What To Wear In Maldives: Our Maldives Packing List And What To Pack For Maldives

What to wear in Maldives and our Maldives packing list. Maldives is one of the places in the world that jumps in the minds of people when they hear about luxurious and relaxing vacation? It is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, that we have been very grateful to travel and come back to a few times and witness its amazing beauty – both local islands and some of its luxury resorts.

Today, we write about a complete Maldives packing list and what to pack for Maldives. The right time to travel and how to enjoy a trip in the Maldives depending on what time of the year you are planning to visit the islands. If you are headed on a holiday to Maldives, packing smart is something that we love to share. So here’s the post for you what to wear in Maldives. Read here Maldives travel tips and floating breakfast in Maldives

Read here Maldives tourist sim card, Maldives itinerary, Maldives food and 5 Local islands in Maldives

Read here reviews of luxury resorts Kuramathi Island and Park Hyatt Hadahaa!

Read here travel guide of local islands in Maldives: Dhiffushi, Thulusdhoo, Maafushi, Gulhi Island, Male, Hulhumale and Omadhoo Island.

MALDIVES PACKING LIST (WHAT TO PACK FOR THE MALDIVES)

Let’s look at the weather details of our Maldives packing list and what to wear in Maldives.

WEATHER FOR MALDIVES AND BEST TIME OF THE YEAR TO VISIT

Packing for a Maldives holiday is probably one of the most exciting packing plans you could ever do. Maldives is one of those places at least you dream visiting once in your life, something you see in commercials as one of the most beautiful places in the world.

Luckily enough, by the time of writing this article, we’ve done quite a few packing for Maldives because we’ve visited it at least once a year. We do a mix of local island travel and luxury resort travel when we are in the Maldives. If you can do both, we entice you to do it this way too.

Weather wise, to properly enjoy a Maldivian holiday, the best time to visit is between the months of November and April. This is the time in Maldives when the weather / climate is warm and tropical. Average temperature is between 29 to 32 degrees Celsius. The average low doesn’t go below 24 degrees Celsius very often during these months. Click here to know more about the weather in Maldives!

For the driest months in the Maldives, with very little rain and low humidity, this will be during the months of January to April. This is the peak season in the Maldives resorts. Expect to pay premium prices during this season. If you want to cut back on these prices, choose to travel outside the peak season, usually from May to December.

Rain does happen usually during these months, and there sometimes is a risk of storms, however there is also a considerable amount of sunshine during the day that you’ll still be able to enjoy really good days in the Maldives with a little bit cut on the prices. Check for price offers in the Maldives during off season.

Click here to know when is the best time to visit Maldives!

WHAT TO WEAR IN THE MALDIVES LOCAL ISLANDS: CASUAL CLOTHING AND RESORT WEAR

What do you actually wear when packing and visiting the Maldives? Now you’ll be surprised to hear that this will actually depend on where in the Maldives you want to go.

When we first planned to pack for the islands, we were surprised (or at least Rachel was) to realize that despite all the bikini commercials you might have seen for the Maldives, the Maldives is actually a Muslim country. That means locals do not really wear bikinis or drink alcohol.

However, most of the visuals in our minds about these beautiful islands is coming from the luxury resort commercials, which is why you don’t really see so much restrictions. Resorts have special licenses to sell alcohol in their islands, and you are of course allowed to wear your chosen swimming attire when you are in a resort.

Maldives has started to open its local islands to tourists, so hotels and small vacation houses and rentals have opened up in the local islands. A local island means that it is not a private island resort, and that there are locals living in the island.

In these places, there will be designated “bikini” beaches. These are the only areas in the local island in the Maldives that you will be allowed to wear a conventional swimming suit or a bikini.

When you are swimming in other beaches, and most especially when walking in the local part of the island where you are expected to meet locals, or walk around the residential areas and houses, you are expected to wear clothing that covers your body.

And this is a very important part of the Muslim community, and since you’ll be walking and expected to meet locals, you should be abiding to these rules.

SWIMWEAR IN THE MALDIVES PRIVATE AND LUXURY RESORTS AND ISLANDS

FOOT WEAR

A good pair of sandals or slippers will be enough for a travel packing for a trip to Maldives. Now there are also other activities to do in the island, like golfing, hiking, walks and other sight seeing, so having extra pairs of going out clothes that are not exactly bikinis and coverups, but thin and comfortable enough for the hot sunny weather will sure come in handy.

Make sure not to overpack these, because Maldives vibes will sure force you to stay lounging most of the time! However, if you’re expecting a few sit down dinners, or maybe hitting a few clubs, or parties, you can pack extra shoes.

But make sure they are comfortable enough and know whether you’ll be walking on the sand with them, or just walking in the resort or clubs. We have our favorite foot wear that can double up as underwater wear, so these might be good to have too!

WHAT TO WEAR IN MALDIVES: CLOTHES FOR ACTIVITIES

Now there are also other activities to do in the island, like golfing, hiking, walks and other sightseeing, so having extra pairs of going out clothes that are not exactly bikinis and coverups, but thin and comfortable enough for the hot sunny weather will sure come in handy. Make sure not to overpack these Maldivian vibes will sure force you to stay lounging most of the time!

SKIN PROTECTION FROM HEAT AND THE SUN

In addition to proper summer outfits and clothes, packing for protecting your skin will be imperative. A sunblock with protection for UVA and UVB (for the best brands, choose a sunblock with triple +++) is very important. You’ll have to re-apply your sunblock every 20-30 minutes, especially if you’ll be staying under the sun for a long time, so make sure you pack enough for your trip.

The sun will most likely affect your hair too, so best if you pack hair products and conditioners that will be good for protecting your hair. For your makeup, make sure that you have the right sunscreen and foundation for your skin. Don’t forget your moisturizers and lotions, because skin can get dry pretty easy in this weather. If you choose to bring makeup in this trip, choose lip balms, lipsticks and chapsticks that are light colors or good for very sunny weather.

These will likely be lighter than darker. Just like your skin and body, your face will most likely need to stay hydrated, so mist sprays can be very helpful to keep your face refreshed all day long.

If you have hair dye or hair color, make sure you bring the appropriate products or consult your stylist on what products to bring to prepare your hair for the weather! Heat protectants will be very important especially if you will use a lot of blow dryers or iron in the trip, or even just for extra lounging time under the sun!

WATER BOTTLES

Keep your body hydrated! Instead of expecting to buy multiple water bottles for the duration of your trip, try to have a water bottle handy with you at all times so you can keep yourself hydrated and also be mindful of waste!

ACCESSORIES

What to wear in the Maldives unless you’re looking to attend high end parties where it’s important to be bringing a lot of bling and jewelry, best to keep accessories at a minimum on your Maldives holiday. Most of what you’ll need will be sunglasses, and hats and caps to protect your face and to add to your outfit during your stay.

A day bag will also be good to have, to bring with you on some activities on the island. In any trip, we suggest to keep your valuables – money, credit cards, passports, identification cards, and other valuables in secure containers to avoid any theft — a general rule for any travel.

BAGS, CONTAINERS, LUGGAGE

What to wear in Maldives talking about bags and luggage, depending on how long you’re planning to stay in Maldives, a small hand luggage or small suitcase should be enough. This, a day bag, packing cubes, and water proof protectors are all you’ll need.

What are packing cubes you say? One of the biggest packing hack that we swear by is dividing your luggage in packing cubes so you can go from packing to unpacking, to packing again in no time. Organization will be a breeze, and you will minimize stress when you’re trying to look for your things on a holiday.

Usually, what we do is have a bigger packing cube for clothes, and casual outer wear. A separate one for underwear and swimwear. A separate packing cube for gadgets and devices (make sure that these are actually in water proof containers), and a separate packing cube for toiletries and makeup.

PRE-TRAVEL PREPARATION

Ahh, the struggles of being a woman! Now, there are definitely a lot of ways for you to prepare, but since you can expect that you’ll spend a lot of time in bikinis and short wears, have your waxing appointments ready before your trip. If you shave yourself, or you have your own shaving kits, make sure you bring these, with your creams to not have the stress later on during your trip.

You want to be swim ready at any moment! If you need some nail work done, brows, lashes, make sure you have these prepared too before your trip!

MEDICINE KITS AND OTHER EXTRAS

In addition to sunblocks, lotions, moisturizers, heat protectants, and tanning products, emergency supplies will always come in handy. Have some mosquito repellent and bug spray ready, in case the places you’ll stay at have these in the cooler evenings and your clothes make you more exposed to them. Medicines, vitamins, and essentials are always good to have in any trips too.

WHAT TO PACK FOR MALDIVES IF YOU’RE A CONTENT CREATOR..

Water proof bags are definitely a must. You may want to bring your phones and camera gear near the water, or even in the water during this trip, so bring the appropriate water proof day bags, and water proof cases for your gear. Even if you’re not a content creator, it is now very usual to bring your phones out with you in the water, so having protective cases and covers are a must!

Don’t forget your underwater or water proof cameras if you’re planning to do a lot of shooting in the water! A snorkeling mask is always a great idea to enjoy. Bring yours from home and you will have available all the time to see the underwater life in the Maldives.

Make sure you are bringing the British adapter with the 3 pin. A few places make it possible to fit your European/American adapter in the plug because they provide adapters. If you are coming from European/American countries, we recommend you to bring an adapter to be able to charge everywhere.

I´m bringing my camera and phone with their respective chargers and powerbank

I´m bringing my laptop and charger and a universal adaptor

I´m bringing my passport, and Travel Insurance with Safetywing

OUR FAVORITE BACKPACK

The Nomatic Navigator backpack is designed for travelers and commuters and features multiple compartments and pockets for organization and storage. Navigator Travel Backpack has a laptop compartment and a built-in USB charging port. Read our Nomatic Navigator Travel Backpack Review

PROTECTION FOR GADGETS AND FOR THEFT

Anti-theft bags, locks for luggage, keeping important numbers and identifications with you, and spare money are all necessities in any travel. It will always be in handy to have these ready with you when you travel, even in a holiday destination like Maldives.

INSURANCE AND GENERAL THINGS TO HAVE WHEN TRAVELING

Insurance is very important to have when you travel. For us, if you’re traveling a lot in places that expose you to water, in a destination like the Maldives, having insurance for important gears is good too. Double check that you are protected the best way you can.

BOOK YOUR TRAVEL INSURANCE

You can read Heymondo Vs Safetwing cheapest travel Insurance. You can get for $135 USD your Heymondo Travel Insurance with Heymondo discount code valid for 90 days. Read our full Heymondo Travel Insurance Review

You can get Safetywing Travel Insurance for Digital Nomads valid for 28 days Safetywing for $50 USD per month with kids until 10 years old included

BASICS AND TOILETRIES

Finally, making sure you are covered with the basic needs in our Maldives packing list like your personal toiletries are good to have when packing for a trip. When you are staying in high end resorts you will most likely have the best toiletries available, but just prepare any special products and knick knacks that you always want to have with you. Have your perfumes, deodorizers.

For the women, since a lot of the time will be spent in water, and lighter and thinner clothing, check if the trip will come during your time of the month. You don’t want to not be ready or to be stressed of having the special products you want to have during your special week, so have your feminine products with you.

If you haven’t tried menstrual cups, you might want to try or have these with you, if you are expecting to have your period and will still want to be in your cute, scrimpy bikinis all day long!

A COMPLETE MALDIVES PACKING LIST FOR YOUR HOLIDAY

Want to see a complete Maldives packing list of things what to wear in Maldives. Here you go:

Airport Wear (can be work for both flights to and from Maldives, and can double as longe wear on cooler evenings)

2 pairs of Casual Wear – Light enough that can be worn on day time activities and can double as evening for evening casuals or drinks

2-3 pairs of bikinis and bathing suits or swimming trunks and shorts (depending on how long your trip will be)

4-5 pairs of underwear

One cover up, something you can wear on top of your swim wear or bikini or a short sleeve shirt for men (light colored and light fabric)

Toiletries (ones you’ll need)

Water proof bags and packing cubes

Medicine, vitamin kit, sunscreen, lotions and other skin products

A pair of sunglasses and a hat or cap

A pair of sandals and slippers, and an extra footwear for day time activities (hiking or sport); extra special one if there are any special event or parties

Refilled Water bottle for bringing all the time!

WHERE TO STAY IN THE MALDIVES

We stayed in a few places luxury resorts and local islands in Maldives. You can read here our thoughts: luxury resorts Vs local islands in Maldives. There are cheap hotels in Maldives starting from $30-50 USD depending on the season to luxury resorts starting from $200-300 USD. You also need to check how to get there since it can be extra cost for the speed boat or seaplane.

Click here to book your accommodation with Booking.

FOOD BUDGET TRAVEL IN THE MALDIVES

Prices of Maldives food were on a budget and very affordable in local places but not in luxury resorts. You can get snacks for 2-3 MVR ($1=15.4 MVR). It´s very common for locals have tea with these snacks. You can have rice with fish curry for 25 MVR where they will give you a kind of chips for free, perfect for sharing the food.

Most of the dishes have fish and curry but you can also find chicken here A bottle of water costs 10 MVR while cookies and small snacks go for 5-10 MVR. Ice cream can be bought when the summer gets too hot at 20-25 MVR each. Foreigners’ meals cost $7-10 usd in local islands. It’s mostly just pizza and pasta, though. There is also Chinese food for around $5-6 USD per dish.

But a meal in a luxury resort can cost $50 USD and a bottle of beer $8-10 USD. So when visiting Maldives and book your package make sure what it’s included with food and transportation.

CASH AND ATM IN THE MALDIVES

After you arrive at the airport in Maldives, there are ATM machines that you can use, but it is not advisable. It will give you Maldivian rufiyaa which is the currency in Maldives $1 USD is 15 MVR. But US dollars is a more famous and better way of paying especially if you’re a foreigner or a tourist.

Most resorts and other stores prefer US dollars for payment, but be sure to bring smaller bills like $1, $5 or $10. Use it to local transportation and small shops too.

Click here to know the exact exchange rate before you visit.

Hope you loved our Maldives packing list blog post guide! And can’t wait to hear about what to pack for Maldives and if we forgot anything what to bring to Maldives.

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Happy Travels!