Paradise Island in the Maldives

Maldives, officially the Republic of the Maldives  and also referred to as the Maldive Islands, is an island nation in theIndian Ocean-Arabian Sea area, consisting of a double chain of twenty-six atolls, oriented north-south, that lie between Minicoy Island(the southernmost part of Lakshadweep, India) and the Chagos Archipelago. The chains stand in the Laccadive Sea, about 700 kilometres (430 mi) south-west of Sri Lanka and 400 kilometres (250 mi) south-west of India.

The Maldives has been an independent polity for the majority of its history, except for three periods in which it was ruled by outside forces. In the mid-16th century, for fifteen years, the Maldives was dominated by the Portuguese Empire. In the mid-17th century, theDutch Empire (Malabar) dominated Maldives for four months. Finally, in the late 19th century, on the brink of war, the Maldives became a British protectorate from 1887 until 1965. The Dutch referred to the islands as the "Maldivische Eilanden" (pronounced, while the British anglicised the local name for the islands first to the "Maldive Islands" and later to the "Maldives". The islands gained independence from the British Empire in 1965, and in 1968 became a republic ruled by a president and anauthoritarian government.

This five star resort called Paradise Island has the local name Lankanfinolhu. Paradise Island, opened in 1994 is located in North Male' Atoll, which is 9.6km from the Airport. Paradise Island is 1km long and 230 meters wide and has beach all around with an excellent marine life around.

Paradise Island Resort is one of the most striking features in Maldives. The islands attraction lies in its first class service with a variety of stragically located restaurants and the widest possible range of sports both on land and on the sea.

Paradise Island is one of the Maldives’ biggest resorts, and offers some great deals for people seeking a huge range of facilities and services at a bargain price. The beaches are gorgeous, the lagoon an incredible colour even by local standards and the whole place is well run and friendly. It’s a great choice if you like endless activities options and plenty going on. The atmosphere, though, is hardly intimate: you’re crowded onto one of the country’s biggest island resorts. If you want seclusion and true escape, perhaps move on.

A recent addition is the Haven, a luxury resort within a resort, which aims to satisfy the apparently limitless appetite for water villas, though given its prices are comparable to other more intimate, less mass-market resorts, its appeal is rather limited.

Rooms in Paradise proper are simple, with white tiles, white walls, air-con and satellite TV. They are absolutely fine, but unlikely to be places you’ll want to spend much of your time. By contrast, the 62 brand new rooms in the Haven come in four categories. They are very sleek, stylish and rather minimalist, the higher categories coming with enormous slate pools and all having large sun terraces with direct access to the water.

Packages with meals at the resort are definitely worth it: you get a decent buffet for every meal and the other three restaurants are nothing to shout about, so you won’t find yourself wanting to eat elsewhere that much. Guests staying at the Haven have two restaurants for their exclusive use.

The island is well landscaped and has good beaches and a swimming pool. Some rooms are a long way from the restaurant, and many don’t have much of a view. Activities include gym, squash, badminton, tennis and billiards, all at extra cost, while darts and table tennis are free. There’s a huge spa here too. Snorkelling is excellent in the lagoon and on the house reef, which is full of fascinating marine life. The Dive Oceanus dive centre is very friendly and offers boat dives to the many excellent dive sites nearby.

Our independent authors have visited Paradise Island and selected this as one of our recommended accommodation in North Malé Atoll.