Before You Book

PREPARING TO GO TO MALDIVES

Male Local time

Male is 9 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time and 12 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time. Many islands add 1 hour to this time difference to create "island time" making the time difference 10 hours ahead of EST and 13 hours ahead of PST.

Electricity

Electricity in Maldives is 220 Volts to 240 Volts, alternating at 50 cycles per second. If you travel to Maldives with a device that does not accept 230 Volts at 50 Hertz, you will need a voltage converter.

Language

Dhivehi is the language spoken in all parts of the Maldives. English is widely spoken by Maldivians.

Religion

Islam was introduced around 800 AD and the moderate form practiced in the Maldives has remained virtually unchanged. The group practice of other religions is illegal.

Passport & Visa

A valid passport is required by all nationals. All Passengers are responsible for securing proper documentation prior to joining the tour. Please ensure that passport/s are valid for a minimum of 6 months beyond the intended date of return and contain between 2-6 blank “Visa” pages. You should have at least two free pages in your passport. Please access the Travel & Visa Requirements Section on the top of this page for the latest visa entry requirements for the country/ies you are visiting. Passports are required; in addition, travelers are also advised to check with local consulates for full details regarding visa requirements. Please note securing a valid visa for entry is the sole responsibility of the traveler.

Local Currency

The Maldivian currency is the Rufiyaa and comes in denominations of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500 notes. A Rufiyaa consists of 100 Laarees. Major currencies are converted into local currency at the banks, hotels, and leading stores. The American dollar is the most used foreign currency. Payments in hotels can be made in most hard currencies or any major credit card.

XE.com is a useful site for currency conversion.

Changing Money, Credit Cards & ATMs

Most resorts and many local islands will accept US dollars (bring small denominations such as $1, $5, and $10) as payment. If you try to pay your room bill at large resorts in rufiyaa, the resort might convert it back to dollars, so you effectively lose out twice on the exchange rate. Banks are all located in Male and some of the larger inhabited islands.  You won't find banks or ATM machines at resorts or smaller local islands.  Small shops on local islands are unlikely to be able to accept credit card payment for goods, so make sure you have enough cash to cover your shopping needs before you leave your resort. Most resorts operate on a signing system, where you do not need to carry any cash. You sign for all items and then settle by credit card at the end of your stay. Tipping at resorts, again at the end of your stay, is also in USD and local islands price souvenirs in USD and seem to actively want dollars rather than rufiyaa. Male International Airport prices everything in USD as well, so you will not need local currency there.

Hours of Business

From Sunday to Thursday 7:30 – 14:30 in the Government sector

From Sunday to Thursday 9:00 to 17:00 in the private sector

Most offices in the private sector open for a half day on Saturdays

The weekend comprises Friday and Saturday

Clothing

Casual clothing is normal in the Maldives. Lightweight cottons and linen clothes are recommended. However, it is advisable to have your thighs and shoulders covered if visiting the inhabited local islands. Bikinis are also not permitted on these islands, as it is a Muslim country. However, this type of attire can be worn at the tourist centers.

COMMUNICATION

Telephone: The dialing code of the Maldives is +960. To avoid roaming charges people at home may call your room in your resort.

Mobile Phones: International roaming services are also available in the Maldives. You can easily purchase a mobile SIM card from any of the service providers using your passport as documentary evidence. 

Internet: Almost all the resorts, hotels and restaurants provide free WiFi services to their guests. Internet service providers offer data packages that can be utilized in 3G or 4G networks.

Post: Maldives Post Limited provides competent postal services, airmail to Western Europe takes about one week to be delivered. Topflight International companies like DHL and FedEx are also actively engaged

Post office hours: 

Sun-Thurs: 08:00-19:00

Fri-Sat: Closed

Holidays: Closed

Transfers

Whichever means of transport you have chosen whether by speedboat or air transfer please ensure that you familiarize yourself with the safety equipment that is provided for your benefit. On the rare occasion that adverse weather and sea conditions affect your chosen transport it may be necessary to use other means of transport or provide overnight accommodation on an alternative island for one night. For those of you traveling by seaplane, you may find that your luggage will follow separately by speedboat, as there is limited space on the plane. On your return journey, your luggage maybe collected earlier than your own departure time so please be prepared for this.

At your island

Upon arrival you will be welcomed by a member of the guest relations team who will ask you to complete a registration card. During this time your luggage will have been brought to the reception whereupon you will be asked to identify it before it is taken to your room by the bell-boy.  (It is customary to give a tip of US$1.00 per bag).  You will be advised of the local time on your island as some of them adopt their own time system to make the most of the daylight hours.

Paying bills

To save you the worry of carrying money around with you on the island (especially difficult when snorkeling or scuba diving!) the hotels usually requests that you sign for everything. Please remember that there is a service charge added to all items purchased. Your bill must then be settled on your final evening before departure. This can be done by any major credit cards or cash. A commission charge is sometimes made on certain methods of payment. Please check with the cashier.

FOOD

Maldivian food can at first appear a limited affair. Most meals will consist of fish, usually combined in some way with rice and coconut.

The islands are heavily influenced in palate by the Indian subcontinent, specifically Kerala in southern India and Sri Lanka, but with its own distinct richness of flavour. The use of peppers, chilies, and curry leaves to make curries therefore abounds, and flavours are generally very hot and spicy.

Specialties: 

• Banbukeylu harisa: Curry of steamed breadfruit, chilli, onion and coconut.
• Bis keemiyaa: Pastry filled with tuna and hardboiled egg.
• Hedhikaa: Traditional snacks, or ‘short eats’, such as samosas, sold by small cafés.
• Garudiya: Fish broth prepared using chillies, onion and lemon juice.
• Rihaakuru: Brown paste made from concentrating down fish stock.
• Mashuni: Mashed tuna mixed with coconut, chilli and onion and served for breakfast with roshi.
  Roshi: Flatbread.
• Thelui mas: Spicy fried fish such as grouper, swordfish, jobfish or octopus.
• Kavaabu: Deep-fried snacks made from rice, tuna, coconut, lentils, and spices.
• Dhon riha: Tuna curry with coconut, mango, cinnamon, and ginger.

Desserts:

• Dhonkeyo kajuru: Fried banana cake flavoured with rose water or vanilla.

MEALS

Some resorts have more than one restaurant on the island.  Please check which restaurants are available to you on your particular board basis. For those of you who are on all inclusive, please ensure that you read all the information given on arrival as to what is included. Sometimes it may be necessary for you to share tables with other guests for meals where the island only has a small dining area. Please dress appropriately for the restaurants and note that swim wear is not acceptable.

Simple snack: $5.00 USD

Low-range restaurants: $5.00 USD

Mid-range restaurants: $9.00 USD

DRINKS

Locals do not drink alcohol, which is generally only sold in tourist resorts.

Regional drinks:

• Sai: Tea; a Maldivian favourite
• Raa: Toddy tapped from palm trees, sometimes left to ferment and thus slightly alcoholic - the closest any Maldivian gets to alcohol.

Tipping

This is customary here in the Maldives. Below is an approximate guide to tipping:

It is not expected in local cafés. In international style restaurants in Malé 10-15% is standard. In resorts, a service charge of 10-15% is usually automatically included in meals and for drinks. Bell Boy approx. US $1.00 – US$5 per bag / Room boys approx. US$10.00 – US$20.00 per week / Boat boys for trips off the island US$2.00.

Social conventions:

Maldivians are very much particular about anti-drug laws that offer severe punishments. As a part of Maldives customs, relationship between homosexuals is not acceptable at all. People who are found guilty are punished with imprisonment and fines. 

Alcohol can be consumed only in the resorts of Maldives and not anywhere outside. You can dress up casually but need to maintain basic decency. While entering the mosque, you must cover your body properly. Handshake is the most common gesture for greeting people. Tipping is not very common in Maldives. Public observance of religion, other than Islam is strictly prohibited.

Local customs

Nudism or topless bathing are strictly prohibited by government regulations. A very large fine is charged if this regulation is violated. The Maldives, being a Muslim country requires that you adopt the appropriate dress code when visiting Male and localized islands i.e. shoulders and thighs must be covered. On visiting a Mosque, legs must be covered for both men and women and shoes removed.

Conservation

Please help us to protect the local environment. When snorkeling or diving please do not touch the coral. We would also request that you do not purchase any souvenirs made from shells, coral, or turtle shells (a fine of US$500 may be charged if this rule is violated).

WEATHER & CLIMATE

Warm and humid, the sun shines all year round in the Maldives with average temperatures of 21 - 31 degrees Celsius. The best time to go on a Maldives holiday is between December and April. The rainy season is from May to November.

Maldives: (approx)

HEALTH & MEDICAL REQUIREMENTS & GUIDELINES

As a general recommendation, it is advisable to check with your family doctor or travel clinic for latest health information.

Health care facilities are improving almost daily. The Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Male is the largest hospital in the country providing sophisticated medical care. Some resorts have in-house doctors. A decompression chamber is within easy reach of most resorts in case of emergency.

The most common problems for tourists in the Maldives are sunburn and dehydration. The tropical sun is very intense in the country and soft breezes on the islands and during boat rides can easily fool you. Some form of sun protection is necessary even for travelers with darker skin tones. A range of sun creams are available in Male' and in most resorts. It is also advisable to wear a t-shirt when snorkelling. To avoid dehydration drink lots of fluids.

TRAVEL INSURANCE

It is highly recommended that you purchase travel insurance from your travel agent. Health plans only provide limited coverage while traveling outside of the country. Indus Travels can offer you a complete travel insurance package. Some credit cards do offer travel insurance; however, they do not always provide adequate coverage. Review and understand the terms of your credit card insurance policy. Extra travel insurance can be purchased.