MALDIVES
Islamic Centre & Grand Friday Mosque holds more than 5000
worshippers and dominates the city's skyline. The oldest of the
20-plus mosques in Malé is the Hukuru Miskiiy, famed for its
intricate stone carvings.
Friday Mosque on Isdhoo is more than three centuries old and
features lacquered supports, flowing calligraphy and finely carved
rafters. Gadhdhoo is home to one of the Maldives' most impressive
ruins, from which rises an enormous stupenda, formerly a huge,
white limestone pyramid.
The solitary and exceptionally fertile island of Fuamulaku produces
vegetables and fruits such as mangoes, oranges and pineapples,
which are not grown anywhere else in the country. Baa Atoll is
famous for its handicrafts, which include lacquer work and finely
woven cotton felis (traditional sarongs).
Where to stay
The wide variety of accommodation ranges from island resorts
and hotels to modern, motel-style rooms and guesthouses, with
more on offer in the high-end range. Hotel rates usually include
full board. There are also yachts and yacht-dhonis, specially
converted Maldivian vessels licensed to sleep guests.
Developed on uninhabited islands, some exclusive hotels
accommodate a limited number of guests while some cater more
or less exclusively to certain nationalities, notably Italian, German,
French and Japanese visitors. Note that some resorts have better
access to specific dive sites, local villages, or Malé than others and
while all offer scuba diving, some are known as hardcore divers'
destinations. Bungalows equipped with modern conveniences
and en suite facilities offer magnificent views.
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