How to experience the true local Maldives culture

The Maldives is a beautiful country and this is not only for the stunning white beaches and the paradise-like islands but also because of the rich culture and heritage the country is proud of. If you are interested in truly experiencing the Maldives you need to explore the culture, the food and the traditions as well and discussed below are some steps you can follow on how to make the best of it.

Decide where you want to stay

The pristine beaches indeed are one of the most popular attractions in the Maldives but it is also true that you should at least spend a night or two in a luxury hotel in the Maldives to experience the tourist culture of the Maldives. Even if you plan on spending your entire vacation at Hard Rock Hotel Maldives or another hotel on a secluded island resort you can plan your daytime activities around different cultural practices that will expose you to the lives of the locals.

Go fishing with the locals

It is no surprise that the main source of income in the country is tourism and then the next is fishing since the country is a collection of islands located near the Indian Ocean. There are different types of fishing practised in the Maldives and you can decide to try each of them out if you like but the best experience comes from joining a local, on a fishing trip in his dhoni, which is the boat that is used by local fisherfolk. Some of these fishermen go early in the morning and return in a few hours but some of these fishermen leave at night and return in the early hours of the following day. While the latter is for the experienced the former is a good way to experience the culture and livelihood of the local fishermen.

Learn to cook a Maldivian dish

Food is a delightful experience in the Maldives and dining at a house with the locals is unlike any other experience of dining at a restaurant. While you will learn that many Maldivian dishes include fish there is another key ingredient that is often used in Maldivian cuisine and that is coconut. If you are someone who likes to cook, you will enjoy this experience thoroughly as there are several locations where you can sign up for a cooking class in the Maldives to learn how to make a Maldivian dish. If you look into the Emboodhoo Lagoon Area Guide you will be able to find some locations that offer this excursion and find the best option that suits you. While some dishes are easy to prepare such as Mas Huni and Masroshi some dishes might need some experience so find out what level of skill is required before you sign-up.

Enjoy a refreshing coconut water

This topic also involves food but is known to be a divine drink from nature. Coconut trees can be found in abundance in the Maldives and that is one of the reasons coconuts are used in many ways in Maldivian cuisine as well. Before the coconut come to a stage where you can scrape the coconut and use it to make coconut milk or sambol you can pluck it from the tree and drink the coconut water. Depending on the growth of the coconut the water has a possibility of tasting very sweet and delicious which is perfect to beat the heat on a day you are exploring outdoors. There are green coconuts and orange ones and both have a sweet taste and if you have it chilled it is absolutely amazing and refreshing.