Made up of 26 atolls stretched out across the pristine waters of the Indian Ocean, Maldives is a tropical paradise surrounded by turquoise lagoons and some of the world’s best coral reefs. Its white sand beaches contribute to its rapidly growing tourism industry, drawing in tourists looking for a luxury holiday in Maldives from all over the world, including several globally-acclaimed celebrities. Deluxe 5 Star accommodation can be easily found across the islands made available through many of the leading global hospitality providers, such as Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas, to name one.
However, aside from all that can be seen and savored, the Maldives has some quirky hidden facts lying beneath its majestic beauty. For example, did you know that the Maldives’ beaches never actually get hot? Despite the hot and humid weather with a mean temperature of about 28°C year-round, the beaches here never get hot due to the fact that the sand is formed from coral.
The Maldives experiences two monsoons annually, once in January-March and the second during the May-September season. A majority of the sand along these beaches actually move during each of these monsoon seasons. The largest beach can be found across the sands of Thundi in Fuvahmulah, the Island of the Areca Nut palms. Many call this island the most beautiful within the Maldivian archipelago due to its shiny beach covered in pebbles and shells hues of pink, white, purple and brown.
The parrotfish found in the shallow coastal waters play a big role in the creation of the beaches. As the parrotfish devours seaweed and polyps from the surface of the coral, its sharp beaklike mouth takes in chunks of hard coral, undigested and then ejected to form the coral grain of the beaches. The numerous crabs that emerge at night then go onto clean the beaches, eating the bits of food and waste along the shore.
It may be the smallest Asian country but its fascinating environmental features and tranquil beauty sure form reason enough to pay the islands a visit!
Caleb Falcon is a travel writer who specializes in writing content based on the many exciting world adventures that await intrepid travellers.
