Maldives is a group of islands located on the south of Indiaand#39:s Lakshdweep islands and is about 700kms south-west of Sri Lanka. Knowing about Maldives means more like acquainting yourself with the "paradise on earth". If you always thought paradise to be synonymous with white sand beaches, with turquoise water glistening nearby,then Maldives is the place for you. Marine life and magnificent coral reefs are in plenty at Maldives which has made it emerge as an ideal destination for the scuba divers.

Maldives can be more appropriately described as a group of atolls in the Indian Ocean. It is the general conception that these coral atolls were formed some 65 to 200 million years back and were derived from the crust of deceased volcanic mountain range.

These atolls originated from coral barrier reefs.The influx of tourism has also boosted the traditional cottage industries here at Maldives. This has paved the way for industries like mat weaving, handicraft, lacquer work and coir rope making. The most famous of the mat making industries are those woven by women of Gadhhoo in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll.

With the tourism industry fast becoming popular, travel to Maldives has become lot simpler. In the year 1972, Maldives saw its first tourist resort.Currently there are a large number of cruise vessels and 87 resorts at Maldives.Tourists generally come from European countries, specially from United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, France and Switzerland at Maldives. The Asian Tourist market is mainly dominated by the Japanese tourists.