TRAVEL: by Eric Mackenzie Lamb
Back in the late 1980’s, I delivered a small single engine plane from Australia to a customer in Italy. Crossing the Indian Ocean, I decided to take a break and stopped in the Maldive islands, only a short distance south from Sri Lanka. As it turned out, the islands were not only beautiful, its people friendly, but had an amazing history.
The Maldives were never fully colonized as a traditional crown possession, but they did experience foreign occupation and long periods under European protection: under Portuguese rule from 1558 to 1573, Dutch protection during the 17th and 18th centuries, and as a British protectorate from 1887 to 1965. The British managed the islands’ foreign affairs and defense, but left internal self governance, local laws, and the traditional sultanate completely intact. The Maldives achieved complete political freedom from the United Kingdom on July 20, 1965.
There are multiple airports on the islands. The original airfield was built on Hulhule island, which was completed on October 19, 1960. I landed at Velana International Airport near the capital city of Male, where a major new passenger terminal was to open in July, 2025.
Known for for some of the world’s most exclusive ultraluxury hotels, famous for their overwater architecture, private island buyouts, and personalized butler services, many cost even thousands of dollars per night. Among them is the Ritz-Carlton Maldives, the St Regis Maldives, and the Kudadoo Maldives Private Island.
The Maldives consist of 1,192 islands, with their highest point at only 2.4 meters above sea level, which makes them vulnerable to rising sea levels and storms due to climate change. By 2050, according to scientists, 80 percent of the islands could become uninhabitable. In turn, this will affect the Maldivian peoples’ livelihoods, economy, and ancestral heritage which are deeply intertwined with the ocean, but the climate crisis is transforming the once-welcoming waters into a primary threat to their way of life.
One hopes that a solution will be found before it’s too late.
