The Maldives are located close to the equator, south-west of Sri Lanka and India, and therefore have a tropical climate. This means that the temperature is approximately 28–30 degrees all year round, and the water temperature hardly ever dips below 28 degrees.

However, the Maldives have two seasons: a dry season and a rainy season.

The dry season extends from December to April, making it peak season on the Maldives. At this time of the year, there is plenty of sunshine and almost no clouds, rain is minimal and humidity is therefore low. The sea is calm and clear, creating the perfect conditions for diving and snorkelling. The dry season is due to the warm, dry Iruvai monsoon that blows in over the Maldives from the north-east.

The rainy season extends from May to November. During this period, it is still hot, but more cloudy, and you may experience rain on a daily basis. The south-westerly Hulhangu monsoon blows tropical rain across the archipelago, especially over the southernmost islands. However, you should not expect day-long rain, but brief, heavy showers, often followed by sun. Due to the increased rain, humidity is higher during this period.

As a British citizen, you must be in possession of a valid British passport. The passport must be valid for at least 1 month from the day you arrive in the Maldives.

As a British citizen, you will need to obtain a visa to visit the Maldives, which you will be issued with on your arrival. The visa is free.

Click here to check the visa regulations on the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office website.

You must also complete a health declaration no earlier than 96 hours before your arrival in and departure from the Maldives. The health declaration can be found here.

Prior to your departure, you can download our App here to find your travel documents and the contact details for TourCompass and our local partners.

We recommend that you download the WhatsApp app to your smartphone and add the phone numbers of our business partners. You can send messages and call them for free using the app when you have a Wi-Fi connection.

We recommend that you contact a medical specialist, your GP or an authorised vaccination clinic for information about vaccinations. You can also read more about the rules regarding travel vaccinations here.

Please be aware of the rules about yellow fever – especially if you are entering via another country where yellow fever is present. Some countries require proof of yellow fever vaccination upon entry. Your vaccination certificate should therefore always be carried with you in your hand luggage when you travel.

You’re always very welcome to contact us if you have any questions about this.

Please read our general travel terms and conditions carefully, as these are part of the agreement terms for tours purchased at TourCompass. Tours purchased from us are covered under the “Package Travel Act”.

Click here to read our travel terms and conditions.

All the flights and flight-inclusive holidays on this website are financially protected by the ATOL scheme. When you pay you will be supplied with an ATOL Certificate. Please ask for it and check to ensure that everything you booked (flights, hotels and other services) is listed on it.
Please see our booking conditions for further information or for more information about financial protection and the ATOL Certificate click here.

We always advise you to obtain comprehensive travel insurance when heading off on your dream holiday. It is also highly recommended to acquire cancellation insurance for extra protection. 

Click here to proceed to our page on insurance, where you can read more about our recommendations.

The Maldivian currency is called the Maldivian rufiyaa (MVR). The current exchange rate of the Maldivian rufiyaa can be found here.

At resorts, prices are stated in USD or EUR, and payment can be made with both Visa and Mastercard. So we do not recommend that you change your money to the local currency. Please also note that everything you buy during your stay will be added to your room bill, which you will settle on your day of departure.

Obtain an idea of the price level in the Maldives here.

In the Maldives, a service fee of 10% will be added to everything you buy – from food and drinks to excursions and snorkelling trips. However, it is the done thing to tip your porter and maid. You can give as much or as little as you want. The following is an indicative guide:

• Porters: USD 1 per item of luggage
• Maids: USD 2 per room per day
• The rest of the resort’s staff: If you would also like to leave the rest of the resort staff a tip, you can do so when you check out, and it is also possible to have it deducted from your credit card. The different resorts have a shared tip box, so all employees will receive a share of the tips.

At the vast majority of our destinations, we are able to take allergies, as well as allergens or preferences into account when it comes to food, however it is important that you inform us of this when you book the tour.

Telephones & Wi-Fi:

It’s expensive to use data and roaming abroad if it’s not already included in your mobile subscription. Contact your mobile company to find out what services are included in your subscription and what prices apply to you when travelling abroad.

If data and roaming are not included in your mobile subscription when travelling abroad, we recommend that you use Wi-Fi when you’re at your hotel or restaurants. That way, you can call and write home free of charge via various services such as Facetime, Messenger and WhatsApp. Otherwise, it is also possible to buy a local SIM card including data on your arrival.

Electricity:

The voltage in the Maldives is 220V. It’s important that you bring an adapter with you, as the Maldivian plugs can be both round and flat with 3 pins.

Make sure you pack all your important and indispensable things in your hand luggage. This applies to items such as passports, visas, vaccination cards, travel documents, insurance documents, credit cards, money, computers, mobile phones and cameras, as well as information about your health and vital medicines.

Visitors are not permitted to bring plants, seeds, fruit and other plant products into the UK from their travels outside the UK, unless they are accompanied by a plant health (phytosanitary) certificate. These rules also apply to smaller quantities of plants and plant products.

Read more about the rules here.

Please note that our tours are not generally suitable for people with impaired mobility. Please contact us for information about your options in relation to your specific needs.

Most airlines have electronic tickets (e-tickets).

It is important that you check your name for spelling errors, as the name on the reservation must be exactly as it appears on your passport. If your name needs to be corrected, please contact us as soon as possible. Please note that this may incur a fee from the airline.

The airline will assign you a seat on the plane at check-in. If you have specific wishes regarding where you sit on the plane, you can make a seat reservation yourself on the airline’s website or in their app. Please note that most airlines require payment for a seat reservation.

It varies when airlines open for seat reservations, but as a general rule, you can book seats from the time of booking and up to 48 hours before departure.

We also point out that the airline has complete control over all seats on the plane and that they are therefore entitled to make changes to the reservation at any time.
If you do not make a seat reservation before departure, the airline will assign you a seat at check-in.

Your passport and your booking reference, which appears on your itinerary, are required to check in.

We recommend that you download the airline’s app on your phone. In the app, there is an option for online check-in, which typically opens 24 to 48 hours before departure. The app also allows you to stay informed of any flight changes and other important information about your flight.

Please note that the flight times may have changed in relation to those listed on the travel itinerary you received when you booked your holiday. It is always the flight times in the airline’s app or on the airline’s website that apply.

We recommend that you arrive at the airport to check in at least two hours before departure. It is a good idea to check the airport’s website for the latest updates.

We use many different airlines for our destinations. You can check the exact rules for hand luggage and checked baggage on the airline’s website or in their app.

If your baggage is delayed, please contact the staff in the baggage reclaim area to report your missing baggage.

It is important that you have your baggage receipt when completing your PIR (Property Irregularity Report).

Please note that you must not leave the baggage area at the airport until you have completed the report.

In the event of delayed baggage, we ask you to contact our partner, who will ensure that your guide/driver waits for you.

Should any changes occur in connection with your flight reservation before departure, we will of course contact you to let you know.

Should your flight be delayed after check-in, the airline is responsible for rebooking your flight. They will typically book the next possible flight and arrange any meals and accommodation if necessary.

Our partner checks for any changes in arrival times and will naturally still wait for you, even if your flight is delayed.

If, due to a delay or cancellation, the airline books you on another flight number after you have arrived at the airport, please contact us on TourCompass’ emergency number.

Immigration:

When you arrive at your final destination, you will go through immigration, where your passport and any entry documents and visas are checked. In many places, you will be required to provide fingerprints, and a photo of your face will also be taken for biometric recognition. You may also be asked questions about your travel plans in the country and possibly where you are staying.

Customs:
Once you’ve cleared immigration and picked up your luggage, you will head through customs. If you have nothing to declare, you can go through “nothing to declare”. If, on the other hand, you have something to declare, it is important that you go through “declare”. It’s your own responsibility to check the customs regulations that apply in the country you are travelling to.

Our representative will be waiting for you in the arrivals hall at Malé airport, holding up a sign with your name on it. He or she will accompany you to your speedboat transfer, which will sail you to your resort.

If you are travelling to Meeru Island:

If you are unable to find the representative in the arrivals hall, please contact desk B9.

Your speedboat transfer takes approx. 55 minutes.

If you are travelling to Villa Nautica:

If you are unable to find the representative in the arrivals hall, please contact desk E10.

Your speedboat transfer takes approx. 20 minutes.

If you are travelling to Joy Island:

If you are unable to find the representative in the arrivals hall, please contact desk C14.

Your speedboat transfer takes approx. 40 minutes.

Normal check-in is typically from 2 pm, and, therefore, you cannot count on getting your room earlier. If you’d like to check in early, this can be arranged for a fee when you book the tour.

Normal check-out is typically 12 noon. If you’re not travelling until the afternoon or evening, you can have your luggage stored until it’s time to leave. If you would like a late check-out instead this can be arranged for a fee when you book the tour.

Our tours to the Maldives are individual tours. Transfers take place in international groups. The same applies if you purchase excursions at the resort.

We have a 24-hour emergency hotline so that you can always get in touch with us should anything unforeseen occur during your tour. You will also be sent the telephone numbers and emergency telephone numbers of our partners at the destination. In some cases, it may be easiest and fastest to contact our partners due to time differences, if, for example, you find yourself in a situation where your pick-up for an excursion or transfer is more than 15 minutes delayed.

We rely on happy travellers, and we would therefore very much like to hear from you after your return home. Send us an email at info@tourcompass.co.uk or call us on tel.: 01279704135.