Lucratively located at the centre of the Indian Ocean, at the intersection of Europe, Asia and Africa, are the Maldives islands, a tropical nation composed of hundreds of islands. When it comes to marine-based beauty, the Maldives is one of the top-contenders as it plays home to some of the world’s most beautiful beaches, colourful coral reefs, and countless marine life encompassing over thousand species of fish, twenty one species of wales and dolphins, and five different species of sea turtles. The Maldives is peppered with luxurious resorts to cater to any and all luxuries a traveler might seek. One of the most noteworthy is the Kandolhu Island Maldives, a breath-taking Maldives resort that consists of thirty lavish villas built around a very small but perfectly formed island.
Amongst the many attributes of the Maldives islands that draws countless visitors every year, one of the most noteworthy is the tropical nation’s appeal as a surfing destination. The location of the Maldives exposes the tropical nation to the Southern Ocean swells, and this combined with the natural splendor of the island truly makes it a surfer’s paradise. The nation’s colourful history began in the 1970s when two surf-travelers from Sydney were shipwrecked near Male. While attempting to salvage their ship the duo realized that they have discovered a surfer’s paradise and eventually set about making their newfound abode their home, with one of them even courting and marrying a local Maldivian girl.
Their blessed secret didn’t remain one forever since one of the duo started ‘Atoll Adventures’ in the early 90s, a tour agency to bring budding surfers to experience waves and beauty of the tropical paradise. Fast-forwarding to the modern day, plenty of such tourism-agencies operate in the Maldives, bringing in hundreds of surf visitors each year. By 2003 there were 300 surfers situated in the Male region, which eventually led to the formation of the Maldives Surfing Association.
So if you’re a surfing enthusiast looking for a new locale to catch some waves, the tropical nation of Maldives should definitely leave a blimp on your radar.
Nigel Walters is a travel writer, who writes under the pen name, Fritzjames Stephen. His content is based on the myriad of experiences and indulgences that the world has to offer travellers across all walks of life. Google+