Maldives: World-Famous Destination Where KBC's Caren Kibbett Spent Birthday [PHOTOS]

Award-winning Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) sports anchor, Caren Kibbett on Monday, March 20 arrived at the Republic of Maldives, an archipelagic state in South Asia, situated in the Indian Ocean, and celebrated her birthday the following day (Tuesday, March 21).

Since then, she has been documenting her stay in the popular tourist destination through a series of photos capturing her escapades at the luxury tourist destination that can only rival Diani Beach in terms of one of the world's most gorgeous beaches.

One of the interesting encounters she did have involved her walking into a supermarket in the country, without shoes.

"Something small for the birthday girl. It was interesting to learn about the ‘No shoe’ policy in supermarkets," she shared in part.

KBC's Caren Kibbett shopping in the Maldives on March 21, 2023. /FACEBOOK.CAREN KIBBETT

However, that is not the only intriguing fact about the Maldives, one of the best island destinations in the world. It has numerous atolls, clear waters, pristine beaches and dive sites filled with marine life and coupled with its rich history, diverse landscapes and destinations.

Viral Tea picked out some interesting facts about the Maldives:

Maldives Sits on the Equator

This means that sun rays in the Maldives get sprinkled at a 90-degree angle. In a nutshell, the sun's rays are direct, and hence it is strong; guests must put on some sunscreen to protect themselves from the ultraviolet rays wherever they explore on the island.

Interestingly, Kenya sits on the Equator which divides the country in half. Tourists visiting Kenya can visit the point of the Equator before entering Nanyuki town.

Divorce Rate is High in the Honeymoon Capital of Asia

Touted to be one of the best honeymoon destinations in Asia for tropical island vacations, thanks to its sugar sandy beaches, and overwater bungalows, Maldives is synonymous with being the honeymoon capital of the Asian continent.

But the irony is, a report by the United Nations (UN) reveals that Maldives has the highest divorce rate, almost twice the United States (US) (annually). On average, official records state that the woman in the Maldives has divorced thrice before she reaches 30 years of age.

World’s First Underwater Cabinet Meeting Was Held in Maldives

Maldives' former president Mohammed Nasheed held an underwater cabinet meeting in Girifushi on October 17, 2009, where he and 13 other government officials participated in the first underwater cabinet meeting in the world, with the agenda being to address the looming threat of global warming.

The officials signed a document asking all countries to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions and prevent climate change during the meeting. It was then presented at the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference in December of the same year.

Maldives is the World’s Flattest Country And Is Sinking

This beautiful island country has an average altitude of 1.8 metres: its highest point Villingili Island is only 2.3 metres above sea level. To put things in perspective, the next flattest country, Qatar, already has an average elevation of 28 metres above sea level!

The 1,200 islands in the Maldives are only nearly two metres above sea level on average, making the area more prone to rising sea levels, erosion and other environmental factors. As a result, the country is slowly sinking into the ocean, however, Maldives has strict environmental laws in place to minimise the impact.

Maldives Has Distinct White Beaches

Unlike most “white sand” beaches that have yellowish sand, the beaches of Maldives have true white sands. The sands of Maldives beaches are made of coralline.

Other beaches often have sand from quartz with a yellow tinge. Coralline sands are rare and only present in around five per cent of beaches worldwide.

The white beaches of the Maldives. /FACEBOOK.CAREN KIBBETT

Maldives is a Melting Pot of Culture, With Low Crime Rates

The official tourism website of Maldives states that the nation follows Sunni Islam, but one will encounter natives from Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Africa, and Indonesia avenues.

To learn about traditional Maldivian life, one is recommended to visit the local islands in Maldives. African, European and Arabian used the Maldives as the crossroad of trade during the ancient time.

Additionally, the low crime rates in Maldives make it one of the safest places on the earth for all types of vacations, including family trips, honeymoon tours, couple getaways, and leisure vacations.

Some Maldives Islands Are Artificial

This signifies that not all the islands in the Maldives are naturally formed. For instance, Hulhumale Island is a man-made island close to the Male and is often replicated as an artificial island formed by the dumping loads of sand in 2004.

Tourism flourishes there as an incredible coastline and paved roads have been made by the Maldives government.

Public Affection is A Strict 'No' in the Maldives + No Alcohol.

It is because the population of Maldives is Muslim. You cannot for instance flaunt your swimsuits and display public affection in the local islands of Maldives as doing the same would land you in trouble.

Maldives also prohibits alcohol consumption on private island resorts. Additionally, homosexuality is a punishable offence in this Indian archipelago.

However, local islands have bikini beaches, but it is best to switch to private island resorts with no such restriction on boozing and flaunting your bikini suites.

Spring is the Best Time for Maldives Vacations + No Harsh Wet Season

Maldives is a year-round destination because of its tropical climate, but for anyone who wants guaranteed sunshine, January to March is the best time to go to the Maldives. These months constitute the spring season that starts and ends from November to April.

Like the neighbouring countries, Maldives’ wet season is not that rough. Travellers can enjoy watersports at a safe point since Maldives' water is shallow because of the atolls and lagoons.

Maldives has two monsoon seasons – southwest and northeast monsoon. The former commences from May to October and is September’s wettest month while the latter is mild and starts from mid-November to December.

Maldives Has Very Limited Availability of Freshwater

Another geographical fun fact about the Maldives is that the country has different drinking water. By this, it means that this archipelagic country in the Indian Ocean is highly vulnerable to climate change, and hence, limited freshwater in the Maldives is the talk of the town.

Travellers on their Maldives trip will learn about water conservation at Kandolhu Island. The same island makes water safe for drinking through the osmosis process.

Not Every Island of Maldives is Inhabited

There are 1,200 islands (approximately) in the Maldives spread across the Indian Ocean.

Some of them are private island resorts, while the rest of them are locally inhabited islands. At the same time, there are many non-inhabited islands in the Maldives where tourism is not allowed.

Traditional Maldives Boats Don’t Use Compasses or GPS

If you’re visiting Maldives, expect to ride dhonis, or traditional Maldives boats. They are one of the best modes of transportation if you want to explore the atolls of the island country.

You’ll be surprised that seasoned dhoni captains and crews still refrain from using GPS or compasses to navigate the various atolls and islands. Instead, they observe the movement of water in the lagoons to avoid dangerous reefs and at times, they navigate the waters by looking at the stars.

Maldives Has Historic Coral Houses

Traditional Maldivian houses were originally made from corals due to coral mining. These houses used coral rocks from shallow reef flats.

Since most citizens used lumber and coconut leaves to build their homes, coral was reserved for mosques, tombstones and monuments because they were a symbol of opulence.

A house made of coral was a sign of luxury and prestige. Even though coral reefs are now protected, you can still see old coral houses in Maldives.

Maldives Has Different Weekends

Unlike the majority of the countries that consider Saturday and Sunday as the weekend, Maldives have their weekends on Friday and Saturday.

This is common in Egypt, Jordan, Oman and other Islamic countries. Whenever you plan to visit a local island, keep this in mind since some services and accommodations won’t be available on weekends.

Other facts about Maldives include the coconut being the country's national tree, which is evident on their flag. The trees can last for at least a hundred years and grow up to 30 metres tall.

Coconut trees at the Maldives. /TRIP SAVVY

Coconut trees have various purposes: the trees provide much-needed shade to the islands' winding beaches and produce coconut milk and oil. They also produce coconut water, a refreshing drink. The coconut fibres are useful for coir rope construction, and native Maldives citizens use coconut wood to build dhonis for sailing.

Maldives also has a thriving marine biodiversity, meaning  its seas are home to five of the seven marine turtle species in the world. You can see loggerheads, leatherbacks, Olive Ridley turtles, green turtles and hawksbill turtles when you visit popular dive sites in the country.

Maldives also has the biggest whale shark population in the world. The whale shark is the largest fish in the world and the world's biggest shark, known to get as large as 18 meters (60 feet) and the archipelago allows tourists to witness whale sharks year-round on snorkelling, scuba diving, glass-bottom boat ride adventure under experts’ supervision.