| Some other yachts were forced to divert and set sail for Maldives and Galle due to stormy weather. |
| Made up of more than 1,000 coral reef islands, the Maldives itself is a magic place created by the Gods. |
| The islands of the Maldives are grouped in ring-shaped coral atolls, each enclosing a relatively shallow lagoon with a flat sandy bottom. |
| The Maldives only had a population of 280,000, and they were badly hit, with some parts rendered permanently uninhabitable. |
| The Maldives are a relatively accessible destination, offering year-round diving. |
| As anyone who's been there on their honeymoon will tell you, most of the 200-odd islands that make up the Maldives are pretty small. |
