The Maldives experiences a hot and tropical climate. Temperatures rarely fall below 77 deg F (25 deg C). For a visitor spending a holiday in the Maldives it will be the perfect opportunity for wearing some brightly coloured summertime clothing that cannot often be worn in a colder climate. The ever present sunshine and higher temperatures mean that visitors and locals alike will prefer to wear lightweight materials. Natural fibres like cotton, silk and linens, T shirts, shorts and skirts will probably be best for staying cool. Flip-flops and sandals are the ideal sort of footwear. Dressing up for dinner might be required at some up-market resorts. Hats, insect repellant and sunscreen will all be necessary to enjoy a comfortable holiday, and can be purchased at Male and the resorts.
Maldives Water Villas
It is important to remember that although clothing is informal, Muslim locals will find scanty clothing or nudity at public places offensive. These standards are strictly enforced by the government. Scanty beachwear and bikinis will not be acceptable in Male or other inhabited islands and should only be restricted to the resort islands. If going inside a mosque, the body and the legs must be covered, although the face and neck can be exposed.
The Maldives enjoys a low crime rate, and the locals will tend to stick to themselves and not mingle with visitors. The Maldivians are generally welcoming, helpful and honest people although they will usually shy away from visitors at the resorts. Handshaking is their normal way of greeting but the indigenous inhabitants who are not involved with tourism live in secluded island communities and maintain nearly total privacy. The local Muslim population is not allowed to drink alcohol and there are no bars on Male, but most liveaboards and resorts are licenced for serving it.
There are some good restaurants in Male that serve international and local food. The resort islands can have up to ten restaurants, depending on the size of the resort. National specialities include:
- Seafood is available everywhere and includes tuna, swordfish, jobfish and octopus.
- Beef or chicken curries are also widely available. Many Maldivian dishes use curry leaves in them.
- Kayaabu is a deep fried snack made out of tuna, rice, lentils, coconut and spices.
National drinks include:
- Sai or tea. This is a Maldivian favourite.
- Raa is a toddy that is tapped from the palm trees and left a while to ferment. It will thus be slightly alcoholic and is the closest that a Maldivian will get to drinking alcohol.
With regards tipping, service charges will invariably be added into all the chargeable services at the resorts. Any extra tipping will usually not be expected, though a cash tip for porters will be appreciated.
There will not be much nightlife although a lot of resorts will feature an informal disco at the bar area that sometimes has live bands playing western or traditional music. Barbeques and beach parties are extremely popular. A lot of resorts also show films and feature cultural shows in the evenings. Different forms of traditional national singing and dancing are also enjoyed on the islands. Coral, sea sand and seashells are not allowed to be taken out of the country when leaving. Drugs are also strictly prohibited. The serious consequences of importing any drugs for using recreationally or otherwise will be life imprisonment.
