The Maldives

The Maldives is known as the pearl necklace of the Indian Ocean. Maldives lies in two rows of atolls in the Indian Ocean, just across the equator. It is made up of 1,190 coral islands formed around 26 natural ring-like atolls, spread over 90,000 square kilometres. These atolls structures are formed upon a sharp ridge rising from the ocean, making way for their secluded uniqueness. Ninety-nine percent of the Maldives is made up of sea. The people of the islands are widely dispersed across the atolls, with about 200 inhabited islands. About 90 islands are developed as tourist resort and the rest are uninhabited or used for agriculture and other livelihood purposes.

The visitors who travel to Maldives are lured by the pristine beaches, warm waters, and blue lagoons and its underwater beauty.

Culture

As the Maldives appear in-between the trading route of the Indian Ocean, settlers, and visitors from neighbouring regions and around the world have come in contact with the islands for as long as history has been recorded. Such is the to-and-fro flow of people and their cultures, a marked effect has been left in the Maldivian people, the language, beliefs, arts, and attitudes. This contributes to the friendly attitudes of the Maldivians.

Weather

The weather in the Maldives is usually picture perfect: sunlit days, breezy nights, balmy mornings, and iridescent sunsets. The temperature hardly ever changes - which makes packing for your holiday an easy task (see what to pack). With the average temperature at about 30 degrees Celsius throughout the year, the sun is a constant on most days, shining through treetops, creating lacy patterns on your feet, healing cold-bones with its warmth.

Maldives has two distinct seasons; dry season (northeast monsoon) and wet season (southwest monsoon), with the former extending from January to March and the latter from mid-May to November. Instant weather updates can be viewed on this website when you book your holiday.

Travel Tips

Visa

Tourists are issued a 30-day visa on arrival. A valid travel document is necessary. You can obtain circumstantial visa grants through the Department of Immigration and Emigration in Male'.


Customs

It is prohibited to bring in firearms, drugs, pornography or idols of worship into the Maldives. Tourists also cannot bring in dogs, pigs and pork items. Alcohol and pork products under a special license are available in resort islands.


Health

No special vaccines are required or recommended for travel to Maldives. All travellers should be up to date on routine immunizations. If you are arriving from infected countries, an international certificate of inoculation against yellow fever and cholera is needed to come into the country.


Currency

The official currency is the Maldivian Rufiyaa. Rufiyaa comes in notes of 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500. Coins in use are one rufiyaa, two rufiyaa, 1, 2, 5, 10, 25, 50 laarees.

Most people use US Dollars and credit cards while on holiday here, but you can exchange currency at the arrival money exchange point, resorts, hotels and in major shops.


What to pack

Visiting the Maldives is the chance for you to break out the brightly coloured summer clothes that are so often out of place in colder climates. The higher temperatures and ever-present sunshine means that locals and visitors alike prefer dressing in lightweight materials. T-shirts, cotton clothing, skirts and shorts would be the best option to stay cool. The ideal footwear would be sandals and flip-flops.

Whether to pack only the more casual options like shorts and khakis or the newest Gucci number depends on what you plan to do, or where you plan to stay. Smart casual clothing is usually enough for Male' or resorts, but the more up-market resorts may require that you dress up for dinner.

Sunscreen, insect repellent, and hats are widely necessary for a comfortable holiday, but they are available widely for purchase in resorts and around Male'.

The Maldives electricity voltage is 220-240 volts and 50Hz. It is recommended to bring travel adapters.