Near the Equator
Maldives
Mercure Maldives Kooddoo
Price level $ $ $ $ $ from 59 300 CZK
- Great accessibility
- Reasonable price
- Young and wild atmosphere
- Coral reefs
Bespoke holiday package
Maldives are a synonym of blue waters and endless islands dotted around the Indian Ocean with white sand and tropical bushes. Their fragile beauty and uncertain future make this destination an icon of luxury holiday that many desire. In 2018 alone, the Maldives was visited by well over a million tourists. With a native population of only a third of this volume you can understand what tourism means to the local economy. Tourism and fishing are the engines of the Maldivian economy since the first tourist resort was opened back in 1972. Out of the 1 200 Maldivian islands, 105 are reserved exclusively for tourist resorts and only 200 islands are inhabited by locals. Most resorts offer a five-star deluxe standard which makes their guests feel as it was their last days on earth. Here you will rarely find four or three-star hotels. Some atolls however are part of intensive protection, for example the Baa Atol was declared a protected biosphere reserve by the UNESCO back in 2011 and its aim is to protect mainly the masses of rich plankton. The Maldives have a rich and quite turbulent history being part of a colonial administration as well as part of muslim sultanate however since 1968 they are republic. The Maldives in the 12th century converted to Islam and remained faithful to this day altough it has already been influenced by Buddhist and Hindu traditions and folklore.
