Mark Megahan
If beaches are your thing, you’ll love Maldives, the entire nation is nothing but beaches. Since the chain of islands and atolls lie conveniently along the equator, it’s warm and sunny all year round. Beaches, of course, means bikinis.
The resorts of Maldives
Maldives isn’t so much a country as a vast collection of white sand beaches. There are plenty of resorts to go with them. What land there is makes up a collection of more than 1,000 islands large enough to have a name.
They’re spread out across 56,000 square miles lying slightly southwest of Sri Lanka.
Each one of the 160-plus resorts scattered through Maldives have staked out their own individual islands. “many of which are accessed by float plane from capital Male’s Velana International Airport.” Known as a “private island paradise in a country that’s 99% water,” it’s also “famed for having some of the world’s most stunning coastal scenery.”
Obviously, the remote location means that dining options have a tendency to be rather limited. That problem’s been solved.
The Maldives tourism promoters are quick to entice visitors with a new and expansive resort, the “Crossroads.” They brag that it’s a mere “15-minute air-conditioned speedboat ride from the international airport.” They also note that “it’s the country’s first multi-island leisure and lifestyle destination, designed to target both international tourists and locals looking for a day escape from the capital.”
There’s one little part they don’t tell you but it’s not really a big deal. It’s important to note that the natives are a little more friendly to conservatives than progressives but they love the cash of all equally. They have what they like to call a “modern, comprehensive penal code” that “incorporates the major tenets and principles of Islamic law.” It’s been noted that “Same-sex relations are illegal in the Maldives, although tourist resorts typically operate as exceptions to this law.” Just be real careful if you go sightseeing off the property.
Superyachts in the marina
The Champaign and caviar types love Crossroads Maldives. “Arriving guests pull into a picturesque 30-berth marina – where they’re likely to spot a superyacht or two.” Once the staff has your luggage off the speedboat, they zip you off in an electric buggy.
While the marina is connected directly to an open-air dining and retail zone, your destination will be “one of two resorts – the SAii Lagoon Maldives, Curio Collection by Hilton or the Hard Rock Hotel Maldives.” As promised, they each “occupy their own individual islands, all connected by narrow bridges.”
You’ll probably rub elbows with locals at the SAii Beach Club. That’s a “separate venue with its own private beach and dining options.” After a while, even the whitest and sandiest beaches get old, no matter how warm and blue the waters are.
That’s why Crossroads “also seeks to educate visitors on the country’s extensive history, which dates back to 2,000 BCE, as well as the environmental challenges it faces today.” They operate the Maldives Discovery Center, located near the marina. Tourists from all over the world get to “learn about the country’s culture, people, history and climate struggles through a series of colorful interactive displays.”
The locals want everyone to know that they exist. “This is important because Maldives is always considered a luxury destination, but nothing more,” Mohamed Firash, marketing and communications manager, explains. “It’s also a country with a rich history.”
“There was a disconnect before, and this will help rebuild that relationship between tourism and local culture.” The young and friendly natives want money from the tourists and they plan to get as much as they can by being really “friendly” while they’re still young.
