• THE MALDIVES IN THE BLINK OF AN EYE

    Un Dhoni de pêche traditionnel en croisière plongée avec OK Maldives

The Maldives, a country born from the sea

12,000 dispersed little islands, each bordered with coral reefs, form atolls over hundreds of kilometres in the middle of the Indian Ocean that are swept by currents all year round; making the Maldives a very unique place, where the richness of its seabed cannot be matched anywhere else in the world.

Each scuba diving safari reveals incredibly diverse marine fauna and flora, not to mention the profuse marine life that we can encounter at any given moment.

Whether you like to see “big” or “small”, the Maldives is a place where every diver will surely find a strong interest, the extraordinary richness of nature will satisfy the most experienced holidaymakers and the most difficult.

THE MALDIVES IN 5 POINTS

  • GEOGRAPHY

    The Republic of Maldives is located in the Indian Ocean about 600 km west of Sri Lanka, and stretches in length for nearly 764 km and 128 km in width.

    The country is in fact an archipelago composed of 21 natural atolls themselves formed by 1200 islands, protected by coral reefs.

  • CLIMATE

    The tropical climate is mild all year (26°C to 33°C), and the water is transparent, with a temperature of 26°C to 29°C at the surface down to more than 60m in depth.

    The best season is from September to May. Because of the change of monsoon season, the periods of June, July and August are less recommended.

    As the Maldives are small islands, the warm days are mitigated by sea breezes. At night, the temperature drops around 23°C to 24°C, at its coldest.

  • JET LAG

    GMT + 5h, +4 hours lag with France in winter and +3 hours summer.

  • SPENDING

    The local currency is Rufiyaa, which is worth about 15.42 Rf for $1.

    Dollars and Euros are accepted everywhere, and it is better to plan small budgets.

    Tips are used in the Maldives for the crew on cruise ships, €10/day/person is recommended.

  • US AND CUSTOMS

    Maldivians practice moderate Islam, but the choice of personal clothing is accepted everywhere, although clothing that is too short or provocative for men or women is sometimes frowned upon.

    The importation of pork, pornography and alcohol is prohibited in the Maldives.

THE MALDIVES: REMINDERS AND USEFUL INFORMATION

  • PROCEDURES

    No vaccination is required to enter the Maldives, and a tourist visa for a period of 30 days will be issued upon arrival in the territory. Your passport must be valid six months after the date of your return.

  • COMMUNICATIONS AND INTERNET

    The telephone and internet network is well developed in the Maldives in almost all the territory. Local sim cards are available on the boat or at the airport.

  • ELECTRICITY

    The boat is equipped with generators providing 220v permanently, as well as adapters for any plugs. You will be able to recharge all your batteries.

  • Water

    Fresh water is supplied on board permanently by water filtering purifiers. Mineral water, tea and coffee included at your disposal.

  • WHAT TO PACK

    In your travel bag:

    • Sunglasses
    • Flip flops
    • Cap or hat
    • Sun cream + after burn or Biafine
    • An anti-mosquito cream for the strolls on land
    • Small first aid kit (waterproof dressings, boric glycerine alcohol (to prevent ear infections), disinfectant, a treatment for ear infections (Antibiosynalar, Polydexia, Oflocet …), pain killers (paracetamol, ibuprofen). Seasickness tablets (Mercalm)

SAFETY IN THE MALDIVES

The Maldives have always been, and remain, one of the safest countries in the world, especially at a tourist level. Crime is incredibly low, robberies/assaults are almost non-existent.

OK Maldives does not try to cause or maintain any debate about this, but it is our duty as a quasi-permanent resident in this country to moderate some rumours and accusations, sometimes surprising, sometimes terrible (and sometimes very exaggerated), that we regularly hear about the Maldives.

The Maldives is a young democracy trying to find itself. It is a country open to the world, with the 21st Century and the social and economic progress over the last 20 years being enormous. Compared to our European safety criteria it is without a doubt one of the safest and most secure holiday locations in the world.

On board when coming to see us, we will make a small visit to a local island at least once in the week so that you can see for yourself how the Maldivians are charming and friendly people.

Ask for a quote

Contact us for your cruise plans and diving in the Maldives