Authentic Maldives ?

January 6, 2012 | Updated: October 31, 2014 | By Elizabeth | Reply More

The Maldives are low-lying islands in the Indian Ocean

It’s been widely reported in the media this week that the government of the Maldives – beautiful low-lying islands in the Indian Ocean – has ordered all the resorts on the islands to close their spas because they are fronts for brothels.

First, I have to say that this is nonsense, but it also underscores the reason why I have not written about the Maldives on Authentic Luxury Travel. This blog is all about meeting local people and experiencing their cultures, and that is very difficult to do on the Maldives where each island is home to a single resort and nothing more.

Because they are Sunni Muslims, the local people aren’t allowed to serve alcohol or pork, and they disapprove of beach attire, so the staff at most resorts are European, Thai, or Filipino.

However, the government has historically tolerated cocktails, pork, and swimsuits because the hundreds of luxury resorts draw about 850,000 overseas travelers a years and contribute about 30% of the nation’s GDP.

We stayed at two different resorts and they were both lovely. The food was Asian (we took a great Thai cooking class); and the other guests were European and Asian. There was just nothing Maldivian about it.

Having said that, the aquamarine water was positively dreamy; the snorkeling was very good, and the now-disputed massage therapies were wonderful. It just felt weird being in a country and having no contact with the local people and their culture.

As much as I believe that travelers who seek real experiences and make an effort to learn something about the local culture are helping to create a better world, I just couldn’t figure out how to do it on the Maldives.

I couldn’t help compare it to Turtle Island Resort in Fiji – an equally beautiful spot – where guests are treated like long-lost friends.

Click here to see more images of the Maldives. Photo credit: ADAMS / HANSEN STOCK PHOTOS.

Tags: authentic luxury travel, beach resorts, Fijian, Indian Ocean, islands, luxury, Maldives, Muslim culture, Snorkeling and Scuba Diving, Thai cooking, Turtle Island Resort, vacation, warm weather destinations