Details

Frequently Asked Questions

Please click here to go to our general FAQ, which has essential information that applies to all of our programs.

Resources to Learn & Teach about the Maldives

Visit our recommended reading page to see the list of books GEEO recommends reading before your program (this is not required reading). We also have lesson plans and Pinterest boards that may be useful for you as you learn about your destination and prepare to bring lessons back to your classroom.

Terms and Conditions

It is very important for you to visit our Terms and Conditions page before signing up for this program.

Cancellation policy

All cancellations must be submitted to GEEO in written form by emailing your request for cancellation to travel@geeo.org. If you do not receive a confirmation that we have received your written cancellation request, please call us at 1-877-600-0105. Verbal cancellation requests will not be honored.

• If you cancel 60 days or more prior to departure, all your program fee payments will be refunded besides your $350 deposit which is kept on file for future use
• If you cancel between 30 and 59 days prior to departure, you will receive a 50% refund and your deposit is kept on file for future use
• If you cancel within 30 days of departure, you will receive no refund, but your deposit is kept on file for future use

Trip Notes

1. ALCOHOL Alcoholic beverages are not readily available and are restricted for religious reasons. Should you have questions, please discuss this with your tour leader.

Group Leader Description

All GEEO/G Adventures group trips are accompanied by one of G Adventure’s group leaders, which they refer to as Chief Experience Officers (CEO). The aim of the group leader is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. They will provide information on the places you are traveling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues and introduce you to our local friends. While not being guides in the traditional sense you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the countries visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious and social aspects. We also use local guides where we think more specific knowledge will add to the enjoyment of the places we are visiting- we think it’s the best of both worlds.

Fitness Level

This trip should be appropriate for most travelers. There is light walking and hiking suitable for most fitness levels and nothing too challenging. For the snorkeling, the water is very buoyant, so swimming is easy and if you can’t swim, you can wear a life vest and hold the hand of a guide while in the water.

Single Travelers

Half of the people that travel with GEEO are traveling by themselves, so please don’t worry if you have no one who can join you on your trip. Our pricing is based on double occupancy or, in other words, two people to a room. You never have to pay for a single room unless you want one. GEEO can find you a roommate of the same gender. This program does not have a single room option.

Joining Instructions

In the Male International Airport please proceed to the Voyage Maldives counters (on the right side, about 7 counters down as you exit customs) for assistance. Voyage Maldives is located at No. 34 in the arrival lounge.

Emergency Contacts

Should you need to contact G Adventures during a situation of dire need, it is best to first call their local G Adventures office. If for any reason you do not receive an immediate answer, please leave a detailed message and contact information, so they may return your call and assist you as soon as possible. If your call is specifically concerning Airport Transfer complications please call our local G Adventures Transfer providers directly at: Shardha From outside Maldives: +960 778 9229 or +960 332 2019 From within Maldives: 778 9229 or 332 2019 EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERS G Adventures Local Office (Delhi) G Adventures South Asia Manager, Rishab (Delhi, India) Emergency number: From outside of India: +91 99 7179 5447 G Adventures Office Bangkok, Thailand During Office hours (Weekdays, 9am-5pm Local Time): +66-02-3815574 If you are unable for any reason to contact their local office, they have a toll-free line for North America, which will connect you directly with their Toronto office. In the event that you cannot get through, you can reach a member of their Operations department at the mobile number below. Toll-free, North America only: 1 888 800 4100 Outside North America, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, and the UK: +1 416 260 0999

Packing List

Please read this article on GEEO’s blog for our staff’s suggestions on the best gear to pack for your upcoming travels. Your rooms onboard the ship are very small, so you will probably end up unpacking your suitcase into the cabinets in the room and placing your luggage in storage on the ship. Please try not to overpack as you really won’t need many clothes. No XXL bags please!

 Suggested Checklist

• Conservative Dress: Modest clothing that covers knees and shoulders (Long pants, long skirts, shirts that cover shoulders)
• Shawl or scarf (for temple visits)
• Day pack (Used for daily excursions)

• 1 outfit that can be worn on inhabited islands – (knees and shoulders must be covered for women)
• 2 bathing suits (They will dry pretty quickly)
• Raincoat
• Outfit for the airplane
• Sleepwear
• Shorts – covering knees is advisable for women; some would say men too
• Long pants (For wearing on inhabited islands and for covering up from the sun)
• Sport sandals or flip-flops (You will be barefoot on the boat. Flip flops are great for island visits)
• 2 Long Sleeve SPF swim shirts (Trust us! The sun can burn you quite easily when you are snorkeling)
• 1 SPF Swimming pants/tights/legging
• Insect repellent
• Reef Safe Sunblock (We recommend Thinksport Brand. You will use a lot of it!)
• Small travel towel
• Sunglasses
• Sun hat
• Toiletries (Preferably biodegradable) – your hotels will have soap and shampoo
• Camera (with memory card & batteries/charger)
• Reusable water bottle
• First-aid kit, including: lip salve, aspirin, bandaids, anti-histamine, (Regular and non-drowsy formulas), Imodium or similar tablets for mild cases of diarrhea, electrolyte powder, insect repellent, extra prescription drugs you may be taking, motion sickness medication

Optional Checklist

• Drybag (Will help keep cameras and essentials dry)
• Binoculars
• Flashlight/torch (Headlamps are ideal)
• Silk sleep sack
• Sea-bands
• Travel pillow
• Money belt
• Portable Bluetooth speaker
• Phone/Tablet for internet – most hotels have WiFi
• Chargers for electronics as well converters/adapters, if needed
• Packing cubes
• Ear Plugs
• Snacks – packing a few granola bars is a good idea; they feed you a lot on the boat, so don’t go crazy here
• Ziplock bags for wet clothing
• Reading/writing material
• Hand sanitizer/Baby wipes
• Light fleece top (for the flight)

Document Checklist

• Passport (with photocopies)
• Travel insurance (with photocopies)
• Flight info (Printouts of e-tickets may be required at the border)
• EUR/USD cash
• Credit or debit card
• G Adventures vouchers, pre-departure information, and dossier
• Any entry visas or vaccination certificates required
• GEEO Classroom action plans for your group – this is sent 10-30 days before departure

Laundry

You can’t do laundry on the boat, but you will end up wearing mostly the same clothes over and over again. They will get wet and then dry.

Passports and Visas

All GEEO trips require that the participant have a valid passport.  Please see our general FAQ for information on obtaining a passport. As with all of our trips, we try to provide the most accurate information we can, but governments sometimes change visa rules. It is your responsibility to double-check the information we provide below by searching here. For the Maldives, a free 30-day visa will be issued when you arrive in Malé. Please use the below name & address when filling out your visa-on-arrival form upon entering the Maldives: Voyages Maldives Pvt Ltd P.O.Box 2019 Chaandhanee Magu Malé 20191 Maldives T +960 332 2019 l F +960 332 5336 l M +960 778 9229 All countries require a valid passport (with a minimum of 6 months' validity). Contact your local embassy or consulate for the most up-to-date visa requirements.

Money Exchange

As currency exchange rates fluctuate, we ask that you refer to the following website for daily exchange rates: www.xe.com. ATMs are also widely available that distribute the local currency and this is what we recommend as your primary source of cash while traveling. Please make sure you bring at least $200 USD in cash as emergency money, just in case you have trouble with the ATMs or lose your bank card. Major credit cards are accepted in most shops, but they may charge a 2-4% transaction fee. Visa and MasterCard are useful for cash advances in an emergency situation. Please note: If you are carrying U.S. Dollars, they should be in good condition (i.e., not torn, wrinkled, or marked on in any way) and printed recently.

Tipping

At the end of each trip, if you felt your G Adventures tour leader did an outstanding job, tipping is appreciated. The amount is entirely a personal preference, but as a guideline $30-40 USD per person per week can be used.

Vaccinations

We legally cannot give you any medical advice. It is very important to consult your doctor or a travel clinic about which vaccinations you will need for your trip. Please take this seriously!

Flights

We often find the best prices for purchasing flights is 60 days before departure, but of course, this varies greatly from route to route and year to year. You must wait until this trip is confirmed with the minimum number of required participants before you book your flights. Typically, we reach the minimum number needed at least 90 days before departure. GEEO and G Adventures bear no responsibility for any flights purchased before the trip is confirmed. You can find out whether this trip has been confirmed here. Please double-check our itinerary for the date by which you must arrive in Malé, which usually means departing the U.S. 1 to 2 days prior. You should arrive in time to arrive at the hotel in time for the 6:00 pm welcome meeting on day one, and you can leave at any time on the final day of the program.

Plugs and Converters

There are two components to provide external power to your device: adapters and transformers. The adapter is the plug, adapting the prongs on a standard U.S. two to three-pronged power cord to match the prongs required by the local outlets. The transformer changes the local voltage to that required by your device. The Maldives uses 230V, 50 Hz D and G type plugs. The D has three circular prongs. The G has three square prongs. The voltage is 230 Volts. U.S. outlets are 120V. Most new devices (phones and laptops) can handle the different voltage rates, but some devices only work on the U.S. standard of 120V. Check your device to see what voltage range it handles. Most transformer blocks will have an “Input” line that defines its voltage capacity. For example, “Input: 100-240V” means that it will work on voltages from 100V to 240V. If your transformer can’t handle the different voltage, you’ll need to purchase a voltage converter. You can find world regional voltage converters power packs at various vendors.

Itinerary Disclaimer

While it is our intention to adhere to the routes described on our website, there is a certain amount of flexibility built into the itinerary and on occasion it may be necessary, or desirable, to make alterations. The itinerary is brief, as we never know exactly where our journey will take us. Due to our style of travel and the regions we visit, travel can be unpredictable. The information on our website is a general guide to the tour and region, and any mention of specific destinations or wildlife is by no means a guarantee that they will be visited or encountered. Additionally, any travel times listed are approximations only and subject to vary due to local circumstances.

Advice From Past Participants

“The airport in the Maldives is pretty small but has good facilities, including wi-fi in the restaurants. They have showers there as well as luggage storage, just in case you have a flight later on the departure day and wanted to go into Male city for the day and wanted to freshen up when you got back.” “They practice Sharia law in the Maldives. Women in our group did not need to cover their hair, but covering legs and arms was considered the polite thing to do. The only time men needed to cover up was when visiting the mosque in Male city (after the tour ended). There they needed to wear long pants and long sleeves.” “The harbor and initial departure gave me seasickness, possibly because I did not have any Dramamine. I highly recommend taking a non-drowsy Dramamine at an hour before departing to cover you until you are out on the open ocean and have your sea legs. I used sea-bands and non-drowsy Dramamine throughout the trip and never experienced seasickness again.” “I was there in July and thought the water visibility was pretty great on the snorkels. Our guide said that it was incredible in December and January when the sediment is more settled and you can see much further down.” “The sun is REALLY strong! I wore a long-sleeved SPF swim top and avoided getting burnt. In retrospect, I probably would have brought swimming pants too. This would have saved me from having to have to reapply sunblock to my limbs after each snorkel.” “With the ocean breeze, I didn’t really get hot or cold. For me the weather was perfect, but maybe we just got lucky.” “Each of our cabins had its own bathroom. I was not expecting that. Also, it was really nice sleeping on the deck at night under the stars. I have never seen such an amazing sky in my life.” “You cannot bring alcohol into the Maldives, but they do sell it on the boat. It was so expensive no one really got drunk, which was probably a good thing considering the close quarters.”

Weather

The Maldives’ weather in July is hot and humid, with short heavy downpours. It is a great time to snorkel or dive with manta rays and whale sharks that come to feed on the enormous amounts of plankton in the water. Expect average highs in the mid-80s and lows in the high 70s.