Travel Tips

Necessary Luggage

The Maldives is a very old country, even if for many years historians have been traced its origin to the conversion to Islam in 1153. The dress-code in the majority of the islands is causal/sport; T-shirts, and cotton clothing are the most suitable. On the Island you will often wear a bathing suit and no shoes, as you will always walk on cold coral sand. Absolutely necessary are the suntan creams and the after-sun, but also sunglasses and caps. Mask, fins and snorkel are also important, unless you don’t decide to rent them directly at the resort, very often free of charge. In case you don’t have an underwater camera, we recommend you to bring the disposable ones from your country, as you will discover a completely new universe of unique colours and shapes. You can also find them at the resort, but usually these are more expensive. In case you go to Male’ or to a Fishermen’s village (all resorts organize these trips) you must adopt a proper dress-code. The Maldives is an Islamic country, therefore women must be covered from their shoulders to their knees and men must wear a T-shirt and short trousers. It is also necessary to wear sandals.

Luggage

Baggage maximum allowed weight is usually 20 Kg on international flights. All baggage is weighed once again before leaving the island. Some tour operators indicate on their catalogue a maximum of 15 kg for charter flights. It is better to ask in advance, in order to avoid problems at the check-in. It is better to carry a hand-luggage containing the necessary kit (a T-shirt and a bathing suit); in case the luggage is lost or delivered with delay. Hand-baggage maximum allowed weight is generally 5 kg. We remind you that it is not allowed to bring sharpened or metal objects, such as forceps, nail files and scissors in the hand-luggage, even if they are very small; there are also restrictions on liquids.

Customs

It is allowed to introduce a maximum of 200 cigarettes for personal use, whereas it is absolutely forbidden to import alcoholic drinks, narcotics, psychotropic substances, pork meat, drugs, pornographic material, harpoon guns, weapons, ammunitions and explosives of any nature. Also leaflets, books or publication promoting religion different than Muslim are forbidden. In case you need a special medicine, you must bring a certificate translated into English. When you leave the Maldives, you cannot carry with you madreporas, corals, shells and sand. It is possible to buy the most common shells in Male’ or in the fishermen’s villages, with the exception of the triton shell.

Necessary Documents

To visit the Maldives, it is necessary to carry a passport with three-month validity after the return date (i.e. it must expire more than three months after the return date). All visitors are required a hotel reservation, a return ticket (or must show a valid ticket and visa to another country) and at least 25 USD per person per day of stay; however, checks are not usually carried out if you have a valid hotel reservation. The visa is valid for 30 days. As it is a tourist visa, it does not entitle foreigners to find a job, start an activity or practice a profession. In these cases you need another type of visa. Tourists who remain for a longer period without permission can be arrested and/or deported; a tourist visa can however be extended before its expiration date for a total maximum of 90 days; therefore, if you plan to stay more than 30 days, ask your resort staff to apply for a visa extension. Visitors in transit can stay in the Maldives for a maximum of 24 hours. In case of delays, it is necessary to modify the permission. Those who want to travel autonomously within the atolls must request a permit called “Inter-Atoll Travel Permit”; applications are handled by the Male’ Atoll Minister.

Airways And Seaplanes Companies

INTERNAL AIRWALYS
ISLAND AVIATION SERVICES
Tel: 009603335544
www.island.com.mv
sales@island.com.mv

SEAPLANCE COMPANIES
MALDIVIAN AIR TAXI
Tel: 009603315201
www.maldivianairtaxi.com
fawzy@maldivianairtaxi.com

TRANS MALDIVIAN AIRWAYS
Tel: 009603312444
www.transmaldivian.com
mail@tma.com.mv

Useful Sites

www.mondomaldive.com – Most complete website about Maldives
www.visitmaldives.com – Website of the Maldives Tourist Office
www.meteorology.gov.mv – Weather forecast department in Male'
www.airports.com.mv – Website of the International Airport in Male'

Flight

Thirty minutes before landing at Hulhule, you can see numerous atolls and islands. It’s an unforgettable experience and an amazing show. Also the landing in Hulhule causes a particular emotion; it is an island properly created for the airport and is also the basis of the two seaplanes companies.

Transportations

The international airport is 2 km far from Male’ and is located on the Hulhule island. Once arrived to the international airport, there are three ways to reach the resorts: by internal flight, seaplane and boat. Internal flights carry tourists to the farthest resorts (i.e. to the northernmost and southernmost Atolls) or to the departure points for live boards in the South. Tourists in possession of a valid hotel reservation will find a member of the resort or tour operator staffs outside the airport, which will help them, reach the resort. At arrival, a staff member withdraws the tourists’ air tickets to return them confirmed before their departure.

Resorts too far for a boat trip can be quickly reached by seaplane. There are two seaplane companies: Maldivian Air Taxi and Trans Maldivian Airways. At their arrival, tourists reach the meeting point of one of the two seaplane companies to check their reservation and label their luggage. Then they reach the water airport by a bus that drives around the runway. Once baggage joins the water airport too, tourists check it in and wait for departure; this generally happens some ten minutes later, but from time to time it can even take a couple of hours. Closer resorts can be reached by speedboat or dhoni and prices are obviously cheaper; in these cases, tourists must reach the pier outside the airport and embark. Tourists without a hotel reservation must to go the tourist information office at the airport. Dhonis are also used for transportation between the airport and Male'. In case you wish to visit Male' before your departure, you can leave your luggage at the airport luggage deposit.