Go swimming with the world’s largest fish species, the whale shark. These slow-moving sharks can measure more than 12m in length and weigh more than 20 tonnes. They visit Thaa Atoll to feed on the plankton spilling out of the atoll channels and are best seen from December to April. Photograph: Michael Aw/Lonely Planet Images
Learn to captain a ship on Kuramathi Island, where Aqua Sports & Fun offer sailing lessons for all abilities. Join the basic catamaran course, which lasts for 6-8 hours and includes the theory behind the wind and waves – by the end you should be able to safely launch, land and turn your boat. Photograph: Frank Lukasseck/Corbis
Yin Yang is Maldives' most famous wave and is lauded by those in the know for being the most consistent in Laamu Atoll. It forms slowly but turns into a long tunnel-like wave, which experienced surfers can ride inside. Pull up a beach towel and watch from the safety of the sands. Photograph: Victor Fraile/Corbis
We challenge you to find a better setting for watching a classic movie than this. Relax on a sun lounger, order drinks from the bar and watch the moon rise over the big screen at Kunfunadhoo’s outdoor cinema, up on the helipad of the Soneva Fushi resort. Photograph: 4Corners Images
Malé’s main market is set underneath copious hanging bunches of bright yellow bananas and has numerous stalls selling local agricultural produce. Bananas and coconuts are the freshest things to buy and prices are cheap. There is also a separate fish market two streets away. Photograph: Reinhard Schmid/www.4cornersimages.com
With more than 1,190 islands stretched over some 800km, the geography of Maldives can be difficult to appreciate from ground level – so why not take to the skies instead? Board a flight with Maldivian Air Taxi and view the atolls, islands and reefs from above. Cameras ready … Photograph: Stephane Frances/Onlyfrance/SIME/www.4cornersimages.com
Considered by locals and visitors alike to be one of the most beautiful beaches on the island, Belle Mare is a sweeping arc of pristine coral sand shaded by hundreds of palm trees. Get here early, claim your spot and enjoy a blissful day of not quite believing how jaw-droppingly gorgeous it all is. Photograph: www.alamy.com
Mauritius is surrounded by coral reefs no superlative can quite do justice to, and Blue Bay is one of the best. Strap on your snorkel and float over the reef to view more than 50 different species of coral at an average depth of just 5.5m, plus damselfish (above), butterfly fish and trumpet fish aplenty. Photograph: www.alamy.com
Named after the island’s first prime minister, these gardens are home to an astonishing variety of palms. You’ll need some help identifying the different species (talipots, stubby bottle palms, sealing-wax palms) so join a guided golf buggy tour – and don’t miss the central pond, filled with giant Victoria amazonica water lilies. Photograph: www.alamy.com
Surrounded by the lush vegetation of the Black river gorges and plunging some 83m off a sheer rock face, Chamarel is a waterfall that has a swimming pool at its base. Start at the top to view the falls from above before hiking down for a swim. Photograph: Stuart Westmorland, Stuart Westmorland/The Image Bank
The Seven Coloured Earths may be just a series of sand dunes of different colours, but it is very impressive. Yet to be fully explained, natural processes have collected sand here and then separated them out into the different colours to form a surreal striped dune system. A popular attraction since the 1960s, it is now protected. Photograph: Stuart Westmorland/Corbis
Gris Gris is the island’s most southerly point. It's a great place for coastal walks, as the sea batters the cliffs here with all its might. Don't miss the hike to the Weeping Rock, which appears to be crying as water from the waves falls down its rockface. Photograph: www.alamy.com
