Excerpts from : Hello Maldives 16th Edition Sept 2002

TIPS and FACTS

Seasons : November through April being the peak seasons, reservations for stay must be made well in advance . From May to October the demand and costs for accommodation are comparatively lower. In June and July, the Maldives experiences regular showers with monsoons bringing in more wind and rain.

Social Customs : Handshaking is the most common form of greeting. Dress is informal . Light cotton clothes are recommended. Nudity is forbidden . Swimsuits and beachwear are to be confined to resort islands. When visiting an inhabited islands or the capital, shorts and T-shirts for men, and blouse or non-diaphanous material, for women, are a minimum requirement.

Currency : The basic monetary unit in the Maldives is the Maldivian Rufiyaa (MRf). They come in denominations of 500,100,50,20,10,5,2 (notes and coins) and 1 (coins only). A Rufiyaa is 100 larees, coming in coins of 50,25,10,5,2 and 1 .In the early days cowry shells were used instead of money. Coins, minted in silver, were introduced for the first time in the late 16th century under the rule of Sultan Al-Ghazee Mohammed Thakurufaanu. The present currency was introduced on October 7, 1983.

There are no restrictions on import or export of currencies. Major foreign currencies are converted to Ruffiyaa at banks , resort islands, hotels and prominent shops.

Hotel bills can be paid in cash , travellers cheques or credit cards most commonly used are American Express , Dinars Club, Eurocard, JCB, MasterCard and Visa.

Customs Regulations : It is prohibited by law to import the following items into the Maldives: Alcoholic beverages: Pornographic literature or pictures: narcotics: firearms; idols of worship: dogs: live Pigs, Pork or any porcine product: dangerous animals and exobiological material : dangerous chemicals: fog signals and fireworks: and spear/dart guns. With the government imposing a ban on the killing of turtles, export of tortoise shell and coral is forbidden.

Shopping : Male' is the ideal place for shopping considering the choice of items available. with minimum duty on most of the items, prices in male' have become competitive . Best buys include handicrafts like reed mats and lacquered wooden boxes, electronic items and souvenirs like coral rings and sea shells. Good ranging from hi-fi stereo systems and cameras to watches and cosmetics can be purchased from well-stocked duty free shops at the departure terminal of Male' International Airport. In the capital, the STO Trade centre with its many shops is one place where you can find a variety of items . shops pull down their for about 10 to 15 minutes, five times every day, for prayers. Most shops on resort islands are open throughout the day and close at dusk. Maldives is a very safe place to be in for tourists.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS : The telecom network linking the various islands of the Maldives provides plain line for local calls only, Easy line which includes operator assisted international calls, and Quick line with full IDD access world-wide: public and private card phones: dhiMobile SMS, Voicemail and pre-paid service : facsimile, 24-hour tele, and worldwide telegram service: a radio maritime service: a fully-automatic atoll communications service to over 140 islands in 20 atolls: the National paging service : fully-automatic telephone and telex Inmarsat service to ships and oil rigs: internet dial-up service: Web hosting and Domain Name Registration service : Cyber Cafe amongst a host of other services. The facilities are provided by Dhiraagu, the Maldives telecom company.

NEWSPAPER : Aafathis , Haveeru and Miadhu are the major daily newspaper, in Dhivehi. All three also have pages in English.