The last days of paradise
The president of the Maldives wants to buy a new home for all 300,000 of his people, to save them from rising sea levels. But where on earth could they go? Jon Henley explores the options

	We don't want to lose our culture, and this isn't our fault

So what do you do if you are the newly elected president of a small, relatively impoverished country whose greatest claim to fame, besides arguably the finest beaches in the world, is the fact that it is slowly sinking into the sea? You lose no time reminding the world of that fact, obviously. And to underline the urgency of the problem, you reveal the startling news that you are seriously thinking about moving the whole nation somewhere else.

That at least is what Mohamed Nasheed, the first democratically elected president of the Maldives, did this week. He aims to start setting aside a chunk of his country's sizeable tourist revenue to set up a land-purchase fund. "We can do nothing to stop climate change on our own, so we have to buy land elsewhere. It's an insurance policy for the worst possible outcome," he told the Guardian on the eve of his inauguration. "We do not want to leave the Maldives, but we also do not want to be climate refugees living in tents for decades."

It is an intriguing, if deeply depressing idea: the first nation on earth to be forced to abandon its homeland because of the impact of global warming and steadily rising sea levels. Nasheed is basically talking about relocating the Maldives' 300,000-strong population to nearby India, or Sri Lanka or, possibly, Australia. But even if you accept the necessity of such a grim scenario, is it actually feasible? Could an entire people simply move to a new country, set up home there and pick up their lives again as if nothing bar the unfortunate disappearance of their old base had actually happened?

The current consensus seems to be that it is not. "It would be very difficult for a state, as such, to move," says Dr Gareth Price, head of the Asia programme at the Royal Institute of International Affairs. "There can be ad-hoc migration, of course, even of quite large numbers. But there are big jurisdictional issues here, issues of sovereignty. That said, it is a real problem, and one we're going to have to get used to. Nasheed is saying to the rest of the world, we really have to think about this. We want to stay together, we don't want to lose our culture, and this isn't our fault."

Read more

The thrill of Atoll in paradise

	Manta rays hoovering up plankton

QUICK, come and look. You’re not going to believe this.

It was dark and both my daughters were leaning over the side of the villa’s sun deck, peering into the lagoon below.
The water was lit by spotlamps under the sun deck and there in the crystal clear water were manta rays hoovering up plankton at a leisurely pace as baby whale sharks darted around them.

A fabulous aquarium show to die for in the peace of an Indian Ocean evening, a glass of wine in hand.
The end of just another day in para . . . No, it’s too easy, too trite to use that word.
Just because this Maldive island was covered in powdery white sand, with palm trees swaying in the gentle breeze, warm seas teeming with tropical fish lapping onto clean beaches. Oh, all right . . .

If they ever want to reshoot those old Bounty bar adverts, this is the place. It is what comes into everyone’s mind when you say the words “paradise island”.

We were staying at the Olhuveli Beach & Spa Resort on the tip of South Male Atoll, an exhilarating 45-minute speedboat ride from the airport. Sit at the back if you are not into speedboats.

Olhuveli is set in a shallow lagoon — the water varies between waist and chest-deep — which surrounds the island. There are 133 rooms ranging from beachfront deluxe to beach villas, water villas and Jacuzzi water villas.

The water villas are on stilts over the lagoon with steps down so you can fall out of bed and into the warm sea. The Jacuzzi villas have a whirlpool bath on the sun deck.

Read more

A crystallized gift in the Maldives this Christmas

	Indian Ocean inspired kaftan designed by Camilla Franks

This Christmas, the super stylish Huvafen Fushi resort in the Maldives has partnered with world renowned crystal house, Swarovski and quintessential Australian designer, Camilla Franks to add some extra sparkle to the seasonal festivities.

On Christmas morning, every female guest will receive a unique Christmas gift - a limited edition Indian Ocean inspired kaftan designed by Camilla Franks exclusively for Huvafen Fushi, complete with a specially created Crystallized Swarovski Elements motif.

Hot on the heels of the growing phenomenon for individual customisation, as seen with Adidas Adicolour, Ralph Lauren’s Paint Your Polo Kit for children and the Fendi Baguette 10+, the iron-on motifs will offer guests the opportunity to ‘crystallise’ their kaftans and personalise something of their own. Presented as a kit, the kaftans and Swarovski crystals will be beautifully packaged in an exclusively designed box. The kaftan will be available at Huvafen Fushi for a limited time only and will be on sale after Christmas. In light of the ever-increasing global recognition of Swarovski crystals coupled with an ever-growing demand by a discerning clientele, the new Crystallized Swarovski Elements brand signals ultimate crystal creativity and innovation. The crystals fire imaginations, add an inner radiance and a touch of magic to every object they adorn, and inspire designers for Chanel, Elsa Schiaparelli and Christian Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Armani, Versace, Gucci and Prada, to cutting edge innovators like Alexander McQueen and Viktor and Rolf.

Read more