CAN I SPLIT MY STAY ACROSS ISLANDS IN THE MALDIVES?

With travel restrictions lifted for many worldwide countries and with the festive period on the horizon we have recently seen a further uplift in inquiries with many potential guests looking to combine their stay between more than one local island, or between a local island and a resort or boat.

This has in turn led to many questions regarding the feasibility of what has been termed in the Maldives a ‘split stay’.

Below we have provided answers to some of the key questions you may have in regard to a split stay.

We hope this will assist you in planning your travel to the Maldives and also will aid you in understanding what to expect should you decide to book a combination holiday.

Updated 15 March 2022

WHAT IS A SPLIT STAY?

A split stay is where your accommodation in the Maldives is booked at more than one resort island/local island/vessel for the duration of your stay. For example you may spend a week on board a vessel and then book to transfer to a resort island for a further week, or you may decide to island hop between two or three local islands.

WHAT ARE THE REQUIREMENTS FOR A SPLIT STAY?

From March 15, 2022 there are no mandatory requirements or completion of split stay documentation requested by the government of the Maldives.
Some resorts may for the immediate future request exit health check documentation to be completed and/or PCRs completed prior to or on arrival at the property. We would advise you to check with the resort at time of booking.
The Ministry of Tourism recommends tourist properties to continue to maintain a record of onward travel for tourists as well as travel records for staff and to continue to exercise caution for the immediate future.

WHAT IS THE CURRENT SITUATION REGARDING SPLIT STAYS IN THE MALDIVES?

A resort, guesthouse, vessel or local island can be put under monitoring at any point so whilst the likelihood is now low, there is no guarantee that you will be able to transfer to/from an island until the day of transfer.
Monitoring status is brought about when an individual tests positive for COVID-19 and remains in place until all contact tracing has been completed and results of the tests for any contacts identified are returned as negative.

WHAT ARE THE GUIDELINES FOR A SPLIT STAY?

Tourists are allowed to travel between a resort/guesthouse/local island/vessel if the resort/guesthouse/local island/vessel is not placed under monitoring by the Health Protection Agency (HPA), i.e. no travel restrictions placed by HPA on the resort or tourist guest house or local island due to positive cases having been identified.
In the event an island/property/vessel is put under monitoring status by HPA, the island/property/vessel cannot accept any arrivals from any other island/property/vessel. Also other islands/properties/vessel are not allowed to accept guests from islands/properties/vessels under monitoring status.
Contact tracing is only a temporary status and will usually be cleared as quickly as possible.
Whilst a resort/guesthouse/island is under monitoring they are however able to accept international arrivals direct from an international flight.
Details of islands under monitoring can be found here.

OTHER REQUIREMENTS TO BE AWARE OF

Check if properties where you have booked will extend a refund or credit should you not be able to transfer on the anticipated date if either property/island is placed under monitoring.
Be prepared for additional accommodation expenditure and ensure your travel insurance covers such events.

For full details of travel guidelines to and within the Maldives check out our travel advice page.

https://secretparadise.mv/2020/06/27/maldives-travel-advice-information-october-2021/

We recommend that you also refer to the websites of the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Maldives for the most up to date information. We also advise to check your own home Foreign Office Travel Advice or seek consular assistance as part of your travel planning.

At Secret Paradise we have reviewed all our operational practices to ensure our guest’s comfort and safety. But without losing the memorable aspects of our experiences and service .

Want to find out how you can experience the Maldives in a safe and secure way? Take a visit to our website and select from tours, cruises and accommodation. Contact the Secret Paradise team to start your Maldives trip plan today!

For travel advice and information specific to local island guesthouses travel plans you can find details here.

The team at Secret Paradise have you covered.