Bright white sandy beaches. And coconut palms swaying gently in the wind. And crystal-clear water that is bathtub temperature. The Maldives are a real dream destination – aren’t they? We think so: Yes! However, there are a few things you should know. That’s why we’re sharing our best tips for the Maldives with you here. And we’ll also answer a few questions.
Where to book you trip to the Maldives
That’s easy. Go to a travel agent. We’re dead serious. At first glance, this may seem a little retro. Or you may even think that your trip will be more expensive that way. But the opposite is true. In Europe, we have the so-called Package Travel Act. It applies when you book more than one service at a travel agency. For example, a flight and hotel together. That’s a pretty good idea, because then you’re safe in case of an emergency. We think of March 2020, for example, when travel agents did their best to get all their guests home from their holiday destinations. So if you book through a travel agent, you have extra security.
The best thing is to go to a travel agency that specialises in the island destination. Then the person advising you can recommend exactly what suits you best. The travel agency staff know many different resorts. And most of the time they can also get you particularly cheap flights and a few extras. Especially when you’re travelling so far afield (and potentially spending quite a lot of money), that’s not a bad thing.
What’s the best Resort in the Maldives?
This question is the hardest of all. It really depends entirely on what you value most. This is one of the most important tips for the Maldives: Know thyself! That means: Think very carefully about who you travel with. Think about your travel budget. And decide whether you prefer a romantic and luxurious trip or a more basic one. Or are you a larger group of friends? Are you travelling alone? In the past, the Maldives were a pure honeymoon destination. And just a few years ago, we would have strongly advised you not to travel to the Maldives as singles or with your best friend.
Simply because it can be quite annoying to have happy couples in front of you all the time. And you’re just sitting around alone. Of course, it’s difficult to make contacts and find connections that way. But that has also changed a lot in the meantime. More and more resorts are also focusing on single travellers. The Nova Maldives is one of them. Or have enough activity and leisure activities that groups of friends are also well catered for. Siyam World, for example, falls into this category. You want pure romance? Then book the Baros Maldives.
When is the best Time to go to the Maldives?
In summer to the Maldives? At first glance, that might not seem so tempting. After all, it’s usually quite warm here too. And somehow you don’t really feel like flying very far away. In fact, it seems more dreamlike to escape the winter in Europe. As far as the weather is concerned, it is actually quite stable in the Maldives. The Maldives is a year-round destination with a stable 30 degrees.
So it never gets cold. But what about the rainy season in the Maldives? It usually rains less during the months from November to April. However, the archipelago remains a tropical destination. That means it is never really dry anyway. The high season scores with clearer skies. But you should also bear this in mind: Travel is much more expensive then.
Eating and drinking in the Maldives
Das ist vielleicht einer unserer wichtigsten Tipps für die Malediven. Schließlich wollen wir ja weder, dass ihr verdurstet, noch, dass ihr verhungert. Natürlich ist es auf den ersten Blick günstiger, wenn ihr Halbpension bucht. Bedenkt aber, dass ihr in eurem Resort quasi “gefangen” seid.
This is perhaps one of our most important tips for the Maldives. After all, we don’t want you to die of thirst or starvation. Of course, at first glance it is cheaper to book half board. But keep in mind that you are “trapped” in your resort. If you get hungry in between meals, the only option is to go to the à la carte restaurant. And when you grudgingly pay 25 dollars for a canned beer for the second time, you’ll want an all-inclusive plan. It almost always pays off. Because when you’re chilling on the tropical beach, you have to make sure you drink enough fluids 😉
Self Catering in the Maldives
You want to bring your own alcohol? Think again. The Maldives is a strict Muslim country. It is therefore strictly forbidden to bring in alcohol. If you get caught with it, there will be real trouble. You don’t want that, I promise. The resort islands have a special status, so you can get alcohol there without any problems.
Rules of Conduct in the Maldives
Now you might be wondering what other rules of conduct apply in the Maldives. Well, not many. Since you are our valued readers, we are sure you know how to behave in the wider world. In the Maldives, you just shouldn’t walk around naked or topless if you’re a woman. At least outside your private villa. But that brings us to an important point: no drones in the Maldives.
In fact, most resorts now have a ban on flying drones for private guests. We thought that was stupid at first, too. After all, we had dragged Drohnie along specially. But at the latest, when we were lying on our sun deck, not particularly heavily clothed, aka “naked”, and the buzzing of the neighbour’s drone sounded, we understood the drone ban. And we liked it.
What to pack for the Maldives
Packing your suitcase for the Maldives is easy. First and foremost, you need swimwear. Take nice throws with you; everything as loose and airy as possible. Linen, for example, worked very well. What we had to learn painfully: long UV trousers and shirts are real lifesavers for extended snorkelling tours. We like to have our own equipment. That’s why we always bring our own snorkelling set and fins. That way we know that everything fits perfectly.
Be sure to pack sunscreen with SPF 50 and after sun lotion. And don’t forget to use it generously several times a day. Make sure you use reef-friendly sunscreen products. Be sure to take your Gopro with you too. Maldives uses type D or G sockets, so you will need a suitable travel adapter.
Is Island-Hopping a good Idea?
That also depends. If you are travelling for a longer time, it is certainly a good idea to visit several islands. After all, the Maldives have so much to offer. And if you’re already there, you should take advantage of it. If you only have a week, in the worst case you will lose a lot of time between the individual islands.
Tipps for Travelling to the Maldives
The thing about seaplanes … We love them. It’s always an experience when the pilots turn up in flip-flops. And when you see the islands, scattered like little pearls in the ocean, from above. It’s exciting. But: it is often also quite exhausting. The small seaplanes can’t fly at night or in very strong winds. In the worst case, you’ll be stuck in TMA’s (overcrowded) lounge for several hours. What to do?
Our tip: Choose resorts that are accessible by speedboat for your arrival and departure. For example, from Baros, one of our favourite islands, the trip to the airport takes about 20 minutes. The boat can leave in (almost) all weather conditions. So if you set off 3 hours before departure, that’s more than enough. However, if you choose Hideaway Beach in North Malé Atoll, for example, it’s a different story. The flight takes 40 minutes. But there are only 5 seaplane flights per day. And if the weather doesn’t cooperate … oh well. So: the shorter the trip overall, the closer we stay to the airport. And for longer stays, we also start and end our holiday within boat’s reach.
Overwater-Villa or Beach Bungalow?
This is really a matter of taste. We are a bit ambivalent. On the one hand, it is of course a great feeling to sleep so directly on the water. With your own sun deck and a bit away from the main action on the islands. Most of the time, you can be in the sea from the overwater bungalows in just a few steps. And you usually have an unrestricted view of either the sunrise or sunset. And you can hear the lapping of the sea to fall asleep. But that can also be quite loud.
Personally, we prefer beach bungalows with lush tropical greenery and a private pool a bit more. The palm trees provide shade. Often there are hammocks and outdoor seating areas. Very cool are also the bathrooms outside. This is definitely a difficult decision. We leave it entirely up to you.
The most important of our Tipps for the Maldives
It’s a long way to the island paradise. That means the carbon footprint you leave behind is not exactly small. The Maldives is a fragile ecosystem. You should treat it with a lot of respect. This ranges from the choice of sunscreen (reef-friendly!) to the choice of resort. Many islands do a lot to keep the ecosystem intact. After all, a large part of the population lives off the income from tourism. So we recommend you do a little research beforehand on what the resorts are doing in terms of sustainability. There are excellent initiatives. For example, coral planting, projects to support local communities and the like.
These resorts may cost a little more. But we stand by our opinion that the Maldives should not become a mass tourism destination anyway. After all, people think ten times more about how to behave when a trip costs a lot of money. We therefore give “cheap resorts” a wide berth. We’d rather go once in a lifetime, but with a clear conscience.
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