Here you’ll find the most important things for your trip
Sunscreen, and plenty of it. You sweat a lot and swim a lot, – so you end up reapplying several times a day. We have used between 7-8 bottles in 10-12 days on our trips. On the first day of our first trip, we started the adults off on factor 20, which resulted in quite a painful sunburn on the back after just 20 minutes of sunbathing. It lingered for a couple of days, so for the rest of the holiday we actually only used factor 30 and 50. We also had to buy 2 bottles on the island, – and as I mentioned, they cost DKK 200 for a bottle of Malibu sunscreen. So my recommendation, – bring plenty from home.
Currency in the Maldives – In the Maldives you pay in USD. So if you don’t have all-inclusive, want to tip or the like, it’s USD you need to bring.
Visiting a local island – If you want to visit a local island, remember that as a woman you are encouraged to wear a knee-length dress and something that covers the shoulders. It may not be the first thing you reach for when packing the suitcase – but in any case, that was what we were advised when we were going to visit a local island on our latest trip to Itu Veli.
Water shoes – Check with the resort, the travel agency or on a satellite photo what the seabed looks like. It’s actually very easy to see on a satellite photo, – if there are lots of “markings” on the bottom, water shoes are a good idea.
Snacks – Not all islands have a little “shop” where you can buy things like crisps, nuts and so on, – and if you can, they tend to cost an arm and a leg;-) A small tube of Pringles cost around DKK 50, for example.
So bring them from home, – we packed nuts, Pringles, bags of sweets for the kids and so on, so we had enough for the whole trip. After all, you’re stuck on the island with nowhere else to go, – and the youngest members of the family in particular needed snacks between meals.
UV shirts – We learned it the hard way from the start with quite a painful sunburn. And at DKK 700 for a UV shirt on the island, – I’d recommend bringing them from home. A LOT of people were wearing UV shirts, – you are constantly outdoors and exposed to the sun.
Diving gear – Check whether you can borrow or hire it on the island. Jes had lugged it all the way from home, but there was actually free equipment in the room. Maybe not quiiite the same quality, – but it would easily have done for our needs. There was also a dive centre where you could hire various diving equipment.
All inclusive – Check what it covers. After we had booked the trip to The Standard, we found out that ours only covered the buffet and a few drinks from the minibar. The 2 à la carte restaurants were not included. There you got a voucher for 50 USD per adult, – and it really didn’t stretch very far when a steak cost 100 USD. The children’s menu was free. At Angsana Velavaru we booked a package called All Dine, – which included the buffet and the pool bar. The pool bar had a really good à la carte menu. In addition, there were two other restaurants where you got 20% off the food. Read more about it here.
Mosquito spray – I had read that there are a great many mosquitoes in the Maldives. So we had brought plenty of mosquito spray from home, – but didn’t use it at all. I got a couple of bites on the second-to-last evening, but that was all. But bring one if you’re prone to mosquito bites, – then you have it in case of attack;-)
Personal care – They can certainly get hold of it for you, but it’s not always something you can otherwise buy on the island. So remember toothpaste, shaving foam, hair products, creams, sanitary towels, tampons and so on.
Also remember some form of probiotics for your stomach, paracetamol, allergy tablets, antacids or whatever you use at home, – a thermometer or special creams for things like sun rash. You are on a remote island, and there isn’t a pharmacy just around the corner.
Underwater camera, – if you have one, bring it. It is so beautiful beneath the surface, and you’ll want to capture every moment. I don’t dive myself, but Jes was out snorkelling and shot simply the most incredible videos. Drone, the whole island was a no-drone zone. We only found that out after we had flown our drone over the island several times. A kind member of staff told us that unfortunately it wasn’t allowed, but if there was something you wanted to film, out over the water for instance, you could ask for permission at reception. So check whether it’s allowed beforehand, – otherwise you might as well leave the drone at home.
Shells and coral in the Maldives, – is it illegal to take shells and coral home? It’s hugely tempting to take home all the beautiful shells the kids find on the beach, but it’s actually illegal, and you can get a huge fine. We didn’t know about the shells, and only became aware of it when we went online to read about something else to do with the Maldives. So remember to throw them back into the water.
Alcohol in the Maldives – Most resorts serve alcohol to their guests, – but if you go to a local island, it isn’t possible to buy alcohol. You are also not allowed to bring alcohol into the country, and the same actually applies the other way. Should you be at a hotel where the minibar is all inclusive, and you’re thinking you’d like a little souvenir to take home in the form of a bottle from the minibar, then don’t. You are not allowed to take alcohol away from the hotel, either in your luggage or to a local island. It’s illegal to carry alcohol on you, and it can lead to a fine if it’s found, for example at the airport.
Data roaming – do remember to switch it off. It costs a great deal of money to get online from your mobile if you’re not connected to the hotel’s WiFi. Just loading a page for a mere 30 seconds costs a couple of hundred Danish kroner, – so switch off data roaming as soon as you board the final flight to the Maldives.
WhatsApp, – it’s used at a great many hotels in the Maldives. It’s a brilliant way to communicate, everything is documented, and it’s wonderfully easy to get in touch with the staff. So do install WhatsApp before you leave.
