Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: You'll probably spend most of your day in the water or at the beach, so you won't really need a whole lot of clothes! A sarong is very handy when walking to and from the beach. You'll need to cover up a bit when visiting local islands (The Maldives is a Muslim country!) - a t-shirt that covers your shoulders and a skirt to the knees is good enough. A waterproof jacket (or an umbrella) might be needed during the wetter months (May - November).
It's also a good idea to bring an old t-shirt to wear while you're snorkelling - to avoid sun burn. Wear reef shoes when wading, coral can can give you some quite nasty cuts. There are also some poisonous stonefish around (but mainly on the reef, and you will *of course* not be walking on the reef, will you?! No, you won't.)
Toiletries & Medical Supplies: Bring any prescription medicines you need. Lots of sunscreen, sun block and after sun - the Maldives are situated very close to the Equator, and the sun is *very* strong. The selection available in resort shops is, not surprisingly, very limited - and expensive.
Camping/Beach/Outdoor Gear: I recommend bringing your own snorkelling gear, rather than renting - renting can get very expensive, and the quality of the gear isn't always great. You'll probably end up spending quite a bit of time in the water - and having gear that actually works makes snorkelling so much more enjoyable!:o)
A good pair of UV-blocking sunglasses and a sun hat is also essential.
Miscellaneous: Be aware that shopping on the tourist islands can be *very* limited - and expensive. Bring along everything you think you'll need, don't assume that you can buy it once you get to the Maldives.
Some might also want to bring along some snacks (crisps, biscuits, nuts, whatever) - the selection of snacks available in the shops on Kuramathi was very limited indeed.
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on Oct 24, 2007
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