Facts - The Maldives - Geography & Climate - History Religion & culture - People & Language -
- Transportation - Communication - Male' the Capital City -

One can find anything between a one-man canoe and a container cargo vessel on the sea depending on where one decides to go in the Maldives. However, when one has to make a decision as to what the star performers are and what the attention-grabbers are on the seas, there are a few honorable mentions.

The star performer on Maldivian seas is easily the ubiquitous dhoni. The dhoni is a unique craft. Each dhoni is unique by itself in that it is normally hand-built by master craftsmen who work without blueprints and with only the general directions given by the prospective owner as to the dimensions of the vessel. Built of strong wooden planks, which are shaped and pegged to each other round a strong wooden frame, the dhoni is built to sail in almost all weather conditions. Dhoni are used as fishing vessels and as inter-island ferries throughout the Maldives. It is a well-known fact that most sea-wise persons choose a dhoni over any other type of vessel when the sea gets rough. Traditionally sporting a lateen sail that is extremely versatile, the dhoni has also recently married well with the marine diesel engine and has become the workhorse of the sea in the Maldives. Custom-adapted dhoni serve the tourism industry very well as diving boats, excursion craft and supply tenders.

Powerboats of varying designs and sizes have become almost a new culture in the Maldives, especially with the advent of a serious tourism industry in the country. In a country where the international airport is on an island all by itself, and where all the tourist resorts are on .separate islands, the speedboat has come into its own in a manner that is purely Maldivian, In addition, the speedboat performs well in its more conventional roles in recreational activities like pleasure cruising and water skiing.

When the windsurfer first arrived in the Maldives, some daring young persons began using it as a means of getting around. After a few hair-raising incidents, this highly unconventional practice was banned -a fact that the new visitor must remember, for the temptation is ever so strong. Though now restricted to tamer seas within the house reefs of individual islands, the windsurfer was made famous throughout the country because of this.

Getting around in the Maldives is not restricted to a boat either. Very competent parties operate seaplanes that make island hopping easier and faster than ever before, not to mention the additional bonus of the breathtaking view of these magnificent islands from the air.

Though bound to the sea by nature, the Maldivian is certainly not immune to the wheel-mounted internal combustion engine. It is quite normal to have the latest sports car whiz past one on the roads of some of the bigger islands, especially on the capital island of Male. Motorcycles and scooters of all imaginable forms and bicycles are very common..