With all the Fodorites Why Not Maldives?
May 13th, 2007, 04:59 AM
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With all the Fodorites Why Not Maldives?
I know the devastastation of 2 1/2 yrs. ago in the Maldives but by many news reports not goverment issued info the atolls are fully recovered. Why have none of you visited the Maldives, especially the Northern atolls where the bleaching is gone and the snorkeling and diving is said now to e among the best in the world or is it? Really need experiences if you hany more than I have gotten based on visits in the past 12 months. Which resorts, condition of coral, opportunity to snorkel other than house reef and $750-$900 with MAP, tax and service. We really want to go in late April 2008.
Thanks.
Thanks.
May 13th, 2007, 05:53 AM
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From our experience (and bit of research) there wasn't much damage to the reefs from the tsunami, but the coral bleaching is still there. The fish are fabulous, though and make up for the lack of color in the coral.
Hopefully someone else here can provide more insight.
Hopefully someone else here can provide more insight.
May 13th, 2007, 06:44 AM
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There was a discussion about this back in Dec/06 which can be seen here
http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...39&start=0
http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...39&start=0
May 13th, 2007, 01:31 PM
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We went to the Maldives a year and a half ago after a trip to Dubai and South India..It was absolutely gorgeous and is a great place to stop over to relax for a few days..We stayed at Veligandu Island Resort, it was lovely and i hope to go back again..It is only a 3 or 4 hour flight from Dubai...Then a short seaplane ride from Male..WE had a beautiful cabana, only steps from the ocean..I can't wait to go back again!!
May 13th, 2007, 08:30 PM
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The Maldives are very far for people from the US, it involves at least 2 changes of planes at the current time, it is just not really feasible for most people coming from the US. Once there are non-stops from London they may become more accessible, but at the present time I don’t think most people find the journey that attractive.
I just returned from a business trip there last week, and have to say that I would NOT pick the end of April for a diving or snorkeling trip. April is the beginning of the rainy season, and the wind was really quite strong, really blowing, and there were good swells and whitecaps on the open sea and even in the lagoons some days. I was not there to dive or snorkel (other than a very limited bit at the hotels lagoon one day); and would have been quite disappointed if I had come all that way for a dive or snorkel holiday and ran into that wind and those waves. Plus every afternoon there would be a huge thunderstorm; for three of the 7 days I was there we had showers on an off each day at about 1 hour cycles, one of the days we had heavy rain for about 4 hours from Noon onwards. The storms were quite beautiful as the huge coal-black clouds filled the horizon; but again, was glad that I was not there to dive or snorkel or I would have been quite disappointed. The clouds would of course also interfere with being able to appreciate the color of the coral and fish.
From the small bit of snorkeling I did, I would agree that there is still a good bit of bleaching.
The monsoon, esp the pre-monsoon months, are just heavy wind times as the great storm system moves into the Indian subcontinent. IMO, you would be better going in the dry or non-monsoon months of November- March or at the end of the wet monsoon cycle say Sept or October when the heavy winds should have dissipated.
I just returned from a business trip there last week, and have to say that I would NOT pick the end of April for a diving or snorkeling trip. April is the beginning of the rainy season, and the wind was really quite strong, really blowing, and there were good swells and whitecaps on the open sea and even in the lagoons some days. I was not there to dive or snorkel (other than a very limited bit at the hotels lagoon one day); and would have been quite disappointed if I had come all that way for a dive or snorkel holiday and ran into that wind and those waves. Plus every afternoon there would be a huge thunderstorm; for three of the 7 days I was there we had showers on an off each day at about 1 hour cycles, one of the days we had heavy rain for about 4 hours from Noon onwards. The storms were quite beautiful as the huge coal-black clouds filled the horizon; but again, was glad that I was not there to dive or snorkel or I would have been quite disappointed. The clouds would of course also interfere with being able to appreciate the color of the coral and fish.
From the small bit of snorkeling I did, I would agree that there is still a good bit of bleaching.
The monsoon, esp the pre-monsoon months, are just heavy wind times as the great storm system moves into the Indian subcontinent. IMO, you would be better going in the dry or non-monsoon months of November- March or at the end of the wet monsoon cycle say Sept or October when the heavy winds should have dissipated.
