Making The Most Out Of Your Maldives Holiday
People who are planning to take Maldives holidays have visions of soft sandy beaches, a warm climate, crystal clear seas, and laid back way of life. Couples who take book a Maldives honeymoon look forward to days of lying around in the sun, some snorkeling or diving, or just lounging around in the hotel or resort to chill out and relax. Other activities included in most Maldives packages are water sports, spa treatments, and sightseeing.
Do not expect to have a loud nightlife or lots of restaurants and bars or theme parks during a Maldives holidays. Typically, a Maldives honeymoon means that you will stay on one small island, with just a handful of restaurants and maybe one or two shops, the entire time. This is not a shopping destination so if you want to buy some souvenirs, your selection will be limited to some handicrafts and other hand made trinkets. If you want some more activity other than just lying around under the sun, you can book Maldives packages that include a cruise in neighboring islands or a fishing trip.
To fully enjoy your Maldives holidays, have some information on the Maldivian culture so you'd know how to act and not offend anyone. Their culture is a mixture of Arabian, African, Sri Lankan and Indian cultures. Predominantly Islamic since the 12th century, you will get to experience Muslim events and festivals during your stay. These events and festivals are infused with the local Maldivian culture where traditional dances are performed by both men and women. Examples of these dances are the Bodu beru, Thaara, and Bandiyaa.
After landing in the international airport, you will be taken to your Maldives honeymoon destination either via Dhoni, speedboat, or seaplane. All Maldives packages already include these transfers so traveling to your island is expected to be a breeze. If it is not included or if you are making your itinerary, arrange for the transfers before your trip as they are difficult to arrange once you're there. A dhoni is what they call the local boats. These boats are steady and spacious but a bit slow. Speedboats are faster but expect the trip to be very bouncy. Most people take the seaplanes since this gives them an added sightseeing trip where they can see the island from the air. However, these planes are quite small and there is a possibility that they may not take all luggage. If you have a lot of luggage and some cannot be accommodated in the plane ride, they will be transported to your resort by boat.
As mentioned, Maldives is a Muslim country. They do allow tourists to drink alcohol despite that but expect drinks to be very expensive due to the heavy tax imposed on alcohol. The country doesn't produced alcohol and all the alcohol available there is imported. To save money, if you would like to drink during your Maldives holiday, book Maldives packages that are already all inclusive, which means that the drinks you consume are already paid for so you can drink all you want without being surprised by a huge bill for drinks at the end. If you don't drink, book a package that only includes board and food or else you will be charged for alcohol that you won't be drinking. Obviously, this is an all or nothing situation. Bringing in alcohol when you fly in is banned and doing so will land you in prison.
While the government allows drinking for tourists, sunbathing topless or nude is strictly prohibited. Visitors are also advised to dress decently when going around or dining in the restaurants.
