Travel Info Maldives
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MaldivesTravel Tips‘’The Pearls’’ of the Indian Ocean, as the Maldives are known, are situated in the South West of Sri Lanka, on the equator. Sun, sand and sea, a thousand ‘Robinson Crusoe’ islands; massive lagoons with different depths and infinite shades of blue and turquoise; dazzling underwater coral gardens - a perfect natural combination for the ideal tropical holiday destination. Reasons for visiting the Indian Ocean Islands
Interesting Places to Visit
Maldive ArchipelagoThe Maldives make up 1 190 coral reef islands, forming an archipelago of 26 major atolls (groups of neighboring coral islands). The country stretches 820 km north to south and 120 km east to west. Out of the incredibly large number of islands only 200 islands are inhabited and only 44 islands adapted as exclusive resort islands. FlightsWeekly charter flights are operated by European wholesale operators. The schedule flights are Emirates, Sri Lankan, Indian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Malaysian Airlines and Air Seychelles. Air Seychelles from Mahe and Emirates from Dubai are the only convenient connecting flights for the clients from South African. Passenger Service fee: A passenger service fee of US$ 10 is levied per person on departure. VisasOn arrive all visitors are issued with a free 30 day visa. No prior visa is required to enter the Republic of Maldives. Entry permit will be granted to visitors on arrival at designated ports of entry, based on the immigration requirements. CurrencyThe Maldivian currency is the Rufiyaa and Laaree. Rufiyaa bank notes come in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500. Coins are in the denominations of MRf.2.00, MRf.1.00, 50 laarees, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 laaree. The US Dollar is the most commonly used foreign currency. Payments in the resorts and hotels can be made in most hard currency in cash, travelers’ cheques or credit cards. Commonly used credit cards are American Express, Visa, Master Card, Diners Club, JCB and Euro Card. HealthHealth care facilities are improving almost on a daily basis. The Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) in Male’ is the biggest hospital in the country providing sophisticated medical care. ADK Hospital is the biggest private health care facility and follows high medical standards. Some resorts have in-house doctors. A decompression chamber is within easy reach of most resorts in case of a diving emergency. What to wearDress is generally casual. T-shirts and cotton clothing are most suitable. In Male’, the capital island and other inhabited islands it is recommended that women wear modest clothing. Travel InsuranceIf you need medical care whilst on holiday, it is best to be aware that medical providers may not accept payment through your insurance company. In these circumstances you will have to pay in full after your treatment and file a claim with your insurance company for reimbursement. Therefore you should have access to cash, either from a credit card or by wire transfer. If you need assistance contact the country's local embassy or representative. To be compensated you must be treated by licensed medical personnel and provide your insurance company with proper documentation and receipts. It is advisable to always ensure you have a comprehensive travel insurance policy which covers you for repatriation to your home country. ClimateGenerally warm and humid. Sun shines all year through. Average temperatures are around 29 - 32 degrees Celsius. Best Time to TravelThe best time to travel to the Maldives is from 15th December to end April. This is the east monsoon, sea conditions are usually calm and it rarely rains. However, the rates are high compared to the period of May to November. It rains during west monsoon from May to November. It does not rain for days on end. Sometimes sea condition gets rough and choppy. The Annual average daily temperature is between 30.4 and 25.4 degrees Celsius. LanguageDhivehi is the language spoken in all parts of the Maldives. English is widely spoken by Maldivians and visitors can easily make themselves understood getting around the capital island. In the resorts, a variety of languages are spoken by the staff including English, German, French, Italian and Japanese. Power SupplyThe electric system is 230-240 Volts, AC Time ZoneGMT + 5 hours Submit an enquiry so we can help you tailor-make and plan a once in a life-time holiday to any one of these ‘’Indian Ocean Islands’’. We can also combine this with any other destination in Southern Africa or East Africa. |