The ‘oohs' and ‘aahs' begin the the second the aircraft breaks through the cloud cover for the descent to Male airport. As far as the eye can see, in all directions there is nothing but water — dark blue in some places, light blue elsewhere and a lovely turquoise in other places. Dotting this beautiful sea are hordes of islands — 1,200 in all. Only 90 are inhabited, including Hulhule, a short boat-ride from the capital Male and our destination.

The adventure for someone from north India, who spends most of his life far removed from the sea, starts the moment the plane lands in Male and you are transferred to a seaplane to reach your hotel. And instead of blaring horns and revving engines, all one hears in Maldives is the slow drone of seaplanes taking off or landing. And rather than cars and buses, what you see on the Male waterfront are fire and rescue ships rubbing shoulders with the various boats that transfer people from one island to another.

It is no surprise then that before long you hear yourself talking about taking a boat to go shopping!

And why not? Considering that 90 per cent of Maldives is nothing but water, the main attraction of this island-state is precisely that, and all activities related to it.

You could start off with a seaplane ride that provides breathtaking views of the islands among the many different shades of blue water. In fact, so popular is the seaplane ride that Maldivian air-taxi organises up to 500 flights a week during peak season.

Then there are the unlimited attractions of the underwater world. A gigantic Whale Submarine takes you 120 ft below water to feast your eyes on the pristine beauty of sea life all around you.

However, if adventure is not your scene then you can opt for an “excursion”, which in Maldives means hopping from one island to another either by a seaplane, ferry or speedboat. Among the inhabited islands, the more popular ones are those that offer snorkelling and refreshments. Some islands have houses on wooden stilts; elsewhere is an island with a hotel offering rooms on the waterfront.

But if it is peace and quiet you want, then an uninhabited island is yours for the asking. Just pack a picnic basket, and you can have the entire day to yourself, with only the lapping waters around you and not a soul in sight. A trip to Male has its own charms. Small roads, few cars and friendly people who even manage to speak a smattering of Hindi are what greet you as you get off your boat. Better still, it is not uncommon for shops here to accept Indian rupees for the trinkets and mementos they sell. Bargaining, of course, is the name of the game. But the shops here follow strange timings — they remain open till 11 p.m. and stay closed from 6-8 p.m. Despite enquiries we could find no convincing explanation for this.

Some of the buildings that stand out in the capital are the police headquarters, the President's office and the office of the Ministry of External Affairs. There are two banks — Bank of Ceylon and HSBC Bank, and a bistro. Of course, what Male has in abundance are travel agents!

The city is rather small and you can cover it entirely on foot; we opted for a taxi, and it cost us just $20 to go all over the place.

Given that tourism is the mainstay of Maldives, the people here don't tire of telling you that it is a popular destination for the rich and the famous, including Virgin Atlantic owner Richard Branson, tennis ace Roger Federer and Hollywood star Kevin Kline. The Government is now keen to promote Maldives as a holiday destination in India, which is located just 80 nautical miles away.

The island-state is also attempting to move away from its image as an expensive tourist destination. Velassaru Resort, for instance, offers a three-nights, four-days package at Rs 40,000 per person, including airfare and transfers.

Currently, Air India is the only airline offering direct connectivity from India, with regular flights from both Thiruvananthapuram and Bangalore. Other connections are available from Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Colombo and even several places in Europe and China.

The GMR group, which has won the global bid to modernise Male airport, is examining the option of adding a shopping arcade to the facilities. Now, that should prove a major attraction for shopping-loving Indians.

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