These idyllic islands are famed for their palm-fringed beaches, luxurious resorts, and relaxed pace of life. This fuilly updated guide caters to all types of visitors, from watersports enthusiasts and nature lovers to festival seekers and those wishing to explore the rich island history. Diving safaris, coral garden snorkeling, surfing, windsurfing, and deep-sea fishing are all covered for the energetic tourist, while exploring the atolls and resorts with the aid of this thorough guide is an attractive pastime for the traveler seeking tranquility. Features include: >How to choose the perfect resort for tastes and budgets >Getting around the islands, with cruise options >A wide variety of watersports >Accommodation options including beach cottages and overwater bungalows >Maldivian people and culture and useful words and phrases in Dhivehi

Now in hard cover and fully revised and updated with detailed maps of all atolls and features including dive sites, surfing sites, mangroves, turtle and bird nesting islands, protected marine areas and a complete island index with a new grid referencing system. Includes a history of early mapping and information on atoll structure and formation, based on the latest science. This book has stunning colour photos of islands and useful information for travelling in the atolls. Blurb: This 6th edition of Atlas of the Maldives has been fully revised and updated to reflect the many changes occurring on both land and at sea since the last edition in 2007. It includes new material on the early mapping of the Maldives and its impact on science. The writings of Moresby, Darwin and other recent researchers, are used to explain the formation, structure and geological history of the Maldives. • Detailed Atoll Maps • Islands & Features • History & Shipwrecks • Diving & Surfing • Wetlands & Lakes • Protected Marine Areas • Marine LIfe • Turtles & Birds "The first view of these Islands from seaward, is imposing, and impresses a stranger with a favorable idea of them. Imagine a beautiful verdant fringe, of a mile or so in extent emerging suddenly from the sea on the distant horizon." Mr ‘Prentice’ Boyce, Purser aboard Captain Robert Moresby’s survey ship Benares, 1836.

This directory provides comprehensive information on the Maldives. Twenty-three pages of maps, including an updated map of Male, the island capital of the archipelago, show reefs, islands and other features such as protected marine areas, wrecks, airports and heliports. An index of 1068 islands is included with latitide and longitude coordinates for quick reference.