After 11 years, the Maldives has a new slogan and logo. It took more than year to design and many individuals in the tourism and fishing industries, as well as the general public, took part in the decision making process. The MMPRC Chairperson Thoyyib Mohamed said the slogan and logo were designed around the Maldives natural beauty because most of the country’s tourists name the natural beauty as one of the reasons for visiting.

The Maldives two biggest sectors are tourism and fishing, which is why they were the inspiration for the new slogan and logo. The slogan is “Maldives-Always Natural” and the text is colored blue fading into the green thumbprint logo of naturally occurring wildlife and plants in the Maldives.

The countdown to the 17th SAARC Summit is on and it will take place on November 10, 2011 at Addu City, Maldives. The theme of the summit is “Building Bridges” and one of its goals is to improve communication among member countries. Part of the goal of the summit is to not only enhance communication, but also to determine the various problems affecting each member country as well as all of the countries collectively.

The Summit will provide a platform for members and stakeholders to communicate, address one another, and learn from one another. The Summit will be held in Addu City and Fuvamulah.There will be heads of state as well as ministers from various countries in attendance. The Maldives is putting the finishing touches on the plans for the Summit and awaits a successful event.

The Maldives have long been known as a luxurious vacation destination, however they are developing significantly in the educational sector as well.

The Maldives National University – MNU, was inaugurated in early 2011 and is the nation’s first university. The university was formed by collaborating and upgrading all the faculties of the then Maldives College of Higher Education. MNU is now the country’s leading institution that grants higher education degrees, which range from management, engineering, education, health sciences, tourism, among others. There are short term courses that have an enrollment of around 2,000 students while long term degree programs have an enrollment of about 4,000 students.

Potential students may learn about courses of study, enrollment, academic calendars, and more on the university’s website (http://www.mnu.edu.mv/). Those interested in applying for admission will find the application forms on the website as well. Take the time to research the university and see what programs of study are available at MNU. There are many different courses of study, so if your interests and the university’s offerings match up it could be the most beautiful place in the world to study!

You never know when an accident or emergency will occur and it could happen while you are traveling. If you are traveling outside of your home country to the Maldives then your health insurance may not cover you. It’s important that you ensure your safety when traveling so you may want to consider traveler’s insurance. Depending on where you buy your airfare you may be able to buy your travel health insurance at the same time.

In the Maldives, there are not many hospitals and most islands do not have trauma units at the local hospitals. As a result, if an emergency arises you may not be able to receive the level of care you deserve. Most traveler’s insurance will cover emergency medical evacuation should you need it. When considering a policy make sure that if you need emergency medical evacuation you will receive it.

Overall, the Maldives is a very safe travel destination. However, should you be in a severe accident you want to know that you will have the health insurance you need to get you the health care you need.

The Maldives is certainly paradise with idyllic beaches and blue oceans. However, there are some general health concerns that all travelers should bear in mind. Overall, most vacationers will be fine without taking any major precautions. However, it is important to plan for the worst in case an emergency health situation arises, as most resorts are housed on its own island and has no major hospitals on them.

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