With nearly 1200 coral reefs and ancient underwater volcanoes, the island is a playground for tourists during the day in addition to its spectacular night light show.Īs a tourist, it is also one of the most amazing interactive experiences you can have-stirring the glowing blue Sea of Stars. Many tourists make a stop at Maldives on their way to India or Sri Lanka. Vaadhoo Island has a population of about 500, and its major industries are tourism and fishing. The glow of the mysterious phytoplankton can be seen best on moonless nights. Maldives also boasts extraordinary experiences with these phytoplankton on the islands of Mudhdhoo and Rangali. This can happen in the right conditions anywhere in the world, but the mystical beaches of Vaadhoo Island are known for their breathtaking displays. Therefore, waters where these small phytoplankton live sparkle as if mirroring or capturing the stars. A tiny microorganism-a phytoplankton called a “dinoflagellates”-reacts with oxygen under the water and is triggered to produce this blue glow when it feels movement. This island in particular is known for its amazing “Sea of Stars,” where the waters glow neon blue at night. In the middle of the Indian Ocean lies the sparsely-populated island chain nation of Maldives, including Vaadhoo Island. Still undecided? Read on for more insider tips.Episode #1 of the c ourse “Natural Wonders of the World”

Closer to Male, Thulusdhoo is a beautiful island with surf and plenty of guesthouses – making it perfect for a Maldives island holiday on a budget. Features include a table of contents, fun facts, infographics, Making Connections questions, a glossary, and an index. And in the north, Vaadhoo is the home to Sea of Stars Beach. This book introduces readers to the stunning Sea of Stars in the Maldives and how tiny organisms light up the water each night. Alternatively, Kuramathi is the place to go for all-out luxury, with dreamy bungalows over the water.įurther afield, at the southern tip of the archipelago, Fuvahmulah is perhaps one of the most beautiful islands in the world: with ancient Buddhist stupas, mud baths, photographic lakes and tiger sharks.

One of the most popular islands here is Dhigurah, the marine playground of the Maldives, home to whale sharks and dolphins. Most people swing through the capital, flying in and jetting off to resort islands on the same day, but, if you find yourself with a short stopover, head over the Sinamalé Bridge (China-Maldives Friendship Bridge) to the capital and swing by the lively Male Fish Market.įor more of a traditional Maldives escape, head to the Ari Atoll, where you can explore paradise beaches, dive on shipwrecks and snorkel. Now, a densely populated metropolis, only the 17th-century coral stone Old Friday Mosque, the 12th-century Dharumavantha Rasgefaanu Miskiiy, the old National Museum building, and the Medhu Ziyaarai (central tomb) – part of the Muleeaage (the official residence of the President) – remain as monuments to the vibrant past. Malé, on the aptly-named Malé Atoll, is both the capital of the Maldives and the ancient King’s Island, where royal dynasties ruled from a walled city. While the early history is pretty hazy – some archaeologists speculate on links to the Romans – the islands became a stopover for Arab merchants on trading missions around the 2nd century CE, who were so pleased to find the shores covered in cowry shells – an early form of currency – that they named them the Money Isles. Mostly famed for white sandy beaches, palm trees, epic coral and clear turquoise waters, the Maldives is a perfect destination for those looking to relax, unwind and enjoy island life.įor those keen on digging a little deeper, however, the Maldives is an intriguing destination, sitting at the crux between cultures and empires, with a long and varied history thought to date back more than 2,500 years. A tropical archipelago lying on the equator between the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea, the Maldives is made up of around 1,200 islands in 26 atolls.

Maldives sea of stars