In Maldives a resort is usually an island by itself, having its own white sandy beaches and natural swimming pools of salty lagoons enclosed by rich house reefs. The facilities and services offered by the resorts vary widely with some of the resort islands being specified for certain visitors.

Male’ would certainly counts as one of the smallest capitals in the world in terms of its physical size. 1/3 of the country’s population, about 75,000 live in Male’. Different from any other island in the country, Male’ is a city of high-rise buildings and paved roads. While the government offices are located in one area, the main streets are lined with shops and offices. In the old bazaar area which still houses the country’s hub of wholesale and retail trade, the lanes are so narrow that a single vehicle would find it difficult to navigate through, especially with it's throngs of busy people. There are no beaches on Male’; instead seawalls surround all its sides. However, a newly landscaped artificial beach area and adjoining breakwater stretching all the way round to the harbour in the southwest of the island provide a pleasant jogging route, especially popular in the evenings when it is cooler. Male’ is still relatively green and pleasant.