| Visa Requirements
No prior visa arrangements are required. A tourist visa of 30 days
will be given to visitors with valid travel documents, on arrival.
Visitors should be in possession of at least US$25 per day to stay
in the Maldives. For those coming from yellow fever infected regions,
an international certificate of inoculation is required. |
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| Customs Strict laws
prohibit the importation of pornographic material, firearms, alcohol
and illegal drugs into the country. Exports of coral, shells and
other object removed from the marine environment is also prohibited. |
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| Tipping is discouraged
in the Maldives. Unofficially, if the service is good - and it usually
is - it's quite customary to tip room staff and waiters in your
resort. US$10 per week is a suitable amount. A few resorts add a
10% service charge, in which case there's no need to tip. Bargaining
is limited to tourist shops in and around Singapore Bazaar in Male?
and at island village souvenir shops where prices are not fixed. |
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| Climate It's generally
warm and humid. The sun shines all year round generally and the
average temperature is around 29 - 32 degrees Celsius. |MORE| |
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What to wear Nudism is an offence in the Maldives and
this includes bare breasts. Dress is generally casual. T-shirts
and cotton clothing are most suitable. In Male', the capital island,
it is recommended that women wear modest clothing without baring
too much and when visiting inhabited islands, thighs and shoulders
must be covered by both men and women. |
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Language Dhivehi is the language
spoken in all parts of the Maldives. English is widely spoken
by the Maldivians and every visitor can make himself understood
when getting around the capital island. In the resorts, a variety
of languages are spoken by the staff including English, German,
Italian, French and Japanese. |MORE| |
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Currency The Maldivian currency
is Rufiyas and Laaris. A Rufiya is equal to 100 laarees (coins).
The Rufiyaa comes in the following denominations of 2, 5, 10,
20, 50, 100 and 500. The American Dollar is the most common foreign
currency. Payments in the resorts can be made in most hard currencies
in cash, traveller's cheques or credit cards. The most commonly
used credit cards are American Express, Visa, Master Card, Diners
Club, JCB and Euro Card. |
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Health Care facilities are improving
on a daily basis. The Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Male'
is the biggest hospital in the country providing sophisticated
medical care. ADK Hospital is the biggest private health care
facility, and follows high medical standards. Experienced European
doctors work at the AMDC Clinic, and some resorts have an in-house
doctor. Decompression chambers are within reach of most resorts
in case of a diving emergency. The Maldives is tropical and generally
a healthy environment abounds. Most will be safe here but please
get advice from your doctor regarding vaccinations you may require
before arrival. |
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Local time GMT +5 hours
Business hours From Sunday to Thursday
7:30 - 14:30 in the government sector, and generally from 9:00
to 17:00 in the private sector. Weekend falls on Friday and Saturday |
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| Communication: Up
to date technology and international satellite links allow Maldives
to have a sophisticated communications system. IDD facilities are
available on all resorts, and card phone facilities are available
on all islands. Dhiraagu, the Maldives telecommunications company,
an affiliate of the British Cable and Wireless Company, provides
mobile telephones for rental on a daily basis. Dhiraagu is also
the Internet service provider. |
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| Food and Beverages
Restaurants, coffee shops and well stocked bars in all resorts provide
varied and delicious meals with wide choice of fresh fruit juices,
punches, cocktail, wines and spirits. All resorts serve food and
beverages to suite demanding palates, be it favourite international
dishes and or the fresh and exotic delights of seafood. Many offer
a-la-carte services that cover eastern and western flavours. Maldivian
short eats served with tea or coffee are popular with most visitors
as a snack in between meals while grills and barbecues are much
in demand in most resorts. A few resorts have specialised restaurants
each for favoured cuisines as European, Indian and Chinese. |
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| Electricity 220-40V,
50 Hz |
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| When to Go If you're
looking for a few extra hours of sunshine then you should visit
the Maldives between December and April, which is the dry season.
This is the high season, however, and resorts can be fully booked
and prices are higher than the rest of the year. The Christmas-New
Year period is the busiest and most expensive part of the high season.
Between May and November it's still warm, but the skies can be cloudy,
humidity is higher and rain is more likely. This is the low season,
and there are fewer tourists and prices are lower. The transition
months of November and April are said to be associated with increased
water clarity and better visibility for divers. |
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| Events and Public Holidays
Most holidays are based on the Islamic lunar calendar and the dates
vary from year to year. The most important religious event is Ramadan
(known locally as rorda mas), the Islamic month of fasting. Other
noteworthy events are Kuda Id, the sighting of the new moon (celebrated
at the end of Ramadan), and the Prophet's Birthday, which commemorates
the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed. Fixed holiday dates include:
National Day (the day Mohammed Thakurufaan and his men overthrew
the Portuguese on Malé in 1573, the first day of the third month
of the lunar calendar); Victory Day (victory over Sri Lankan mercenaries
who tried to overthrow the Maldivian government on 3 November 1988);
and Republic Day (which commemorates the current republic, founded
on 11 November 1968). |MORE| |
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| Alcohol and Drugs
Maldivians, being Muslims, are prohibited by law from consuming
alcohol, hence there is a strict restriction on the alcohol available
in inhabited islands. Foreigners who reside in Maldives can have
a private supply arranged by an authorised licensing procedure.
All tourist resorts and hotels, as well cruise ships and yachts
have alcohol for consumption for guests. The Maldives is amongst
one of the toughest countries in dealing with drugs. Lengthy jail
sentences are normal if found in possession or whilst using them,
even with a marijuana joint. Please do not try to import any form
of drug into Maldives. Also, please do not use drugs even if offered
whilst here, it is not worth the risk. |
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| Culture A proud history
and rich culture evolved from the first settlers who were from various
parts of the world travelling the seas in ancient times. The Maldives
has been a melting pot of different cultures as people from different
parts of the world came here and settled down. Some of the local
music and dance for instance resemble African influences, with hand
beating of drums and songs in a language that is not known to any
but certainly represents that of East African countries. As one
would expect there is a great South Asian influence in some of the
music and dancing and especially in the traditional food of the
Maldivians. However many of the South Asian customs especially with
regard to women - for instance the Sub Continent's tradition of
secluding women from public view - are not tenets of life here.
In fact women play a major role in society - not surprising considering
the fact men spend the whole day out at sea fishing. Many of the
traditions are strongly related to the seas and the fact that life
is dependent on the seas around us. |
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Maldives
Islands 
