The Maldives has long been an under-explored tropical destination. Be among the first to discover its idyllic islands on this eight-day trip and hop around this archipelago. Head underwater to witness diverse marine life and extensive coral reefs, relax in the laid-back vibe of Dhiffushi’s “bikini beach”, and indulge in traditional meals with local families. Visit local island communities and learn about how climate change and rising seas will affect the lowest-lying country in the world. This country could be completely submerged in 30 years. Bear witness for your students.
GEEO will be partnering with the South Asia Institute at the University of Texas. Accompanying the trip will be Rachel Meyer, Assistant Director of the South Asia Institute. She will be provide guidance to teachers during the trip and help with the development of classroom activities and lesson plans that focus on confronting climate change through empowerment, action and environmental justice. Participants will also receive complementary readings and teaching materials that focus on the impact of climate change and community response in South Asia.
Please click here to go to our general FAQ, which has essential information that applies to all of our programs.
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.
It is very important for you to visit our Terms and Conditions page before signing up for this program.
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.
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.
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.
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 options.
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.
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
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 on board 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!
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.
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 6 months validity). Contact your local embassy, or consulate for the most up-to-date visa requirements.
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.
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.
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!
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.
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 use 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.
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.
“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 practise 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 a 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 . I highly recommend taking a non-drowsy dramamine at 10 AM 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 sea sickness 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 kept me from 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 their 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.”
Located in the Indian Ocean, the Maldives enjoy a beautifully mild climate all year round. Late December/ Early January falls in the middle of the dry season, so rainfall and humidity are low while winds from the northeast blow away any clouds, meaning skies are clear and blue. Despite being the coolest month of the year, January has warm daily temperatures (Around 80 to 86 degrees) thanks to the heat of the seas (the water is around 82 degrees, although there’s a cooling ocean breeze. At night it gets down to about 77 degrees. The water is pretty much at its clearest of the year, so it is an incredible time for snorkeling. All of these factors makes this one of the most popular months to visit the Maldives.
Please keep in mind this trip offers some free time to pursue activities that interest you. Make sure you look over all of the optional activities and note these additional costs when deciding whether you can afford this program. Breakfasts and a few dinners are included in this trip, giving you the opportunity to eat out according to your own resources. The prices below are in U.S. Dollars and are rough estimates for budgeting your trip.
See our price in the top right corner
$150-$200 USD
Roughly $1,200-$2,000 USD
If you require assistance in booking your international airfare, we would be happy to help you.
$25-$200 USD
Please note: It is mandatory for all of our travelers to have Emergency Medical insurance that covers both emergency evacuation and repatriation to the sum of $200,000 USD. We also strongly recommend purchasing cancellation insurance as well.
$80 USD total. We recommend $30-40 USD for your G Adventures tour leader. $20-40 for miscellaneous tips (restaurants, drivers, day guides, etc.).
$150-250 USD
They sell alcohol, but it is expensive. You cannot bring your own into the country.
Variable. Please consult your doctor.
$0
Variable. At your personal discretion.
$100 USD (Suggested donation)
This is only for non-educator guests traveling with an educator on a GEEO trip. Educators and retired educators should not make this donation.
