As the seaplane descends from the clouds high above the sun-dappled cerulean water, I gaze transfixed at the island?s virgin white sand. Dolphins happily race each other as a nearby yacht traverses miles of serene blue ocean. No matter how many pictures you?ve seen, no matter how many other stunning beaches you?ve run across barefoot, […]The post The Maldives: Paradise Found appeared first on Pursuitist.

As the seaplane descends from the clouds high above the sun-dappled cerulean water, I gaze transfixed at the island?s virgin white sand. Dolphins happily race each other as a nearby yacht traverses miles of serene blue ocean. No matter how many pictures you?ve seen, no matter how many other stunning beaches you?ve run across barefoot, you?ll never be prepared for the sheer beauty of the Maldives. The first view of the archipelago literally takes your breath away.A nation made up of 26 atolls?islands with coral reefs encircling a lagoon?spread out over 56,000 square miles in the Indian Ocean, the Maldives has seen its fair share of invaders and traders, from the Aryans to the Persians to the Arabs and ending with the Portuguese, Dutch and English. Today, the Maldives is an independent state committed to environmental conservation?President Mohamed Nasheed wants the nation to be 100 percent carbon neutral by 2020?and a popular tourist destination, especially for those from colder climes. Americans can fly via Qatar Airways to Doha and take a four-hour flight from there t...