When in Rome, do as the Romans do
is a popular proverb attributing to Saint Augustine. In short, which simply means it is advisable to follow the conventions of the destination every time you are staying or visiting a new country. Travelling to Maldives on a budget is easier than ever now. Travellers to Maldives on a budget are able to stay at a guest house in one of the many local islands of Maldives. The excitement of being on Elysian Maldives holiday packages to the local islands of the Maldives is to explore the local island culture, learning and understanding the sense of place, history and customs, tasting new cuisines, observing daily life of the natives, meeting new people, sharing your stories on instagram, google or Facebook and making new friendships. If you haven’t had time to research on Maldives laws, rules and regulations while visiting local islands you may follow our top 10 guidelines visiting local islands of the Maldives. We thought this may be useful to make your stay awesome without committing an offence or being disrespectful to your welcoming party.
1. The Maldives is a Muslim country. Care needs to be taken in relation to the dress code on local islands. Whilst it is acceptable for men to wear T Shirts and shorts or swim shorts; females should avoid causing offence by maintaining a more conservative approach to clothes by wearing T Shirts, loose shorts or sarongs and avoid wearing bikinis and swimwear unless on an un- inhabited island, picnic island, sandbank, dive boat or resort island. Some guesthouses do provide private sunbathing areas on a tourist beach or on the terrace of the guesthouse, however, it is not acceptable to walk around the island wearing a bikini.
2. Get into the water in the Maldives? Be that for a paddle, to swim or just to float? Bikini or swimming costumes are allowed in resorts, boats and designated tourist beaches on local islands. In the majority of cases on local islands we advise T-Shirts and shorts as the norm for all female travellers. If you are not travelling with Elysian Maldives and are unsure about dress code, ask for advice from your guesthouse or the tourism information offices of the Maldives. It is their personnel responsibility to ensure that visitors are dressed appropriately while visiting another country.
3. Maldivians, as Muslims, are prohibited from consuming alcohol. Hence there is no alcohol being available on inhabited local islands, which includes the capital Malé. Please don’t bring alcohol through the airport as it will be confiscated. Don’t even try the vodka in a water bottle or Vodka Orange juice packet trick! If you are visiting a resort or a safari boat where alcohol is readily available for tourists, consume and enjoy whilst you are there but avoid bringing it back with you to your guesthouse.
4. Pork is also forbidden so don’t expect pork bacon for breakfast, Instead take the opportunity to try a traditional Maldivian breakfast dish: masshuni and roshi – flaked tuna, grated coconut, chilli, onion and lemon mixed together and eaten with a flat style bread which makes a refreshing change and if you get the recipe it is very easy to prepare at home!
5. Staying on a local island means that you will be staying within the community and there is a chance to see many aspects of daily life. One of these will be the call to prayer. This compelling and melodious sound, particularly at sun rise and sunset can be quite fascinating. If you have the opportunity to visit a mosque, men must ensure their legs and body are covered. Whilst women must also ensure their head and shoulders are covered by a shawl or sarong for example.
6. When meeting a local for the first time, a handshake is the most common form of greeting. The greeting, however, between a man and a woman maybe slightly different as some men and women generally do not engage in physical contact. On these occasions a simple nod or a slight bow will do. If unsure let the woman offer her hand first.
7. Learn a few simple words and phrases. If you wish to say ‘hello’, ‘thank you’ and ‘goodbye’ for example locals will respect the effort you have made to be polite in their language.
8. If you have an opportunity to visit the home of a Maldivian it is customary to remove your shoes before entering, leaving them at the front door or where you see others have left theirs. As you enter the home it is usual to express the following greeting ‘As-Salaam Alaikum’ which means peace be upon you. Gifts are by no means expected when you visit a family home however, they are always gratefully received. If you know you are going to visit a family home consider bringing a small item from your home country or something that is not available in the Maldives.
9. If you decide to invite your new Maldivian friends for a coffee or a meal at a restaurant, you will most likely be expected to pay so don’t be surprised when the bill is presented to you!
10. Finally, we all want to take home memories of our travels in the form of photographs, or create for our instagram feed but do always ask permission if you wish a local to be the subject of your image. Not only is it the polite thing to do – it is likely to lead to a far more rewarding experience for you both.
If you don’t quite remember all top 10 guidelines visiting local islands of the Maldives, remember:
You are a guest in the country you are visiting. Guests respect the places where they visit and act in a way that makes them welcoming as a guest. By following this small piece of advice you will not only find that you fit in with the local culture, but that you are treated with respect and make you feel welcomed wherever you may go.
When you travel on an Elysian Maldives tour the above points will always be honoured. Our local representatives will offer advice and guidance and ensure that your experience is remembered for the right reasons.
