For decades, the 1,192 coral islands strewn across the Indian Ocean were nothing more than a playground for wealthy honeymooners and celebrities looking for seclusion in overwater villas. The ...

The clouds broke as a group of 15 women waded a few metres into the Indian Ocean before forming a circle. They bobbed gently with the help of polystyrene floats. I dug my toes into the warm sand and ...