The Maldives are a string of 1196 pearls scattered in the Indian Ocean
The Maldives are a string of 1196 pearls scattered in the Indian Ocean. A dream archipelago that bases its economy on tourism. It goes without saying, therefore, how much the stop imposed due to the Coronavirus pandemic brought the country to its knees, which was forced to refuse the arrival of tourists for several months.
Fortunately, however, the situation is about to resolve itself. You can return to the Maldives starting from the 15 July. Starting from this date, resorts, liveaboards and hotels located on uninhabited islands will be open, while guesthouses and hotels located on inhabited islands will open from 1 August 2020.
In a few weeks we will therefore be able to return to stay in the splendid resort islands, a type of holiday that is possible in only a few other places in the world. Islands that can accommodate only a few hundred people, created to guarantee large spaces and social distancing for guests. All characteristics that in a particular moment like the one we are experiencing fall into place.
According to the guidelines, visitors are not required to pay any additional taxes, nor to produce a certificate or negative test result for Covid-19 before entering the Maldives. For tourists without symptoms, there is no obligation to quarantine. All travelers are advised to download the "TraceEkee" tracking application.
The Maldives are among the favorite destinations of Italians who first discovered holidays on these fabulous atolls in the 70s, natural paradises in the middle of nowhere, surrounded only by the emerald green sea and coral reefs to explore. Islands that revolve around the Equator line: the Maldivian archipelago, in fact, extends partly to the North and partly to the South of that line which divides the globe in two. Malé, the capital, is in a "border" area and the extreme southern part straddles it.
At that time, 5-star resorts did not yet exist, but only guesthouses that today we call eco-lodges which can still be found on some islands and which give the possibility of experiencing the Maldives as they once did, without electricity, without air conditioning and without wi-fi, small and spartan accommodation to experience the islands in the most natural way possible. In the Maldives today there are still more guesthouses than resorts, 614 against 154 resorts and 13 hotels throughout the archipelago.
While waiting to return to the Maldives, it is possible to take virtual tours of some of the most beautiful islands. Of course, it will never be like diving into those crystal clear waters and immersing yourself in one of the most famous seabeds rich in fauna in the world, but you can dream of lying on a pink coral beach caressed by the sea breeze.
Source: 123rf
