Wondering how to plan a surf trip to Maldives? I've written a 15 page e-book guide on how to plan a surf trip to Maldives. It is designed as a one-stop resource to help you plan your surf trip to Maldives. As a professional surf photographer in Maldives, with over 7 years experience as a surf guide on liveaboards, at resorts and local islands, I am passionate about helping you plan an epic Maldives surf trip.
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How to Plan A Surf Trip to Maldives FREE e-book Guide
INCLUDES:
Maldives Travel Info - currency, language, food, water, WiFi, alcohol, religion etc
Maldives Surf Season
Maldives Weather - the best time to visit Maldives
Surf Breaks Guide - each atoll, plus details of all Maldives surf spots & A4 quick reference poster
Accommodation guide - surf camps, guesthouses, liveaboards and exclusive surf resorts
Best Local Surf Islands in Maldives
8 Surf Resorts in Maldives
Island Transfers - local ferries, speedboats, domestic flights & seaplanes
Your arrival in Maldives - visas, Immigration, airport reps & pick up
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The below is a short preview version, of my full 15 page PDF e-book: ‘Guide to An Epic Surf Trip To Maldives'.
1. RESEARCH THE DESTINATION
LOCATION - WHERE IS MALDIVES?
The Maldives stretches 800km north to south and 120km east to west. 1,190 islands form Maldives, across two parallel chains of islands, divided into 26 atolls. Maldives is situated south-west of India and Sri Lanka. The equator crosses the country in… Continued in Maldives e-book
MALDIVES WEATHER – WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO VISIT MALDIVES?
Maldives is a tropical country with year round weather temps of 26-31°C and ocean temps to match. The dry season is from November to April and the wet season extends from May to October, with the wettest months being … Continued in Maldives e-book Indulge Maldives has a great blog post month by month weather in Maldives.
WHEN IS THE MALDIVES SURF SEASON?
The surf season in Maldives is the same as the wet season: from May to October. The biggest swells occur in July and August.
RELIGION IN MALDIVES
Maldives is a 100% Sunni Muslim country, where local Islamic law governs the country. Tourists should dress modestly when moving through local villages. Bikinis can be worn in surf breaks around Maldives, and must only be worn at designated 'bikini beaches' on local islands. Bikini wear is acceptable at resorts islands. Alcohol is not permitted on local islands, even for tourists, but is permitted on safari boats. Some local islands have 'bar boats' located off the island, designed for tourists. Religious materials, pork, duty free alcohol & pornographic items are prohibited from entering Maldives.
LANGUAGE
Dhivehi (dee-va-he), the formal language of Maldives, uses its own alphabetic system, reading from right to left. English is widely spoken with most Maldivians speaking English fluently as their second language.
2. KNOW THE SURF BREAKS
FREE e-BOOK HAS:
DETAILED GUIDE TO ALL 4 SURFING ATOLLS IN MALDIVES
A4 QUICK REFERENCE POSTER TO ALL SURF BREAKS IN MALDIVES
Maldives has over 30 surf breaks located across hundreds of kilometres of coral reefs.
Read my Maldives Surf Breaks Guide here.
3. WHERE TO STAY
When it comes to accommodation, this goes hand in hand with trip budget. In Maldives it is possible to find accommodation from USD$50 to $50,000 a night.
SURF CAMPS
Surf Camps are situated on local islands where Maldivian people live. Surf camps are equipped with local surf guides, so surfers can receive daily updates on the surf forecasts plus insider tips for particular surf breaks. Surf camps will organise surf trips to other nearby breaks. Prices start from... Continued in e-book
GUESTHOUSES
Guesthouses offer bed and breakfast style accommodation on local islands, designed for budget travellers. Some guesthouses even offer surf packages inclusive of accommodation, transfers and meals. The cost of guesthouses starts from … Continued in e-book
EXCLUSIVE SURF RESORTS
All-inclusive luxury surf resorts are designed for luxury travellers with high budgets, seeking access to exclusive and uncrowded waves. Only surfers staying at the resorts, who have purchased a surf pass on per surf basis, are permitted to surf the exclusive resort wave. A maximum capacity of surfers staying at the island at any one time is strictly enforced, ensuring waves are off-limits to the public… Continued in e-book
LIVEABOARDS
Set sail on the ultimate surfing trip, on board a safari boat. Drift between Maldivian islands with an experienced surf guide, in search of perfect waves. Liveaboards are all-inclusive except for alcohol. Continued in e-book
4. BEST LOCAL SURF ISLANDS IN MALDIVES – IN e-BOOK
5. BEST SURF RESORTS IN MALDIVES – IN e-BOOK
6. ISLAND TRANSFERS
It is important to consider how to travel between islands in Maldives. The method of transfer and the accommodation style you choose will depend on your trip budget.
SPEEDBOATS
Local islands in North and South Malé Atolls use public speedboats to travel from Malé Airport to the island. Most islands have a once or twice daily speedboat schedule. Speedboat tickets start from USD$30 per adult one-way and tickets must be pre-booked... Continued in Maldives e-book
LOCAL FERRIES
Local ferries are the cheapest and slowest transfer option for budget travellers. Tickets start from USD$2pp one-way. The islands in North & South Malé Atolls are connected via the local ferry network, with a once daily service. Ferries depart from the local island early in the morning and return from Malé in the afternoon... Continued in Maldives e-book
DOMESTIC FLIGHTS
As the islands of the Maldives are wide spread, it may be necessary to take a domestic flight to reach a surf island. Domestic flight transfers start from.... Continued in Maldives e-book
SEAPLANE FLIGHTS
A seaplane flight may be necessary to reach a surf island in Maldives. Seaplanes are mainly for travellers staying at resort islands, located outside of North and South Malé Atolls. Prices for seaplane flights start from… Continued in Maldives e-book
7. ARRIVAL IN MALDIVES
AIRPORT
Velana International Airport (Malé), is situated on Hulhule Island. Hulhumale Island is the best island for an overnight transit stay in Maldives... Continued in Maldives e-book
VISA
Maldives supplies a Free 30 day Tourist Visa On Arrival to all nationalities, subject to… Continued in Maldives e-book
ARRIVAL AT THE AIRPORT
Resort and safari boat guests will be greeted by an airport representative who will assist with speedboat, domestic flight or seaplane transfers. Local island tourists will be informed in advance if a hotel representative will greet them on arrival at the airport, or if guests are required to make their own way to the speedboat / domestic check in.
ISLAND ARRIVAL
Arriving at each island, guests will be greeted on arrival at the jetty by hotel staff. Guests will be transferred to the reception for check in, unless at a resort has in-room check in procedures with private Butler.
8.TRAVEL INFO
CURRENCY
The main currencies used in Maldives are US Dollars and the local currency Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR). Both are widely accepted on local islands. Resort islands accept USD, Euros or credit cards. Some local islands have ATM facilities but not all islands. Standard Exchange Rate in Maldives ... Continued in Maldives e-book
FOOD
Maldivian cuisine mainly consists of tuna, curries, rice dishes, coconut and spices. It is influenced by Sri Lankan and Indian cuisines. The most popular Maldivian dishes include Mashuni, Garudhiya and Bokiba. Many local islands have cafés where travellers can sample these dishes.
WIFI
WiFi in Maldives is very fast and efficient. Resorts offer WiFi for guests although it's often chargeable. On local islands it’s likely a guesthouse will have WiFi but it may only be in communal areas. If you wish to have WiFi access 24/7, purchase a tourist sim card at the airport for USD$20 17GB. Make sure your phone is unlocked and not restricted to a home network or the sim will not work. It is not possible to get a tourist sim on… The two mobile providers in Maldives are Dhiraagu and Ooredoo ... Continued in Maldives e-book
WATER
Hotels provide guests with drinking water daily, either bottled or from their own desalinated (reverse osmosis) source. Bring a re-useable drink bottle to help cut down on plastic pollution as Maldives does not have recycling facilities. Brushing teeth with tap water is not harmful.
GET YOUR FREE MALDIVES SURF TRIP PACKING LIST - IN THE e-BOOK!