TMA Inflight Magazine 2013 01

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FREECOPY
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ISSUE 01 | 2013
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ISSUE 01 | 2013
MAGAZINE
MAGAZINE
Maldives:
A Unique Perspective
A dive before
breakfast
We Are
The Champions:
2013 is the Year of Surfing

Competitions in the Maldives
PUBLISH YOUR
AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS
IN THE NEXT ISSUE
Wrecked
in the Maldives
PUBLISH YOUR
AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHS
TopIN7THE
dive
sites
NEXT
ISSUE
Come to Palm Beach, come to Maldives
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A T M O S P H E R E-KA N I F U S H I . C O M
TMA
tMA INFLIGHT
iNFLiGht MAGAZINE
MAGAZiNE
North Ari Atoll
North AriVeligandu
Atoll
56 km
Veligandu 56 km
Kuramathi 60 km
EdITORS
NOTE
Editors
NotE
Gangehi
84 km
Nika 84 km
Madoogali 86 km
aayafushi 72 km
Etheremadivaru 66 km
Nika 84 km
Etheremadivaru 66 km
South Male Atoll
Bathala
63 km of Inflight.
Welcome to this
new edition
Ellaidhoo 67 km
Halaveli 67 km
Anantara Naladhu
72 you
km fly over the emerald isles and the
Safari Island As
km
Ellaidhoo
turquoise lagoons
of the 67
Maldives,
and if you29 km
Biyadhoo
have some timeSafari
awayIsland
from the
72 mesmerizing
km
Athuruga 85 view
km from the window, take a peek into the
Maldives people, history culture and the vast
horizon of activities
that you can enjoy during
Athuruga
85 km
your stay in the Maldives.
W Retreat 82 km
Moofushi 94 kmKandholhudhu 74 km
udufushi 98 km
Velidhu 78 km
Bathala 63 km
Halaveli 67 km
Madoogali 86 km
W Retreat 82 km Maayafushi 72 km
holhudhu 74 km
Kuramathi 60 km
Velidhu 78 km
Gangehi 84 km
South Male Atoll

25 km
Moofushi 94 km
Lily Beach 85 km
In this issue we bring you pieces written by well-heeled writers, who
Angaga 98 km Thudufushi 98 km
Vilamendhoo 87 km
have lived here and experienced for themselves what they have
written61 km
Dhiggiri
Mirihi 103 km
Ranveli 88 km
about. A dive before breakfast written by Adrian Neville narrates the
Lily Beach 85 km Alimatha 65 km
Conrad 109 km
Maafushivaru
93 km
first hand experience
of a dive
safari while Wrecked in the Maldives by
Centara 96 km
AngagaDonna
98 km Richardson
kmspot the
Kudalooks
Rah 96
atkm
some well-knownVilamendhoo
wreck dives 87
that
Vaavu Atoll
akarufalhi 97 km
Mirihireefs
103 km
of the archipelago.
We are
by 88
Sarah
Ranveli
km Harvey looks at
Lux Maldives 102
km the Champions
Sun Island 112 km
surf
popular with the international
Conradthe
109
kmscene that is becoming increasingMaafushivaru
93 km
Holiday Island 110 km
South
Ari Atoll
surfing
community. Two articles A Brief History of Maldives and A Unique
Centara
96 km
Kuda Rah
96 km
Perspective by Thomas Pickard gives a glimpse
of the
life in the Maldives
Vakarufalhi 97 km
today and in the past.
Lux Maldives 102 km
Sun Island 112 km
FREE COPY
Anantara Naladhu 25 km
Biyadhoo
29 km
ISSUE 01 | 2013
MAGAZINE
MAGAZiNE
MAGAZINE
ISSUE
issuE 01 | 2013
Published for
Dhiggiri
Alimatha
61 km
65 km
Trans Maldivian Airways Pvt. Ltd.

Male International Airport, Republic of Maldives
Atoll+960 331 52 03
Phone: +960 331 Vaavu
52 01, Telefax:
Maldives:
110on
kmyour way to your resort we wish you a great holiday in the
If you are
Holiday Island
Published by
A Unique Perspective
119Atoll
km
Rania Ari
South
Maldives and if you are returning from your resort we hope it has been the
Filitheyo 119 km
holiday that you have wished for.
A dive before
breakfast
Faafu Atoll
Enjoy you flight!

Adheel Ismail
Editor
We Are
3rd Floor, M.Chaandhaneege,
The Champions:
Majeedhee Magu, Male, RepublicPUBLISH
of Maldives
YOUR
Think Associates Pvt. Ltd.
Meemu Atoll
Vilu Reef
143 km
Rania 119 km
Tel: +960 334 2640, Fax: +960
334 PHOTOGRAPHS
2642
AERIAL
2013 is the Year of Surfing
Filitheyo 119 km Competitions in theEmail:
IN THE NEXT ISSUE
Maldives
info@thinkmaldives.com
www.think.com.mv
Faafu Atoll Velavaru 144 km

new cover.indd 1
Medhufushi
Meemu
Atoll 144 km
Dhaalu Atoll
AUTHORS
Authors
Vilu Reef
Please address all enquiries to:
Ahmed Fazeel, Busness Development Manager
Hakuraa Huraa 148 kmMail: fazeel@transmaldivian.com
143 km
Velavaru
144 km
Niyama Maldives 179 km
ND
Medhufushi 144 km
Dhaalu Atoll
EF
23/10/2013 9:04:57 PM
Hakuraa Huraa 148 km
AND
SORT
ahim Nasir International Airport
le
Niyama Maldives 179 km

Thaa Atoll
Thomas Pickard is a freelance

photographer and writer who lived in
the Maldives for two-years, producing
over twenty articles on the country.
LEGEND
REEF
Donna Richardson
a
210Adrian
km Neville has been
Regentis Maldives
freelance writer who has lived
photographing
and writing about the
Thaa Atoll
and worked in the Maldives. She
Maldives since living here in 1993/94.
has written a variety of articles
He has traveled throughout the country
on the Maldives from her real life
documenting island life.
experiences in the country.
Sarah Harvey is a British travel

journalist and resort reviewer based in
Male. She has lived in the Maldives for
almost three years.
ISLAND
disclaimer
RESORT
TMA Inflight Magazine is published for Trans Maldivian Airways Pvt. Ltd. by Think Associates Pvt. Ltd. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without the written permission
of Trans
Maldivian
Airways
Pvt. Ltd. All rights
reserved. Copyright 2011 by Trans Maldivian Airways Pvt. Ltd. Opinions in Inflight are the writers and not necessarily endorsed
Ibrahim
Nasir
International
Airport
by Trans Maldivian Airways Pvt. Ltd. Trans Maldivian Airways Pvt. Ltd. and Think Associates Pvt. Ltd. acceptsMaalifushi
no responsibilityby
for unsolicited
210 km transparencies other
COMO manuscripts,
material.
Every effort has been made to provide accurate information in the magazine and kindly please contact the publisher to call to attention of any errors or omissions in the
Male
TMA Inflight Magazine.
53
TMA INFLIGHT MAGAZINE
Contents
11 Welcome on board
12 Maldives; beyond the sun, sea
and sand Fact, figures and information

that may be of interest when you are in the
Maldives.
18 A dive before
breakfast Anyone not going on the
first dive tomorrow, said the dive leader.

Unlike the resort way of doing things, on a
dive safari you have to actually opt out of the
first dive of the day.
24 Maldives a brief
history For a small island nation
located in a remote area of the Indian

Ocean, the Maldives has a history marked
by Buddhist influences, Arab traders and
Portuguese invaders.
30 We are the champions;
2013 is the Year of Surfing Competitions

in the Maldives
ISSUE 01 | 2013
36 Maldives; a unique
perspective Coral walled houses;
long days boat building and family picnics

on deserted islands. Writer and photographer
Thomas Pickard explores a unique side of the
Maldives.
40 Wrecked in the
Maldives
The story behind

ghostly sunken vessels and its forgottencargo is as much a part of the diving delight
as the colourful coral which colonises these
eerie echoes of the past.
46 Maldivian Delicacy
Recipes from one of the most renowned local

culinary masters in the Maldives
50 The Seaplane
52 TMA Route Map &

Destinations
It seems as though 2013 should be named

the Year of Surfing Competitions as the
Maldives celebrates not just one but several
competitive surfing events.
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Dear Guest:
Welcome on board.
When you boarded our seaplane you must have noticed the two colors of our
fleet and perhaps wondered whether you were on the right flight! Rest assured
you are.
We have recently merged the two seaplane operators in the Maldives Trans Maldivian Airways and Maldivian Air
Taxi into one strong airline with a bright future, poised to serve you, and all our stakeholders, better. The combined
company operates the worlds largest seaplane fleet from the worlds largest waterdrome.
The Stakeholders of both companies have every reason to be optimistic about the future of the combined company
and the opportunities it will create. As we complete the merger, we are focusing on improving an already high
standard of service and safety.
We are delighted to have you on board with us. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to be your chosen means of
transfer to your resort. As you embark on your journey in the Maldives, we hope that we can contribute to making
your trip an unforgettable and unique experience of a lifetime.
Your safety, security and satisfaction are our highest priority. We continue to strive to set new standards of excellence
in all three. Our recent merger will only enhance this effort. As a company, we are perpetually managing safety-related
issues. Our safety focus is in three main areas: safety leadership focused on incident prevention, staff training and
incident management. This three-tiered program is designed to maintain continuous improvement in safety practices
at all levels of the business.
Our people help to make us the most unique airline in the world. Over 800 staff help make your journey punctual,
seamless and memorable. Our staff consists of mostly local Maldivians, and are all very qualified for their roles and
have each gone through rigorous training to enable us to deliver best-in-class services to you. Our people are driven
by their continuous endeavor to consistently deliver an unbeatable customer experience. They are guided by a Board
of high caliber, unmatched wisdom, pioneering and spirit. We understand that how we interact and responsibly
connect, with our passengers and customers, in the air and on the ground, is a key factor in building good and
lasting relationships.
During these exciting times of the merger we gratefully acknowledge the steadfast support of the resorts across this
nation. We also offer our gratitude to the Government of Maldives for their enlightened vision to make the Maldives
one of the worlds most Preferred Tourist Destinations. The Governments actions to Promote, Preserve and Protect
the Tourism industry have been noteworthy. We look forward to supporting the Government in this mission and to
improve access to seaplane flights nationwide.
On our flight path to your destination, we promise you, and all stakeholders, that we shall strive to beat expectations.
We are committed to acting sustainably in everyones interest and to the environment we serve.
We hope you have an enjoyable flight, on our seaplane which is an intrinsic part of the Enthralling Maldives
Experience!
Richard B Saldanha
Chairman
Welcome on board!
It is pleasure to have you on board this flight of TMA. If you have flown with us before you may
have noticed some changes including the cover and the appearance of this Inflight magazine.
Although the livery and the appearance of the aircraft in the docks still retains the distinctive red
and black of Maldivian Air Taxi and the yellow and blue of Trans Maldivian Airways, both companies
are now one and the same flying under the umbrella of TMA which merges the operations, aircraft,
terminals and staff of both Maldivian Air Taxi and Trans Maldivian Airways.
With a fleet that now consists of 44 aircraft, TMA is the largest seaplane operator in the world. We
operate 120,000 flights and serve over 800,000 passengers per year from our two terminals and
docks at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport.
For our passengers, the increased scale of our operations just offers a greater degree of freedom,
in flights, destinations and services. And now we are able to combine our wealth of knowledge
and experience in this unique form of travel to enhance your travel with us and offer you greater
products and services that will create lasting memories of your holidays in the Maldives.
We wish you a pleasant flight and a memorable holiday in the Maldives.
A.U.M Fawzy
CEO
11
Maldives
Geography:
The Maldives consists of

approximately 1,190 coral islands grouped in a double
chain of 27 atolls, spread over roughly 90,000 square
kilometers, making the country one of the most
unique destinations in the world. The islands stretch
over a distance of 800 km from north to south.
Climate:
The temperature of Maldives

ranges between 24oC and 33o C throughout the
year. Although the humidity is relatively high, the
constant sea breeze helps to keep the air moving.
The average sea temperate is around 26oC.
Population: The population of Maldives
has increased rapidly during the last few decades.

However with a population of approximately
360,000, the country still remains one of the
smallest independent nations in the world.
12
beyond the sun, sea and sand
Religion:
Maldivians are devout Muslims

and rigorously follow the basic tenets of Islam. The
Islamic Center which accommodates more than
5,000 worshippers dominates the skyline of the
capital city Male with its shinning golden dome and
minaret. Several mosques are dispersed throughout
the capital and each inhabited island is graced with
at least one or two mosques where the people
attend to their daily prayers.
History:
Archeological remains excavated in

different parts of the country prove that people
were living here as early as third century BC. The
Maldives and its people are mentioned in several
mariners logs and records of naval expeditions by
the Chinese and the Arabs and later the British and
other European explorers.
can easily make themselves understood getting

around the capital Male. In the resorts, a variety of
languages are spoken by the staff including English,
German, French, Italian, Japanese and Chinese.
Capital Island: Male, which is about
2 sq kms is the capital of the country. It is the

center of administration and the hub of trade and
commerce. More than 100,000 people live in Male.
Culture:
A proud history and rich culture

evolved from the first settlers who were from
various parts of the world travelling the seas in
ancient times. The Maldives has been a melting pot
of different culture as people from different parts of
the world came here and settled down. Some of the
local music and dance for instance resemble African
influences, while other cultures and traditions
reflect East Asian and South Asian characteristics
and traits.
Language:
Dhivehi spoken throughout the

Maldives is a language belonging to the Indo-Iranian
group of languages. The language is spoken only
in the Maldives and Minicoy Island in the Lakshadweep Atoll (India) to the north of the Maldives.
The present script, Thaana was introduced in the
late 16th century and is written from right to left.
English is widely spoken by Maldivians and visitors
Economy:
In the last quarter of the

twentieth century, the economy changed from the
age-old traditional system based on fisheries and
agriculture to a modern economy that rode on the
success of the newly established tourism industry
and a modernized and mechanized fishing industry.
Maldivians enjoy the highest GDP per capita in
South Asia today.
Currency:
The local currency is Rufiyaa. At

the time of publication, the exchange rate is pegged
between MVR.10.25 and 15.42 to a US Dollar. If you
are heading to a resort, you need not worry about
local currency as all your bills at the resort can
be paid by US Dollar, Euro or any other European
currency. All major credit cards are also accepted
at the resorts. However, if you are visiting Male or
any of the local islands, you may need to hold local
currency for purchases you may wish to make.
13
Education:
Maldives boasts one of the

highest literacy rates in the world with 98% of the
countrys population being able to read and write.
Educational standards are among the highest in
the region and schools follow the British system of
education.
Health: The Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital
(IGMH) in Male is the state run general hospital in

the country providing a high standard of medical
care. ADK Hospital is one of the private health care
facility in the country among several other private
hospitals and clinics. Most resorts have a resident
doctor and a decompression chamber is within easy
reach in case of a diving emergency.
Communication: All resorts offer IDD
telephone services. Mobile telephone services in the

country are offered by Wataniya Telecom Maldives
and Dhiraagu. Both companies have roaming
agreements with various operators across the globe,
which will enable you to use your home number
while in Maldives. All the resorts in Maldives offer
Internet services. Some resorts offer broadband
connections in the room while others offer Wi-Fi
zones at key locations on the island.
Country Dialing Code: +960

Shopping: The northern end of Chaand-
hanee Magu in Male is the place to be if you are

looking for souvenirs to take home. A range of batik
sarongs and wraparounds, wooden handicrafts,
candles and other knick knacks are available from
the shops lining the street. You will also be able to
find some souvenir items if you visit the neighboring islands near your resort. Lookout for genuine
Maldivian hand painted t-shirts and lacquered
boxes, miniature dhonis and reed mats if you really
want to take a piece of Maldives with you as a
memento.
Business Hours: The working week in
Maldives begins on Sunday and ends on Thursday.

Government offices are open from 08:00 to 15:00
hours and the private sector from 09:00 to 17:00
hours. Most offices in the private sector open for
business on Saturdays. Weekend falls on Friday and
Saturday.
14
Electricity: 240 Volts AC

Local Time: +5 GMT
15
GUT GESTRANDET?
GERN GESCHEHEN.
Manta Reisen wnscht Ihnen traumhafte Ferientage.

Manta Reisen Geroldstrasse 20 8010 Zrich T +41 44 277 47 01 maledivensrilanka@manta.ch www.manta.ch
16
speed boat
Meeru.....Magic.....only 55 minutes by speed boat
eautiful lagoon
Meeru Island Resort
and
& Spa, surrounded by a beautiful lagoon and
each
long stretches of white, sandy beach
reservations@meeru.com
www.meeru.com
17
Anyone not going on the first dive

tomorrow, make sure you have written
your name on the board, said the dive
leader. Looking around the dinner table
at his contented guests he continued,
Anyone? No, good. Then Ill see you all
at 6 tomorrow morning.
A
dive
before breakfast
By: Adrian Neville
Unlike the resort way of doing things, on a dive

safari you have to actually opt out of the first dive
of the day or youre going to be woken up at dawn
along with every other guest on the boat. This is a
holiday for enthusiasts, people with a single driving
passion. Yes, it would be handy if the boat was
comfortable and the food was good but, really, what
matters is the diving, that HAS to be good.
It is the same for surfers on a surfing safari boat
and for anglers on a fishing safari. Get the surfers to
a good break and they will stay in the water all day.
Divers demand at least 4 dives a day, every day: the
first before breakfast, the last around sunset with
the occasional night dive as well.
Whereas the world now sees the Maldives as an
ultimate luxury destination - a combination of
perfect beach and lagoon around a world-class
resort - for many years the country was only known
as a divers paradise. The first tourists in 1972 were
groups of Italian, German and Swedish divers.
Although they stayed on one or other of the two
resorts, Kurumba and Bandos, they all went off on
long diving excursions. The very first group spent
a week on a dhoni, camping every night as they
sailed from Kurumba to Kuramathi on Rasdhoo
Atoll. It wasnt until the next year that a few of the
countrys dhonis were converted to take an engine.
And then Bandos had the honour of acquiring the
first dedicated safari boat.
18
The noise and rattle from the engine of the converted fishing boat, the basic food of bananas, rice
and fish, and the strictly limited amount of fresh
water and electricity all meant you had to be up for
the adventure if you wanted to go on a Maldives
dive safari. But few places in the world can reward
divers like this country can. It competes with
Indonesia for the greatest number of species and
beats all comers for the sheer mass of fish. Furthermore, on every resort and safari boat is inculcated the
notion of preservation and best practice to minimise
negative effects. So what there is today remains there
tomorrow. Add to this mix the unique peace and
quiet of the minimalist seascapes, the islands without
mountains, rivers or population (for the most part),
and the answer to why dive safaris are so popular
becomes as clear as the January sea.
Today the safari boats are floating palaces
compared to the original dhonis. The boat I had
the pleasure of joining, Carpe Vita, has the typical
layout for boats at the upper end of the market. The
lower deck has 8 bedrooms, of which 2 are for staff.
The second deck has the galley and lounge. The
third deck has two suites, the bar and restaurant
and the bridge (the captains domain). Everywhere
indoors is air conditioned and out of doors there is
some space on each deck for sitting, chatting and
looking out to sea. Then, finally, on the roof are
sun loungers, a jacuzzi and even a little space for
dancing if the moment takes you.
Just as diving is popular throughout the world, so

the guests on a dive safari can be an extraordinary
mix of nationalities, ages and personalities. It is unusual, still, for Americans to fly half the way around
the world to holiday on a Maldives resort but you
will find them on top end dive safari boats. My own
trip was shared with an American who recorded
pieces for Scuba Radio alongside a guitar picking
Scuba Cowboy and two mermaids (no really). The
key thing is group dynamics: sometimes it blossoms

from day one, usually people come together on the
second or third day but just occasionally people
dont quite gel. For us, with a wacky southern song
man and two beautiful half-women half-fish, how
could it be other than strange and wonderful.
Beside dealing with each other, group dynamics
can also be affected by how people deal with
disappointment.
Expectations are
sky high when
the boat sets
off from the
harbour but the
first dives might
very well not
deliver on those
visions. Tensions
can just begin to
rise if one dive
after another is
considered to be
just ordinary.
Most divers have
their own favourite fish they look out for. It may
be as small as a fire goby or nudibranch but, like
the big game of East Africa, there are a few big fish
that everyone wants to see sometime during their
trip. These are the sharks (particularly the trophy
Hammerheads), the ever strange and graceful
Manta Rays and the Whale Shark, the largest fish
in the world. Of these the last two are absolutely
critical for a successful safari.
Happily it is almost a certainty that Mantas will be
seen at some time, as every boat knows a large
number of Manta Points and favourite lagoons.
But Whale Sharks are much more elusive. There is
one area along the southern tip of South Ari Atoll
where you will very often see them but it is not a
guarantee. And as it is the most likely place, at high
season you could be jostling with 50 or 60 others.
So I felt just a little bit special (and smug) when
I snorkelled almost alone around a large Whale
Shark as my fellow divers were off somewhere else
searching. Everyone enjoyed it a little later but I
now felt I could write my name on that board and
give the dawn dive a miss.
19
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21
Veligandu Island Resort & Spa, surrounded by a beautiful lagoon

and long stretches of white, sandy beach. Your seaplane transfer
from Ibrahim Nasir International Airport is a scenic, 20 minute flight
reservations@veliganduisland.com
www.veliganduisland.com
Vilamendhoo Island Resort & Spa, surrounded by a beautiful lagoon and long stretches of
white, sandy beach, is the only resort on the island of Vilamendhoo, Your seaplane transfer
from Ibrahim Nasir International Airport is a scenic, 25 minute flight
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www.vilamendhooisland.com
Maldives
A Brief History
For a small island nation
located in a remote area of
the Indian Ocean, the
Maldives has a history
marked by Buddhist
influences, Arab traders
and Portuguese
invaders.
By Thomas Pickard.
Early Settlers
The knowledge of who were the first settlers of

the Maldives has been lost to the ages. It is widely
believed that the Maldives were probably first populated by seafaring Dravidian people, who would
have originated from the coastal regions of India
and Sri Lanka. Unfortunately for archaeologists,
no remains of any sort have been found from this
period, in part because of the perishable material
that would have been used for shelter and the like,
and which no longer exist. With no oral history
being passed on from this time, archaeologists have
inferred that the early settlers may have inhabited
the islands for thousands of years prior to the first
recorded Buddhist remains.
Buddhism Influences
Today, the significance of early Buddhist influences

is excluded from Maldivian history text. The period
prior to the 1153 conversion to Islam is known
simply as Jahiliya or the age of ignorance. Archae24
ological remains that include Buddhist stupas and

monasteries as well as Buddhist script have been
found throughout the Maldives since the 1800s.
Such finds prove conclusively that the Maldives
prior to Islamic conversion had a largely Buddhist
culture with a widespread influence on the population of the time.
Arab Traders and Islam
The strategic importance of the Maldives location in

the Indian Ocean and the fact that it lays in the direct trading route between the Middle East and the
Far East cannot be underestimated from a historical
perspective. Early Arab traders began stopping in
Male on their return journey from the Far East. Not
only did Male serve as a welcome port to rest, it
also represented another trading stop, allowing the
Arabs to trade for dried Maldivian fish which is

still exported today and cowrie shells.
Cowrie shells were used as an international currency around this time and the Maldives was known
for its plentiful supply, so much so, that the islands
were known both as the Cowrie Islands and the
Money Isles. Today the relevance of the cowrie
shell lives on it is the symbol for the Maldivian
Monetary Authority.
the One and Half Degree Channel in the south of

the country. As the shipwrecks of the subsequent
centuries would prove, the Maldives would continue
to be a formidable place to take a vessel with its
relatively uncharted waters.
With the importance of the Maldives as a trading
destination cemented in the Arab traders mind
of the day, it seems a logical step that an Arab
would convert the country to an Islamic culture
something the Arabs had already done in Malabar
Experiencing History
Many resorts offer guided day
trips to the capital Male. A guided trip
is definitely an experience as you are
guided around the narrow, scooter
clogged streets of what is one of the
worlds most unique capitals. Along the
way you will visit some of the Maldives
most important sites, including the
famed tomb of Abu Al Barakat near
Hukuru Miskiiy, the oldest mosque in
the country. The newly refurbished
National Museum has a number of
displays showing pre-Islamic Buddhist
relics as well as items once owned by the
ruling sultans of the time.
(Indias southwest coast) in the seventh century.
Abu Al Barakat, a Sunni Muslim is credited with
converting the country to Islam in 1153. As legend
has it, Barakat took the place of one of the virgin
girls that were offered as a sacrifice to Rannamaari
or sea jinni, driving the demon away with a reading
from the Quran. Today, Barakats tomb located near
Hukuru Mosque in Male is considered one of the
most important sites in the country and is a regular
stop for guided visitor tours to the capital.
Despite being skilled seaman and navigators the
Arabs realised that the waters surrounding the
Maldives islands with its complex and uncharted
reefs was a dangerous place to navigate a vessel.
By the ninth century, Arab maps showed that the
traders understood the location of most of the
northern atolls as well as what is now known as
Though the king of the day readily adopted the

Sultan title and ordered the people of the country
to convert, artefacts from the twelfth century show
that the Islamic conversion experienced bloodshed.
Copperplates found on Isdhoo Island in Laamu
Atoll have inscriptions which indicate that monks
were taken from the monastery of the island and
25
subsequently beheaded in Male. Despite this, six

Islamic Dynasties followed with a total of 84 sultans
(kings) and sultanas (queens).
Portuguese Rule
The start of the sixteenth century marked the arrival

of Portuguese traders in the Maldives. With extensive trading powers already established in parts
of western India, the Portuguese - like the Arab
traders - did not take long to realise the value of
the Maldives location on the sea going trade route
to the Far East, as well as a trading destination in
its own right.
Portuguese. While the Portuguese tried to retake the

Maldives in 1632 and 1649, Thakurufaanu and his
men had effectively ended Portuguese rule. Thakurufaanu went on to rule the next Sultanic dynasty
as Sultan Ghazi Mohammed. Today Thakurufaanus
efforts are celebrated annually as National Day, an
important day in the history of the country.
Despite obtaining permission to set up a factory

in Male for trading purposes, the Portuguese in
1518 took Male with one hundred and twenty
men under the command of Joao Gomes. Gomes
subsequently fortified the capital, installing cannons
as well as harassing and robbing the locals. Three
years later in 1521, the Maldivians hired a pirate

who along with twelve Malabar paraos captured
and slaughtered the ruling Portuguese, ultimately
freeing the Maldivian capital.
Thirty-seven years later - in 1558 - Captain Andreas
Andre invaded Male, killing the Sultan of the time,
Ali VI. The Portuguese went on to rule the Maldives
until 1573, when Muhammad Bodu Thakurufaanu
led a small group of men on a guerrilla style assault
of the capital, eventually capturing and killing all
26
British Influences
and the Constitution
While the Maldives became a British protectorate in

1887, British involvement with the Maldives actually
dates back to the late seventeenth century when
British trade ships operating under the East India
Company entered Maldivian waters.
The Persia Merchant became ship wrecked in 1658
in the Maldives and is the first recorded encounter
between British sailors and local Maldivians. Over

the next one hundred and fifty years, British ships
continued to be shipwrecked on the multitude
of reefs surrounding the Maldives islands. While
some captains reported being well looked after by
the locals, other ships disappeared entirely with
unsubstantiated reports emerging years later that
the crews had been slaughtered by locals.
With a history of hundreds of wrecks and countless
lost lives, the British decided to properly map
the Maldivian waters. Between 1834 and 1836,
Commander Moresby of the Indian Navy with his
ship Benares, systematically explored and mapped
the island archipelago. Of his time in the Maldives,
Moresby reported that the locals always treated
us with kindness and respect, yet with shyness
and suspicion. This last reference referring to the
fact that the local islanders had difficulty believing
that the Captain was charting the Maldives
solely for the safe passage of future ships passing
through the Maldives.
In 1932 the countries first ever constitution was
imposed. Two years later in 1934, Sultan Shamsuddin was ousted and in his place Hasan Nurudin
was elected. In 1953 the Maldives was declared a
republic with the sultanate abolished, though it
didnt last long a year later first president Amin
Didi was ousted with Mohammed Farid Didi elected
as sultan.
The sixties and seventies were pivotal decades for
the Maldives. The 26th of July 1965 marks the day
that the Maldives gained complete independence
from Britain. Three years later in 1968 a referendum lead to the second attempt at a republic
with the out going sultan Majeed Didi being
replaced by the president elect, Ibrahim Nasir.
The early seventies also marked the beginning of
the tourism boom, with Kurumba Village, the first
resort in the country opening for business. At the
same time, commercial fishing was modernised
and new offshore markets developed for increasing
yellow fin and skipjack tuna exports. The end of
the seventies saw Ibrahim Nasir replaced by the
then Maldivian UN ambassador, Maumoon Abdul
Gayoom. Gayoom reign as president ended in
November 2008, when former political prisoner
Mohamed Nasheed won an over whelming majority
in what was widely considered the countries first
democratic elections.
Present Day
Today the Maldives economy relies heavily on what

can only be described as the booming tourism
market and an ever-expanding commercial fishing
industry. Both industries contribute significantly
to the nations gross domestic product, whilst
employing a large portion of the Maldivian population. Outside of the capital Male, local islanders
have benefited from better access to hospitals on
the atolls, a steady supply of electricity and the
installation of a reliable mobile phone network, on
par with any developed country in the world.
Further Reading
Dhivehi Raajje A Portrait of Maldives by Adrian Neville
Maldives: Kingdom of a Thousand Isles by Andrew Forbes and Kevin
Bishop
The Maldives Islanders: A Study of the Popular Culture of an Ancient Ocean
Kingdom by Xathier Romero-Frias
Thomas Pickard is a writer and photographer who lived in the Maldives
for two years.
27
We are
the Champions:
2013 is the Year of
Surfing Competitions
in the Maldives
By: Sarah Harvey
It seems as though 2013

should be named the Year of
Surfing Competitions as the
Maldives celebrates not just
one but several competitive
surfing events this year
each one with its very own
distinctive style.
territory for many years, with the Australian Tony

Hussein Hinde (who made the Maldives his home)
credited with popularizing the activity locally.
While the Maldives is known around the globe as
a luxury holiday destination, over the past few
decades it has also steadily built up a reputation for
world-class surfing. Many surf tourists cruise around
the atolls on safari boats in search of the best
waves; some stay at resorts which cater to surfers
and others stay at guesthouses on local islands
with good surf such as Thulusdhoo and Himmafushi.
Maldivians have also been enjoying surfing on home
30
The nation boasts a range of high quality surfing

spots and many of them are in Male Atoll. Some
are public breaks (where tourists, Maldivians
and expats are free to share the area) and some
are privately owned (belonging to resorts and for
use by tourists only). The top spots in Male Atoll
include Jailbreaks, Cokes, Sultans, and Honkeys
(which are currently all public) while the best
private surf points in the area include Pasta Point
at Chaaya Reef Dhonveli and Kandooma Right
at Holiday Inn Kandooma. There are also some

excellent surf points in far-flung atolls sometimes
surfers even hire a private seaplane charter to take
them to places where they can have the entire
wave to themselves.
In previous years, a handful of surfing competitions
have been sporadically held in the Maldives but
recently surfing competitions have seen a revival in
the tropical archipelago. In fact, several resorts as
well as the Maldives Surfing Association are running
their own surfing competitions this year.
line-up; defending champion Damien Hardmen (USA),

Tom Curren (USA) and Pedro Henrique (Brazil).
Damien says: Its great to be returning to Kuda
Huraas luxurious surrounds with my wife Belinda,
as shes as excited as me. That being said, Ill be
gunning for the Champions Trophy and the $25,000
prize money for sure!
As the surfers compete in a showdown across three
surfboard divisions (retro single fins, twin fins and
modern thrusters), enthusiastic guests with day
passes watch from the comfort of the Four Seasons
Explorer vessel whilst enjoying champagne and
canaps, in true Four Seasons style!
There will also be an event for Maldivian surfers
running alongside the Champions Trophy event,
known as the Four Seasons Maldives Domestic
Champions Trophy. Last year Maldivian surfing
champ, Hussain Areef, scooped the MVR. 25,000
prize with his amazing skills.
June 20th was International Surfing Day and Holiday
Inn Kandooma resort marked the occasion by
launching its first ever surfing competition. Organisers say that they intend to hold more competitions
at the resort during this years surfing season (May
to October). The resort has its own private surf
point, known as Kandooma Right, which usually
turns out 3ft waves. The resort is also close to a few
other public surf points such as Quarters.
Holiday Inn Kandoomas Tag Teams surfing event on
International Surfing Day was open to all guests and staff
to participate in and participants and the crowd were
treated to music, a BBQ and drinks during the day.
The Four Seasons Maldives Surfing Champions Trophy celebrates its third successful year in August.
The glamorous event (from August 27th to September 2nd) is organized in partnership with luxury
surfing company, Tropicsurf, and sees former World
Champion Surfers do battle for a $25,000 prize. All
the action takes place at two of the Maldives best
surf points, which happen to be a stones throw
away from Four Seasons Kuda Huraa.
The resort has recently announced the first three ex
World Champion surfers on this years international
Kandoomas Recreation Manager, Santiago Rodriguez-Bustelo, who organized the event, says: June
20th was International Surfing Day so we decided to
create a competition for guests and staff. We have a
lot of talented surfers amongst our back-office staff
too who would never usually get to meet guests.
The competition was totally free for guests and it
was for the purpose of just having fun!
They jumped into the water team by team and
each team had four members. Each member could
take three waves and could compete either with a
short board or a long board.
31
It seems as though the inaugural competition was

so popular that the resort will repeat it again this
season. Wed like to repeat it again in a month or
so if the swell is good enough adds Santiago.
Meanwhile, the Maldives Surfing Association (MSA)
is hoping to hold a National Surfing Competition
later this year which will see the best surfers in the
Maldives showing off their skills. Organisers say the
event is still in the planning stages but they hope
to hold the public event for Maldivian surfers at the
end of August or early September.
The MSAs President, Ahmed Fauzan Abbas (Karo)
says: It will probably be in Male mainly because
island has controversially been sold to a developer

to turn into a surf resort, which means that the two
surf breaks will be privatised.
of the exposure and because its one of the most
consistent waves. It is a reef break but its like a
beach break because it has lefts and rights.
The MSA is searching for sponsors and the winner
of the National Competition will receive a top prize.
The group is also currently focussing on a campaign
to save one of the most popular surf spots in the
Maldives. Thanburudhoo Island in North Male Atoll
has two of the best surf breaks in the Maldives,
known as Sultans and Honkeys (which is where
Four Seasons surfing competition is held) but the
Karo says: MSAs first priority now is to save the

waves and end exclusivity. Without waves to surf,
there wont be any surfers or sport to develop.
Its hoped that all of these competitions will help
to raise the profile of surfing in the Maldives even
more and show the world just what the country has
to offer surfers as well as nurturing home-grown
talent.
Photos: Holiday Inn Kandooma / Four Seasons Resorts Maldives.
32
resort experience in Maldives
THE JEWEL ISLAND

Constance Moofushi in the Maldives is one of the jewels in our crown
- a heady mix of pure luxury and simplicity, it offers the indulgent Crusoe
chic. An intimate location of pure lagoons, sandbanks and woodlands,
this barefoot idyll offers a rare experience for its visitors.
Begin the U-experience: call (230) 402 2772/ 73

or visit us at www.constancehotels.com
33
www.palmbeachmaldives.com
www.sportingvacanze.it
Roma - Italia
Maldives
a unique perspective
by Thomas Pickard.
Coral walled houses; long

days boat building and family
picnics on deserted islands.
Writer and photographer
Thomas Pickard explores a
unique side of the Maldives.
Mention the Maldives and most people conjure

up thoughts of an idyllic island setting a place
of tropical islands dotted with coconut trees,
fringed with perfectly white sandy beaches, where
turquoise coloured water gently laps onto the
shore. In short: paradise. And while visitors jet to
the Maldives from around the globe to dive, surf
and just relax poolside at a resort, there is a very
different sort of Maldives that few visitors have the
opportunity to fully appreciate.
Situated in the vastness of the Indian Ocean, the
Maldives is a procession of 26 atolls with 1,192
islands stretching 800 kilometres north from the
36
equator. At last count, resorts occupy nearly 100

islands, with more resorts green lighted for development in the coming years. Another 200 islands are
locally inhabited with communities between a few
hundred to several thousand Maldivians.
During my two-year residence in the capital Male,
I was fortunate to visit a number of non-resort
islands. One of these was Madifushi Island, located
200-kilometres south of Male. With a population of
around one thousand people, Madifushi is a tiny
island on the eastern edge of Kolhumadulu (Thaa)
Atoll and a place I called home during a week long
stay.
The day of my speedboat trip south to Madifushi
is simply stunning. With not a breath of wind, the
ocean and sky are a perfect reflection of each other.
I have never seen the ocean so serene. Using a
route programmed into a global positioning system,
our boat driver expertly negotiates the outer edges
of atolls and skilfully avoids a pod of 40 dolphins
as they surface for air near our speeding boat. Four
hours after leaving Male, the driver eases back on
the throttle and we coast gently into the harbour
of Madifushi Island. Removing my earplugs, I thank
the boat crew grab my bags and step onto the
island proper. Unlike resorts, there is no one to
meet us; no handshakes; no welcomes, no come
this way please sir. Standing there, I feel anything
but welcome.
I am woken early on my first morning by the call to
prayer from the mosque on the island. Delivered by
the mudhim or meuzzin, the call is broadcast from
the top of the minaret to all those within ear shot.
With no other religion permitted, Maldivians are
Muslims of the Sunni sect, which is a form of Islam.
The call to prayer is an integral part of life on the
islands with five prayer times a day: once before

sunrise; once at midday; once mid-afternoon; once
at sunset and a final session in the evening. Shops
close and workers lay down their tools for each
15-minute prayer session.
Bleary eyed I look at the time on my watch it is
just past 5.00 am. I roll over and try to go back to
sleep, but the room I am in has little ventilation and
even at this early hour feels too hot and humid.
Overhead there is no ceiling, just the underside of
a corrugated iron roof with wooden beams. A fan
lazily circulates warm, moist air around the room.
Lying on a thin mattress on the concrete floor I
wonder if I will ever get used to the early morning
call to prayer and the incessant heat. The room I am
in is like most houses on Madifushi; the rooms are
spartan with just the bare essentials a bed, table,
chair and an old wardrobe. Faded, multi-coloured
curtains hang over the windows.
Up at 7.00 am I walk into the bathroom, a

coral-walled room half-covered with two sheets of
corrugated iron and grab the two buckets and the
small, home made wooden seat that sits behind the
door. Using an old oil container that has been cut,
cleaned and attached to a long stick, I pull water out
of the well, slowly filling up the buckets. With the sun
slowly starting to filter into the bathroom, I soap up
and rinse off using the water from the buckets. The
bathroom has an old world charm to it. Being so used
to the convenience of having water on tap, I learn to
relish the simple act of pulling water from the well and
in turn, learn to appreciate the value of clean water
that the well provides.
For the first couple of days I spend hours at the

boat yard, watching the men build and repair traditional Maldivian boats known as dhonis. Reputably
derived from the Arab dhow and are widely used
throughout the Maldives for cargo transfer, fishing,
general transport and tourism activities such as
diving and surfing charters. The largest dhoni being
built on Madifushi is over 100 feet long and will
take six months to build by a crew of 20 carpenters.
The workers I spoke to typically earned between
13 to 20 US dollars for a 12-hour working day, with
drinks and food provided. With two large dhonis
being built and four dhonis in for routine repairs,
the boat yard provides much-needed income for
the island. While power tools have widely replaced
hand tools, building a dhoni is still done without
design specifications or plans of any kind. Men
use a combination of imported hardwood and local
coconut trunks, which are carved into straight
planks using chainsaws.
Like all non-resort islands I have visited, people
move slowly and with good reason it is uncomfortably hot for most of the day. Being February
means I am visiting Madifushi during the northeast
monsoon or iruvai the dry season. And while
March and April are considered hotter months,
by 7.30 most mornings, sweat is already starting
to bead on my forearms and by midday the
temperatures are spiking in the high thirties. A
common sight on the islands are locals relaxing in
rows of net seats under the shade of coconut trees.
Originally made of rope and wooden sticks, the net
seats or jolis as they are called, are now made from
steel pipe and thin plastic rope woven into a mesh
seat. Typically built with 3 or 4 seats side-by-side,
the simple design maximises the benefits of the
cool afternoon sea breeze.
On my fifth morning I am invited on a boat trip to
nearby Kalhufahalafushi Island for a picnic. With
all my camera gear I nervously step onto a dhoni
a mere 8 metres long and already crowded with 28
kids and 11 adults - I have absolutely no idea what
I am getting myself into. While the trip to the island
is uneventful, as soon as we arrive the kids jump
into the crystal clear water and madly wade to
shore, before running off to collect coconuts. The
adults disembark at a more leisurely pace before
unloading the dhoni and carrying pots of dried rice
and 10 litre water containers to the other side of
our deserted island.
37
The picnic spot is well established with a mound of

old coconut shells on the ground and recent evidence
of small cooking fires beneath the shade of the trees.
One woman sets up a traditional water pipe or hookah
and motions for me to join her. Being a non-smoker
the results are predictable: I cough hard on my first
attempt at using the pipe. With some guidance and
lots of laughter from the women sitting around me, I
am soon enjoying what is a surprisingly smooth taste.
Finished with the hookah, I am whisked away by the
men to go fishing in the lagoon.
style a ball is produced for an impromptu game of

football. The women relax in the shade with the
youngest of the children, looking on and laughing at
the antics being played out before them. Six hours
after we arrived, the kids wash themselves free of
sand and we all wade into the shallows to climb
aboard the dhoni. Within a few minutes of leaving
Kalhufahalafushi Island, several of the younger
children fall asleep on the deck.
Visiting a Non-Resort Island

Many resorts offer short day trips to nearby local
islands, and this is an ideal chance to see the
other side of the Maldives. While it is important
to support the local economy of the islands, take
some time to walk around the island you visit to
get a feel for what life is really like outside of the
souvenir shops and to meet some of the locals.
For the next two hours we patrol the edge of the

lagoon, looking for shadows in the water that represent schools of fish. With a school spotted, two
of the teenage boys very slowly enter the water,
slowly unravelling the net between them, forming
a circular trap. When the net is almost fully closed,
the other boys rush the fish, scaring them into
the trap and closing the net full circle. It is then a
matter of pulling the fish from the net one by one.
While commercial net fishing is prohibited in the
Maldives, it is allowed for catching bait for pole line
fishing. A few of the fish caught are cooked over a
small fire that day, while the rest are saved for bait
in the coming days.
Before leaving the island late in the day, the
younger boys use some debris that has washed up
on the beach for goal posts, and in true Maldivian
38
When visiting a non-resort island, consider the

following:
Woman should dress conservatively, wearing
shorts or skirts that cover the knees and tops
that arent short sleeved or low cut
Men should wear shorts that cover the knees
and avoid wearing singlets
It is polite to ask locals before taking photographs. Many older people can take offence at
having their photo taken and you should never
take photos of people praying
On some islands young children are starting
to ask tourists for money. As a tourist you
should never give money directly to young
children as it only promotes begging. If you
wish to give money, donate to one of the NGOs
working in the Maldives.
On my last day on Madifushi, I visit one of the

families that have befriended me to bid farewell.
Despite neither of us speaking each others
language, I am touched when the eldest lady takes
my hand in hers and walks me to the waiting
speedboat. Her hand is warm and friendly, like the
people of Madifushi who have taken me in and
shown me a side of the Maldives that I will never
forget.
hotel experience in Maldives
A LUXURY HIDEAWAY
If youre looking to turn your dream of an exclusive luxury Indian Ocean
gateway into a reality then look no further than the beautiful 5* deluxe
Constance Halaveli. Nestled on its own secluded island in the Maldives
North Ari Atoll, with powder white beaches and turquoise seas teeming
with colourful sea life, peace and relaxation are guaranteed.
Begin the U-experience: call (230) 402 2772/ 73

or visit us at www.constancehotels.com
39
Wrecked
in the Maldives
By Donna Richardson
Top 7
dive sites
Beneath a chain of 1,200 islands known as the

Maldives, deep in the heart of the Indian Ocean lies
a fascinating underwater world. Due to the countrys many reef atolls and relatively shallow waters,
many a ship has met a watery grave on its reefs.
Thus some spectacular wrecks can be found on the
ocean floor of this tropical diving paradise.
Wreck diving is for many divers the ultimate in underwater exploration. Divers can witness first-hand how marine
ecosystems adapt to and takeover these sunken rusty
relics of human civilization seeing the symbiotic relationship which allows them to co-exist. The warm, clear,
calm waters of the Maldives also offer a fantastic
opportunity to observe this process; as coral reefs
grow over the hulls of wrecked ships, creating a
magical home for local marine flora and fauna.
Magnets for an amazing variety of aquatic life,
the story behind ghostly sunken vessels and its
forgotten-cargo is as much a part of the diving delight as the colourful coral which colonises these
eerie echoes of the past. Some of the coolest reefs
are actually wrecks that have been transformed by
marine life into amazing underwater habitats. This
handy guide of exploration-worthy vessels in the
Maldives is the ultimate bucket-list guide to diving
in this paradise.
40
1 Maldives Victory
DSC_1138 .JPG
batfish, large puffers and schools of fusiliers. You

may also run into a turtle or two resting on the
ledges within the wreck. Inside bottles,
cigarettes
DSC_1152
.JPG
and a selection of small mosaic tiles are strewn
around the only reminder that human life once
inhabited this vessel. Apart from fellow divers
expect to see nothing but fish and corals - schools
of fusiliers and jacks have permanently set up
residence in the stern and bridge area, while the
bow houses lion fish, soldier fish and hawk fish.
Make your way back to the stern of the ship along
the outer hull where nudibranchs and pipefish nestle
in the wheelhouse. As you ascend be sure to gaze
beneath your fins to get a view of the entire wreck.
2 Kuda Giri Wreck

DSC_0699.jpg
Location: South west of Hulhule Reef on the western side of Hulhule

Airport Island, North Male Atoll
Depth: 15-35 metres, Fish life: Average, Coral: good
On the auspicious Friday the 13th February 1981, a

Singaporean cargo ship carrying goods to the capital
met an untimely fate and slammed into the sea
DSC_1183.JPG
bed. Since then it has been
lying in 35 metres of
water slowly becoming encrusted with corals and
fans that now provide shelter to countless species
of fish and colonies of marine animals. The Victory
provides good underwater visibility, sufficient to spot
scorpion fish and honeycomb moray eels spinning
around the wreck. Bannerfish, mantis shrimps and
turtles have also made their home in the hull.
DSC_1199 .JPG
The Victory was carrying tourist goods to the island

when it ran aground. Desperate attempts were
made by local divers to salvage its treasures, which
were already spoiled. On the plus side the Maldives
gained an excellent DSC_0747.jpg
dive site.
Location: South Male Atoll some 22 km south of Male, Depth: 31

metres, Fish life: good
Coral: good with soft coral
Descend down the line to the ships main deck and

shelter from the current while investigating the
myriad of marine life that have made this wreck
their home. Expect to encounter large groupers,
An artificial reef known as Kuda Giri has grown

around a small fishing trawler that was scuttled
more than a decade ago. Lying west of Dhigufinolhu
in the South Male atoll it is the perfect spot for
41
intermediate divers trying a first night dive. What is

more, it is accessible all year round.
Navigate this ship from its bow, which points
towards the pinnacle at 18 meters, all the way
down to its stern at 30 metres and discover the vast
colonies of sea life that now call the captains cabin,
cargo hold and machine room home.
The wreck itself is covered by stony, staghorn and
table corals as well as colourful sponges and large
schools of glass fish and bat fish that have made
this sunken ship their home. Divers can expect to
see turtles, napoleon wrasse, jack fish, trigger fish,
shrimp, lobsters, frog fish, blue fin trevally, fusiliers
and leaf fish to name but a few species.
After exploring this wreck, swim back to the
reef and check out the thilla and its overflowing
overhangs of soft coral in which Napoleon wrasse,
parrot fish, oriental sweetlips playfully flit.
3 Halaveli Wreck
originally known as Highly 18. Located just 2 km

North West of the Halaveli Resort Island it is easily
accessible by boat and suitable for intermediate
level divers.
A couple of decades of submersion have enabled
the abundant growth of coral to grip the ship
and some pretty soft coral has colonised on the
telegraph. Small turtles and a couple of large
morays have taken up residence in the hull and
divers encounter groupers and stingrays on the
sandy floor.
4 Fesdhu Wreck
Location South west of Fesdhu Resort Island, less than a 15 minute
boat journey or 30 minutes from Maayafushi, Depth: 24-29 metres,
Fish life: good, Coral: good
The Fesdhu wreck is located in the centre of the

Ari Atoll, one of the most famous dive spots of
the Maldives and a protected dive site area. In its
former life as a fishing trawler, the 30 metre long
wreck was sunk to form an artificial reef. After a
slow start it has now become fully colonised with
dense clouds of glassfish, anthias, butterflyfish and
slow-moving lionfish.
Moray eels and red-mouthed groupers and blue-fin
trevally have moved in the engine room while the
bow of the wreck is now characterised by a sprinkle
of good sized black coral bushes. The surface of
the wreck has become encrusted with sponges
and as well as hard and soft corals, tubastrea and
feather-stars. Nudibranchs love feeding from the
sponges.
Location: North West of Halaveli Island. A 15 minute journey by boat

from Halaveli, 30 minutes from Maayafushi, Depth: 20-28 metres,
Fish life: Average, Coral: poor
This wreck was sunk by the Halaveli Diving Centre

in 1991, from whence it gets its name. It was
42
All passages are very narrow allowing for a limited

number of exits. Therefore, most dives consist
of a full circle of the wreck and an exploration
of its shallowest sections before moving over in
a westerly direction to a nearby thila. You will
probably explore around this pinnacle until you
arrive at its shallowest section at around 12 metres,
and then ascending to your safety stop. The thilla is
abundant with soft corals, glassfish, moray eels and
groupers.
5 British Loyalty
Location: Addu Atoll, an hour long flight from Male
Depth: 16-33 metres, Fish life: Good
Coral: Good, not affected by El Nino coral bleaching.
Divers in search of history will love the British

Loyalty, which was originally a cargo ship made in
Newcastle, UK. The 140m long vessel lays claim to
being one of the only wrecks in the Maldives to be
sunk in active battle after being torpedoed by the
Japanese at the end of World War 2. It did not sink
immediately but rather lay lapping in the waters
close to the Royal Navys former base on the island
of Hitadhoo in Addu atoll until it was eventually
scuttled by a British warship in 1946.
The torpedo made a big hole in the side of ship
which enables divers to enter and explore the ship.
Since it has rested in a watery grave for so long, a
lot of coral has established itself both inside and
outside the wreck. Living symbiotically amongst the
coral are parrot fish, clownfish, wrasse, angelfish,
triggerfish and turtles.
Addu Atoll is home to over 700 species of fish
including the rare frogfish, ghost pipefish, leaf fish,
and nudibranchs. Manta rays with wing spans of
over five metres have been spotted in the atoll
which thankfully escaped the coral bleaching
phenomenon known as El Nino.
6 The Liffey and the

Utheemu 1 and 2
Location: Dhaalu Atoll, Depth: Not recorded
Fish life: Abundant, Coral: good
Dhaalu Atoll is the watery grave of the schooner

Liffey that sank in 1879. This now ghostly wreck
was once famously part of the British Empires
Flying Squadron that undertook the last circumnavigation of the world conducted by warships
under sail.
The 116 ft long vessel was built in 1870 by Potters
in Liverpool and was powered by steam engine. It
was captained by G.H.Rake when it ran aground
while on a voyage from Mauritius to Calcutta on 3
August 1879.
The other wreck, known as Utheemu sank in 1960.

Unfortunately, little is documented about her
history. However, both wrecks have been preserved
due to Dhaalu Atolls remoteness. Consisting of only
56 islands this natural atoll has only recently been
opened up to mass tourism. Seven of the islands
are inhabited by local people and just two islands
have been developed as luxury tourist resorts, only
accessible by a short seaplane voyage.
In terms of diving, both wrecks are contained within
a natural paradise. Green sea turtles grace the reefs
and Napoleon wrasse, manta rays and reef sharks
are common sights on and around the coral pinnacles that rise from the sea floor. Giant clams can
also be seen on the seabed in some shallow areas
and clamped onto the wrecks. It is a great place to
spot macro objects and with no water current is an
idyllic place to start for the novice diver.
7 Kudhi Maa,
South Ari Atoll
Location: South Ari Atoll, near Angaga Island
Depth: 28 to 31 metres, Fish life: good, Coral: good
The waters below the island village of Machchafushi

in the south east of South Ari Atoll, mark the watery
grave of a purposely sunk wreck. Kudhi Maa was a
Japanese freighter some 52 metres long and with a
beam of 9 metres and was purposely sunk in 1999.
Starting at about 28 metres, the vessel is firmly
rooted against the sandy bottom where stingrays like
to bask, and nurse sharks nestle under the port side.
The main ship is some 31 metres below and her
magnificent masts rise to within 10 metres of the
surface. The body of the wreck is festooned in
marine life from bow to stern, particularly attractive
to large shoals of horse eyed jacks and snappers.
The Galley, helm radio mast and funnel are all
interesting features.
One continuous hold runs towards the bow - home
to many spinney lobsters. Set within the confines
of the Ari Atoll this dive is relatively sheltered from
oceanic currents, making it an intermediate spot
and a known area for whale shark spotting.
Photos: Mohamed Shivaz (Halaveli, Kuda Giri), Mohamed Seeneen (Maldives Victory, Kuda Giri), Azim Musthag (Maldives Victory), Basement Vision (Kudhi Maa)
43
Maldivian
Maldivian
Delicacy
Delicacy
Juwariya Wajdy (Juwey), is one of the most well known culinary masters in the
Maldives. Having published several cookbooks of both local and international cuisine, her
recipes and dishes are well known and loved among Maldivians. Juwey has hosted various
cooking shows and she is also a board member of the Restaurant Association of Maldives.
Juwey presents two well-known traditional Maldivian dishes for this issue of Inflight.
Kaliyaa Birinjee
In the times of the Sultans, this dish was one of
the most prestigious rice dishes that were served
in the Palace. Even in modern times, the rice dish
has maintained its status as a royal dish among
Maldivians.
Instructions
Ingredients
500 gm rice
1 cup coconut cream or thick milk
4 cloves (cleaned)
1 inch cinnamon
1 inch ginger (thinly sliced)
2 onions (chopped)
2 inch rampe (pandan) leaf (cut 1/2 inch)
1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
4 tbsp. ghee
4 pieces cardamom (with both ends nipped)
Salt
46
Wash the rice, mix in the cumin and keep aside. Pour a cup of
water in a deep bowl and add cinnamon, cloves, and cardamom.
Take another bowl and add the onions to 1 cup of water. Cover
and keep aside.
Melt the ghee in a cooking pot and add pandan leaves and rice.
Keep on low heat and stir with a ladle sprinkling water from both
bowls till the rice is lightly roasted and water from both bowls
are completely used. When all water is used and rice roasted stir
in the leftover ingredients in both the bowls to the rice. Add the
coconut cream and water to the rice so that it measures 1 inch
above the leveled rice. Add salt to taste. Cook like any other rice.
This type of rice tastes best if it is just adequately cooked and is
not too soft.
With tuna being the staple food of the Maldivians, this curry dish has always been on the top of the curries
list. To distinguish itself above the rest of the tuna dishes, this dish has been famously labeled, literally, as
the sea-chicken curry. A favorite dish among the Maldivians especially on special occasions, it is a must
try for any food enthusiast.
Kandu Kukulhu
Ingredients
Instructions
2 quarters (half) of a tuna (bones removed)

1 cup roasted curry powder (ground to a smooth paste)
2 cups coconut cream or thick coconut milk
3 curry leaves
2 cups coconut milk
8 pieces rampe (pandan) leaf (cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
1 tsp. finely ground cumin seeds
1 chili (habanero) chopped
1 tbsp. ginger and garlic minced
2 tsp. cinnamon and cardamom powder
Salt
Cut the tuna quarters to 2 inch pieces lengthwise. Cut each slice
thinly (starting from outside to the middle) keeping it in contact
so that it can be neatly rolled. Spread the curry paste on the fish
and roll the sliced fish so that the curry paste is inside the roll.
Tie the roll with a thin strips of coconut palm leaf.
Fry the chili, 2 curry leaves and 4 pieces pandan leaves till the
onions wilt and is lightly browned. Then add the ginger, garlic,
cinnamon, cardamom and cumin. Add 1 cup of coconut cream
and cover and keep aside.
Mix the remaining curry powder in 5 cups of water and add the
remaining rampe, curry leaves, pepper and salt to taste and put
to boil. When it starts boiling add the tuna pieces and cook till
the tuna is well cooked. Then add the thick coconut cream (with
the ingredients) that was previously prepared and kept side.
Keep on low heat till it boils.
47
48
49
The Seaplane
The DHC-6 Twin Otter is a Canadian 19-passenger STOL
(Short Takeoff and Landing) utility aircraft developed by
de Havilland Canada and currently produced by Viking Air.
De Havilland has a history of more than 80 years; the first
de Havilland Canada flew in 1925, piloted by none other
than Geoffrey de Havilland. The aircraft was called the
Moth and was quickly followed by many variations all
of them highly successful.
Development of the Twin Otter began in 1964, with the
first flight on May 20, 1965 as a twin-engined replacement
for the single-engined Otter had been planned by de Havilland Canada. Twin engines not only provided improved
safety but also allowed for an increase in payload while
retaining the renowned STOL qualities. Design features
included double slotted trailing edge flaps and ailerons
that work in unison with the flaps to boost STOL performance. The availability of the 550 shp (410 kW) Pratt and
50
Whitney Canada PT6A-20 propeller turbine engine in the

early 1960s made the concept of a twin more feasible.
The Twin Otter proved to be an immediate success, and
became immensely popular for short-haul commuter
transportation. The Twin Otter is one of the most versatile
aircraft ever produced and could come with floats, skis or
tricycle landing gear depending on the needs of its users.
It is our belief that our success and the consolidation of
our reputation as a safe and reliable seaplane operator in a
country such as the Maldives is primarily due to the fact that
the Twin Otter is the most ideal small aircraft to the aviation
environment in which we operate.
TMA Fact File
44
No. of aircraft
120,000 Flights per year
800,000 Passengers per year

855
Number of staff
51
Kanuhura, The Maldives

As sure as the sun gives way to the moon and stars, your day is made in Kanuhura
www.kanuhura.com
Your own private ocean home in the Maldives

for as long as you wish...
Safari Boats l Ground Handling l Aviation Services l Airline Reservations l Resort Reservations
Voyages Maldives, Narugis, Chandhanee Magu, Male 20191, Maldives
T: +960 332 2019, F: +960 332 5336, E: info@voyagesmadlives.com, W: www.voyagesmaldives.com
THE PERFECT HIDEAWAY

warm . wonderful . welcoming
Maldives is the pinnacle of desert island hideaways. Where soft powdery beaches,
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Crown Tours Maldives, a pioneer of modern tourism, is your ideal travel partner
and gateway to experience Maldives like its meant to be. Our selection of
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T +960 332 9889 F +960 331 2832 sales@crowntoursmaldives.com
WWW.CROWNTOURSMALDIVES.COM

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2013 is the Year of Surfing

Come to Palm Beach, come to Maldives

Palm Beach Resort & spa

INTRODUCING PLATINUM PLUS

A Premium All-Inclusive P lan

TEL: +960 662 00 66| FAX: +960 662 00 77

North Ari Atoll

South Male Atoll

Trans Maldivian Airways Pvt. Ltd.

Enjoy you flight!

Faafu Atoll Velavaru 144 km

Please address all enquiries to:

Ahmed Fazeel, Busness Development Manager

Hakuraa Huraa 148 kmMail: fazeel@transmaldivian.com

Niyama Maldives 179 km

Hakuraa Huraa 148 km

ahim Nasir International Airport

Niyama Maldives 179 km

Thomas Pickard is a freelance

Sarah Harvey is a British travel

TMA INFLIGHT MAGAZINE

12 Maldives; beyond the sun, sea

and sand Fact, figures and information

breakfast Anyone not going on the

first dive tomorrow, said the dive leader.

history For a small island nation

located in a remote area of the Indian

30 We are the champions;

2013 is the Year of Surfing Competitions

perspective Coral walled houses;

long days boat building and family picnics

The story behind

Recipes from one of the most renowned local

52 TMA Route Map &

It seems as though 2013 should be named

FLY ETIHAD AIRWAYS TO

Fly the Worlds Leading Airline*

*World Travel Awards 2012.

THE WORLD IS OUR HOME

TMA INFLIGHT MAGAZINE

TMA INFLIGHT MAGAZINE

TMA INFLIGHT MAGAZINE

The Maldives consists of

The temperature of Maldives

Population: The population of Maldives

has increased rapidly during the last few decades.

beyond the sun, sea and sand

Maldivians are devout Muslims

Archeological remains excavated in

can easily make themselves understood getting

Capital Island: Male, which is about

2 sq kms is the capital of the country. It is the

A proud history and rich culture

Dhivehi spoken throughout the

In the last quarter of the

The local currency is Rufiyaa. At

TMA INFLIGHT MAGAZINE

Maldives boasts one of the

Health: The Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital

(IGMH) in Male is the state run general hospital in

Communication: All resorts offer IDD

telephone services. Mobile telephone services in the

Country Dialing Code: +960