Capital cities. The glitz and glam of most country's showpieces, capital cities are usual a must-see for almost any destination. Not only do they house iconic buildings and culture oozing museums, but a diversity of people, foods and traditions. They are the sites of historical battles, triumphs and treaties. They are our transport hubs and our commercial centres. In the end, they are almost always the heart and soul of their Country... well... almost always!
The Maldives is a country comprised of nearly 1,200 little islands congregating into spread out atolls in the middle of the ocean. Of these islands, only about 200 are permanently inhabited (not including private resort islands). The most populated and capital of the country is Male (MA-lay). But while Male is at the centre of commerce, near the major international airport and hub to almost all public ferries in the nation, a disproportionately low percentage of travellers actually step foot on the Island. It is skipped over with seemingly great distain as holiday goers opt for ridiculously priced private speed boats directly from the airport island.
The fact of the matter is, Male ain't all that. It is an island that was never meant to hold that many people. The roads are packed, and highly disorganized. Development seems random at best. it is most certainly not the iconic holiday paradise that postcards mislead us to believe is ubiquitous. Actually, the capital island is such a mess, the government built a new island attached to the airport (Hulhumale) with the intention of moving many people off Male, kind of scrapping the capital island as is and starting anew.
For the average tourist, Male really doesn't offer very much. There is a mosque for those hoping for some insight into Islam (it does allow non-Muslims). But the mosque is hardly ornate. There is a park (remembering how densely populated the island is, it's a big deal) but it's just a park. The government building lack an ostentatious flare you come to expect from such buildings. And the national museum is way overpriced.
Still, that's not a reason to avoid the island full-stop. People are just as friendly and helpful here as the resorts. Actually, most people on Male are actually Maldivian as opposed to the largely imported resort workers. There is lively market. And... immmm... there's pavement. There's something you don't get at the resorts!!!
Ok, fine. Male is not the biggest attraction of the country. And globally, the island would not even make the tourist map. But there's something just wrong about avoiding such an important part of a country. While overwater villas and coral reefs are the reason to come the Maldives, there is no reason to skip over the country's capital.
The Maldives is a country comprised of nearly 1,200 little islands congregating into spread out atolls in the middle of the ocean. Of these islands, only about 200 are permanently inhabited (not including private resort islands). The most populated and capital of the country is Male (MA-lay). But while Male is at the centre of commerce, near the major international airport and hub to almost all public ferries in the nation, a disproportionately low percentage of travellers actually step foot on the Island. It is skipped over with seemingly great distain as holiday goers opt for ridiculously priced private speed boats directly from the airport island.
The fact of the matter is, Male ain't all that. It is an island that was never meant to hold that many people. The roads are packed, and highly disorganized. Development seems random at best. it is most certainly not the iconic holiday paradise that postcards mislead us to believe is ubiquitous. Actually, the capital island is such a mess, the government built a new island attached to the airport (Hulhumale) with the intention of moving many people off Male, kind of scrapping the capital island as is and starting anew.
For the average tourist, Male really doesn't offer very much. There is a mosque for those hoping for some insight into Islam (it does allow non-Muslims). But the mosque is hardly ornate. There is a park (remembering how densely populated the island is, it's a big deal) but it's just a park. The government building lack an ostentatious flare you come to expect from such buildings. And the national museum is way overpriced.
Still, that's not a reason to avoid the island full-stop. People are just as friendly and helpful here as the resorts. Actually, most people on Male are actually Maldivian as opposed to the largely imported resort workers. There is lively market. And... immmm... there's pavement. There's something you don't get at the resorts!!!
Ok, fine. Male is not the biggest attraction of the country. And globally, the island would not even make the tourist map. But there's something just wrong about avoiding such an important part of a country. While overwater villas and coral reefs are the reason to come the Maldives, there is no reason to skip over the country's capital.
