What Is it Like to Plan an Eco-Friendly Trip to the Maldives

The Maldives is one of the most popular travel destinations in South Asia. Every year, numerous tourists visit the paradise islands of the Maldives. However, while planning their trip, most travellers do not consider the impact of their visit on the local environment. It is important to incorporate eco-friendly principles into your Maldivian holiday to minimise the environmental impact. Here are some tips on how visitors can make their holiday more eco-friendly.

Understand the Environmental Issues Facing the Maldives

When planning an eco-friendly getaway anywhere in the world, it's crucial to adopt a local approach to researching the destination. Not all tourist destinations face the same environmental or sustainability challenges, so it's essential to delve deeply into the specific issues affecting the city or country you're visiting. In the case of the Maldives, for example, key concerns include rising sea levels and the threat of submersion due to climate change, as well as responsible waste management in an archipelago where there's no official stance on pollution or waste disposal into the ocean. Therefore, it's important for tourists to proactively seek out solutions to these concerns when planning a conscious holiday in the Maldives.

Find a Resort with a Great Green Record

Home to over 150 hotels and resorts, the Maldives is home to some of the world's most luxurious accommodation providers. On-site amenities aside, it's crucial to check the green record of each property when choosing beach suites in Maldives. Resort islands that rely on solar power for energy and have their own recycling plants or waste management systems should be considered above properties that do not. Some resorts will boast water consumption reduction strategies such as decreasing the water flow on faucets or recycling grey water for kitchen gardens. So whether one selects Cinnamon Dhonveli Maldives or any other base, it's important to choose a hotel that prioritises sustainability.

Separate Facts from Promotional Taglines

When searching for eco-friendly resorts in the Maldives online, tourists should be aware of "Greenwashing," a practice where a property's green initiatives are exaggerated to attract visitors. To avoid being misled by false claims, it's crucial to look for certifications and identify properties that have won green awards. Hotels must fulfil specific sustainability criteria to obtain these certifications. EarthCheck is an organisation that provides lists of tourism-related businesses that are genuinely eco-friendly, allowing travellers to make informed decisions and support environmentally conscious establishments.

Choose Eco-Friendly Activities and Excursions

Although island hopping and enjoying scenic aerial tours of the archipelago are some of the best things to do in the Maldives, it's necessary to consider the environmental cost of these popular excursions. This is why it's better to choose catamaran sailing tours over speedboats and yachts when it comes to sailing around the Maldives as less fuel is required to power catamarans. When it comes to eco-friendly activities accessible to visitors, one cannot forget the excellent snorkelling and scuba diving conditions available in the Maldives. Choosing to kayak around the coastline rather than hop on a jet ski is another example of how tourists can plan activities that do not leave a carbon footprint.

Pack Green and Reef-Safe Products

Those who intend to go diving or snorkelling in the Maldives must ensure that the sunscreen they pack for the trip is reef-safe. Most sunscreens have harmful chemicals that can destroy marine life and coral species once the chemicals are dissolved into the ocean water so using only reef-safe moisturisers and sun tan lotions is crucial. Tourists should also refrain from packing face wash and cleansing products with microbeads as these toxic and harmful particles are consumed by local marine life when resort water is expelled into the ocean.