The Maldives lie scattered like giant green-and-gold jewels afloat in the Indian Ocean - a giant necklace of 1,192 tiny coral islands with turquoise lagoons, beaches of soft white sand, and an underwater world of breathtaking beauty, whose untouched coral reefs and rainbow-hued fish can be viewed by snorkelling and (from most islands) superb diving for both the novice and the expert.

Held in this dazzling Indian Ocean embrace, the islands are each different in character. Only some 200 of them are inhabited. Some have perfected a simple Robinson Crusoe lifestyle for the dedicated escapist from the frenzied outside world. Others have now become the setting of elegant little hotels that have quickly established themselves as sophisticated hideaways of delightfully understated luxury, where you can be pampered to perfection in a way that would be the envy of every castaway of history!

Whichever your choice, you'll find the relaxed, low-key style of the Maldives an ideal destination if you love the beach life, a place for the romantic and the young-at-heart - and for the more adventurous and self-sufficient who do not depend on a host of amenities, or lively nightlife and entertainment.