The beauty of the Maldives is not only above the water. The Maldives is home to about five per cent of the planet’s reefs that comes with an explosion of colour contributed by soft and hard corals that form them

Just about a 4-hour flight from Muscat, in the middle of the Indian Ocean between India and Africa, lies a beautiful haven that can give you memories to last a lifetime. However, many tourists from Oman have yet to discover this wonderful opportunity to visit a dream location that exists much closer than many other popular destinations.

The Maldives, with its enchantingly beautiful islands, sugar-white sands, turquoise blue water teeming with multi-coloured fish and numerous opportunities to unwind, is nothing short of a dream destination. Though known as a popular honeymoon destination, Maldives is, indeed, also a perfect place for a short family vacation.

This picture-perfect archipelago, situated in the middle of the Indian Ocean, comprised 1,190+ tiny coral islands. This Islamic country is famous for the beauty it carries and is celebrated as one of the best travel destinations in the world.

Open for tourism

Maldives has reopened its borders and commenced safe tourism for international tourists since July 2020. The Ministry of Tourism of the Republic of Maldives has approved the opening dates of all tourist resorts, yacht marinas, tourist hotels, tourist vessels, tourist guesthouses and transit facilities, a statement dated January 14 confirms.

'As the world recovers from the current situation, the government made the decision to reopen the borders, fully confident in the safety measures and preparations to ensure the protection of all visitors and people working in the tourism sector itself.

A COVID-19 safe tourism guideline has been issued by the Ministry of Tourism along with a certification programme to uphold proper safety and hygiene standards,' an official statement says.

All arrivals, other than Maldives citizens, need to present a certificate of a negative PCR test carried out within the 96 hours prior to departure, clearly showing the name and address of the laboratory, as well as the date of the sample taken. The result must be attached to a Traveller Health Declaration form which must be submitted online within the 24 hours prior to arrival.

Mesmerising islands

The Maldives is a nation of islands in the Indian Ocean, that spans across the equator. The country is comprised of 1192 islands that stretch along a length of 871km. While the country covers an area of approximately 90,000sq km, only 298 sq km of that is actually dry land. The islands are grouped into a double chain of 26 atolls.

The country’s unique geography has been mesmerising visitors for decades on end. Reefs that offer bands of colour, tiny jewel-like islands rimmed with the whitest of soft sand surrounded by the clearest shallow waters that one can imagine. Only 200 of the islands are inhabited, and a select few on each of the atolls are resorts and

For first-timers, traveling to the country will be very exciting but at the same time, there is so much more to look forward to and understand beyond the exotic lifestyles. For example, most are unaware that the Maldives is a Muslim country and one needs to adhere to certain social norms when out of the resorts on other islands inhabited by the locals.

Maldives has its own language – Dhivehi - but the good news is that the country also has one of the highest literacy rates in the world. This means that the majority of the people have a good command of English which makes it easier for communication.

There are a lot of accommodation options to choose from since the country is filled with gorgeous resorts, hotels, guest houses and liveaboards catering to a variety of travellers.

The best thing to do is research, save up and book in advance. Choosing a place can get tricky but it all boils down to your budget and preference. You can also travel at affordable prices and still get to live the ultimate beach-life dream by staying at a guest house or boutique carried out by Visit Maldives will have a significant focus on promotion of local tourism and guesthouses. The government is working to open the country to cultural tourism as a key part of its economic diversification plans, and an emphasis will be given on promoting local tourism, culture, and heritage of Maldives.