fits with the Indian Ocean… deep blue seas, turquoise reefs, white sandy beaches and palm trees. It is also a place full of character, where its people have long spent their days languishing in the very essence of idyllic living.

Clean Water Greets Seniors

And get this, 1,190 total islands of which 200 are inhabited. Due to its extraordinary underwater scenery and clean water, Maldives is ranked among the best recreational diving destinations of the world, so bring along your mask and fins.

If you count all the locals you would come up with just over 350,00 happy islanders. The major industries of course are tourism and fishing. With its scattering of islands now housing exclusive resorts, the Maldives has grown to be one of the world’s ultimate luxury destinations.

Maldives, is named after its capital. The word “Maldives” means “The islands (dives) of Malé”. Malé , the capital city of Maldives is one of the smallest capitals in the world and certainly as crowded since a third of the country’s population, about 75,000 live in Malé. With modern high-rise buildings housing the government offices, Male’ is the hub of trade and the central seat of the government. I found this URL extremely helpful with a description and facts about Maldives.

Maldives is currently enjoying incredible growth again having bounced back from a series of disasters in the past few years including the coral bleaching wrought by el Niño and the horror of the 2004 tsunami.

Indeed, so superior are its beaches, so cobalt blue its waters and so warm its welcome that the country has become a byword for paradise whether it be for honeymooners, divers or senior travelers. Is it Maldives or The Maldives, hmmm, still not sure. One thing is sure, I’d like to go there.  jeb