The Complete Guide to Visiting Maldives!!

I can guarantee if there is one place in the world to take the most epic honeymoon it's Maldives. The Maldives are the epitome of island paradise and the dream destination of pretty much everyone you ask – seriously, ask anyone around you right now if they’d want to visit the Maldives.

These pristine, beautiful islands in the Indian Ocean are a haven of natural beauty and one of those places that definitely lives up to the hype, as we got to discover recently.

Prior to booking our flights, I hadn’t really done much research into the Maldives and shortly after booking, I soon realised how it was a lot trickier than I initially thought. Had no clue on where to stay, what to do, eat and activities!

To help you guys the first time you visit Maldives, I have put together this guide to plan your Maldives trip a lot better than I did. These should help you to make the most of your time in one of the most beautiful places on earth!!

Some of the things you must know before you go ahead:

1. The Maldives is a muslim country. This means no alcohol so on your way over, skip the duty free purchases. If you buy any, you will get it taken off you at the airport (they used to keep it for you until you left but I’m not sure if that still happens). Point is, you’re not allowed to bring alcohol with you.
2. The capital city of Male is a proper city and probably one of the least photographed places on here. This is where a lot of locals live and tourists never seem to visit. Even when you arrive at Male airport, you really don’t arrive on Male island itself, you actually arrive on Hulhulé Island.
3. Now while the individual resort islands in the Maldives are pretty liberal, the Maldives as a country is quite conservative so act accordingly when you’re in places like the airport. Don’t worry, you’ll have plenty of time to get into your bikini and speedos when you get to your own island resort.
4. Each resort tends to be on its own island.
5. Each resort typically has unique features and characters so bear this in mind when booking. They are NOT all the same – despite what the water-villa and snorkelling photos might have you believe.
6. Peak season in the Maldives is December till April and the prices during this period will reflect this! There’s a good reason to visit in peak season of course (the amazing weather being one of them) but Maldivian weather is pretty good all year round so if you want to save on some money, it’s worth considering visiting outside of peak season.
7. A lot of the islands here have their own time (island time is a real thing here). It’s typically an hour behind local time in Male and leaves you with ‘more time’ to do things like enjoy the sunset before dinner and generally feel like you’re somewhere entirely different.

What to Pack:

Clothes - Seriously, this is one place you definitely do NOT need to over pack for.

We’re talking light and breezy summer clothes. No one is here for your fashion and the vibe everywhere is definitely too laid back to care. Pack a couple of smart clothes in case you feel like dressing up in the evenings but you might find that you’re the only one who wants to.

Toiletries - Pack the usual stuff. Do remember to take extra sunscreen though as there’s a lot of water based activities here so you’ll find that you need to top up a lot more here.

Cameras - Don’t forget to pack your underwater camera as well.

Everything else - Pack as usual. These islands are used to having guests and there are shops on them so if you forget any essentials, chances are that you can get them here so don’t worry.

Don’t forget your medication (if you’re on any) though some islands have their own on island Doctors

How to Get There?

There are direct flights out of some cities or you could fly via Colombo or some transit point. Getting to the islands is the bit you need to remember to sort out and plan ahead.

Between Islands

Booking a stay at more than one place in the Maldives is a great way to cram in as many new experiences as possible in your time there. Each island is unique and moving around helps you relive the excitement of discovering somewhere new in the Maldives.

To get to and from the islands, you tend to have one (or two) of three options depending on which island you’re in. You can either:

1. Arrive by boat
2. Travel by seaplane (the most expensive option and by far the most scenic). Seaplane journeys are dependent on the weather so do bear that in mind when it comes to arranging your return.
3. Travel to a local airport and then connect by boat

Don’t leave this till the last minute. If possible, my best suggestion is that you try to experience the seaplane at least one. The journey on this is quite picturesque and it’s a unique way to see the Maldives.

Stay at Maldives

If you don’t stay in a All Inclusive resort, be aware that you will have to pay (much) more than expected. Extras can be very expensive in Maldives and not only in Luxury Resorts. Food and Drinks have to be shipped from abroad to Male (the capital Island) and then from Male to the Resorts.

The majority of travellers will stay at one of the roughly 120 self-contained island resorts throughout Maldives. Each is on its own island and provides accommodation, meals, and activities for its guests

Booking resorts through travel agents is nearly always cheaper than doing so directly, with some amazing deals to be had compared with the eye-watering rack rates.

Don’t worry about the judicious use of Photoshop in brochures – almost every resort in Maldives will get you a superb beach, amazing weather and turquoise waters overlooked by majestic palms.

Every resort cultivates a distinct atmosphere to appeal to its guests. Before choosing a resort decide on the type of holiday you want and the atmosphere most conducive to providing it. Honeymooners who find themselves surrounded by package-tour groups and screaming children may quickly come to regret their decision.

What To Eat

From my experience, the food in the Maldives will be the least of your worries. Every place has a lot of variety on offer and if you have specific dietary requirements, inquire in advance though you’ll be hard-pressed to find a place that can’t cater to you.

What to See and Do

There’s so much you can get up to here and although it’s best to check with your island resort to see what’s on offer, here are some reliable options you can count on regardless of where you’re located.

1. Go snorkelling - Even from beach in front of you, you jump right in can straight away start to experience the beautiful and rather varied Maldivian wildlife.
2. Have a romantic meal - Private island dining, candlelit dinner by the beach, special villas – the choices are endless. Choose one and make it special.
3. Go swimming with sharks - Swimming with whale sharks is definitely one of those unique experience you’ll be talking about for ages but even if you arrive out of season, you can still go swimming with black tip sharks who are around pretty much all year round.
4. Take a guided tour with marine biologist - Snorkelling on your own is great but going with an expert is so much better. They spot things you might otherwise miss and are able to help you make the most of your experience here.
5. Go on a sunset tour - If you’re lucky, you’ll see some dolphins while you’re at it too.
6. Have a spa day - You don’t even need to over-think this one. Just do it.
7. Go swimming with manta rays - Like whale sharks, manta rays are huge and very impressive to see in the wild.

Some Money Saving Tips:

I’m going to be frank about this, a trip to the Maldives is an expensive affair but worth every penny. It’s a premium, luxury destination and that’s the honest truth though there are a few ways to make savvy savings while having the holiday of a lifetime.

1. Go half board - You’ll be surprised at how easy it is to do this here. You end up having breakfast quite late anyway and if like me, you tend to over-indulge at every meal, you’ll find that by the time lunch-time rolls by, you’re not hungry enough for another meal.
2. Visit out of season - Prices are lower, availability is better and you still get the great weather.
3. Move around - Stay in the more expensive water villas to start (or at the end of your holidays) and move to a beach villa later on. Or perhaps even just move across islands.

Travel and Explore. Enjoy the Maldives Dream Honeymoon & Holidays!!