The Maldives: the good, bad and ugly of celebrated holiday destination that has fans in Taylor Swift, Tom Cruise, Prince William and Kate Middleton
- Named the World’s Leading Destination for the fourth year in a row by the World Travel Awards, the Maldives is loved for its sand, sunsets and sea views
- Anyone who is anyone has holidayed in the Maldives but climate change and political tensions with India are serious threats
The Good
The annual World Travel Awards have something of a problem. The Maldives keep winning.
In 2023, the Indian Ocean archipelago picked up the prestigious title of World’s Leading Destination for the fourth year in a row. Its Marketing & PR Corporation was voted World’s Leading Tourist Board (second year running) and there was even a Global Tourism Resilience gong for swift post-Covid recovery.
The Maldives was also nominated as the World’s Leading Dive Destination, World’s Leading Honeymoon Destination and World’s Leading Beach Destination, although it was beaten in each category. Presumably, the judges decided it was time to give the other nominees a chance.
The name Maldives derives from the Sanskrit maladvipa, meaning “garland of islands”, and it’s easy to see why as your resort transfer seaplane flies over a necklace of glittering coral specks with names that sound like something one might say while tickling a baby: Dhidhdhoo, Kudadoo, Faarufushi and Villingili.
All in all, there are 1,192 islands and atolls, 200 of which are inhabited. Most come with squeaky white sand, translucent turquoise lagoons and sunsets that fizzle like a fireworks display.
The Maldives has come a long way since 1972, when the first resort opened for business. Once promoted as the “No News, No Shoes” islands, because of their distance from civilisation and laid-back vibe, these days, most hotels have high-speed Wi-fi and satellite television.
