Maldives

Maldives is officially known as Republic of Maldives. Maldives is an island nation consisting of a double chain of 26 atolls and is located in the Indian Ocean- Arabian Sea. Maldives became independent in 1965 and in 1968 became a republic ruled by a President and an authoritarian government.

Climate

Throughout the year temperature remains around 30 C. However, rainfall increases considerably during April-October when its time for southwest monsoon, particularly from June to August.

Get in

Maldives welcomes every tourist provided he has a valid travel document, a return ticket and proof of sufficient funds, defined as either a confirmed reservation in any resort or USD 100 + USD 50/day in cash. Everybody gets a free visa on arrival. You can extend your stay up to 90 days but you'll need to indicate where you are staying for that long.

Importing alcohol, pork, pornography 9Very broadly defined) into Maldives is forbidden and all luggage is X-rayed on arrival. While moving out you can not carry sand, seashells or coral as it is forbidden.

Most of the tourists arrive at Male International Airport located on Hulhule Island right next to the capital Male.

Gan Airport on the southern atoll of Addu is also used by European tourists arriving via Milan.

You can avail services of boats, sea planes (air taxis) and private yachts. The boats are equivalent to car in Maldives, while planes and private yachts are mainly reserved for tourists.

Public ferries and cargo boats are available for budget-conscious tourists.

Independent travel to inhabited islands other than Male requires an Inter Atoll Permit. You can get such permit if you have an invitation from a resident of the island you wish to visit. You have to submit the invitation along with a copy of your passport and MVR10 to get the permit.

Maldives are expensive for you if you have comfort-and service-oriented tour in mind. Resorts have a monopoly on services for their guests and charge accordingly. For mid- range resorts you have to pay USD 1000 per week per couple for meals, drinks and excursion, above and beyond the cost of flights and accommodation.

At the same time, for a traveler who has time, Maldives can be an affordable and possibly rewarding experience, if one's aim is adventure tourism.

A number of inhabited islands have guesthouses with typical prices USD 50-100. At more remote islands, renting rooms in villages is possible at even less than that.

It is important to have in mind that staying on inhabited islands implies respecting the strict Muslim norms (no alcohol, modest dress, reserved behavior). At the same time, the locals are very welcoming and the experience may be much deeper and more rewarding than staying in resorts, depending on one's mindset.

All the resorts are self contained so they have at least one restaurant, which generally serve modern European or generic Asian food. Breakfast is almost always included, and most resorts offer the option half-board, which means you get a buffet dinner and full board which means you get buffet lunch and buffet dinner.

The only other place to get food is Male. Here you get small restaurants and are expensive. You can also get food in small cafes called hotaa selling local Maldivian food at prices as low as MVR20 for a complete meal.

Legally, if you are 18 and not Muslim, you can buy and drink alcohol. However since Maldives are an Islamic nation, alcohol is effectively banned for the local population.

Tap water in resorts may or may not be drinkable- check with management. Bottled water is expensive with USD 5/bottle being typical.

Resort rate guide

This guide uses the following price ranges for a standard double room

Budget            : Under USD 100

Mid-range      : USD 100-300

Splurge           : Over USD300

Most of the resorts take up their own islands, meaning that the ratio of beach to guests must be one of the best in the world and it is hard to imagine that you would ever have to struggle to find your own private piece of beach to relax on, Many have a "no shoe" policy and with such soft sands it is easy to love this idea.

The range and themes of the resorts are impressive, and most people will find one they like. There are three types of resorts.

Dive resorts: They are designed primarily for divers.

Holiday resorts: These are designed primarily for families. These are large and have full complement of facilities. Most of these are located on Kaafu, with easy access from Male

Luxury resorts:  These are designed primarily for guests seeking romance, quality services in an idyllic location.

Since facilities vary from resort to resort. You must research carefully. A good one is certainly worth trying at least once.

When considering where to go, factor in transport time costs from the airport, because more far-flung resorts generally require an expensive seaplane transfer and you may have to stay overnight at the airport.

By now many guesthouses have come up on inhabited islands. Maafushi Island is popular among tourists looking for hassle-free accommodation. Low end prices are Euro 25-35.

Finally I remind you to research properly so that you can save on costs. However if you wish to have hassle-free vacation it is better to plan a packaged vacation.