Safety Tips in Maldives

The local agencies offered speedboat transfer to Club Med as much as 300 US dollars per person. They did not bother to answer if this is one way or return. Club Med charges about 50 Euro per person return.

I gave this as an example to what happens if you try to make a deal with local Maldive tour agents or resorts. This is not a place to try to organize a custom trip. From the airport resorts come and pick up their own guests. Very riski try to find your own way to go to an island.

I contacted with all Tourism Offices and Tourism Ministry in Maldives to get their recommendations. Made no difference. Make sure you have a good legal back up before you make any payment.

4 more images

The Maldives is blessed with beautiful coral reefs. Unfortunately its beaches are plagued with broken bits of coral that you can step on. Watch you step and/or wear some footwear if you can. These nasty bits of nature can ruin your holiday with a gashed foot or cut toes. It’s a shame really. Just be careful and you should be fine.

NEVER GO BY "TROPICAL CRUISE".
I've just back from a Maldives surfary with the boat "TROPICAL CRUISE". Don't go TROPICAL CRUISE!!! The boat is a little old, slow and dirty trick. Our cabins were full of big black beatles. They were everywhere. Bathroom were little bad smelling, third-world style boxes. The boat was the last to leave in the morning and the first to go away from the spots. Everymorning the battery was out of charge and we could not move to go surf. We had to stop for 3 whole days in south Malè where flat, cause we had to waiting for the new captain, and while our friends on the other boats were surfing perfect waves in th north, we had to wait 3 days in a little port where maldivians used to burn trash all the day.
A lot of time lost because the vessel sail no more than 3 knots (not 9 knots as thei site says). The boat at 5:00 pm must stop in a port and this is not specified on contract or internet site: I was the first to leave the spots, while my friends were still surfing.
Interiors are falling down, beds are dirty flat prison styling put on some old and wet woods and we could not sleep anymore in cabins cause the big beatles in the beds; they were as big as a mobile telephone. Always raining in the cabins with the beds all wet and so our clothes. Fans do not work, lockers were broken.
generators are so noisy you get soon crazy. The internet site talks about silent generators, But I can simply say it is a true false thing. Imagine to have a crazy noise all the day. Around the upper generator, (an old motor from the 60's), all the gasoline tanks: just a little firing and the boat will be a bomb.
The owner of this tricky boat has many internet sites: ATTENTION! These site are just different copies of the same site and all them has the same owner, just to make runs this bad boat surfari on line. Examples:
http://www.tropicalcruise.co.uk/maldives/contacts.htm
http://www.coralislandtravels.com/maldives/contacts.htm
http://www.tropicalbreaks.co.uk/maldives/contacts.htm

NEVER GO TO MALDIVES BY "TROPICAL CRUISE"!!!!

1 more image

I read about these bad tempered fish before I went to Kuredu, they can be particularly viscious during the nesting season. There are plenty of trigger fish around the Island, I swam into (without realising) a few nests near the jetty around the shipwreck, one gave chase but luckily I realised and swam away quickly!!!!!

No boozing is allowed in the capital Male, so don't even think about taking any booze in there. The penalties are severe. If you want have a drink the resorts are all yours, the regulations don't apply to the resorts.

Because the Maldives are an Islamic state, there are strong clothing conventions for the women.
The guest ladies have the obligation, to heed these regulate, and, to have a decent clothing.
The kerchief and the tall gown are the outfit only for the women on the island.
However, the guests must be careful to not carry to short skirts and sleeveless shirts on the street and in restaurant.

1 more image

Numerous corals are on the sea ground.
Be careful, with the touch of the ocean earth!
If you are without shoes, the split ends of the corals can you wound, and with shoe, you can shatter them.
Avoid as much as possible the contact with the underwater ground!

The strict laws of Customs on the Maldives prohibit the importation of pornographic material (that does also mean nude or semi nude pictures on magazines such as cosmopolitan), firearms, alcohol and illegal drugs (also marijuana) into the country.

Exports of coral, shells and other object removed from the marine environment is also prohibited. (see my tip on tourist traps)

The Maldives are a muslimic country and as such they do not drink alcohol - nor are you allowed to bring alcohol with you, when you enter.
If you do and they catch you, they will at least take it away from you (I saw that happen). They can also send you to jail for this, so don't try it. You will find enough alcohol in the touristic resorts - although for a high price.