Maldives

Understand

History The heritage of the Maldives is told in legends, in records of old copperplates, coral-carved ancient scripts and echoes of traditional culture. The story tallies in known South Asian history with mentions of the great Mauryan ruler Emperor Ashoka. After being a Sultanate under Dutch and British protection, the Maldives gained independence from the British in 1965 and became a republic in 1968. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom ruled over the country with an iron fist and did not hesitate to jail dissidents. He was re-elected five times in more or less rigged elections. Resistance to his rule culminated in violent rioting in 2003 and 2004. Much to everybody's surprise, free and fair elections were held in 2008, and Maumoon conceded defeat to opposition leader Mohamed Nasheed, "Anni". By December 2011, though, the tables had turned. Most of Nasheed's allies had left his government and there were increasingly large anti-government protests. Nasheed resigned in 2012 under murky circumstances and then lost a controversial 2013 election to Maumoon's half-brother Abdulla Yameen, whose administration has cracked down on political freedom and imprisoned opposition figures. During his rule, Yameen withdrew the Maldives from the Commonwealth, and pivoted his foreign policy away from Maldives' traditional ally, India, to align more closely with China in exchange for Chinese investments. In the 2018 election, Yameen was defeated by opposition candidate Ibrahim Mohamed Solih. Despite fears that he would refuse to step down, Yameen publicly conceded the election shortly after, and handed power peacefully to his successor on 17th November 2018. Under Solih, the Maldives re-joined the Commonwealth in 2020, and has largely pivoted Maldives' policy back to India, though it has continued to

See

Most visitors come to enjoy the countless plush resorts, excellent beaches and stunningly colourful underwater life. Due to the isolated position of the island, the number of animals on land is limited, but the ocean has a wealth of wildlife. You will likely see plenty of anemon

Getting there

Entry requirements

The Maldives have a remarkably easy visa policy: Everybody gets a free 30-day visa on arrival, provided that they have a passport valid for a minimum period of 1 month from the date of entry, a return journey confirmed ticket and entry requirements to the onward destinations, a prepaid confirmed hotel booking at a registered hotel or proof of financial means for sufficient funds to support the stay in Maldives (US$100 + $50 per day). See the Maldives Immigration website for details. Traveller Declaration form must be filled in and submitted by all foreigners arriving to the Maldives, within 96 hours (4 days) to the flight time. The form has to be submitted electronically via IMUGA. Importing explosives, weapons, firearms, ammunition, pornographic material, vaping products, materials deemed contrary to Islam including ‘idols for worship’ and bibles, pork and pork products, and alcohol into the Maldives is forbidden and all luggage is X-rayed on arrival. Alcohol and pork products are only available on resort islands under a special license. Exporting sand, seashells or coral is forbidden. All dogs are banned from the Maldives. See the Maldives Customs Service website for details.

By plane

Practically all visitors arrive at Velana International Airport (MLE IATA), on Hulhulé Island next to the capital city Malé. The airport is served by a wide array of flights from China, India, Sri Lanka, Dubai, major airports in South-East Asia, and charters from Europe. Many flights stop in Colombo (Sri Lanka) on the way. If you want to get an amazing aerial view of the islands, try to get a seat on the left side of the flight. British Airways flies directly from London Gatwick to Malé during the winter (October to March). No direct flights operate from London

Getting around

There are four main ways of getting around in the Maldives: domestic flight, boat, seaplane and private yacht (liveaboard). The boats are the Maldivian equivalent of a car, while seaplanes and private yachts (liveaboards) are mainly reserved for tourists. Seaplanes prefer not to operate at night, so if you arrive at the airport after dark and are going to a distant resort, you may have to spend the night in Malé, Hulhumalé or at the airport hotel in Hulhulé. Private transfers, though expensive can be opted for resort transfers, instead of spending the whole night at Malé City. Private transfers could cost US$500-800. On the way back, there may also be a significant gap between the time your transfer arrives and your flight departure. Check with your resort or travel agent.

By plane No point in the Maldives is more than 90 minutes away by plane from Malé, and visitors to the more far-flung resorts use air taxi services. Trans Maldivian Airways is the world's largest seaplane operator, with a fleet of DHC-6 Twin Otter seaplanes that take around 15 passengers. Plane schedules may not be finalized until the previous day and delays are frequent. It is not rare to wait for 5 hours in the TMA lounge. Seaplanes scheduled in the evening have a high risk of being cancelled as delays add up and the sky becomes darker, in such cases TMA will make you take a combination of domestic flight and boat, potentially making you reach your destination well after dinner time. Scheduled inter-island services are provided by Maldivian, which flies from Malé to Gan, Maafaru, Thimarafushi, Dharavandhoo, Funadhoo, Fuvahmulah, Hanimaadhoo, Ifuru, Kaadedhdhoo, Kadhdhoo, kooddoo, Kudahuvadhoo, Maavarulu, Faresmathoda, Hoarafushi, Madivaru and Kulhudhuffushi. Manta Air and Villa Air also operate