The Maldives is a country made up of over 1,000 small islands sprinkled across the stunning turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean. This tropical paradise houses soft white-sand beaches, lush green landscapes and a spectacular underwater world with miles of colorful coral reef, more than 2,000 species of fish and other marine life like manta rays, sea turtles and dolphins.

The country is broken up into 26 natural atolls. An atoll is an island or a series of islets with a reef that nearly or entirely encloses a ring-shaped lagoon. Some of the Maldives' atolls are home to luxury resorts, boutique villas and off-the-beaten-path getaways. You might surf at Chickens Break, dive at Brocken Rock, watch for dolphins at Muli Channel, visit 17th-century Old Friday Mosque or explore a local fish market.

Most visitors to the Maldives will arrive at the international airport in Male, the country’s capital. Transfers to resorts around the airport are typically handled by speedboat while transfers to resorts and islands farther away might involve a seaplane.