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Visas and Passports (Info provided for SA
passport holders only):
A valid passport (must be valid for at least 6
months from return date) is required to enter
Maldives and a return or onward ticket.
Tourist visas are issued free of charge on arrival
for a stay of up to 30 days maximum, (extensions are
possible). All visitors will be required to have
proof of their accommodation for the duration of
stay, as well as a valid return air ticket at hand
when entering Maldives.
The above requirements are subject to change at any
time without prior notice. It is therefore very
important that you contact the relevant consulate
before you travel, to confirm all relevant
requirements to enter the Maldives.
Health Precautions(Info provided for SA passport
holders only):
Vaccinations: No Vaccinations needed for
South-Africans.
Malaria: No Malaria Risk.
The above information is subject to change at any
time without prior notice. It is therefore very
important that you contact a travel clinic before
you travel to confirm all relevant requirements to
enter the Maldives.
Travel Insurance:
It is extremely important that you have adequate
travel insurance.
Travel Expeditions offers adequate travel insurance
for your international travel. If you receive free
travel insurance by paying with your credit card,
please make sure that the cover is adequate. Travel
Expeditions make use of TIC travel insurance which
covers up to R50 000 000 in medical and related
expenses (depending on the policy chosen) as well as
up to R25 000 baggage insurance (depending on the
policy chosen). A valuable insurance cover can come
in very handy when needed. The free travel
insurance your credit card company provides when you
pay for your flight tickets with your credit card,
might be very basic. Travel Expeditions can top-up
your free credit card travel insurance for a small
fee so that your cover is more comprehensive if you
feel that the free credit card insurance is too
basic.
No one expects a confirmed trip to be cancelled,
having to pay extra amounts when a sudden emergency
situation [Medical Expenses, Assistant Services,
Hospitalisation, Accidental Death or Disability,
Trip Cancellation or Curtailment, Hijacking, Baggage
Loss, Baggage Delay, Travel Delay, Stolen cash or
travel documents, Loss of cash or travel documents
and Personal Liability Law Suits] occurs. However,
unfortunately these situations do arise – make sure
that you will not be caught off-guard.
Security and general Airline Regulations:
Due to all destinations enforcing security
restrictions and altering these restrictions from
time to time we strongly suggest that you check with
the applicable airline a few days prior to your
departure to ensure that the information below is
correct and no additional requirements have been
enforced.
Permitted items in hand luggage:
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All liquids shall be required to be carried in
containers with a capacity not greater than
100ml (or the equivalent in other volumetric
measurements, e.g. fluid ounces). Other
liquids, aerosols and gels that are considered
liquid, shaving lotion and other foams, creams
and lotions, pastes including toothpaste,
mascara, lipsticks, perfumes, sprays, and gels
including hair and shower gels.
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Liquids carried in containers larger than 100ml
are not to be accepted, even if the container is
only partly-filled.
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Containers shall be placed in a transparent
re-sealable plastic bag of a maximum capacity
not exceeding 1 litre. The containers must fit
comfortably within the transparent plastic bag,
which should be completely closed.
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The plastic bag shall be presented by the
departing passenger for visual examination and
subsequent screening through x-ray at the
screening point.
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Only one transparent plastic bag per passenger
shall be permitted.
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Any item that does not fit into a transparent
re-sealable plastic bag as described above, the
item will not be permitted beyond the security
screening point.
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Examples of LAGS include, but are not limited
to: Water and other drinks, soups, syrups,
creams, lotions and oils, perfumes, sprays,
gels, including hair and shower gels, contents
of pressured containers, including shaving foam,
other foams and deodorants, pastes including
toothpaste, liquid-solid mixtures, mascara, any
other items of similar consistency.
There are a few exemptions where the above
restrictions are not to be applied to:
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In respect of liquids purchased by departing
passengers either at airport duty free shops, or
on board aircraft, such liquids must be packed
in a sealed plastic bag that is both tamper
evident and displays satisfactory proof of
purchase at airport duty free shops or on board
the aircraft, on the day of the journey. This
also applies to transfer passengers.
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Medications, Baby Mild/Foods and Special Dietary
Requirements, provided the genuineness of these
items is verified through prescriptions.
Physical Checks and visual inspection will be
made by screening staff.
Please note, the airlines will no longer accept any
item of baggage exceeding 32kg in weight or size
exceeding 900mm x 720mm x 450mm. This is enforced
to comply with Health and Safety laws.
Golf bags or other sport equipment can be
transported at additional charges. (Weight limits
might apply).
If you are taking golf clubs or other sporting
equipment to Maldives, please notify us so that we
can ensure the airline is informed and that adequate
transportation to and from the hotel has been booked
to accommodate the additional requirements. Please
note that surcharges may apply.
Import Allowances:
Passengers are not allowed to carry any type of
alcohol when traveling to Maldives.
Climate:
The Maldives enjoy warm tropical temperatures year
round, and a great deal of sunshine. Temperatures
vary very little.
Northeast monsoon (November to April) - Tropical;
hot, humid; dry.
Southwest monsoon (June to August) – Rainy.
Daytime showers are usually short-lived, with most
heavy downpours occurring at night.
Money:
US$ are widely accepted in most establishments.
There are foreign exchange facilities available at
most hotels and banks, but it is recommended that
you exchange Rands to Dollars before departure.
Credit cards are accepted at most of the major
hotels, restaurants and resorts. There are no ATM’s
within Resorts (each Resort is on its own island).
You will have to travel to Male (the Main island in
Maldives) to withdraw from ATMs. Best is to travel
with hard cash in US$, but this is not the safest.
Traveller’s cheques are the safest, but cannot be
exchanged everywhere. There is little need for
Rufiyaa, except when shopping for souvenirs on local
islands. Consult the Bureau de change where you
change your currency before you leave SA for the
best recommendations on how to carry your money to
your destination.
What To Pack:
Light and loose cotton clothing is recommended. It
is useful to have some rubber shoes in case of
coral, but there’s no problem with sea urchins.
Restaurants in the Maldives do not insist on formal
wear. If you have, pack your own snorkel, goggles
and flippers.
HOTEL DRESS-CODE POLICIES:
While swimming trunks, beach wear, and shorts are
acceptable during the daytime around the hotel, the
hotel requires guests to dress appropriately for
dinner in the restaurants:
For Gentlemen: Long pants, closed shoes, and
t-shirts with a collar or shirts.
For Ladies: Smart casual wear, including trousers,
skirts, or dresses.
What Things Cost – Guideline only:
The cost of meals, snacks and drinks at the hotels
of Maldives are generally more expensive than in
South Africa. You might find a local café or
restaurant in Male town that offers more affordable
prices. A guideline is that meals and drinks are
usually 2 to 4 times more expensive than in
South-Africa. Occasionally goods can even be more
expensive, especially imported alcoholic wines and
drinks. Taking this into consideration, it is
important to budget enough spending money for your
proposed trip, taking into consideration your chosen
meal plan of the package booked.
Rough Guide:
Budget minimum between R250 to R400 (Rand Value) per
person per day (for a light lunch and roughly 2 to 3
drinks per person per day as most packages includes
breakfast and dinner).
Bottled water – US$4 – US$5
Beer – US$6 – US$8
Cold drinks – US$5 to US$8
Alcoholic Drinks – US$8 – US$15
Fruit Juice – US$4.5 to US$8
Toasted sandwich – US$10 – US$15
Light lunches – US$11 to US$15
Evening flavour:
Most hotels offer evening entertainment and at most
hotels you will experience cultural shows.
Divers:
Like a scattered string of pearls, the Maldives is
endowed with a serene placid atmosphere and wealthy
underwater kingdom. This destination offers a great
package of unlimited adventure and pleasure. The
Maldives boasts of its innumerable dive sites with
rich and colourful marine species. Famed for its
coral gardens and multi-colour fishes, the Maldives
beckons earnest divers to explore the underwater
world. Channels are created out of atolls’ rim,
which provide the best diving spots in the
Maldives. Most of the atolls in the Maldives have
reefs surrounding a lagoon. The average water
temperatures vary between 24 degrees Celsius and 27
degrees Celsius and visibility ranges between 15 and
40 m. Local Terms – Thillas = coral reef a few
metres below the surface; Kandhu = see inside
atoll. Maldives is truly a diver’s paradise.
Best time for diving:
November and April are reported to be the best
months for diving.
Most Popular Spots:
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Baa Atoll - This atoll is blessed with various
diving sites in thilas, channel and coral reef. You
can spot sharks throughout the year. The tranquil
atmosphere, warm crystal water, rich coral gardens
and colourful reef fishes make this atoll one of the
better diving choices in the Maldives.
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Lhaviyani - Located 140km from Male, Lhaviyaqni
Atoll or Faadhippolhu has innumerable exotic dive
sites. Dive in the Fahigiri Reef to the eastern tip
of the Fehigili channel. The reef consists of caves
housing soldierfish, harlequin sweetlips and
squirrelfish. You may also be lucky enough to find
grey reef sharks, tuna, trevally and barracuda.
Kanuhuraa Kandu offers exquisite drift diving.
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Raa Atoll - Also known as North Maalhosomadulu
comprising of more than 90 isles. This atoll has a
length of 65km and a width of 28km with
exceptionally good dive sites and a high
concentration of marine species and soft coral
gardens.
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Vaavu - Also named Felidhoo Atoll – right below the
South Male Atoll, comprising of 19 beautiful
islets. To the eastern edge of the atoll, Fotteyo
Kandu is one of the most favored dive sites and
counted as one of the top five dive sites in the
world. To the eastern side of the Vaavu atoll,
reefs are perfect for snorkeling and diving. You
might even spot hammerhead sharks here. Miaru Kandu
and Dhiggiri Corner have a high concentration of
aquatic species including gray reef sharks, giant
tunas, eagle rays and many other colourful reef
fishes.
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North Male Atoll - This atoll has a myriad of dive
spots with rich aquatic species. Lion’s Head
located in Vaadho Channel offers the best site for
drift diving with a depth of 3 to 30 m. Rasfari,
outside of Rasfari Island will take you to the
underwater adventure with sharks and mantas, Banana
Reef, a reef shaped like a banana, is the first ever
dive location discovered in the Maldives. The wreck
of the Maldives Victory near Hulhule airport island
lies 35m deep housing turtles, giant trevallies,
groupers, fusiliers and jackfish.
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