The perfect picture from the advertising booklet – a palm-fronded, white sandy beach with warm turquoise water – this is what tourists come to the Maldives for. But even paradise islands, despite their many advantages, can spoil your vacation. To avoid unpleasant moments, disappointment, haste and other inconveniences, be sure to read this article. The article contains all the nuances of how to have an amazing holiday in the Maldives. Follow the recommendations below from the online exotic island booking platform wiotto.com who tell you how to have a successful luxury vacation in these beautiful coral reef islands.
Where does wiotto get its information about the Maldives?
- Tourist experience . For more than 10 years, we have been collecting reviews from travelers who have used wiotto.com services. We have many clients who choose the Maldives for their holidays year after year. We collect and analyze the difficulties that tourists have encountered on the islands. This allows us to recommend the best hotels; help plan a vacation that eliminates the inconveniences described below; build our work more efficiently.
- CRM system . We keep all orders, including reviews of tourists, in a single CRM program. This allows us to easily analyze the information received and respond to it. For example, thanks to the feedback of many tourists, we learned about the problem of booking underwater restaurants, described in this article. So we have the opportunity to book a table early.
- Working with hotels Who, if not the hotel representatives themselves, know the situation in the Maldives better. Constant consultations with hoteliers allow us to keep abreast of all developments, including possible difficulties that tourists may encounter. We are working together on a solution so that our customers receive the most comfortable stay.
- Personal experience . Periodically, wiotto.com representatives visit the islands of the Maldives, primarily to get acquainted with the situation on the islands. This allows us to personally experience the problem and find ways to solve it.
All the information received is used by our team of developers, testers, article writers, marketers, agents, etc. At wiotto.com, we implement advanced technologies and sales experience to create a convenient service for choosing and booking resorts.
Therefore, what problems do tourists face in the Maldives and how to solve them?
- Mismatch between transfer and international flight
The Maldives is a state with over a thousand islands. On an international flight, you arrive in the capital Male. Further, tourists have two main ways to get to their resort: by speedboat and by seaplane – it depends on the remoteness of the island from the capital.
Seaplanes fly only during the daytime from 06:00 to 16:00. Due to ignorance of this nuance, inexperienced tourists often have a discrepancy between the international flight and the transfer aircraft to the resort. If, say, the plane arrives in Male at 16:00, the tourists simply will not catch the seaplane and will have to spend the night in a hotel near the airport, waiting for the next day’s flight.
How to resolve the issue: Schedule your international flight’s arrival and departure times to catch your seaplane between 6:00 AM and 4:00 PM. If you can’t find a convenient flight, choose a resort in the Maldives with a speedboat transfer. Boat schedules are more flexible, and some hotels even provide a 24-hour shuttle service.
- Alcohol ban
Muslim laws prohibit the drinking of alcohol in the Maldives. However, the ban does not apply to resort islands. In the hotel bars you will find drinks for every taste: from fine wines of world brands to your favorite beer.
How to resolve the issue : if during your vacation on the islands you want to treat yourself to a glass of your favorite alcohol, choose a vacation on resort islands. On the local islands where the local population lives, alcohol is not sold. For those who have chosen a local island, however, there is one loophole – a floating bar. Resourceful Maldivians found a way to get around the law – and began to sell alcohol in bars located at some distance from the island – on boats. A boat is running towards them. The prices for drinks, of course, bite very much.
- Tourist tax upon arrival at the hotel
From tourists in the Maldives are charged: environmental tax (green tax) – $ 6 per day per tourist; tax on tourist goods and services (Tourism Goods and Services Tax) – 12%; service fee (service tax) – 10%. Often hotels ask you to pay all these fees upon arrival at the hotel. For many tourists who have already paid for their stay at the resort, fees and taxes upon arrival come as an unpleasant surprise.
How to resolve the issue : when booking a hotel, make sure that all taxes and fees are already included in the price. For example, in the wiotto.com catalog, all prices are already inclusive of taxes and fees . Upon arrival, you do not need to pay anything.
- Wedding in the Maldives is not official
Many couples go to the Maldives to get married. Indeed, what could be more romantic: snow-white outfits, turquoise water, coral sand… But it is worth remembering that the ceremony in the Maldives is not official.
How to resolve the issue : it is worth holding a wedding at home, and in the Maldives, representatives of the resort will organize a romantic ceremony for you, which will definitely be remembered for many years. This service is paid. Also, when you go on your honeymoon to the Maldives, take your marriage confirmation with you. Within six months from the moment of painting, on the occasion of such a celebration, many hotels give pleasant bonuses to newlyweds.
- Failed to get dinner at the underwater restaurant
There are only six underwater restaurants in the Maldives. Often, you need to book a table several months in advance. On the other hand, dinner in an underwater restaurant with panoramic windows is something you should try at least once in your life.
How to resolve the issue : when booking a hotel on wiotto.com , tell the manager that you would like to dine at an underwater restaurant. Your special evening will definitely take place.
- Rainy weather and poor visibility underwater
Snorkeling, diving and sunny days are what attracts many tourists to the Maldives. Despite the fact that in the Maldives the air and water temperature fluctuates between 28-32 degrees all year round, you can get into the rainy season when they happen every day. And the winds raise the plankton in the water, from which the visibility under water is reduced.
How to resolve the issue : Plan a vacation in the Maldives during the dry season, when the chance of rain is reduced to zero. This period is from the end of December to the beginning of April. January and February are considered ideal. Of course, prices for accommodation during the dry season are the highest. During the rainy season, from April to December, prices can drop by 40-60%.
- Expensive to eat in restaurants in the Maldives
The specificity of the Maldives is that one island occupies one hotel. Thus, there are no grocery stores or markets on the resort. The only way to eat is to visit a restaurant where prices are far from budget. For example, a dinner for two without alcohol in an average restaurant will cost $100-$300. We are talking about restaurants on the resort islands.
How to solve the problem : There are two options to save money. 1. Stay in a hostel or hotel on a local island where the local population lives. Prices in cafes are significantly lower, but it is worth remembering that there is no alcohol on local islands, unlike resorts. 2. When booking a hotel, choose the type of food Full Board (three meals a day) or All inclusive (All inclusive). Thus, you will not need to visit restaurants and, as a result, this type of food will cost thousands of dollars less.
No matter what problems you face on the paradise islands, you will always enjoy amazing snorkeling, warm coral sand, romantic sunsets… Book hotels in the Maldives with wiotto, and platform managers will tell you how to avoid the hassle and enjoy a luxury vacation!
