Maldives Info

Insider travel-tips for the Maldives

Info in Pictures

ENTRY-VISA

Before the landing on the Malé airport already must in the airplane a 30 days visa fills out and at the passport control in the airport being handed in:

PLANS, VACATION-CHECK LIST AND VACATION-CALENDARS

WITH THE VACATION-PLANNING, THE (external) KALENDER-365 CAN HELP ...

The suitcases are packed and you forget nothing? Sure is sure. Print my vacation check list and check, whether you have everything remembered! I like to install addition your suggestions by e-mail into this list!

... THIS PDF VACATION-CHECK LIST IS VERY HELPFUL WITH THE PACKS ...

... AND AFTER THE BOOKING, YOU FIND FRIENDS IN MY VACATION-CALENDAR

ENTRY - ARRIVAL

Your passport still must be valid at the entry until the day of the departure and a return flight ticket must be available! The visa can be prolonged with the 'Department of Immigration' in times of 30 till 90 days.

The entry is possible only with a valid hotel reservation. The tourist information in the aiport helps the ''only-flight'' booking tourists forthe transfer to and for a room on a hotel-island. A journey therefore isn't blues possibly into it! Island-hopping is only with a Maledivian journey organizers from Malé or Hulule possibly!

ISLAND-COUNTER  MAP,  WHERE YOU MUST SIGN ON FOR THE TRANSFER

DEPARTURE AND DINERS LOUNGE

Till now to be paid had usual 10 US$ of airport tax on departure, were abolished in 2003. At present whether this for all nations is valid, however, isn't known. Tourists from other countries still must pay sometimes the departure tax!

In order to shape the wait until the takeoff more pleasantly, ban owners be use gratiously one of the in the Diners Club International listet airport lounges, provided she have paid something with their Diners Card within 60 days (stand 2011) before the lounge use.

LIST OF THE DINERS LOUNGES IN THE MALDIVES

IMPORT & EXPORT - CUSTOM

The import of pornographic material of every manner, weapons, ammunition, powder, rockets and drugs is forbidden strictly. Devices for the underwater-hunting, alcohol, anti-Islamic literature and corrosive chemicals also may not be brought. Since the Maldives Islands are an Islamic country, the import of pigs and pig products is also forbidden and also Dogs may not be brought along.

Caution, the Export of such souvenirs to Europe is also covered with to the power of penalties! As nature loving, ambient environment conscious Maledive Islands visitor one should anyway immortalize his souvenirs only on film. The secret smuggling of starfishes, sea horse, mussels, corals (rotting later at home) and other sea-animals is forbidden and only senseless exploitation of the sensitive nature of the Maldives!! The exportation of floor turtles and products still more strictly is punished from tortoise shell.

VACCINATIONS, ILLNESSES, HORMONAL CONTRACEPTIVES

Is to vaccinations and malaria prophylaxis a vaccination isn't then requiredly recommended against yellow fevers unless on the entry from a yellow fever region on the Maledive Islands. Tetanus and hepatitis vaccinations are however never false and your doctor or pharmacist can tell you more about this.

New: Sun-Protection with Jellyfish-Protection in one Product:  Tropeninstitut.
Most health problems are sunburn, ear inflammation and too low liquid taking. You take sun preventives with factor 20 or more and ear drop. Doesn't drink you sufficient liquid and fry you helps himself in the sun

Depending on contraceptive a different protection from pregnancy is possible, but only at some hormonal contraceptives at far journeys the time lag also has to be taken into account! At hormone plaster or hormone inject no time lag has to be taken into account, but only the date of the required renewal. The time lag also has, however, to be taken into account at the contraception pill or mini-contraception pill at far journeys! A customization of the taking times is up to 12 hours time lag required at the standard pill, however, however, at the Mini-Pill as of 3 hours time lag, therefore also on the Maldives !!! Details to this on the side www.verhuetungs-initiative.at (only in German language)! The contraception can, however, at these two contraceptives by diarrhea, vomiting, or storage of the medicine (heat and sun irradiation) more improperly reduces or are even completely lost !!!

JET-LAG

Peoples who have problems with the time difference - the jet-lag - already should drink a lot of water but no drop alcohol in the airplane. At the taking of soporifics the doctor must absolutely be consulted before. As diver one must also to the doctor before the vacation, but not because the jet-lag, but the own health to please.

If the flight goes to the west, one should take off in the morning, at journeys to the east (Maldives) the take-off is more easily compatible in the evening, provided that you sleeps much and doesn't drink any alcohol. Not immediately putting in the blazing sun at circulation problems.

If you must regularly take medicine and the time difference is less than 3 hours, then you don't need to convert the taking times. If the time difference is greater, then you should convert the taking times for medicine with the time difference (e.g. 6 p.m. native country time plus 4 hours time difference is 10 p.m.). Within the first days you can also the time correcting every day by 1 hour plus or minus. The same also applies, where to the return journey the body must accustom back. These conversions are in similar form necessarily also at taking of a hormonal contraceptive !!!

FIRST AID KIT

Take medications principle only in original packed along with all instruction leaflets. You save yourself unnecessary controls under circumstances because of drugs and in the emergency perhaps you can with these medications your live saved, but only, if other knows, what is in all the medication compresses!

In principle, you should as well as strong headaches powders, fever-reducing means for influenza, diarrhea (and the inverse) for ear drops for antibiotics (as stand-by) take pain-killing medications along, against and at allergies perhaps antihistamine and Jacutin for Mites.

If you must take medications regularly, you remember to take sufficiently, if you must stay with a reason out at all longer. If you are diabetic, you should be hired exactly before every far journey.

If you take the Lovenox injection along against journey thrombosis, here is the English-speaking leaflet against possible problems on the entry in the Maldives: Lovenox leaflet English

On the home page of the maldivian Customs and Excise board, you find a list of those medications, that can be brought without authorization. The import of other medications can be approved only with English-language accessory-papers.

HOLIDAY ETIQUETTE MANUAL - DO AND DONT

Maldivian peoples are Muslims, therefore consider that in the Islam other customs are valid than by us!
Alcohol is illegally in the Islam and although alcohol is only allowed on the tourist resorts but however, drink only in measures!

In mosques are long clothes and trousers duty and take a photograph is permit only with permission!

Short trousers are permit only into the resorts. Swimwear is permitted only on the beach but not in the bar or in the restaurant!

On the native-islands must women always carry upper parts of the body and thighs of covering clothing,
during men also can carry shorts and T-shirt.

Trunks and swimsuits, as well as beach-clothing is only on the hotel-islands allowed,
but never allowed with the guesthouse visit on domestic islands.

Bare-swim is prohibited in the entire area of the Maldives, also on boats or uninhabited islands!

Maldivians eat typically with the fingers. Tourists, who would like to eat traditionally,
can never touch foodstuffs with the left hand! In the case of doubt, use a spoon.

Is exactly so frowned on in the restaurant clean the nose, as in the case of us to belch! If you sit at table,
you never show your soles of the foot (e.g. at this over-crosses), because this is regarded as extremely impolite!

Muslim women may welcome men only with a nod of the head!
The population on the native-islands should only be photographed if you have asked them before for permission!

Maldivians use the Islamic greeting "Assalaam Alaikum" likewise for friends and strangers,
thank with "Shukuriyya".

If you are satisfied with the service, then you say this, too, and you show it with a tip, but pay never with coins!

CLOTHES

On the 3 and 4 star islands, as well as on most 5 star resorts reach short trousers and T-shirt or airy clothes or skirts. You need sandals and shoes only for the flight then this islands are so-called "barefooted islands". On some 6 and 7 star island this doesn't suffices any more, because there are even a light suit or long clothes specified.

It is up to you, which swimsuit you wear, but you never carry a String Tanga and bath on not the slightest case without the Bikini top, because this isn't forbidden only in the Maldives but also after the Islamic religion! In the bar, in the coffee shop and in the restaurant swimming trunks, swimsuit or bikini are forbidden!

You can go barefootedly or with bathing sandals on the beach and on the ways of almost all islands. On the long landig-stages or on the footbridges to the water bungalows I always recommend sandals, because the wood gets quite very hot at the equator!

On almost all islands of the type "B" you can perfectly swim in the lagoon and needs not any bathing shoes. On islands of the type "A" or type "C" there isn't any lagoon and in the shallow water around these island are often small coral pieces on this you can hurt himself. You doesn't need bathing shoes, to wade through the corals, because this is not only forbidden, but also can get highly dangerous because of the stone fish, scorpion fish and moray eels.

ABSOLUTELY PROHIBITED

Especially strictly is the penalty at import, trade and/or consume of all type of drugs in the entire area of the Maldives! Attention! In the Maldives, there is still the death penalty even if she was no more executed since 1952!

ENVIRONMENT = PROTECT THE MALDIVES

Save water and electricity because they must be produced in energy eating machines. Handle thriftily detergent and cosmetics article, because detergents cause reef damaging sewages and sun protective substances as well. In the year 2004 wents 600,000 tourists to the Maldives. At an average length of stay from 10 days every tourist has used up at least 125 ml of suntan oil or cream, these are 75,000 litres of oil or emulsion this per annum this by swim and snorkel from the seawater wash again from the skin and poisoned the seawater and kills the plankton and the coral polyps! 75 tons !!!

More about the environmental protection in the Maldives by the action Protect the Maldives here in the Maldives Portal, or in the homepage of the registered association Protect the Maldives.

ISLAND STAFF

The staff on the hotel islands consists from 50 per cent foreign workers from Sri Lanka, India and other Asian countries and to 50 per cent from Maldivians, under this also always more women.

The amount of the tip goes by the length of your holiday on the island. About U.S.$ 10 per week are usual for the room boy, for the waiter in the restaurant and for the waiter in the bar. One gives the porters mostly U.S.$ 1-2, as well the Dhoni crew in case of every excursion or snorkel excursion. It has been different depending on island in the diving bases. In some diving bases we enters the boat crew tip in case of every diving journey, in some diving bases we gives the tip only at the end of the holiday, this then is divided up on all employees. Please, give if possible only U.S.$ and no foreign currencies and coins under no circumstances because these can be never exchanged!

MAIL

INTERNET

TELEPHONE

The telephone-code from Europe to the Maldives is 00960 (+960), the telephone-code from the Maldives to Italy is 0041, to Japane 0043 and to United Kingdom 0049

MOBILE TELEPHONE

You can only cheaply speak in the Maldives with a mobile phone with a Maldives prepaid SIM card with the value-card. If you have a free switched mobile telephone, you can buy a prepaid SIM card on the airport (on the right of the souvenir shop) at the Dhiraagu shop plus a mobile-phone value card and so call cheap to all other maldivian telephone suscribers with the maldivian local postal price from all tourist islands, or considerably more cheaply than with every roaming charges, to call at home!

List all Roaming associates of the state telephone company Dhiraagu

List of all mobile-radio-useful islands of Dhiraagu

List all Roaming associates of Wataniya Telecom Maldives

Which islands can telephone over Wataniya Telecom Maldives

Make telephone calls only in the bungalow and NEVER on the beach, in the restaurant, coffee shop, or in the bar !!!

ELECTRICAL POWER

Mostly, there only are the 2-pole electrical outlets for razors! Everywhere, the power supply amounts 220-230 volts. An English adapter plug in the main is needed: 3-pole with flat, square contacts. Although you can outwit these electrical outlets with a thin synthetic material bar (thin handle of a comb), but you should imitate this under no circumstances and already use not the slightest metal pin, because one passes serious danger and gets an adapter at 220 volts freely for the reception!

There is a key counter in some bungalows into which one must put the small plate of the bunch of keys. Is the key not slipped in, are in the room, apart from air conditioner and refrigerator, all other equipment without electrical power, perhaps also put on battery chargers !

Since mostly there is only one free electrical outlet in the bungalow, a distributor is very helpful to several battery chargers. Although the distributor plug in this figure is still available in some countries of the EU, but forbidden in Germany in Switzerland and in Austria already!

MONEY & GRATUITY

Read how the new European currency, the Euro, gains acceptance on the Maldives

Foreign currencies may one in arbitrary set and are exported. The most common currency is the US Dollar and you can pay on all resorts, but you can pay with the Euro on the most resorts, too (but with a bad exchange rate!). The US $ are exchanged in all banks at authorized coin changers at the airport and in all hotels. The credit cards accepted on all islands are: American Express, Mastercard and Visa on the most islands, Dinersclub get only on some and Eurocard gets only on very few islands accepted. The collective calculations, plus the 10% service increase, are paid in the evening before the departure on all islands. One only immediately then pays for possible further Consumation before the departure. The maldivian currency, the Rufiaa, may not be exported. The Euro is the line of the MRF like.

Since some time a service increase of 10% gets for this purpose calculated on all prices and this money is divided up at the complete island staff. However, one gives the Room bellboy and the permanent waiter in the restaurant and in the bar an additional small tip in the amount of 5 to maximum 10 US $ per week. Gives the Dhoni-crew by exit 1 US $, as well the porters per portable case. Never give the tip only at your departure !!! Give the tip on the 2nd vacation You will see, this (almost) always works miracles. A practical cheap lighter and/or a ballpoint pen raises the mood of your bellboy immensely and costs you hardly anything!

SPORT

Apart of the two main sports diving and snorkeling you can on almost all islands catamaran-sailing and play tennis or table tennis. On some islands you can in addition drive water-ski or water Scooter, operate Para-sailing, row, windsurfing, Kite surf, drive a glass floor boat or row in a canoe. On some islands you can also play squash, football, beach volleyball or Cricket. On Kuredu you can play Golf and you can year-roundly surf in the 2-4 meter high waves in the new surfing paradise Lhohifushi!

Maldivian diving regulations of the government from June 24th 2003

ESSENTIAL REPRESENTATIONS

Maldives Tourism Promotion Board
Male, Maldives, Telephone +960-323228, Fax: +960-323229 mtpb@visitmaldives.com

Maldives Government Tourist Information Office
Bethmannstraße 58, 4th Floor, D-60311 Frankfurt/Main, Germany, Tel.: +49-69-2740 4420
Fax: +49-69-2740 4422 maldivesinfo.ffm@t-online.de

Fee consul for Germany on the Maledive Islands
Dr. Ibrahim Maniku, 38 Orchid Magu, Male 20-25, Tel: +960-322971, Fax: +960-322678.