What to know before going to the Maldives
Things to know before going to the Maldives in 2022. This is a long-awaited post and I know its so late but it just took me a really long time to truly think about what I needed to say and what I would have wanted to know before venturing to such a magical tropical wonderland. The Maldives is a destination that will forever hold a special place in my heart and I hope if you are reading this it helps you eventually make this bucket list destination a reality as well.
I pride myself in my flexibility and relaxed attitude towards travel destinations. I often set reminders and notifications to certain destinations and wait for the absolute best travel deals to go to them. This is exactly how the Maldives came along. And I do not regret a thing.
Budget for the flight and pick your flight wisely.
There are a lot of trips where I would say pick a budget option it’s only a few hours just go for it.. this is not one of them. If you are traveling from the US flight times can be upwards of 25-30 + hours. Pick a flight that is not going to make you miserable. We flew Qatar airlines Economy and the service was phenomenal and the layover in Qatar was long enough to the explore the city. This flight should be an enjoyable one considering it will be over two days of your life. See my “Flight Tips” blog on how to score cheap flights. We did a private car tour of the city via Doha Transit and Tours. It was about 4/ 5 hours long and showed us the ins and outs of the beautiful city. The entire country is Muslim. Be sure to be respectful of their culture including appropriate clothing, behavior and of course acknowledging the dry country. We had never been to the middle east before and it was a really mesmerizing experience.
What to bring in your flight bookbag. Again treading off the last one this is a long flight, make it a good one.
A book or 2, headphones (2 pair if possible), neck pillow (the airlines provides small blankets), a portable charger, laptop or i pad, if you have a drone you must bring it in carryon due to lithium battery precautions, a toilet tree set with toothbrush toothpaste, medications, face wipes, moisturizer, maybe a face mask, hand sanitizer, hairbrush and ponytails, tampons, and sunscreen. A extra change of clothes (if you are going to Qatar make sure to pack a extra pair of clothes that are modest due to religion and cultural norms) including long loose pants, and a tee shirt that covers the shoulders and chest area, and all important documents, reusable water bottle, and snacks!
Documents required to Maldives, this is VERY important.
Passport, ID and copies of everything including passport, ID, social, birth certificate, copy of flight confirmations and times including proof of returning flights back to US, KN number, form and QR code, (the Maldives has its own travel form that must be filled out within 72 hours of departure) your flight will email you a notification of this and a link to the site to fill it out, drone / aviation form and proof from Maldives you can find this link at the end of this post. I also suggest getting medical insurance while overseas anywhere. I always use HeyMondo travel insurance, its cheap and reliable!
Documents required to fly back to US
So this is similar to the above docs so obviously all of those but also a negative authorized covid test is required as well. I suggest bringing a rapid antigen test that has a “virtual doctor” capability which means that you take the test and get the results in front of a physician who fills out a form and emails it to you verifying entry back into US. This is required for all travel into US at the moment. Edit: a negative covid test is no longer required to enter the US.
Bringing a drone into the Maldives
If you are a travel creator / love flying drones there are some pretty tough regulations on drones in most popular travel destinations, the Maldives is no different. You must have permission via the Maldives Aviation Authority to fly in the Maldives. This form can be found on their website (i’ll link it below). You must also email the resort your form. Most drones must be nonprofessional drones meaning they are under 250 grams.
What to pack for the Maldives
-Swim suits swim suits swim suits. It is extremely hot in the Maldives I mean seriously scary hot. The sun is stronger than anywhere I have ever been. Here’s a basic list on what to pack:
-Swim suits (many)
-light long sleeve cotton button downs for coverup
-linen light pants for cover up
-hair wraps to protect your scalp
-light sundresses, maxi dresses, skirts etc.
-men clothing: light linen button downs, light cotton shorts, sandles, -sunglasses, hats, bucket hats
-flowy blouses
-a workout set or 2 (sunrise walks and yoga are often offered for free and are beautiful)
-sandles and sneakers (heels are not that practical as the sand and wooden cracked dock area to the villas are not heel friendly
-sunglasses
-lots and lots of REEF SAFE sunscreen
-a wet bag to put your electronics and clothes in when on a boat, kayaking, snorkeling etc.
-snorkel gear is often provided but make sure to check with resort prior, if it’s not amazon has a great set of snorkel gear for 15-30$
-sun hats
-lip balm and aloe water shoes swim shirts wet suits, life jackets
-most toilet trees are provided with the resort
-a big reusable water bottle as water is not free in most resorts so filling up at the villa is the cheapest!
-medicine kit / first aid kit!! medicine and healthcare is very hard to obtain on a remote island in the Indian ocean. Make sure you pack all normal medications you may need on a whim (tylenol, dramamen, vitamins, laxative, melatonin prescriptions etc.)
-beach bag to carry all beach things
Arrival and sea plane to resort
Once you arrive in the Maldives and go through customs you’ll be escorted by a rep of your resort to the sea plane lounge where you’ll wait before hopping on. The lounges have AC, drinks, food wifi showers etc. Once in the sea plane waiting area you’ll be shown a short safety video and check your bags into the plan and jump on. The planes are very loud, and very hot. Just a fyi but the views of the crystal clear island lagoons make it all worth it.
Upon arrival to the resort you’ll be treated and greeted in luxury with complimentary drinks and towels.
Once your trip begins make sure to do all the Maldives must dos including: snorkeling, scuba diving, a dolphin sunset cruise etc.
Our day to day in the Maldives was wake up and watch the sunrise
a quick 30-45 min workout
walk to breakfast buffet which is the most luxurious buffet ever on the beach and have a lovley meal with a iced latte
walk back and change into our suits and sunscreen up!!!
snorkel, kayak, water activities, lounge at the villa and read, explore every inch of the island and take a quick breather and grab a light lunch in the AC around 2/3 when the sun is at its peak. after that we would swim some more and shower up before dinner where we would eat the most delicious food, watch sunset and watch the stars at night. it was magical magical magical :)
That’s my basic Maldives must knows!! I have other blogs linked below on budget tips and a breakdown of our costs as well! The Maldives has no covid vaccine or testing restrictions but Qatar does so if your layover is there be sure to be tested 72 hours prior and show proof of vaccine and testing at customs. I hope this helps please give the post some love if so and stay tuned for more travel blogs soon!
