The Maldives – A Gorgeous Dose Of Paradise In Asia

by erin on May 2, 2011

At least once in people’s daily lives, they look at a picture of a paradise with crystal-clear blue water and wish they could be there. It’s hard to imagine places like this exist, but they are there. The difficult part is finding the real ones, the ones that aren’t superficial and touristy. One very authentic one is the Maldives. This location is world-renowned for being a gorgeous tropical location just off the coast of the Indian subcontinent. Just looking up the name online will bring up gorgeous pictures of clear turquoise water. You will need a passport if you are thinking of traveling to this destination, but that is easily done by filling out a passport application form.

Passport Services

If you are interested in trying a new way to get passports and use other passport services, try the online way. Not only is it quicker, but it causes much less anxiety than the traditional way. Everything is available right from your computer, and this means you can take care of any passport business you might have, including how to renew US passport, get a replacement for a missing one, or just get your first passport. Their main service is passport expediting, which helps to decrease the stress even more.

Geological Formation

The Maldives are actually atolls – not islands or an archipelago – and there are twenty-six in total. An atoll is a ring-shaped geological formation made up of coral. These rings are generally very large and make up numerous small islets. In the Maldives, these atolls have pretty daunting names, Maalhosmadulu Uthurubur for example. However, the atolls are generally grouped into geographic location and not referred to by the specific atoll. Maalhosmadulu Uthurubur is referred to as Raa, which is a little easier to say. Several of these regions exist, and tourists mostly visit only a handful of them. The airport is located on the southernmost atoll, Senu, which is where you will be flying in.

Capital City

The capital city and the largest city in the Maldives is Male. The entire island is contained on one island, but the island itself only happens to be 1.7 by 1.0 kilometers large. This means a pretty crowded living condition for the 100,000 or so residents. Nevertheless, it is definitely worth exploring. The city itself is colorful and gorgeous, and the cultural atmosphere is tangible. For example, Friday Mosque is a beautiful building to see, but only Muslims are allowed inside. The Islamic Center is the most recognizable icon, with its glittering golden domes.

Water Activities

As you might think, water activities and water sports are widely practiced in the Maldives. Activities like snorkeling and scuba diving, surfing, swimming, or just sunbathing near the water are honestly great ways to spend your time in the Maldives. One cool tourist attraction is the Whale Submarine. You actually get to take a real submarine off the coast of Male and see all the ocean life, maybe even whales. The water is astoundingly clear with very, very high visibility thanks to its distance from a big landmass or large city, and this makes it a great place for snorkeling and scuba diving.

Tropical Vacation

Those who have visited the Maldives can attest to how gorgeous it actually is. If you have been searching all over for the perfect tropical vacation, look into visiting the Maldives. The best way to start any vacation, however, is to fill out a passport application formso you can get you and your family passports. If you happen to already have a passport but it’s expired, you can go to a passport services website to renew US passport.

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