The only islands that allow vehicles are the capital city of Male, Fuvahmulah, and Hulhumale, and connecting between the islands of Laamu, and Addu Atoll by causeways.

Taxis are more prevalent on the bigger islands like Male, not many other islands or atolls even allow vehicles.

Yes, walking around the islands and atolls is one of the only ways to explore the resorts, hotels, beaches, shops, restaurants, and other attractions.

A bicycle is an excellent way to get around the island, bikes are often offered to guests at the larger resorts and some guesthouses free of charge. Renting bikes is easy on most of the islands and atolls and a glorious way to explore the tropical paradise.

Maldives Island is an extremely safe place to visit, most visitors stay in “resort hotels” where crime levels are relatively low. Use your street smarts when exploring busy tourist areas, keep your wits about you and keep your personal items close. Petty crime including theft of goods unattended on the beach or in hotel rooms does occur, use a safe deposit box in the hotels and resorts to take care of your valuables.

The island nation of the Maldives offers some great places to pick up souvenirs and mementos from your trip. There are many popular local street markets found throughout the Maldives, small scale souvenirs shops, and high end boutiques to browse. Mahe, the capital of the Maldives offers many shopping opportunities such as the Male Local Market, a huge, popular street market located on the waterfront, a favorite amongst locals with numerous stalls selling handicrafts, mementos, and gift items along with snacks. Majeedhee Magu is the main road in Male, which runs the entire length of the island from east to west. The road offers some great shopping options including clothing, electronics, cosmetics, accessories, perfume, shoes, and watches along with restaurants. Many resorts and hotels have shops on site but many are limited as to what they sell and the prices might be inflated.

The magical island nation of the Maldives is made up of a chain of 1,200 islands in the gorgeous Indian Ocean. There are many picture perfect beaches sprinkled throughout the archipelago offering visitors some of the most serene, and wildly scenic stretches of sand. Some of the most beautiful beaches in the world can be found in the Maldives;

Reethi Beach is located on a tiny island in the Baa Atoll, the beaches here are the type you dream of. This is said to be the best beach in the Maldives covered in blinding white sands that meet sparkling turquoise waters and palm fringed shores, creating a slice of tropical paradise.

Cocoa Island is a luxurious hideaway on the South Male Atoll, home to the stunning and spectacular COMO Cocoa Island Resort (the only resort on the island). The beach here is famous and known for being quite exotic, fine white sugar sand, lapping crystal blue waters teeming with vibrant coral reefs and magnificent marine life blend to create this ravishing beach.

Landaa Giraavaru is home to the fabulous Four Seasons Resort and the idyllic beach on one of the most coveted private islands in the Maldives. A long sandbank slopes into the blue azure waters, backed by verdant jungles, a true slice of paradise.

The official language spoken of the Maldives is Dhivehi, many people speak English especially in the service industry at hotels and restaurants. Most of the island’s inhabitants have a good comprehension of the English language. We recommend you get a good English-Dhivehi guidebook and learn the common phrases such as hello, goodbye, please, thank you, and numbers 1-10.

The Maldives enjoys a warm tropical climate with plenty of sunshine and daily average temperatures between 79-88 degrees. There is quite a bit of rain during the months of April to October with the southwest monsoon season, especially June to November. This is the time of year visitors can find some of the best travel deals including cheaper flights and discounted accommodation. November through April offers visitors the best weather throughout the island nation with warm temperatures and little precipitation.

The currency of the Maldives is the Maldivian rufiyaa (Rf or MVR). US dollars are widely accepted and in most resorts prices are posted in USD. It is recommended to exchange some rufiyaa for the other inhabited islands and on Male. There are exchange desks at the airport.

The cuisine in the Maldives revolves heavily around fish (mas) tuna in particular and other ingredients from the region including coconut and starches featured in many dishes. The cuisine is a mixture of Sri Lankan and South Indian traditions, especially Kerala with hot and spicy flavors and flavored with coconut. A traditional meal would consist of rice, a clear fish broth, and a side dish of lime, chili and onions. Curries (riha) are also very popular

The restaurant scene in the Maldives is mostly self contained in the hotels, resorts and guesthouses. Most offer breakfast included which is typically a modern European or generic Asian type of cuisine, some offer lunch and dinner buffets with a mixture of dishes, and ingredients. Male city has a thriving restaurant scene with many eateries aimed towards tourists and the rest aimed toward the Maldivian elite.

Nightlife in the Maldives is usually limited to your resort or hotel where drinks, dinner, music, and live entertainment are usually offered. Outside of Male City there is not much to the nightlife in the Maldives.

In case of an emergency dial 1-1-9 in the Maldives, a direct dial free emergency phone number that connects the caller to the national police.

Hospitals:

Tree Top Hospital – Male – tel. 960-335-1610

Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital – Male – tel. 960-333-5335

Adk Hospital – Male – tel. 960-331-3553

Getting around by boat is one of the only ways to connect to these remote islands. There are four options for water travel in the Maldives; Public ferries (only run 3-6 times a week), private ferries (Male to Maafushi), scheduled speedboats (most popular tourist geared), and charter speedboats (high cost).

Many resorts, hotels, and guesthouses in the Maldives collect guests from Male or regional airstrips by speedboat. The public ferry system can be slow and infrequent, and also does not connect to every island and atoll.