CRUIING CROSS ROADS

A perfect string of more than 1,200 tropical islets fringed with white-sand beaches and electric-blue waters teeming with marine life: it’s hard to describe the Maldives without resorting to clichés. Spread across roughly 90,000 square kilometres of the Indian Ocean – 270 nautical miles south of India – it sits along ancient trade routes from the West to the East. It was well regarded for the fish stocks that sustained sailors, and soon became an important staging point for merchant ships. Today, the Maldives’ marine life is equally prized by the wealthy tourists who flock to its private island resorts – and a steadily growing number of superyacht owners.

With an increasing number of yachts heading east rather than west for the winter, the Maldives, despite their lack of specific superyacht infrastructure, are becoming a popular stop-off. Many charter brokers report that it is their second-most-popular Asian destination after Thailand. “I think clients are looking to try further-off-the-beaten-track charters,” says Matthew Gant, from Edmiston. “The Maldives offers utter privacy, isolation and relaxation.”

“Underwater restaurants, spa