The Maldives is the perfect tropical island escape, with the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean, the purest of white sand beaches and the warm and illuminating Maldivian people. It is all about sun, sand and sea.
It has long been a misconception that the Maldives is only for those after a romantic and relaxing escape. The Maldives is actually one of the best locations in the world for a family holiday that is both relaxing for the parents and fun for the children.
The Maldives is the only place in the world where you can experience your own ‘Robinson Crusoe’ island getaway, staying in either a thatched roof beach bungalow directly on the beach or a thatched roof water villa on stilts in the lagoon.
The Maldives is famous for its rare underwater beauty. The incredible marine life is so abundant that you can see the psychedelic fish from your villa deck or in the shallow waters, perfect for families with children not old enough to dive or snorkel.
Capital
Visit Male to see the Hukuru Miski and Grand Friday mosques, pick up some souvenirs and people-watch.
Location and interesting facts
The Republic of the Maldives is located southwest of Sri Lanka, on the equator. The Maldives is made up of 1,190 coral islands scattered across the Indian Ocean. Of these 1,190 islands, 202 are inhabited with 87 being exclusive resort islands.
The Maldivian resorts are confined to a ‘one island one resort’ policy and the height of a building in the resorts must not be above the tallest palm tree.
The Maldives’ highly fragile ecological system is impressively looked after. The Maldivian Government and the people of the Maldives are extremely conscious of the vulnerability of the environment and are active in implementing measures to ensure that environmental protection receives the highest priority.
 When to go
The weather is always picture perfect, with daily temperatures averaging 30 degrees Celsius all year. The Maldives is regulated by two seasons, with the months of June and July experiencing tropical rains.
How to book a family holiday
Extraordinary Escapes are the Maldives experts and have provided us with the information for this web page. They specialise in planning family holidays to the Maldives and the Extraordinary Escapes’ Directors, Jodie and Justin Mason, have personally taken their family there each year to test the resorts and their facilities.
Extraordinary Escapes represent two of the most family friendly resorts in the Maldives, the Four Seasons Resort & Spa and One&Only Kanuhura. Extraordinary Escapes will advise you as to what facilities the resorts have and will arrange everything for you in advance, for example special meals or a regular babysitter.
Extraordinary Escapes will plan your entire holiday, allowing you to have complete peace of mind from the moment you leave your front door. Having a family themselves, they understand how important this is when children are involved!
You can contact Extraordinary Escapes directly on (07) 3352 7751 or by email enquire@extraordinaryescapes.com.au to discuss your Maldives holiday or have a look at their website on www.extraordinaryescapes.com.au.
Where to stay
Resorts with Kids’ Clubs
The Maldives is a fantastic destination for families, with two resorts actually designed with children and families in mind. These resorts are the Four Seasons Resort & Spa and One&Only Kanuhura Resort.
They have kids’ clubs, professional child minding services, kids’ meal times with children’s menus, movie nights and water sports centres with activities and lessons for children.
The Four Seasons Resort
The Kids’ Clubs at the Four Seasons starts at 4 years of age. Children under this age are welcome provided they have their own babysitter. Babysitting is US$5 per hour.
 The One&Only Kanuhura Resort
The kids’ club at the One&Only Kanuhura is called KidsOnly and is for children between 2 to 11. Children under 6 years of age need to be accompanied by a guardian, parent or babysitter. Babysitting is USD10 per hour and it is available 24 hours. The kids club facility is very spacious and has a kids’ pool, kids’ restaurant with BBQ grill outside.
Things to do for families
The Maldives is one big outdoor adventure playground for children. Beach Villas are directly on the beach, so parents can relax while watching their children play safely in front of them. As each island in the Maldives only has one resort, you can rest assured that your children are safe.
Food
You will find a mixture of Western, South East Asian, and Indian food served at the resorts. The two resorts with kids’ clubs have children’s menus and one even has a children’s buffet starting at 6pm each evening. Children eat for free under the age of four years at one resort and five years at the other resort and both resorts are unbelievably helpful when catering for children with special diets. It is possible to pay for your meals in advance, which saves you having to worry while on your holiday.
How do I get there?
Flight time from Sydney is approximately 12 1/2 hours. There are no direct flights.
The Maldives is approximately four and a half hours flying time from Singapore. Singapore Airlines fly there via Singapore and Malaysia Airlines fly there via Kuala Lumpur. Qantas fly to Singapore, where you can connect with a Singapore Airlines flight to the Maldives.
Once you arrive in Male, Maldives, you will greeted by a representative from your resort and transferred to the resort either by speed boat or sea plane.
 Health
The Indhira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) in Male’ is the biggest hospital in the country providing sophisticated medical care. Both the Four Seasons Resort & Spa and One&Only Kanuhura have their own in-house doctor residing on the island.
Population
The population of the Maldives is approximately 270,000 according to 1998 estimates.
Culture / Religion
The Maldivian people are warm, illuminating and extremely hospitable, so much so that you immediately feel relaxed in their presence. The predominant religion of the Maldivian people is Muslim. As such, you cannot drink alcohol on the mainland or take alcohol to the Maldives. The resorts however do sell alcohol and most have an extensive selection of international wines, beers and cocktails at reasonable prices.
The Republic of Maldives has a proud history and rich culture that combines a mixture of African, Indian, Sri Lankan and South East Asian influences. This is noticeable in their sumptuous food, their colourful dance and their rhythmic music, particularly the hand beating of drums.
Language
Dhivehi is the official language spoken in all parts of the Maldives. English is widely spoken by Maldivians and visitors can easily make themselves understood getting around the capital island. In the resorts, a variety of languages are spoken by the staff including English, German, French, Italian and Japanese.
 What to wear /Weather
While at the resorts, the dress is generally casual. T-shirts and cotton clothing are most suitable. It is advisable for men to take a pair of long pants as some resorts require these at meal times. Don’t worry, sarongs are provided if you do forget!
In Male’, the capital island and other inhabited islands it is recommended that women wear modest clothing without baring too much.
Currency
The Maldivian currency is the Maldivian Rufiyaa and Laaree. The US Dollar is the most commonly used foreign currency. The resorts price everything in US Dollars. Payments in the resorts and hotels can be made in most currency in cash, travellers’ cheques or credit cards. Commonly used credit cards are American Express, Visa, Master Card, Diners Club, JCB and Euro Card. Click here for up to date currency conversion.
Time
GMT + 5 hours. Click here for more on time zones.
Tipping / Haggling
Maldivians do not tip or haggle. They are extremely polite and courteous people. Even at the resorts, you are not expected to tip.
Passport and Visa
All visitors are granted a free 30 day Visa upon arrival provided they: hold a current passport (recommended to have at least six months validity); a valid return air ticket to a destination where the passenger has permission to enter, together with necessary visas for the onward journey to the next destination; and have possession of a minimum of US$30.00 per person per day or have a confirmed hotel reservation for the intended period of stay in the Maldives.
| 
