Destination Overview:
The Maldives is made up of 1,190 coral islands that are located southwest of Sri Lanka, on the equator. The coral islands form an archipelago of 26 major atolls. Only 202 of the islands are inhabited, and 87 of these are exclusive island resorts. If sun, sand, and sea are the three requirements for a perfect tropical vacation, then the Maldives is extraordinarily perfect….white sand beaches, lagoons in seemingly infinite shades of blue and turquoise, pristine coral gardens, and dense tropical foliage….does it get any more perfect than this?

Diving Details:
The Maldives boasts 200 different species of coral and an abundance of reef inhabitants. Enjoy reef, drift, and wreck dives in water that ranges from 75-81 degrees with a visibility of 50-130 ft. Expect hammerheads, grey reef sharks, white tips, eagle rays, mantas, turtles, frogfish, triggerfish, surgeonfish, jacks, snapper, napolean wrasse, barracudas, and more!

Insider Information:
The Maldives has been gaining much international attention for the fragile state of its environment. The impending rise in sea level due to climate change calls for some careful environmental management measures. In fact, the entire capital island is already enclosed with sea walls. These “Pearls of the Indian Ocean” are precious indeed, and all possible actions should be taken to preserve them.

Dive Operators

Dive Sites

Hotels

image Bandos Island Resort & Spa
image Meeru Island Resort
image Paradise Island Resort & Spa
image Velidhu Island Resort

Restaurants

Non-Diving Activities

  • Go snorkeling…many dive sites also set the stage for world-class snorkeling
  • Explore the turquoise waters via kayak
  • Join a whale and dolphin watching safari
  • Indulge in a luxurious spa treatment
  • Lounge on a beach
  • Explore the capital city of Malé
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Frequently Asked Questions

The Maldives is made up of 1,190 coral islands that are located southwest of Sri Lanka, on the equator. The coral islands form an archipelago of 26 major atolls.

If connecting in Dubai, your flight from LAX to Dubai will take about 16 hours (13 hours from JFK). Your flight from Dubai to Malé will take about 4 hours.

Emirates, Qatar Airways, Sri Lankan Airlines and Indian Airlines regularly service Malé International Airport. Your connecting flights may be serviced by American Airlines, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, US Airways, Continental or Singapore Airlines.

You’ll likely be on a Boeing 777 from LAX to Dubai, as well as from Dubai to Malé. The flight from JFK to Dubai is also aboard a Boeing 777.

The 777’s have a 3-4-3 configuration.

Yes. A valid passport, along with an onward/return ticket and sufficient funds, is required for entry. A no-cost visitor visa valid for thirty days is issued upon arrival. Please visit www.travel.state.gov and choose “International Travel” and “Maldives” to get the latest information. The contact information for the nearest U.S. Embassy is below:

U.S. Embassy Colombo, Sri Lanka
210 Galle Road, Colombo 3, Sri Lanka
Telephone: (94) (11) 249-8500
Emergency after-hours telephone: (94) (11) 249-8888
Fax: (94) (11) 249-8590

Yes, unless otherwise specified, you will be met at the airport and transferred to your hotel.

The Maldives is 13 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time and 10 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time.

The official currency of the Maldives is the Maldivian rufiyaa. One rufiyaa is divided into 100 laari. You will encounter banknotes in denominations of 5, 10, 20, 50, 100 and 500 rufiyaa and coins in denominations of 1 laari, 2 laari, 5 laari, 10 laari, 25 laari, 50 laari, 1 rufiyaa and 2 rufiyaa. One US dollar is equivalent to about 12.80 Rf.

Dhivehi is the official language of the Maldives. It shares similarities with languages from Sri Lanka, South East Asia and North India, and contains many Arabic, Hindi and English words. English is the medium of teaching in the Maldives, and is therefore widely understood, written and spoken.

For legal reasons, we cannot make official recommendations regarding shots or immunizations. Please consult with your physician or visit www.cdc.gov for more information.

230 Volts/60 Hertz. It is advised that you carry your own converter/adapter.

Please check with the airline(s) you are flying with for international and domestic luggage requirements and restrictions.

The Maldives boasts 200 different species of coral and an abundance of reef inhabitants. Enjoy reef, drift, and wreck dives in water that ranges from 75-81 degrees with a visibility of 50-130 ft. Expect hammerheads, grey reef sharks, white tips, eagle rays, mantas, turtles, frogfish, triggerfish, surgeonfish, jacks, snapper, napolean wrasse, barracudas, and more!

While the water can get warm enough to go without, we recommend divers wear a 3mm wetsuit for protection.

Most dive sites are within a 45 minute boat from your resort. Full day excursions to long range dive sites are also regularly scheduled.

A typical dive day consists of single-tank morning and afternoon dives, although early morning two-tank trips, sunset two-tank trips, full day two-tank trips and night dives are also offered.

Dive equipment rental

E-tickets and vouchers are sent approximately 3 weeks prior to your departure.