As we approached the Maldives in the early morning light it was plain to see how low-lying it was. These sandy islands (many artificially created as holiday resorts by crushing coral into sand) are a great holiday resort – a magnet for western tourists interested in a beach holiday with watersports and scuba diving.
The city of Male is on an island. You cannot see the island. It just looks like buildings sitting on the water.
It is not very picturesque. The Maldivians are all crammed in here. They then go off to service all the tourists in the plush hotels on the other islands.
We visited one of the few places of interest – The Masjid Mosque. One of the things that worried me most was that religion was compulsory. You had to be a worshipping Muslim to live there. I found that scary. I hate totalitarianism and brainwashing.
I also hate hypocrisy. There was no alcohol allowed – though they could sell it freely to the Western tourists.
Of course, instead of having a look at the place, we could have opted for a luxurious day on the beach being cosseted by the people who live crammed into the city of Male.