Maldives Travel Guide provides an accurate account of this fascinating island nation which is located between India and Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean and is blessed with unique tropical weather all year round. Maldives is a sovereign country that is not associated with any international political organization. It is also known as the Small Isle of Heaven and is almost entirely covered with water approximately 90% of the island is land. The rest is made of tiny coral atolls.
The Maldives Travel Guide will give you helpful information on everything you need to know before visiting the island nation. This small archipelago is found between India and Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean and is not far from them. Maldives Travel Guide offers details on how to reach the island from the Indian Ocean with ease by air or sea. The capital city Doha is just six hundred kilometers away from here. You can also find cheap flights to Doha by booking direct from the airline or through a Maldives travel guide.
A travel guide will tell you that diving is one of the most popular activities in Maldives. There are several places that offer amazing marine life including whales, dolphins, turtles, rays, hammerheads and barracuda. There are many dive centers around the island. Most of these dive centers have live and showing sea creatures such as manta rays, hammerheads and barracuda. Some diving sites offer you the chance to watch live humpback whales.
Resorts and guest houses are commonly available in every size and style. There are luxurious resorts like White Sandorama that overlook the crystal clear waters of the ocean and there are inexpensive guest houses that are clean and decent. These resorts and guest houses have private pools, jacuzzis and outdoor eating areas. Resorts and hotels usually provide you with breakfast, lunch and dinner at your hotel or resort room. Some travel guides suggest staying in Maldives resorts as compared to staying in hotels since there are fewer facilities and services. Maldives resorts usually charge higher rates for additional conveniences like Jacuzzis and internet connection.
When you are on holiday in Maldives, you need to take time out to explore the local islands. You may choose to stay on a resort or a beach house depending on your budget and your personal preference. However, a travel guide should help you in choosing the best option for your accommodation. If you plan to stay for a couple of days, it is important that you book into a resort with two or three rooms because there are limited spaces in most resorts.
Resorts in most cases have private beaches that offer spectacular views of the marine life in the area. There are usually a number of activities going on in the marine park on each of the islands. Maldives travel guide can help you get an idea about the marine park and the resort on the island so that you know what activities you can expect during your stay there.
There are also some local islands that are popular tourist spots. Some of the popular islands include Long Reef, Pink and White Flag. You can expect to enjoy clean and safe beaches, clear water, sea turtles and coral reefs. You can opt to stay at guesthouses and resorts such as Diamond Harbour Guest House, Coral View Guesthouse and Rainbow Guesthouse. Each of these guesthouses and resorts offers different kinds of amenities, such as jacuzzis, tennis courts, shopping centers, gymnasium and swimming pool.
Diving sites can also be explored by spending time in resorts and guesthouses in Maldives. Most resorts provide you with expert guides who can teach you about the marine life in the area. The world-class diving sites in the area include White sea and Black sea. Most of the resorts and guesthouses in Maldives have dive centers where you can learn how to scuba dive and explore the underwater world. There are times when you can also go to sea and experience live-aboard life.
Up to date information for vaccinations before you travel to Maldives are available from the NHS Fit for Travel website.
Review the latest FCDO Travel Advice before travelling to or from Maldives
The best time to visit the Maldives is between November and April. The climate is warm and tropical, with average highs at a consistent 29°C to 31°C year-round and average lows rarely falling below 24°C. January to April are the driest months, with little rain and low humidity, making this peak season at the resorts.
If entering Maldives as a tourist, you will be granted a 30 day visa upon arrival and your passport must be valid for a minimum of one month. However, if arriving by air, most airlines will require that your passport should be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of entry into the Maldives.
See which forms you may need for entry into Maldives.
The official currency of Maldives is the Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR). If you're looking to transfer or spend money in Maldives you can grab amazing Maldivian Rufiyaa deals via Wise.com (GBP to MVR).
There is an amazing diversity of sealife in the Maldives archipelago, with corals and over 2,000 species of fish, ranging from colorful reef fish to the Caribbean reef shark, moray eels, and a wide variety of rays: manta ray, stingray, and eagle ray. The Maldivian waters are also home for the whale shark.
Dhivehi food? Gulha is the national dish of Maldives, a deep-fried pastry ball filled with smoked fish such as Maldive fish or tuna, along with desiccated coconut and onions. The snacks are usually sold at small cafés known as hotaa, or in shops scattered throughout the island.
You can typically expect to pay around £2.23p for an equivalent pint of lager or beer.
While Dhivehi is spoken throughout the country, also known as the Republic of the Maldives, as the dominant language, other dialects also exist here, such as Malé (which is actually the standard form of Maldivian and spoken in the capital city of the Maldives), Mulaku, Huvadhu, Maliku, Haddhunmathee, Mulaku and Addu. You can learn some basic Dhivehi before you travel to Maldives and really impress the locals!
The currency in Maldives is the Maldivian Rufiyaa (Tipping is not compolsory in the Maldives as 10% service charge is added to everything - but given the low salaries earned by the staff and the level of service generally offered as being excellent it is a nice gesture to help the staff of resorts to earn some extra money - It is also not entirely certain that the 10%).
The GMT time difference is 4 hours