Please note there is a minimum of two participants required per departure date. Do not make travel arrangements until you have received confirmation from Encounters Travel.

Yes! Private departures are available on any travel date, within the voucher period you selected, for two or more participants and additional costs may apply. Please contact our Adventures Team to explore pricing and check on availability.

You should plan to fly in and out of Malé International Airport (MLE). A representative from Encounters Travel will greet you and provide a transfer to your hotel on Day 1. At the end of the tour, you'll return to Malé Airport from Gulhi Island by private speedboat, arriving in time for flight departures after about mid-day on Day 8. If you have an earlier flight departure, please let Encounters Travel know as soon as possible as you may need to book an extra speedboat transfer (at extra cost). If you have a late afternoon/evening flight departure, Encounters Travel will offer a range of options to help fill your day. Please see the tour notes for details. Encounters Travel can assist with flight bookings or you can make your own arrangements – the transfers are included either way.

The guesthouse accommodations on this tour are designed to provide a balance of comfort, local atmosphere, and value for money. These are not luxury resorts, but they are good quality, clean, comfortable guesthouses or small hotels. They have friendly staff and often provide excellent local food. Below is a list of the accommodations included in this trip:

Hulhumale - Newtown Inn
Guraidhoo - Guraidhoo Palm Maldives Hotel
Maafushi - Lily Rest
Gulhi - Tropic Tree

Solo travelers may choose to pay a single room supplement to guarantee themselves a single room throughout the tour. Please contact our Adventures Team to explore pricing and availability. Alternatively, you may choose to share a room with another traveler of the same gender. If you end up with a single room due to the make-up of the group, you do not need to pay the supplement.

A wide variety of different local food is available and included. Breakfasts are usually simple and often buffet arrangements. Evening meals are normally seafood-based and focus on traditional Maldivian cuisine - which is delicious!

As a Muslim nation, Maldivians are prohibited by law from consuming alcohol; hence there is a total restriction on alcohol on inhabited local islands. This includes the capital Malé and the other islands visited on this tour. Additionally, any alcohol brought through the airport will be confiscated. If possible, Encounters Travel will provide opportunities to visit picnic islands and resorts where alcohol can be made available. However, please note that where alcohol is available, it is very expensive.

The Maldives is a Muslim country and care needs to be taken in relation to the dress code on local islands. While it is acceptable for men to wear t-shirts and shorts or swim shorts, women should avoid causing offense by maintaining a more conservative approach to clothes by wearing t-shirts, loose shorts, or sarongs. Although the islands visited on this tour are more tolerant of guests wearing traditional beachwear, women should avoid wearing bikinis and swimwear unless on an un-inhabited island, picnic island, sandbank, screened off local beach (Maafushi for example), dive boat, or resort island. Whilst the law restricts the wearing of bikinis on local islands, some guesthouses do provide a private sunbathing area on the beach or on the terrace of the guesthouse; the local rep will advise when and where this is possible. It is common practice by both locals and visitors for women to swim from local beaches wearing a t-shirt and shorts. This can also help to protect against sunburn. When visiting the home of a local family or during the island tours where you may have access to mosques and family homes, shoulders and thighs should be covered out of respect for local customs.

The Maldives is a place where you don’t require much in order to be comfortable. It is tropical, sunny, and very relaxed, so you only really need to bring a few essentials:

- Valid passport (with at least 6 months left before expiration)
- Light weight, casual, non-synthetic clothing (cottons and natural fibers are best) which appropriately cover the body, when in the company of the local communities. Please understand local customs and religious requirements relating to dress codes. It doesn’t have to be fancy, but it needs to be respectful.
- Cool footwear / sandals (if you are interested in exploring the reefs, a pair of reef shoes is recommended to avoid injuries)
- Swimsuits (rash-guards/t-shirts are recommended for snorkeling to avoid sunburn)
- Sunscreen, after sun lotions, and personal hygiene products
- Prescription medications, if required (please bring supporting documents)
- Power adapter for phones, laptops, etc. (the Maldives uses mostly UK style sockets)
- Underwater camera
- Sunglasses and hats
- Dive certification card and log book if you intend to participate in scuba diving

Luggage allowances:
Most international airlines restrict you to between 40 and 50 lbs per person of luggage to go in the hold of the plane. Domestic flights often have smaller allowances around 30 lbs. As airline rules vary it is recommended that you take no more than 45 lbs of luggage if your tour just includes international flights, and no more than 30 lbs if there are any domestic flights included in your itinerary. Please contact Encounters Travel for details if you are unsure about luggage allowances on your tour. Any excess baggage fees will be your responsibility to cover. Most airlines allow between 10 lbs and 20 lbs for hand luggage so Encounters suggests that you take no more than 10 lbs unless you have confirmed that your airline(s) will allow more than this.

There will never be more than 10 guests in any given group.

The Maldives has a non-convertible currency – Maldivian Rufiyaa – that cannot be purchased beforehand. One Rufiyaa is 100 Laari and is available in 500, 100, 50, 20, 10, and 5 Rufiyaa notes. As of July 2019, one US Dollar is equivalent to about 15.49 Rufiyaa. Major international currencies can be changed easily at the airport on arrival. It is not advised to exchange currency in Malé where bank lines are common and wait time is lengthy. The US Dollar is accepted as legal tender. All major credit cards can be used (and are preferred) at resorts, hotels, shops, etc., however, on local islands it is usually only guesthouses that accept credit cards and cash is generally preferred. The national bank, Bank of Maldives, has several branches in Malé as well as other major population hubs such as the Malé International Airport. Several other regional banks also operate in central Malé, including the State Bank of India, Bank of Ceylon, and HSBC. There are no banks on resort islands or on local islands visited during this trip.

ATMs: Most banks represented in Malé provide ATM services and credit card services at several key points in Malé and Hulhumale. Only local currency MRF will be dispensed. While there is an ATM at the Malé branch of the Bank of Maldives dispensing USD$, it only dispenses to Bank of Maldives cardholders. There are no ATMs on resort islands or on the local islands visited during this trip. All major credit cards can be used at resorts, hotels, and many shops in Malé. Most restaurants and shops in Malé will accept USD in payment providing change in local currency.

Bank notes: The banks in the Maldives are very particular about the condition of bank notes and will refuse deposits of old style US Dollars; any damaged notes, badly creased or well-worn notes will also be rejected. Therefore, if presenting such a note as form of payment you may be requested to change to a note of better condition. Please do not take offense, it is purely that the note will have no worth to the individual to whom you are paying. Also, note that small bills .i.e. $1 and $5 have a lower exchange value, as the Bank of Maldives charges for small notes to be deposited.

Spending money and budgeting: It is difficult to say exactly what you'll need during your local island visit as this varies depending on personal preferences and the number of extra optional activities and souvenirs you may like to purchase. While on the local islands, approximate prices are as follows (you should expect prices on resort islands to be considerably more expensive than this):
Snack lunch: $5-$10
Evening meal in guesthouse or local restaurant: $10-$20
Tea / coffee: $1
Soft drinks: $1
Water 500m: $1

If you would like to add pre- or post-travel accommodations or activities, please contact our Adventures Team to explore the pricing ad availability.

For additional activities mentioned in the itinerary, please contact Encounters Travel directly for pricing and availability.

Travel insurance is required for this adventure. It allows you to seek reimbursement if you are forced to cancel your trip for unforeseeable reasons, or if you need to cover medical help, emergency transport, and/or theft or accidental damage while traveling. For travel insurance, we recommend VisitorsCoverage as a provider.

We recommend you visit the local government websites where you plan to travel and review the required documentation for entry, current restrictions, and general recommendations for travel within the area. We encourage you to also visit your home country's embassy website if you are traveling to a foreign country. Requirements can change rapidly. Please be sure you stay abreast of the requirements and restrictions for anywhere you plan to visit. You can also enroll in the U.S. government’s Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) and you will be sent updates if the situation in your destination changes. You can find the program link at https://step.state.gov/.

Yes! Book confidently with Free Cancellations within 72 hours of booking. After 72 hours, cancellation fees will apply.

New For 2021 Departures: We’re providing more flexible booking options on this trip.

Up to 60 days prior to departure*
You may postpone or modify your trip up to 60 days prior to departure.

You will have the option to:
1) Select a new travel date. Additional trip costs may apply.
2) Receive 100% lifetime store credit toward a future trip.

Up to 30 days prior to departure
You may postpone or modify your trip up to 30 days prior to departure.

You will have the option to:
1) Select a new travel date. Additional trip costs may apply.
2) Receive lifetime store credit toward a future trip. Standard cancellation fees will apply.

Less than 30 days prior to departure
In some cases, you may have the option to postpone your trip within 30 days prior to departure.

If this is available at the time of your request, you will have the option to:
1) Select a new travel date. Additional trip costs may apply and new dates are subject to availability, or
2) Receive a lifetime store credit toward a future trip. Standard cancellation fees will apply.

For more information on our Travel Cancellation Policy please Click Here.