Any Members Been To Maldives?

[jamesmusslewhite]

I was approached 2 weeks ago if I would be interested in traveling to Maldives to design, build, and implement a commercial lobster/ fish farming facility. I just returned from a week in Manila were I met with my new employer, his family, and his business associate. I have to admit that I feel privileged to be asked to do this project. My employer is the Speaker of Parliament and is trying to start a new industry to help generate jobs in his country. The controls and designs I want to implement are eco-friendly as well as productive. Maldives is one of the last unspoiled maricultures left on this planet and I can help to establish a system that can help to insure that it remains that way. I really could not say no, besides how many opportunities will one get to help preserve an ecosystem while helping to establish commercial mariculture, aquaculture, and agriculture projects for a country?

I should be able to leave as soon as I get additional pages added to my US passport in the next two weeks. I will then travel there and spend a few weeks to properly survey three lagoon locations and start the design phase of this project. Then return here to do the purchasing/ embarkation phase of the project. I will have to stage all the materials and equipment to load everything into a 40 foot sea container and arrange the container to be shipped to Male, Maldives. I also need to locate a 32-36 foot pumpboat and an 18-20 foot pumpboat to also ship to Maldives in the sea container. If anyone knows of any solid well constructed boats there in Cebu or Manila than please PM me the details. I will start a thread once I return for the locating of the two boats.

I was wondering with the diverse number of traveling members on this forum if some members have actually traveled to Maldives and has any first hand knowledge about this small Asian country? All comments are welcome.

[Bruce]

All comments welcome? OK...

 

The Maldives have serious issues in the past few years including but not limited to terror attacks. It is a muslim country and as such, there is a real push to sharia law now and the government is in a very bad position. In the past there have been 'tourist pockets' where you and others can be somewhat safe from the local muslim laws about alcohol and yes, hot tubs and such.

 

But recently there has been a threat to overthrow the governemnt unless they adopt sharia law and outlaw all alchohol and related 'western evils'.

 

Here is the problem. The Maldives is NOTHING but remote island without tourism. Used to be a wonderful vacation place for divers. Promoted in dive shops all over the world! COME DIVE THE MALDIVES!.

 

But the muslims do not dive, have no interest in tourists and simply do  not care if they bankrupt the country. As it is a small place, 'they' make wake up one day to find a new sharia compliant government installed. No joke.

 

So while all the tourist hotels are fighting for their right to even be in business, in the long run it is a losing position. Some are in talks with hotel operators in Dubai to buy them out and then the hotel would be turned into a sharia compliant resort for muslims. But since Dubai already is just that, they do not want to have any competition for the muslim tourist dollars.

 

If I were you, I would do a lot of internet research on the current political situation as well as law changes. Pay for NOTHING with your own money. You may not have a job next week. YOU are in the way of a muslim looking for a job.

 

I wish you well in this but DO have an excape plan.

 

Hot tubs / massages!  Already OUTLAWED and there is a temporary exemption for hotels in tourist area, but that is currently being attacked. It is not the hot tub per se, but the mixing of the sexes and alcohol and bad 'behaviors' associated with us westerners.  

 

Little by little, concession by concession, eventually the muslims will take over the government. What was once a beautiful chain of islands offering clear waters and thousand of tourists came every year. Life was good. Not so much now and the future is not looking so good for the tourist business.

Edited February 20, 2013 by Bruce

[Jake]

Hello James,

 

I've been through that area of the Indian Ocean several times but never made a port visit.  In spite of the

warnings that Bruce gave, I would give it a try.  Hopefully, your personal investment will not be a total loss

if political instability requires you to escape immediately.  As always, keep your head down and watch your

six!  Here is a photo of their capital:

 

 

Respectfully -- Jake

 

[JJReyes]

For your compensation, insist on 50% down and make the amount sufficient that it's okay if you never receive the balance. As Bruce suggested, don't offer to pay for anything in advance and hope to get reimbursed. Actually, this is the advice I gave someone submitting a contract proposal to a Philippine provincial government.

[i am bob]

It has been quite a while since I was there but I don't think it would have changed all that much.  One word of warning?  Even though they have a parliament, they don't have a Prime Minister.  The head guy is the President.  President Gayoom was the man in charge back then but I don't think he still is.   Anyway, the place is absolutely beautiful and kept very clean and bright by all.  The highest piece of land is less than 8 feet high so you can imagine the islands are not too large and the seas are quite shallow and warm.  I really like the place but they only had a little more than 250,000 people when I was there so it's a little too quiet for my tastes.  Of course there are always the pain the the derrière tourists.  I will say that the locals were all fantastic and we never had a problem with anyone!  Times may have changed though - this was about 20 years ago or more.

[samatm]

James,  I  had now idea AquaCulture  was part of your line of expertise -  Please do go and learn a lot and perhaps you can do something similar here.

 

Have a great adventure.  sounds very cool.