Picture the Maldives and you'll likely imagine white sand, clear waters and a brilliant blue sky. But sadly, the latter was not what I got when I travelled to the destination in late November. I left a very miserable, damp Heathrow behind, only to land in an equally wet Maldives, with the forecast threatening at least a 75 per cent chance of rain for every day of my trip. Having travelled to the islands once before (also in November), I knew to expect a little rain each day – but what I got this time was torrential downpours almost constantly.

Disappointing, yes, but enough to ruin my trip? Not at all. While the Maldives is thought of as a destination with little to do other than basking in the glorious sun with a side portion of water sports when you've had enough sunbathing, I found tha

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