Everything You Need to Know

Departure

If you are traveling on a guided tour, your tour leader will advise you the evening prior to your departure day the time of your departure. If you are traveling without a tour leader or guide the property will confirm transfer timing and will request a balance of payment for any additional items not included in your booked package that evening. Transfer time will be in line with your departure flight check-in time requirement or your onward transfer timings. Your guide or a member of the property team will assist with your departure from the island and upon arrival at Velana International Airport, a member of the Secret Paradise team will assist with your final departure.

Final Departure from the Maldives:
Your luggage will pass through security at the departure area entrance before you check-in at the appropriate desk. Take the stairs to the right of the check-in desks to pass through passport control and then onto another security check before you arrive in the departure lounge and duty-free area. If you wish to exchange local currency back to your home currency this can be done at the airport BML exchange counter but you must have a receipt for an exchange of currency at the time of your arrival.

International flight check-in commences 3 hours prior to departure flight time. Please note that guests departing by International flights which are scheduled to depart before 09:00 hours should plan to stay one night in Hulhumale or Male in order to ensure you are able to reach the airport for your early check-in time. If you are not sure if this is applicable to your requirements please contact us for advice.

Lounge Service:
Lounge Services (‘Moonima’ Lounge) including restrooms, cable TV, computers with free access to internet, light snack & drinks are available in the domestic terminal. Lounge usage is upon request and subject to a fee of US$25 per person which should be paid at the lounge.

International Flights

We do not sell international flights and these are not included in the price of our tours or holiday packages. If you would like us to provide some suggestions, please just let us know your preferred departure airport and we’ll check availability and send you some prices and flight times for a selection of airlines.

Flights into Male are regular and you should have little difficulty booking one. However, during peak periods, (Christmas/New Year, Easter, July/August & October) cheaper flights always sell out quickly, so we advise booking early. Flights to Male are served by British Airways, Emirates, Qatar Airways, Etihad, and Sri Lanka Airlines to mention just a few. If you’re not sure where to start, please contact us for details.

In order for us to ensure we meet with you when you arrive in Male, you must supply us with your arrival information. If flying into the Maldives we require your arrival date, flight time and flight number.

Departure Taxes:
The airport departure tax of US$25.00 is included in the purchase of your airline ticket.

Domestic Transfer Flight

Domestic Flight:
Domestic flight transfers will be as closely aligned as possible with your international flight arrival/departure timing. Any excess luggage of 20 kg per passenger will be charged at US$1.00 per kg, which can be paid in cash or by credit card directly to the airline carrier at the domestic terminal. Excess luggage may be subject to delay.

Hand luggage allowance 7 kg. Please note that if the flight is full you may be requested to step on the luggage scales in order that both passenger and luggage weight is evenly distributed throughout the aircraft. Transfer rates are subject to increase if the fuel surcharge increases. Baggage allowance is not applicable for infants. Domestic flight transfer times will not be confirmed until the evening prior to the flight. This is because with only one runway at Male any changes to international flights will take precedence.

Lounge Service:
Lounge Services (‘Moonima’ Lounge) including restrooms, cable TV, computers with free access to the internet, light snack & drinks is available in the domestic terminal. Lounge usage is upon request and subject to a fee of US$25 per person which should be paid at the lounge.

Seaplane Flight:
Seaplane transfer is operated by a third party, Trans Maldivian Airlines (TMA), Manta Air, or Maldivian Airlines. Flight schedules and timing are entirely at their discretion and could be at times subject to their operational requirements or the prevailing weather conditions. Seaplane transfer operates during the daylight hours approximately between 6 am to 4 pm. On Arrival date, for International flights landing later than 15:45hrs or for night international flight arrivals, the transfer will be the next day, usually in the morning. On departure date, we will not be in a position to arrange transfers for any international flights departing from Velana International Airport, before 08:45hrs. For night international departure, transfer from the resort to the airport will be the same day as departure date, normally in the afternoon.
Flight timings are not prescheduled and will only be available in the evening prior to arrival or departure as it depends on the international flight arrivals or departure schedule. A flight to the resort may also carry passengers that arrive on other international flights and/or are flying to other resorts.

An excess baggage charge of US$5/kg is levied for baggage exceeding the personal baggage allowance of 20kg payable directly to the carrier. The maximum weight allowed per checked-in baggage is 32kg and a 5kg allowance for carry-on baggage. Given the geographical limitations, in the event of missed international flights due to any force majeure circumstances, including weather conditions and mechanical failure neither Secret Paradise PVT LTD, accommodation provider nor the transfer provider will be responsible for any additional expenses involved in re-booking/extending your international flights or accommodation, hence we strongly recommend you to purchase the relevant travel insurance for such untoward claims.

Public Ferry Transfers

Most of our tours involve transfer by public ferry. These ferries are operated by independent companies and can at times get delayed or canceled even at short notice due to weather conditions or mechanical failure.

In the event of a ferry cancellation on any of our scheduled departure group tours, Secret Paradise will make alternative arrangements and bear the cost of the transfer. For guests traveling independently, we will assist in making alternative transfer arrangements, usually by speedboat. Any additional costs MUST be borne by the guest.

In the event of missed international flights or canceled transfer connections due to any force majeure circumstances, including weather conditions and mechanical failure, neither Secret Paradise PVT LTD nor the transfer provider will be responsible for any additional expenses involved in re-booking/extending your international flights or accommodation, hence we strongly recommend you to purchase the relevant travel insurance for such untoward claims.

Accommodation

Secret Paradise only partners selected hotels and guesthouses based on annual audits conducted by our team to ensure facilities, safety, and service meet our criteria. You can be assured of comfort, good service, local atmosphere, and value for money.

Our multi-day guided tours are not designed to be luxury tours although guesthouse upgrades are available upon request. We have chosen a selection of different guesthouses to use on our tours that provide comfortable clean rooms, friendly service, and good food. Note not all our selected guesthouses offer balconies or sea views, therefore if a sea view or a balcony is specifically required please advise at the time of booking. Additional charges may apply.

Note that Maldives guesthouse accommodation standards and rates should not be compared with accommodation standards and rates in tourist properties throughout Asia. Standards and rates will seem considerably higher in the Maldives for a lower category property, however, when comparing to the cost of a resort night in the Maldives it is then put into perspective.

Budget – basic facilities
Standard – mid-range
Premium – boutique properties or hotel

A range of different local island or resort options are available to extend the end of your tour.

Resorts exist on their own private island. These range in size from 2.5km across to just 150m across. This means that the facilities on the resort you choose (restaurants, bars, sports facilities, entertainment, etc.) are the only ones you will have access to during your stay. Due to transport and access issues, you should expect to find prices far more costly for drinks, snacks, meals, and activities, etc. Most resorts offer excursions by boat to local fishing village islands, but otherwise, you will stay on the resort island for the duration of your stay.

Rooming Arrangements:
On scheduled group tours accommodation is offered as twin/double/triple room sharing as requested at the time of booking. Couples will always be provided with a private double room.

For private or tailor-made bookings accommodation will be provided as per your booking request.

If you are a single traveler you will be allocated a single room to yourself throughout the tour, a single supplement charge is payable where applicable on some but not all of our tours.

If you are a single traveler joining the tour and you are happy to share a twin room with another single traveler on the tour of the same sex then you do not need to pay this supplement, even if you end up getting a single room based on the final make-up of the group. This applies only to local island guesthouses. Single travelers adding resort extensions to the end of their tour will need to pay a single room supplement for the resort extension to cover the cost of a single room.

Clothing

Visiting the Maldives is the chance for you to break out the brightly colored summer clothes that are so often out of place in colder climates. The higher temperatures and ever-present sunshine mean that locals and visitors alike prefer dressing in lightweight materials. T-shirts, cotton clothing, skirts, and shorts would be the best option to stay cool. The ideal footwear would be sandals and flip-flops.

Whether to pack only the more casual options like shorts and khakis or the newest Gucci number depends on what you plan to do, or where you plan to stay. Casual clothing is fine on the local islands and in guesthouses, smart casual clothing is usually enough for Male or resorts, but the more up-market resorts may require that you dress up for dinner. Sunscreen, insect repellent, and hats are all necessary for a comfortable holiday, but they are available widely for purchase in resorts and around Male’.

The Maldives is a Muslim country and care needs to be taken in relation to the dress code on local islands. Whilst it is acceptable for men to wear T-Shirts and shorts or swim shorts; females should avoid causing offense by maintaining a more conservative approach to clothes by wearing T-Shirts with sleeves that cover the shoulder, loose shorts that cover the thigh, or sundresses with a sarong around shoulders. Whilst the islands we visit are more tolerant of guests wearing traditional beachwear, females should NOT wear bikinis and swimwear unless on an uninhabited island, picnic island, sandbank, screened off tourist bikini beach, dive boat, or resort island.

More recently the level of acceptance can vary from island to island and between the central atolls and those in the deep north or deep south. The key point to remember is to consider you are a guest in another country and dress not to cause offense.

Whilst the law restricts the wearing of bikinis on local islands, all guesthouses provide a private tourist sunbathing area on the beach or on the terrace of the guesthouse, your guide will advise when and where this is possible. It is common practice by both locals and visitors for females to swim from local public beaches wearing a t-shirt or rash guard and shorts or leggings. When visiting the home of a local family or during the Male City tour where we may have access to mosques shoulders and legs should be covered fully by both men and women out of respect of local customs.

Weather

With a tropical climate, plenty of sunshine, and temperatures around 30°C throughout the year, there is never a bad time to visit the Maldives. The Maldives has two distinct seasons; dry season (northeast monsoon) from January to March and the wet season (southwest monsoon) from mid-May to November.

Wet however doesn’t mean rain all the time, it just means during this period we see more rain than during the dry season. This may be a daily heavy shower but it’s very rare to have days and days of rain in succession or even a full 24 hours. There is usually more wind during this period but this helps keep the temperature at a nice level and you can still expect plenty of blue skies and sunshine.

The rare thunderstorm in the Maldives (especially around the southwest monsoon months) can be a welcome respite from the sun. Cloudy skies and slate grey seas, and crashing thunder makes for lovely reading weather. The warm temperatures will allow you to go for a walk in the rain, a thoroughly enjoyable experience. For extra exhilaration, take a swim in the rain – the sea will be extra warm.

There can be heavy rain showers pretty much any time of year, but they tend to be short and cannot be accurately predicted seasonally (in other words – don’t worry too much about them – you will quite possibly experience some rain showers, but the majority of the weather should be great, and you will be unlucky to get several consecutive days of heavy rain).

Like many places in the world today, the climate and weather pattern is changing and historical data is less reliable as an indication of what to expect in the here and now.

Note as the Maldives is situated so close to the equator it is possible to burn even on a cloudy day and sunscreen should be applied as a matter of course.

Food & Drink

Maldivians, as Muslims, are prohibited by law from consuming alcohol; hence there is a total restriction on alcohol being available on inhabited local islands, this includes the capital Male. Alcohol is available at Hulhule Island Hotel which is located at the airport. All tourist resorts and safari boats stock alcohol for guest consumption. Please do not bring alcohol through the airport as it will be confiscated and returned to you at the time of departure.

For guests staying at the Barefoot ECO Hotel, the property provides a floating bar the ‘’Black Pearl” which is located in the hotel lagoon and offers alcoholic drinks. The transfer is by small speedboat from the property’s jetty made on a regular basis from just before sunset until late evening. Alcohol can only be consumed on board and cannot be brought back to the island.

There are also a handful of bar boats that are anchored off local islands which currently include Maafushi, Dhiffushi, and Thulusdhoo. We cannot however guarantee that these boats will be operating during your stay.

The traditional food of Maldivians are based around fish, (tuna to be more specific), chili and coconuts. White rice and “roshi” (a flour-based flat-bread) are staple items. Fish is normally smoked, fired, barbequed or roasted. Pork products are strictly prohibited. When eating on local islands it is worth noting that Maldivians traditionally eat with their fingers and therefore food is not always served ‘piping hot’. Tap water is perfectly safe for brushing teeth however, we advise drinking bottled or boiled water. All food on local islands is halal.

Photography

Spare batteries or a battery charger & adapter, a good camera bag (capable of keeping the dust and spray out), and a spare memory card are essential. A polarizing filter is useful for sand/water shots, whilst a lens hood eliminates some of the glare. Please ask local people for permission before photographing them. If they do agree, you may be asked for some money from them.

Email, Post, & Communication

The telecommunications services are provided by Ooredoo or Dhiraagu, a joint-venture between the government of the Maldives and Cable & Wireless PLC of United Kingdom.

International Direct Dialing, telephone, telex, telegram, facsimile and Internet services are available. A mobile phone network is accessible within Male and atolls.

If you are anticipating keeping in regular contact with friends or family at home it is advisable to purchase a Maldivian SIM card together with re-charge cards available in various denominations of local currency. This can be done very easily at either the airport or in Male/Hulhumale. Card phones are set up in most of the islands. In addition, Dhiraagu provides a paging service, maritime radio service, and telephone and telex Immarset services to ships and oil rigs.

Wi-Fi is available at all our guesthouses and in most cases it is free.
However, as an island nation where cabling is along the sea bed and there is only one antenna per island you should not expect the signal strength and speed of internet access to be at the level you are accustomed to back home. Weather can at times also impact the quality of connection.

At resorts, Wi-Fi is usually chargeable. Generally, Wi-Fi will only be available in public areas and will not be available in individual rooms/villas.

Unless stated otherwise Wi-Fi is not available onboard any dive or cruising Liveaboard and for guests who do not wish to shut off from the outside world, we would advise the purchase of a Maldives 3G SIM card.

Voltage

Most local island sockets are three-pronged (British style) and 220 volts. Adaptors are available in most airport shops if you don’t have one. All electrical devices running on 110/120 V must have power converters/step-up transformers. All guesthouse rooms have electrical sockets where you can re-charge cameras, phones, etc.

Electrical sockets on resorts may be different so an adaptor is a worthwhile item to pack.

Guests staying at The Barefoot Eco Hotel should note that the sockets are Italian two-pin style.

Trading Hours

Like everything in the Maldives, Government and business are pretty laid back with business hours commencing from 8.30 am to 2.30 pm. It is important to know that the Maldives follows a business week from Sunday to Thursday, with most places closed on a Friday. The shops in the Maldives open at different times in the morning but usually not before 9.00 A.M. The shops close for prayer times for an interval of 15 – 30 minutes in the afternoon between 15:00-16:00 and between 18:00 and 20:00 in the evening. The latest time for the shops to close business is 11.00 P.M.

Time

Maldives Standard Time is GMT/UTC + 5 and during BST + 4. Note some resorts operate Island Time, which is 1 hour ahead of Maldives standard time. The Barefoot Eco Hotel is one of these properties.

Language

Dhivehi is the main language spoken in the Maldives. The language is widely used for conversing with people. Since, it involves the use of many English, Hindi, and Arabic words; it seems to resemble various languages spoken in Sri Lanka, South East Asia, and North India. Other languages spoken in the Maldives include English, which is also recognized as the second main language.

Local Island Tourism – What to Expect?

Want to know what to expect from a local island read my own person experience and view on our Secret Paradise blog:
Discover My Secret Paradise

Responsible Tourism

The following are a few simple tips that require very little effort on your part but which will help ensure that any effect you have on the locations you visit is positive rather than negative.

• Don’t prejudge: Things in different countries will almost certainly be different. That doesn’t make them worse or inferior, just different.
• Communicate: Don’t expect locals to speak your language. Take the trouble to learn a few words or phrases of the local language. Don’t worry about sounding silly. Most locals are patient and accommodating and appreciate you making the effort to communicate in their language.
• Conserve energy: Be careful not to waste valuable resources. Use local resources sparingly. Switch off lights, air-conditioning and fans when you leave the hotel room and don’t waste water.
• Remove superfluous packaging. Many countries have far less efficient waste disposal systems than ours. Remove packaging from newly acquired items before leaving home.
• Choose environmentally-friendly products: By using reef & environmentally friendly (biodegradable) sun creams, shampoos and detergents you can help reduce pollution.
• Respect local customs and traditions: As you are a guest in these countries, you should also comply with the local customs. If you are friendly and well mannered, the locals will reciprocate and it will only enhance your experience.
• It’s important to follow dress and behavior guidelines, especially when visiting religious or sacred sites (your tour leader will advise you how best to do this).
• Don’t litter: No matter how untidy or dirty the country you’re traveling in may look to you, avoid littering, as there is no need to add to the environment. As an island state, the Maldives has a tough challenge dealing with rubbish and waste. Please consider taking home as much plastic waste as you can (eg. water bottles).
• Refuse plastic bags when shopping.
• Refuse plastic straws.
• Do not purchase corals and seashells from souvenir stores.

Marine Environment

Fish, ray, or shark feeding should be avoided. It is harmful to marine life, potentially to the people in the water (whether it be snorkelers, swimmers, or divers), and to the ecosystem. Hand-feeding fish and other marine life promotes a behavior called conditioning, where the animal learns to associate humans with food. When fish start to anticipate meal times with humans, it interferes with their natural feeding cycles. As a result of behavioral conditioning through fish feeding, unprovoked marine animals may attack (bite) humans thinking they will receive food or mistaking fingers and other body parts for food.

Please do not touch corals or marine life. Simply touching animals or coral can be as damaging in the long run as intentionally killing or catching them. Many animals, including turtles, rays, and many species of sharks, can become vulnerable to harmful bacteria through human contact, leaving them susceptible to disease.

Unfortunately, like many coral reefs around the world, Maldives reefs have been impacted by bleaching but there is still an abundance of marine life and in areas not subject to the high levels of reclamation and development (which adds stress to the reef’s rejuvenation) there is positive evidence of coral rehabilitation. The impact of bleaching varies from atoll to atoll and therefore you may observe great coral, particularly soft corals in one location but poor in another.

Secret Paradise is involved in a number of coral reef projects with NGOs including Coral Doctors, Save the Beach, and Maafushi Eco Dive. We are supporting coral planting in areas where the reefs have been significantly impacted around local islands. It is very rewarding to see that these nurseries are beginning to thrive.

The following articles provide further information, the first one in particular shows the state of one coral reef over just a 2 year period, this is in an atoll to the northwest of Male.

https://maldivesindependent.com/feature-comment/can-coral-reefs-keep-up-with-a-warming-planet-143676(opens in a new tab)

http://divemagazine.co.uk/eco/7792-coral-cpr-from-the-maldives(opens in a new tab)

Secret Paradise is also proud to support #ProtectMaldivesSeaGrass

Seagrass is vital to the low-lying island nation of the Maldives; it prevents beach erosion, fights climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide, provides food for sea turtles, supports fisheries and houses juvenile coral reef fish. Despite this, seagrass in the Maldives remains an undervalued habitat and it is considered a nuisance to the tourism industry, rather than an asset. Because of this, many resorts across the country still actively remove the seagrass around their islands.

Secret Paradise has pledged our support and on many of our tours, we provide the opportunity to learn more about the benefits of seagrass and wherever possible explore seagrass meadows.

For more information and to pledge your support visit http://www.maldivesresilientreefs.com/campaigns/seagrass/(opens in a new tab)

Follow Us Online

You can stay in touch with us online by following us on Facebook(opens in a new tab), Instagram(opens in a new tab), and Twitter(opens in a new tab). We post updates on relevant travel news in our destination countries, special offers and discounts, and other interesting travel-related news and information.

Minimum Numbers & Itinerary Adjustments

With the exception of our Discovery Cruise(opens in a new tab) there are no minimum number requirements. On some dates, we may adjust the itinerary slightly to take account of local conditions, public holidays, and availability (for example swapping the order that the local islands are visited).

Specialist Holidays

Guests who are participating in specialist holidays such as yoga or diving will receive information detailing any additional requirements as part of the booking process. However, should you have any questions please direct them to sales@secretparadise.mv