The idyllic destination that offers some of the best experiences in the world is just a four hour flight from Dubai. It is a place where palm trees calmly sway and sunsets melt away stress amid tropically warm weather all year round. And the 1,192 coral islands of the Maldives that dot the Indian Ocean like a string of pearls, offer an impressive array of experiences, unmatched in the world.

At this year's edition of the prestigious World Travel Awards, the Maldives was recognised for excellence in a variety of categories, with the country and its cutting-edge resorts taking home the top prize in ten separate categories.

With its selection of intimate and breath-taking private resorts and romance packages, the Maldives was this year's choice for world's best honeymoon destination at the awards. But its romance is not limited to newlyweds, as the gorgeous archipelago was also voted by the industry to have the world's most romantic resort. This however, does not take away the fact that the country offers an expanding range of family-friendly and individual traveller options.

While the Maldives' land does make for a stunning base, the country is mostly made up of water and, according to the World Travel Awards, it is also the world's best diving destination. Under the sea's surface, crystalline waters are bursting with life, providing a habitat to 1,100 species of fish, five species of turtles and 21 species of whales and dolphins. Naturally, yachting and other water sports flourish in the Maldives' clear waters.

And even amid such beauty and utterly unique experiences, it is the warm hospitality of Maldivians that stands out as a memory in most travellers' minds. What's more, visitors from the Gulf can feel entirely at home, as the Maldives is a fully Muslim country and happily caters to religious requirements.