1. Snorkel off any island and blow bubbles alongside sweetlips, wahoo and humphead wrasse
2. Visit the capital of Male to experience the hubbub of daily life and learn about local history in the National Museum
3. Sail around the islands in a traditional dhoni, visiting local communities and uninhabited islands, as well as diving off the deck and dining beneath the stars
4. Join a sunset dolphin-spotting boat trip and watch the sun sink over the Indian Ocean while sipping drinks from the on-board bar
5. Experience authentic Maldivian life by staying in an independent guesthouse rather than a luxury resort
6. Escape to a desert island for the day, getting dropped off by a resort boat with little more than a picnic, sun-cream and beach towels
7. Swim with whale sharks in the marine-protected area of South Ari Atoll, where the world’s biggest fish hang around all year
8. Join a live-aboard to discover the best scuba spots, from coral encrusted caves to manta ray feeding stations
9. Tuck into smoked fish for breakfast, slurp spicy broths and look forward to chilli-basted tuna, grilled octopus and tasty curries
10. Get stuck into the huge range of watersports which span sailing and kitesurfing to wakeboarding and water skiing
