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Unrivalled luxury, stunning white-sand beaches and an amazing underwater world make the Maldives an obvious choice for a true holiday of a lifetime.
The Maldives is home to perhaps the best beaches in the world; they're on almost every one of the country's nearly 1200 islands and are so consistently perfect that it's hard not to become blase about them. While some beaches may boast softer granules than others, the basic fact remains: you'll find this whiter-than-white powder sand and luminous cyan-blue water almost nowhere else on earth. This fact alone is enough to bring nearly a million people a year to this tiny and otherwise little-known Indian Ocean paradise.
TWith some of the best diving and snorkelling in the world, the clear waters of the Maldives are a magnet for anyone with an interest in marine life. The richness and variety is astonishing - baby sharks can be spotted in any lagoon in the country, while dazzling spectacles such as huge coral walls, magnificent caves and schools of brightly coloured tropical fish await you when you get down to the reef.
Manta rays, turtles, friendly sharks and even the world's largest fish, the whale shark, can be seen all over the country and - amazingly - none of the life on the reef is dangerous. The best bit? The water is so warm many people don't even wear a wetsuit.