Tips and Tricks When Travelling to Maldives for the Holidays
Planning to spend the holidays in the Maldives? Wonderful and jolly good choice, and so, here are some minor things to remember before and during your travels.
All tourists are issued a 30-day visa, the normal valid international travel requirement issued by the Maldivian government as an entry permit to the country. There are daily flights from around the world to Velana International Airport (formerly Ibrahim Nasir International) in Malé City, the capital city. While some resort and holiday packages include flights, most do not, so you will need to book your own tickets in conjunction with whatever packages you procured. Almost all major airlines cover flights to and from the Maldives. If you booked for a holiday package, a representative will always be at whatever airport you are arriving to meet you.
Best time to holiday in the Maldives
The usual advice from resorts will be from November to April. However, the Maldives can be visited any time of the year since whether the weather is in the wet or dry season, the islands are always bathed in fair weather since they are not in the usual path of storms, hurricanes, or cyclones in the Indian Ocean.
If you are a diving and snorkelling enthusiast, there are available diving packages such as that offered by Adventure Maldives. Most of the islands are beautiful to explore underwater with natural rock formations, lagoons, and a variety of undersea life. Some islands have dive wrecks that date back to World War 2 or are old boats and ships that have been sunk purposely. For diving professionals, you only need to bring your C-cards, log books, and dive gear. Tanks and weights are provided in diving packages. Should you choose an itinerary for “live aboard diving,” the diving boats are first class and well maintained. The ocean is calm most of the time. Each diving boat has at least 3 Padi certified diving guide on board.
Money
All resorts and travel firms in the Maldives accept most major credit and debit cards, except American Express and Diners Club. Bank transfers are also accepted. All credit cards are subject to a 5% fee. Currency accepted for transactions is the local currency Rufiyaa and U.S. Dollar. Other major currencies can be exchanged at all banks, tourist island resorts, and hotels.