Natural beauty, the never-ending view of the Indian Ocean, the undisturbed seascapes and the serene natural environment make the Maldives a special place for the many visitors who come here.
The sun, sea, and white coral sand are abundant in the Maldives; and the little tiny islets give a glorious sense of happiness and of being far away from the world and its troubles. Hence, the Maldives has become known to many as the place to learn ‘the art of doing nothing’.
Most of the hotels in Maldives are on its own island and everyone on the island either works at the resort or is a guest. The islands are normally 800 by 200 metres in size and are formed of sand and coral to a maximum height of about 2 metres above the sea. Lush vegetations and swaying coconut palms cover the beautiful islands; a white sandy private beach goes all the way round the island. The island has its own encircling ‘house reef’ which serves as a coral garden and natural aquarium for Scuba divers and snorkelers. The shallow waters enclosed by the house reef serves as a large natural swimming pool and protect swimmers from the ocean waves and strong tidal currents outside the house reef.
The only buildings on the island are the hotel buildings, various facilities and staff lodgings, and housing for support services such as power generators, laundry, catering and sewerage plant. Most islands offer a wide variety of activities, dive centre, and plenty of water-sports from the more conventional wind surfing and water skiing to parasailing. As there are no local communities on the islands, an excursion to the islands to see local living conditions and culture is very interesting. The twenty six islands atolls of Maldives are divided into twenty administrative districts and the capital city Male.
And yes, you really do not need shoes here, even whilst dining. These islands are truly barefoot islands.
Discover Maldives boutique hotels and Maldives luxury hotels with Boutique Luxury Escapes. Our current hotel selection is based on the following islands:
Getting there: International Airport.
Male, a ferry service is available from the airport island to the capital around the clock.
Male transfers: Since the airport island is geographically separate from the capital the only means of transport to the capital is by sea. A special dhoni ferry leaves from the airport jetty to the capital city of Male every 15 minutes which changes to one every 30 minutes after midnight. Set charge per person for the ferry service is $1.00 during normal operating hours and a charge of $2.00 per person at midnight. If required a dhoni can be chartered by for transfer to the capital at set rates. Further details can be attained from the ferry terminal at the jetty of the airport.
Island air transfers: Maldivian Air Taxi and Trans Maldivian Airways operate special air transfer trips to most of the resorts. Transfers are included with most accommodation bookings by the resort operator.
Island speed boat transfers: Some of the resort islands near to Male airport operate their own speed boat transfers and are included with most accommodation bookings.
Dialling Code:
+960
Time Zone:
Maldives is five hours behind of GMT. There is no daylight saving time.
Currency:
The Maldivian currency is the Rufiyaa and Laaree. One Rufiyaa is equivalent to 100 laarees. Rufiyaa bank notes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500. Coins are in the denominations of MRf.2.00, MRf.1.00, 50 laarees, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 laaree. Card.
Currency Exchange:
The US Dollar is the most commonly used foreign currency. Payments in the resorts and hotels can be made in most hard currency in cash, travellers’ cheques or credit cards. Commonly used credit cards are American Express, Visa, Master Card, Diners Club, JCB and Euro.
Credit and Debit Cards:
MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted.
Electricity:
230-240 Volts -AC.
Best time to go:
A year round destination. The dry season is between December and April and hence the high season. It is still warm between May and November but the humidity is higher and there is more chance of rain.
Public Holidays:
Jan: 1 New Years Day, Hajj Day, Eidal Alha (Feast of the Sacrifice). Feb: Islamic New Year. Apr: 21 National Day, Mouloud (Birth of the Prophet). Jul: Huravee Day, 26-27 Independence Day. Sep: 4 Martyrs’ Day. Nov: 3 Victory Day, Ramadan, 11-12 Republic Day.
Note: Muslim festivals are timed according to local sightings of various phases of the moon and the dates given above are approximations. During the lunar month of Ramadan that precedes Eid al-Fitr, Muslims fast during the day and feast at night and normal business patterns may be interrupted. Many restaurants are closed during the day and there may be restrictions on drinking in public places. Some disruption may continue into Eid al-Fitr itself, although this is generally unlikely to affect life on the resort islands. Eid al-Fitr and Eid el-Kebir may last anything from two to ten days, depending on the region.
Entry Requirements:
Free 30 days Visa upon arrival for all visitors
Visitors entering the Republic of Maldives should be in a possession of a valid international travel document issued by the Government of a Sovereign State, a valid return air ticket to a destination where the passenger has permission to enter, together with necessary visas for the onward journey to the next destination, a minimum of US$30.00 per person per day or confirmed hotel reservation for the intended period of stay in the Maldives.
Immunization shots are not required prior to going to the Maldives.