maldives

The Maldives is an up market luxury destination where many resorts are on the “who’s who” list of elite experiences. To reinforce this image and the fact that they are a country of islands where usually everything is imported nothing is inexpensive.

A haven for water-sports enthusiasts, Maldives offers fantastic facilities for scuba diving, snorkeling, sailing, windsurfing and fishing. Island hopping provides an excellent diversion for those requiring a more leisurely break, and wishing to view the many facets of this tropical paradise. The flight time between Sri Lanka and Maldives is approximately 45 minutes.

Total Area: 298 km2

Capital: Malé

Country Code: +960

Country Population: 341,356

Credit Cards: Amex, Visa, MasterCard.

Currency: Maldivian rufiyaa (MVR), 1 USD = 12.85 MVR

Departure Tax: US$10.00

Drives: Left

Electricity: 240 Volts

Ethnic Groups: 100% Maldivians

Location: The Maldives stand in the Laccadive Sea, about 700 kilometres south-west of Sri Lanka (flying time is 45 minutes) and 400 kilometres south-west of India. You can easily access Male (the international airport) from India, Dubai, or Sri Lanka.

Official Language(s): Maldivian (Divehi) and English is widely spoken

Religion: Islam

Time Zone: GMT+5

Tipping: A 10% service charge is widely applied to bills – take note when paying. However, extra tipping is accepted if the service was good. GST (8% as of 2014) is also added to most things.