Lets Go Maldives
Working since 2005How to go to Maldives – When to go to Maldives and Best time to go to Maldives.
Getting Here
Although geographically isolated, the Maldives is easily accessible by air from anywhere in Southeast Asia, Middle East and Europe, hence is served by all major scheduled airlines in the region in addition to several charter flights from Europe and Scandinavian countries.
The Maldives is forty five minutes from Colombo, three hours from Dubai, four hours from Singapore and nine to eleven hours from London.
Velana International Airport.
Velana International Airport is located on a geographically separate island named Hulhulé – Hulule Island is 2km (1.2 miles) from Malé (travel time by boat – 15 minutes). Boats from the various island resorts meet each arriving plane to take visitors to their accommodation.
There is no scheduled transfer from Hulule Island to the other islands. . Transfers to resorts would be arranged prior to arrival by your resorts/tour operators via speedboat, sea plane. or domestic flight.
Airport facilities include left luggage, first aid, bank, duty free shops, snack bar, post office and restaurant
Tourist Visa
No prior visa is required to enter the Maldives and a free 30-day visa is granted to all visitors who meet immigration requirements upon arrival.
However an entry permit does not permit visitors to take up employment set up any business or conduct any professional activities (paid or unpaid) except with the consent of the government and in compliance with pertinent laws and regulations of the Maldives
CUSTOMS
Prohibited Items
Pornographic literature, idols of worship, pork products and certain other animal products, explosives and weapons, alcoholic beverages and drugs are strictly prohibited. The penalty for importing drugs for personal or other use is life imprisonment. Animals require a veterinary certificate (dogs not allowed).
The following may not be exported in any form: tortoise and turtle shells and products made of turtle shell (the Government has banned the killing of turtles), and black coral in whole form.
Duty-Free
The following goods may be imported into the Maldives Republic without incurring customs duty:
A reasonable amount of cigarettes, cigars and tobacco; a reasonable number of gifts.
Entry requirements
Visitors of all nationalities in possession of the following would be granted entry into the Maldives:
Health Requirements
An international certificate of inoculation against yellow fever and cholera is required by visitors arriving from infected countries.
Resort Transfer
If you have a booking with a resort, transfer is usually arranged prior to your arrival. The options of speedboat, seaplane or domestic transfer where available is for you to choose from. For transfer to the resorts close to the airport, speedboat transfer is quite convenient.
There is no fixed flight times for domestic flight and seaplane, as the flight times depend on other arriving/departing guests and other arriving/departing international flights.
We get the ticket confirmations one day before (arrival and departure) up 07:00 pm.
Seaplanes operate only during daylight hours and flights are subject to weather conditions.
Guests arriving on an international flight which cannot connect to the last seaplane of the day to the resort (usually departs no later than about 16h00) may choose to overnight stay in the hotel nearby the airport. Lets Go Maldives will be of assistance in such instances.
Baggage allowance
Seaplane baggage allowance is 20kg check-in luggage and 5kg hand luggage. Any excess baggage is chargeable at a cost
of $ 5.00 per kg and payable at the airport.
Domestic baggage allowance 20kg check in luggage and 5kg hand luggage. Any excess baggage is charged a cost of $ 1.00 per kg and is payable at the airport.
Time Differences
The Maldives is 5 hours ahead of the GMT (Greenwich Mean Time). To offer holiday makers the optimum use of the tropical sun most resorts have their clocks put forward one hour to GMT+
Social Conventions
Dress is informal, but locals who are Muslim will be offended by nudity or scanty clothing in public places, and the Government rigidly enforces these standards. Bikinis and other scanty beachwear are not acceptable in Malé or on any other inhabited island. When entering a mosque, the legs and the body, but not the neck and the face, should be covered. Handshaking is the most common form of greeting. The indigenous population not involved in the tourist trade lives in isolated island communities maintaining almost total privacy. A large number of locals smoke, but smoking and eating during Ramadan is discouraged.