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The Maldives reopened borders for tourist visitors from 15th July 2020 offering once again the possibility of international travel to this island paradise. The Maldives does have a geographic advantage as an archipelago. Individual islands provide a natural safe environment for visitors. These individual resorts or local community islands can also be quickly shut down if a suspected case emerges, which was seen at the beginning of the pandemic in the Maldives.
A wide range of control measures have been put in place when entering and leaving the Maldives as well as at all tourist properties to ensure tourists, staff and local communities remain safe and risk is minimized. Many resort islands have additional safety protocols in place in addition to those required by the Ministry of Tourism and HPA.
All up-to-date requirements of entry can be found here.
It is not necessary to know how to swim in order to snorkel, but you do need to be comfortable in the water. We provide buoyancy aids for all non-swimmers and our guides will initially take you to a shallow lagoon where you can put your feet down onto the sand in order to allow you to learn to float with the aid of the buoyancy aid before then adding a snorkel and mask. Our guide will provide instruction and coaching on how to snorkel and utilize the equipment. Our guide will assess your confidence and ability in the water to ensure it is safe to proceed to a coral reef area for your first snorkel encounter.
Please be sure to advise us at the time of booking if you are a non-swimmer.
We regularly welcome guests from the cruise passenger liners. We are happy to meet with you at the cruise tender jetty in Malé which is where the cruise tender boat moor.
If joining a scheduled tour departure there is an additional charge for this service if the tour start point is Hulhumale.
Yes, we can arrange for collection from hotels in Malé or Hulhumale. The time of collection and any additional cost will be dependent on the tour you are joining and the location of the start point for the tour in relation to where you are staying.
Whilst we are happy to provide tours to guests staying on resorts within Malé Atolls, there would be an additional charge for transfers between the resort and Malé. This cost will be dependent on the distance the resort is from Malé. We would also require permission from the resort to allow us to collect you from their private jetty which can be obtained via the guest relations team at reception. Alternatively, you wish to take the resort transfer to the airport or Malé from where we can arrange a guide to meet with you. Subject to Safe Tourism Guidelines 2021.
In the interest of the safety and comfort of our guests, changes may be made to our day tour itineraries based on weather or sea conditions. We aim to keep you fully informed. Should we be unable to operate a day tour prior to departure, an alternative day will be offered or a full refund (less any associated bank charges).
Yes all current local tax – 10% service charge, 12% GST, and where applicable Green Tax, are included in all our published rates.
Yes, we offer resort day visit options to meet all budget requirements. Note that resort day visits are subject to the resort confirming availability and this is not always advised until 24 hours prior to visit. Subject to Safe Tourism Guidelines 2021.
The so-called ‘sea of stars’ is a natural phenomenon and cannot be guaranteed.
This phenomenon is caused by a natural chemical reaction known as bioluminescence, which occurs when a microorganism in the water is disturbed by oxygen. These microorganisms or marine microbes are called phytoplankton and there are a variety of its species that create bioluminescence seen in different parts of the world.
The images depicted on the internet are of Vaadhoo Island in Raa Atoll,(not to be confused with Vaadhoo Island in South Malé Atoll) which requires a domestic flight transfer and a stay on either a local island or a resort island.
The bioluminescence can occur throughout the country’s 26 atolls in varying degrees. Visitors to the Indian Ocean archipelago say they have had the most luck seeing the blue glow from about July to February, especially during a new moon since the darkness of the sky helps intensify the light.
As resorts are individual private islands it is usual for the property to arrange your return domestic transfer to and from the airport in line with your arrival and departure flight times wherever possible.
If you have booked with a travel agent or operator the transfer should be part of your package.
If you have booked online you most likely will have been requested to provide your arrival flight details. Providing the resort has this information your transfer will be arranged and payment will be made direct to the resort upon your arrival.
We often receive requests for speedboat transfer rates to and from a resort. In all honesty, it is very rare that a private transfer by a local operator to and from the airport/resort will be less than the rate provided by the resort. The reason for this is that the resort will be operating group transfers throughout the day for arriving and departing guests. Whereas for a local provider not only will you need to cover the cost of the journey from the resort with you onboard, you will need to cover the cost of the return journey without you. So effectively for a return transfer, you will be charged one-way x 4 per person.
Note that if no flight information has been received by the resort your transfer Is unlikely to be arranged prior to your arrival and you should be prepared for a delay. In the event of no seats being available particularly onboard domestic flights and seaplanes during high season, you may well have to spend a night in the capital at your own expense.
As a Muslim country, alcohol is not available on any local island. Hulhule Island Hotel located on the airport island does have a bar serving alcohol. There are also a handful of local islands where a bar boat is anchored during the high season however this is subject to change and never a guarantee.
In general, there are very few local islands now where there is not a tourist bikini beach now, however, some are far better than others both in terms of quality and size.
It is not possible to swim with dolphins and it is not a practice we condone. It is however always a possibility to encounter dolphins whilst traveling by boat. Always wise to be on the lookout! Dolphin cruises quite often combined with sunset are offered from resorts and local islands alike. As dolphins are creatures in their natural habitat no one can ever provide a 100% guarantee of encounters but there are locations in all atolls where the probability is greater due to the current and feeding conditions.
There are six resorts with underwater restaurants, Ithaa at the Conrad Maldives, SEA at Anantara Kihavah Villas, Subsix at PER AQUUM Niyama, 5.8 at Hurawalhi Island Resort, M6m at Ozen, and H2O at You & Me by Cocoon. Guests not staying at the resort can make bookings by contacting the resort directly. Tables are subject to availability and priority will always be given to in-house guests. Bookings will not be taken more than 14 days in advance. Transfer to the resort will also need to be arranged which if you are not located close by will mean a transfer to Malé and then an onward transfer by seaplane to the resort. It is unlikely that you will be looking at an overall cost of anything less than $500 per person. Subject to Safe Tourism Guidelines 2021.