QUESTIONS

Flying to the Maldives
From Italy the Maldives are a nine-hour flight away by direct charter flight or via Colombo ( Sri Lanka ) from Milan Malpensa and from Rome Fiumicino, or by scheduled flight. You can fly to Male from anywhere by Singapore Airlines, Qatar and Emirates.

Transfers to/from Moofushi
All transfers from Hulule' (Male) airport to the island of Moofushi (and vice versa) are organised by a Danish-Maldivian company with Canadian seaplanes (with around 14 seats), corresponding with the arrival and departure of international flights.

Extras
On Moofushi extras include drinks (except water with meals which is included in the package), the à la carte restaurant, the boutique, diving, the phone, massages and excursions. Prices are shown in US dollars but your final account can be settled in dollars or euros or by credit card.

Beach towels
White and blue striped beach towels are available in the rooms and can usually found on the bed when you arrive. They are changed every day.

Room service
T here is no room service.

Laundry
There is no laundry service.

Credit cards
On Moofushi American Express, Visa and MasterCard cards can be used. There are no Diners card agents in the Maldives , so regrettably Diners cards cannot be accepted.
Credit cards, including Visa Electron, can be used to pay for extras at the end of your stay.

Time Zone
Moofushi is one hour ahead (+1) of the capital Male, which is 3 hours ahead of GMT in winter and 2 hours ahead when the clocks change.
At the reception there are two clocks that show the time in Moofushi and the time in Italy.

Mobile phones
Recently the Maldivian mobile phone company introduced the GSM system. This means, assuming you have an arrangement with your mobile phone provider, you can receive and make calls from your mobile phone.
SMS messages can be received, but at the moment cannot be sent.

Supplies
Apart from fish the Maldives are quite short on food resources. Agriculture is practically non-existent, as is the production of milk and beef and, of course, being a Muslim country, pork.
Fruit and vegetables come from Sri Lanka , India and the United Arab Emirates . Supplies arrive on Moofushi every week on the local Maldivian boats.
Wines, pasta, peeled tomatoes, sparkling water, some alcohol, coffee and numerous other culinary ingredients are imported directly from Italy . Fizzy drinks are bought on the local market, while maintenance supplies come from Singapore .
Fish is caught daily from a boat by the resident fishermen on the island, while seafood is bought from fishermen from neighbouring islands.

Water
Water from the tap (hot and cold) comes from an Italian-made inverse osmosis desalination plant. At the moment we produce around 50,000 litres of absolutely pure fresh water every day. Demineralised water is available 24 hours a day in your room and is drinkable, so can be safely used for oral hygiene.
Seawater is used for the toilet and the low tap.

Electricity
Electricity is provided by diesel power plants.
It is available in the rooms 24 hours a day for lighting, water heating and the minibar fridge. There are sockets at various points in the rooms and in the bathroom. They are 220 Volt 50 Hz continental European plugs.

Children
There is no children's club or babysitting service. For babies we have high chairs and cots, but no bottles, bottle heaters or baby food. Nappies can be requested and purchased from Male, leaving enough time for them to arrive on the island (it is a good idea to come with an initial supply).

Diseases
There are no particular viral diseases and fresh raw fruit and vegetables may be eaten without problems. Water is desalinated and does not contain dangerous bacteria.

Forbidden by Islamic law
Islamic law strictly forbids the importation of alcohol: should you have any with you it will be confiscated and returned to you when you leave the country; the same applies to images, books or newspapers depicting naked figures or images from other religions. The possession of any quantity of drugs - even "soft" drugs - will lead to arrest and immediate imprisonment.

Visa and vaccinations
A tourist visa is given to you when you arrive at the airport. No vaccinations are necessary.