Not to miss

Seenu (Addu Atoll)

This is the 'second city' of the Maldives, and the resort here is the best base from which to visit traditional Maldivian island communities. The Addu people are fiercely independent, speak differently from folk in the capital and at one time even tried to secede from the republic.

Tourist development in Addu has been slow to start, but a resort has been established in the old RAF buildings on Gan. Gan is linked by causeways to the adjacent islands, and it's easy to get around them by bicycle, giving unmatched opportunities to visit the local villages and see village life.

The biggest influence on Addu's modern history has been the British bases, first established on the island of Gan during WWII, as part of the Indian Ocean defences. In 1956, the British developed a Royal Air Force base as a strategic Cold War outpost. The base had around 600 permanent personnel, with up to 3000 during periods of peak activity. They built a causeway connecting Feydhoo, Maradhoo and Hithadhoo islands, and employed most of the local men. In 1976 the British pulled out, but many of their employees, who spoke good English and had experience working for westerners, were well qualified for jobs in the soon-to-be-booming tourist industry.

Kudahuvadhoo

The island of Kudahuvadhoo has one of the mysterious mounds known as hawittas. They are probably the ruins of Buddhist temples, but have not been thoroughly investigated by archaeologists. Thor Heyerdahl explored the island and commented that its old mosque had some of the finest masonry he had ever seen, surpassing even the famous Inca wall in Cuzco, Peru.

Malé

About 2km (1.2mi) long and 1km (0.62mi) wide, Malé is small, quaint, and densely settled. Though not spectacular, it is quite unique as a capital city. It's clean and tidy, with mosques, markets, a maze of small streets and a certain, sometimes sleepy, charm all its own.

Malé is packed to the edges with buildings, roads and a few well-used open spaces. Officially, the population is around 65,000, but with foreign workers and short-term visitors from other islands, there may be as many as 100,000 people in town - it certainly feels like it.

Among the city's modest attractions is the National Museum, which houses untidy exhibits of the sultans' belongings. Near the museum is the pleasant Sultan Park, and the imposing white Islamic Centre & Grand Friday Mosque which dominates the city's skyline.

Other sights include the Singapore Bazaar, a conglomeration of stores selling some quality local handicrafts and an assortment of tourist knick-knackery. Also interesting are the shops selling home hardware, marine equipment, fishing gear and general merchandise for local villages.

Malé has inexpensive food and accommodation, but nightlife is confined to teahouses and a few western style restaurants.

Wreck of the Maldive Victory

This is an impressive and challenging dive because of the potential for strong currents. This cargo ship hit a reef and sank in 1981 and now sits with the wheelhouse at around 15m (49ft) and the propeller at 35m (115ft). The ship's structure is almost intact and provides a home for a rich growth of new coral, sponges, tubastrea and large schools of fish.

National Museum

Many of the National Museum's exhibits are things once owned by local sultans. Some of the fabrics are beautiful, especially the rich brocades. Weapons include bonthi sticks, which were used in martial arts. Especially interesting are the pre-Islamic stone carvings collected by Thor Heyerdahl and others from sites all over the country.

Hukuru Miskiiy (Old Friday Mosque)

Hukuru Miskiiy is the oldest mosque in the country, dating from 1656. The exterior is protected by a corrugated-iron covering which doesn't look very attractive, but the coral-stone walls are intricately carved with patterns and Arabic script. The interior is superb and famed for its fine lacquer work and elaborate woodcarvings.

The mosque was built on the foundations of an old temple that faced west to the setting sun, not northwest towards Mecca. Consequently, the worshippers have to face the corner of the mosque when they pray - the striped carpet, laid at an angle, shows the correct direction.

Overlooking the mosque is the solid, round, blue-and-white tower of the munnaaru - the squat minaret. Though it doesn't look that old, it dates from 1675.

Fish Head

Also called Mushimasmingali Thila, this is one of the world's most famous dive sites. Its steep sides are spectacular, with multi-level ledges, overhangs and caves supporting sea fans, anemones and black corals. The fish life includes fusiliers, large Napoleons and schools of hungry barracuda. The main attraction, however, is the numerous grey reef sharks.

Banana Reef

This protected marine area has a bit of everything: dramatic cliffs, caves and overhangs; brilliant coral growths; big predators such as sharks, barracuda and groper; and prolific reef fish including jackfish, morays and bluestriped snapper. It was one of the first Maldives dive sites to become internationally known. The reeftop is excellent for snorkelling.

Mantas drop in at several cleaning stations around the reef.