First time?

Useful and Practical Tips for your trip  to the Maldives

We are putting our experience into practice so that you wont feel un-prepared on your trip.

Documents: before leaving check that your passport is still valid for a minimum of 6 months from the departure date. If you are travelling with your children (underage) they need to also have a valid passport or entered in yours.
Before leaving, we still recommend to check your passport at the police station.

To Phone: if you call home you can use your cell phone ( however the rates are quite high so we suggest  to send and receive SMS), or use the phone in your room (if you are staying in a resorts, you will be charged at check-out).
To significantly reduce the costs of calling and receiving phone calls, we suggest you bring with you a n old GSM phone and buy a Maldivian SIM card.

Weather and Climate: remember that the Maldives are 3 hours ahead in the summer (from Italy standard time) or 4 hours ahead in the winter (from Italy standard time). The air temperature is constant all year-round 28-30 ° C. The climate in the Maldives is tropical, therefore the dry season is from December to April, while the wet one is from May to November. During this time of year it gets very wet and you may run into some tropical downpours.

Spoken Languages: the dhivehi is the language spoken by the locals ( see the glossary ). English is spoken by the most part of the locals and staff in the resorts. We recomment to try and speak a few works in Maldivian with the locals.

Currencies and others: the local currency is the Maldivian rufa (approx. € 0.06). It is advisable to bring some U.S. dollars to pay for extras like dhoni trips, drinks and tips (usualy around 3-5 dollars) to offer to those who provide a service (waiters, cleaning crew ...). Major credit card are accepted in all resorts.

Shopping: we advise to buy typical maldivian clothing like sarongs, wood and coconut carved objects, silver jewelry and items made from palm leaves. Do not purchase coral or turtle objects as they are illegal and you can be fined heavily at customs. Best buys ( always bargain on the price ) can be done in the capital Malé, which you should visit before leaving and in fishermen islands inhabited by the local. 

Vaccinations and Medical Assistance: there are no mandatory vaccinations or prophylaxis. We do recommend however for you to bring a kit with medicines for your daily use, insect repellent, plasters for cuts and abrasions and creams against sunburn. It is also advisable to have a good medical insurance for your trip.

Muslim Country: the Maldives Repubblic is a Muslim country. It is severely prohibited to import any alcohol, pork, magazines with nudes, objects and sacred images, drugs or narcotics.

Insights

When to go, the best time to go surfing...
Where to stay, Resort or boat...
What to bring...
What companies should you fly with…

Read also our frequently asked questions from our Clients (FAQs)...