This is the best destination in the world in 2020, according to the 'Oscars' of tourism
Maldives triumphs for the first time as the World's Best Destination at this year's World Travel Awards.
Located in the Indian Ocean, the Maldives are synonymous with paradise, with long beaches lapped by crystal clear waters and coral reefs. A magic that has served to be crowned for the first time as the "Best Destination in the World" in the annual awards given by the travel industry. The World Travel Awards (WTA) 2020 - known as the " Oscars " of tourism - held in Moscow, also awarded Portugal, making Madeira the "Best island destination in the world", the city of Lisbon as the "Best destination for getaways urban areas in the world ”and El Algarve as“ Best beach destination in the world ”. Spain, for its part, managed to raise a statuette thanks toMadrid , awarded, for the second consecutive year, as "Best destination for congresses and meetings in the world" .
In this report we visit the Maldives in depth, a destination to dream about and put it on the agenda of pending destinations when the pandemic passes.
It is an expensive, exotic and exclusive destination . But those who can afford it should not hesitate to approach this archipelago of 1,200 islands, less than a meter above the Indian Ocean , which is protected by one of the most beautiful coral walls on the planet. A coral reef in serious danger due to the warming of the waters that threatens these living beings, as can be seen from the damage caused by "El Niño" between 1997 and 1998, which caused the death of many species in the Maldives, and after the 2004 tsunami which, thanks to the barrier reef, was not as devastating in these atolls as in other areas of the Indian Ocean.
The islands
Most of the Maldive islands, which are distributed in a chain of 26 atolls , are less than 1.5 square kilometers in size, that is, they do not even add up to the size of what would be a football field. Hence, only two hundred are inhabited and many of them have different missions. There are resort islands, airport islands, landfills, islands to store the country's oil reserves, prison islands, and even islands for the residence of the President of the Republic, but most have been transformed into luxury hotels with over sea villas. » That capture the attention of honeymoon couples and scuba divers.
Diving and snorkeling
The Maldives is at the top of the ranking of the most famous diving spots in the world. All resorts have diving centers with PADI certification and experienced instructors and dive masters, but the destination is also ideal for the less professional when it comes to discovering the beauties of the reef, since without oxygen bottles and only with goggles and tube to breathe you can move through the corals in the company of goldfish or manta rays. The best proposals for diving are "Mushimasmingili Thila", "Maaya Thila" (for diving at night), "Banana Reef", "Maldives Victory", "Lankan Manta Point" and "Maalhos Thila".
Sport and night fishing
On the islands it is possible to live the experience of catching a large yellowfin tuna, a marlin or a sailfish. There are no laws in the Maldives stipulating the mandatory release of large fish after prey. You can also go night fishing to catch reef fish, such as the tasty snapper, grouper or grunt, but it is forbidden to catch sharks, an endangered species, without returning them to the ocean.
Spas and underwater restaurants
One of the surprises that the luxurious Maldivian hotels offer are their underwater leisure and relaxation proposals. Spas and wellness centers installed under the sea such as the Lime by Huvafen Fushi, with two cabins that capture the attention of dozens of marine species, large and small, and some world celebrities such as Kate Moss, Tom Cruise, Linda Evangelista or Isabelle Adjani , who have praised this unique facility in the world. And you can also opt for a tasty and romantic dinner in restaurants, twenty feet deep, like the Sea at Anantara Kihavah Villas. It offers six tables for couples and a menu of more than three hundred wines from around the world in the presence of sharks at night and smaller, playful fish during the day.
Romantic evenings on an uninhabited island
We are talking about an excursion to a desert island in the Maldives to enjoy a piece of the ocean in the strictest privacy. It can be hired at the hotels but it should be noted that these romantic evenings on an uninhabited and virgin sandbar, with private chef and waiters , can reach $ 1,200 per couple. Something cheaper is to visit the Rasdhoo Atoll, made up of five small islands, in the Maldives with the most spectacular coral reefs in the Indian Ocean. To visit this famous Rasdhoo atoll, the best option is to depart from Male International Airport by motorboat or seaplane, as it is a very exciting experience that must be added to that of the atoll itself, a paradise of white sand, palm trees and seabeds. transparent marine. And it is also very common to board the "dhonis" , old sailing boats that are also used for fishing, in order to enjoy a sunset.
Marine fauna
It is one of the main reasons for the trip to Maldives. There are 2,000 different species of fish: reef, manta rays (which you can feed on the beaches of some hotels), moray eels and especially twenty-six types of sharks. But the one that impresses the most, both in size and weight, is the whale shark. It can measure up to 16 meters and weigh 15 tons.
Seaplane flights
From the sky the constant panorama of the atolls in the intense ocean and the floating villas that emerge from the waters will make anyone fall in love. And when you arrive at the Male airport you usually take a seaplane if your chosen hotel is in the furthest atolls. These are flights of about 30-40 minutes piloted by a couple of barefoot officers in the cabin of the aircraft. Photographic flights can also be booked on these aircraft without landing gear on "Trans Maldivian Airways" and "Maldivian Air Taxi".
Villas «over sea»
Luxury on the sea with a private pool, glass bottom bathtubs, wooden ceilings and floors, a solarium, stairs that lead directly to the sea, a tea and pillow menu, a large library, hanging beds and stairs that lead directly to the sea. Almost all of them exceed 200 square meters in area.
Excursion to Male
The Maldivian capital, which covers an area of 4 square kilometers, is worth a little visit. About 140,000 inhabitants reside in it, who traditionally lived from fishing, navigation and masonry; now they do it in tourism, construction and the service sector. A visit to the port and the fish market recalls the country's fishing past, especially of tunas.
Fighting for the corals
In Maldives, the government, resorts and inhabitants are aware of the danger that threatens corals. If water temperatures continue to rise, a large part of these living things could disappear, hence research stations are being installed in the ocean to find out which are the coral species that best support warming of the waters. Even the tourists who stay in these hotels are already contributing, at least one dollar a day, to support the cause together with other foundations and even the wealthiest participate in a sponsorship program for new coral structures.
