Airport in the Maldives is located on an artificial island in the middle of the Indian Ocean. Located on the island Hulule next door to the capital city of Maldives, Male. The largest airport in the country and the only international is different, which is located on the long, narrow island, and the runway starts and ends right at the water. The airport was opened October 19, 1960. The first runway (914 by 22 meters), was paved with steel plates. In May 1964 the government decided to replace Male coating on the asphalt. Removing the old coating was carried out in four groups of local residents who competed for the prize money in 1000 Maldivian rufy. The new runway was opened on 12 April 1966. November 11, 1981 the airport was inaugurated under the name "Male International Airport." July 26th, 2011 airport is officially called "Ibrahim Nasir International Airport" in honor of the second president of the country. The main terminal for international flights:

A separate oil storage island: And now for the lyric ... We had the opportunity to make a free stopover in the Maldives in the way (do24 hours) or $ 100 a stop for more than 24 hours. It is important that our main route was by a very good price, just like the Maldives will not go so cheaply. And so I began to choose where to spend 1-2 nights, but found that the cost of the night varies from 180-200 $ to infinity. Often included only breakfast and dinner in a restaurant will cost from $ 50 per person ... and there is no alternative - the same island! My search led to: 1. Surrounding the cheapest (!) Island resorts: - Bandos Island (10 minutes at speed bot). Boat $ 50 per round trip, room with breakfast and dinner $ 180. - 

Paradise Island (30 minutes by speed bot). Boat $ 80 room with breakfast $ 170. In the opinion of all the islands is very expensive, so the "breakfast only" = another $ 50 for dinner at a restaurant. - Fun Island (40 minutes by boat) - mediocre reviews and photos on 150 + 100 per room per boat. BOTTOM LINE: This day I would have poured into 500-600 + dollars. Option was dropped. I do not beachgoers and what to do there for more than a day on a small island - can not imagine. Personally, I would be lonely and bored. But this is IMHO. 2. Exchanged letters with three local tour agentsvami with the question "for 5-6 hours to drive to one of the closest ostorovov and return to the airport." Requested from 150 to 300 dollars for this person. 3. Exchanged letters with Bandos ostorovom (near) for "only for them to swim for 40 dolaarov." Very sluggish wrote "that the boat should be combined with other passengers," etc. Realized that these clients do not need them. Although $ 40 for 10 minutes by boat! 4. In the end, decided to go swim at the public beach on Hulhumale Island - this is connected adjacent to the airport ostorov, he's built up there on the shore there are a couple of simple low-cost hotels (ie kurotnyh bukgalo). Bus cost $ 1 there, go for 10 minutes.

In the end, bought on a great beach. BUT! hot, scorching equatorial sun do not like it at all. And in the pictures, yeah, looks good. Maldives - a luxury brand, nothing more. I was in Southeast Asia, there is all the same, the same island, but for adequate funds to fit every budget. Here you can write that I was not a "just-in-fact-paradise-island-on-Maldives' ... Yes, was not, but well imagine that paying a lot of money I get the same snow-white beach with barbed bottom of broken coral, palm banal, scorching sun, boring pool, snorkeling in the form of questionable at least some entertainment. The island is small, it is nothing but white sand, palm trees and turquoise sea. And your friends will ooh and then ... "You were in the Maldives":))) So my total is - the world is so interesting and varied that to try all worth it, but that's worship promoted brand "paradise of Maldives," hardly. Maldvy nicely furnished above is not possible, as was an evening flight and the sun was already low enough for a good aerial photos:

AIRPORT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE OCEAN