A short Description from us..

The Republic of Maldives is a group of atolls in the Indian Ocean; an island nation located about 700 km south-west of Sri Lanka. The Maldives' 26 atolls encompass a territory featuring 1,192 islands, roughly 200 of which are inhabited by local communities. Only 82 of these are used as resorts. The islands stretch for about 800 km from North to South, 130 km at the widest point with no geological feature higher than 4 feet above sea level.

Some believe that the name "Maldives" comes from the Sanskrit maladvipa, meaning "garland of islands", or from mahila dvipa, meaning "island of women", but these names are not found in ancient Sanskrit literature although classical Sanskrit texts mention the "Hundred Thousand Islands" Although atolls are found in tropical waters all around the globe, The name atoll is derived from the Maldivian (Dhiveli) word atholhu. Atolls are a series of coral reefs formed around a lagoon.

Originally the inhabitants were Buddhist, but Islam was introduced in 1153. It later became a Portuguese (1558), Dutch (1654), and British (1887) colonial possession. In 1965, the Maldives obtained independence from Britain (originally under the name "Maldive Islands"), and in 1968 the Sultanate was replaced by a Republic.

The Maldives is the smallest Asian country in terms of population. It is also the smallest predominantly Muslim nation in the world.

Kandooma Island

Kandooma Island lies just 35 km south of the Male International Airport, via a forty minute speedboat ride to the South Male Atoll. 13 hectares in area, It is named after the Kandoo tree which is found in abundance on the island. For guests arriving late at night, the resort also offers the convenience of night transfers to the island.

This tropical isle is favoured because of its close proximity to many excellent dive sites. The Kandooma Channel and Kandooma Caves and Kandooma “thila” (an undersea mount) all contribute to making this area one of the republics’s most sought after destinations for divers. For list of nearby dive sites, click here.

For the non-divers, the surrounding clear water offers areas to swim and snorkel. Enthusiastic surfers will be delighted with the reef breaks on the north - east side of the island from the swell that comes in off the ocean.

Getting Here

No prior visa is required to enter the Republic of Maldives. A 30 day Entry permit will be granted to visitors on arrival at designated ports of entry, based on the immigration requirements.

There are many international airlines flying into the Maldives, offering good connections from Paris, London, New York and Singapore. These include: - Emirates - Indian Airlines - Qatar Airways - Singapore Airlines - SriLankan Airlines - Malaysian Airlines - Qantas - Bangkok Airways - British Airways

Kandooma-Maldives Kandooma Fushi South Male Atoll Republic of Maldives Tel: + 960 664 0511 Fax: + 960 664 0513