Joanna James
The Maldives is a beautiful collection of islands which have existed in the Indian Ocean for centuries. The place has much to discover in terms of culture, religion and history.
As a Muslim nation, the Maldives expects visitors to dress conservatively when on inhabited local islands. Many of the private resorts Maldives is home to allow guests to dress as they choose; however if you are exploring local islands or are staying at a guest house on a local island, make sure to dress conservatively. It is acceptable for men to wear shorts and t-shirts, as well as, swim shorts; however, women should stick to shorts, loose t-shirts and long skirts or sarongs. If you are a guest at island resorts like Kuramathi Maldives, you may put on any swimwear of your choice, but at private guesthouses, you must head over to a designated tourist beach before getting into your swimwear.
Women cannot walk around in bikinis or any other swimwear. And while the water is very inviting you cannot throw off your clothes and get into that bikini unless you are on a private Maldives resort, a designated tourist area or a private boat. It is advisable for women to stick to shorts and t-shirts in most places. Locations you can be free to wear clothes as you wish are Picnic Island or a sandbank.
Maldivians as Muslims, cannot consume liquor, as such, alcohol is not available on the local islands. Guests at a luxury resort in the Maldives, have no ban of course. Alcohol cannot be brought into the archipelago; it will be confiscated at the airport. No, not even the vodka in a water bottle trick works. You can enjoy as much alcohol as you like on your tourist boat, but unless you are staying at a private Maldives resort based on its own island, do not consider taking back alcohol to your guesthouse.
As a Muslim nation, pork is banned in the Maldives. It's not available on the archipelago and cannot be brought in. While there are no bacon strips for breakfast, you can try and enjoy, a traditional Maldivian breakfast. A typical Maldivian breakfast is mashuni and roshi; mashuni is a flaked tuna mix of grated coconut, lemon juice and chilli. Roshi is a flatbread with which the fish is eaten. Quite a treat when enjoyed on the front patio of your Maldives hotel, facing the gorgeous Indian Ocean.
Should you be visiting or staying on a local island, you will be a part of local culture. One of the foremost aspects is the call for prayer; this melodious chant takes place daily at sunrise and sunset. You can also get on a local island tour and explore the main attractions such as Hukuru Miskiy, the oldest on the archipelago, as well as, the Grand Friday Mosque the largest in the country. If you are exploring a mosque men should wear long trousers and shirts with sleeves and women should cover their heads, shoulders and ankles.
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