More Chinese fall under spell of the Maldives

Honeymoon couples lead the way as number of tourists heads for 350,000

"The Maldives is the first choice if you need a paradise for your soul."

Zhang Lei, who wrote that description in a travel column for the Netease website, was one of 330,000 Chinese who visited the Maldives last year. The island chain in the Indian Ocean is a popular tourist destination for the Chinese, particularly honeymoon couples.