Have you seen the aesthetically pleasing views of the tropical nation Maldives in real life or in images?

The Republic of the Maldives is positioned in the Indian Ocean with approximately 1,200 coral islands grouped in 26 atolls. The atolls stretch to the south and past the western side of Sri Lanka, which end in the Southern Hemisphere. It is very striking how atolls rise from the dark blue water in different sizes and shapes, and the turquoise water appeals to be fading away into the deep ocean blue, creating a various mixture of colors.

Now that you can hopefully imagine the islands in the Maldives, do you want to find out about its society? Established as a South Asian nation, the Maldives islands’ culture, traditions, and customs are influenced by Indian, Sri Lankan, Malaysian, Arab, Persian, Indonesian and even African cultures. This cultural mix creates the uniqueness of the language used in the Maldives, as well as their cuisine.

The country’s primary language is Dhivehi, which is a mixture of Arabic, English, Hindi, Sinhalese, and Urdu. It is said that it is similar to many of the languages spoken in North India, South East Asia, and Sri Lanka. Although Dhivehi is the official spoken language, the interesting fact is that the popularity of English started to rise as the country decided to use it at schools. That being the case, it should be very convenient for you when you visit the Maldives as it is also known to be one of the safest places around the world to travel.

Being a sea-based nation, the diet of people here mostly consists of fish, especially tuna. Fishing is one of the major industries in the country as 99% of the Maldives is to be made of water. With that being said, there is a little amount of land to grow vegetables or to raise animals for meat. Therefore, vegetables are rare to be found in the cuisine of Maldives and meats are what is consumed on special occasions. However, foods for tourists are imported, which makes dishes that include these food items to be more expensive than what can be found on local.

If you have the opportunity to try out Maldivian local foods, the popular dishes include Garudhiya and Mas huni. Garudhiya is a basic traditional food of the country, which is a tuna soup served with rice, lime, chili, and onions. The added curry leaves to this soup creates a flavor that you have most likely tasted before but the tunas caught by local fishers adds a rare and special sensation. Another common food, Mas huni is shredded smoked fish with grated coconuts, chili,  and onions, which is popular for breakfast.

After reading this article, do you feel the want and the motivation to visit and experience the unknown sides of the Maldives, as well as the indescribably beautiful islands that you should once in your life-time encounter?