For those who have booked a trip to the Maldives and are getting ready, did you know that there are things specific to a Maldives trip that you should bring, in addition to essentials like passports and medication? This time, we will introduce six things or activities that are often overlooked but can make your Maldives trip much more enjoyable if prepared!
If you’re going to the Maldives, fully enjoy the beautiful sea!
As a prerequisite, if you’re going to the Maldives, you probably want to fully enjoy the beautiful sea without any worries! However, inadequate preparation may prevent you from fully enjoying the sea or leave you with a sense of incomplete satisfaction. With that in mind, this time we will introduce five essential items for an active Maldives trip!
Firstly, a Snorkeling 3-Piece Set! This set includes a mask, snorkel, and fins. With this set, you can enjoy snorkeling at any time, anywhere.
The seas in the Maldives are full of beautiful coral reefs, fish, turtles, and more, so it would be a waste to only bring swimwear. While beachcombing is undoubtedly enjoyable, you’d also want to appreciate the beautiful underwater world. Additionally, with a snorkeling set, you can participate in activities such as manta ray tours or whale shark tours. Some hotels may provide snorkeling sets, but having your own allows you the freedom to swim whenever you like without the hassle of borrowing. To fully enjoy the Maldives’ sea, it’s recommended to prepare in advance!
Note: While affordable options from online marketplaces like Amazon work well, extremely cheap items from 100-yen shops may not fit properly and may let water in. Be cautious!
The following products are recommended for their affordability and sufficient functionality!
Fins: Easy-to-remove fins from the popular brand “TUSA,” known for professional divers.
Mask & Snorkel: Fully functional even in affordable set packages!
Mask & Snorkel with Camera Mount: Recommended for GoPro users!
Note: For more details on the experience of snorkeling tours, we have a separate article. Be sure to check it out!
Next, obtaining a diving license is recommended. While snorkeling allows you to explore underwater only within the limits of your breath, scuba diving with an air tank allows you to stay underwater for an extended period, offering a more relaxed underwater experience. Moreover, you can encounter a variety of fish, coral reefs, and large mammals like dolphins and sharks that you wouldn’t see near the surface. This is one of the joys of diving!
To enjoy diving, you generally need to obtain a license. While trial-use options like introductory diving are available, they come with lengthy safety explanations and don’t allow for extended and unrestricted diving. Additionally, obtaining a license locally in the Maldives might have limitations on Japanese language courses, higher costs, and unexpected difficulties that could delay getting the license as planned. Therefore, it’s advisable to obtain a license in Japan well in advance so that you can dive in the Maldives without any worries!
Also, note that to participate in diving tours abroad, you need at least an “Open Water Diver (OWD)” level license. Obtaining this license domestically costs around 50,000 yen and is worth considering!
3. Floats
Floats? You might think you don’t need them because you can swim! Well, hold on a moment. Floats aren’t just tools for non-swimmers to enjoy the sea. More than that, floats are essential items for a stylish (Instagrammable) resort experience!
Going to a resort empty-handed despite that can make your photos look surprisingly plain. At such times, having colorful ring floats, floats with candy patterns, and a variety of floats like the classic flamingo, unicorn, shell, etc., can definitely enhance your photos!
Moreover, floats work great as an item to hide a protruding belly! If you want to take photos in a bikini because you came to the resort, but you’re conscious of your stomach due to the delicious resort food, use a float to subtly hide the parts of your body that concern you and confidently appear in the photos!
*Note: Resorts generally do not rent floats. Also, floats available locally may be cheap and not cute. To avoid regrets later, prepare in advance before leaving the country.
Recommended floats are available here:
Classic! The world’s best-selling flamingo, aka INTEX Flamingo Float
Cute with pearls! Shell-shaped float
Somehow, simplicity is the cutest! Classic striped pattern
Maldives quality shines not only in the world above the water but also in the underwater world. It’s a waste to travel with just a smartphone! So, let’s bring an underwater camera. While smartphones like the iPhone have some waterproof capabilities, they are only designed to withstand minor water exposure. Operating them underwater can easily damage them. So, it’s recommended not to be lazy and instead, prepare and bring a reliable underwater camera.
A highly recommended option is the GoPro. The latest models may be a bit pricey, but models from 1 or 2 years ago can be obtained for around 60,000 yen. Despite being older, they still support 4K video quality, allowing you to capture professional-level underwater videos and photos. GoPro is a popular brand worldwide, so there are plenty of accessories available, including diving housings, selfie sticks, and spare batteries. Especially since the batteries tend to deplete quickly, it’s recommended to have around three, including spares.
By the way, the author prepared the following accessories:
GoPro 10 Hero Black (main unit)… Initially around 80,000 yen, it has become significantly cheaper! The latest GoPro 11 is not much different, and you can capture high-quality movies like the one featured in the article.
Spare battery & charger (essential!)… Not genuine, but compact, lightweight, and long-lasting. Highly recommended!
Waterproof housing (depth 40m compatible)… Be cautious with housings related to equipment malfunctions. It’s recommended to use genuine ones. Also, using non-genuine ones may not support accessories like polarizing filters.
Grip… Essential if you’re using GoPro underwater. Passing the strap through your wrist prevents it from falling (once you lose a GoPro underwater, it’s unlikely to come back).
Underwater light… Essential for divers! Especially in deep seas, light from the surface may not reach, resulting in darkness. Having an underwater light is convenient to vividly see the underwater world. This time, a type that can be attached to the aforementioned grip along with GoPro was chosen.
Polarizing filter… Did you know? Underwater, red light (long wavelength) is less likely to reach, resulting in an overall bluish monochrome-like image. To capture the colorful underwater world, it’s recommended to use a red polarizing filter.
SD card… Regular SD cards may not support high frame rate cameras like GoPro, resulting in errors. Always use UHS-I (U3) V30 specification SD cards, and preferably, use cards with a large capacity (128GB or more is recommended).
For more details, check [here](https://www.kosupatravel.com/entry/2022/12/05/235127).
Don’t underestimate it just because it’s a tropical paradise! Prepare cute cold weather clothing for your trip.
Surprisingly, cold weather clothing such as sweatshirts and hoodies are essential items in the Maldives. If you’re an experienced diver, you might already know that entering the water during activities like diving quickly steals away body heat. Even though the temperature is hot, if you only bring thin clothes, you’ll end up shivering after activities like water sports, excursions, snorkeling, or diving!
Also, the temperature in the Maldives is surprisingly cool compared to Japan’s summer! Since the local selection may be limited, it’s recommended to prepare in advance before traveling.
↓ Get the original Maldives design sweatshirt here
Lastly, this might seem like an unconventional recommendation, but it’s a serious piece of advice. Consider LASIK as part of your pre-travel preparation! After all, going to a beautiful country with poor eyesight can significantly reduce the enjoyment of your trip.
Even if you wear glasses or use contact lenses, think about it. If you happen to lose your glasses during your trip, the remaining days will become unbearable, and contact lenses are not only cumbersome to manage but wearing them while entering the sea can lead to drifting away in the waves or causing inflammation. Moreover, enjoying the beautiful scenery without filters is something everyone wants.
That’s why I recommend LASIK. In the past, there was a high level of skepticism about surgery, and the cost was high, making it a significant hurdle for the general public. However, now in Japan, statistics show that approximately 1.2 million people (1 in 100 people nationwide) have used LASIK, making it a popular method of vision correction. Additionally, there are clinics where you can undergo surgery at a low cost, and with tips, you can undergo LASIK for a net cost of around 100,000 yen, reducing the barriers day by day.
Personally, I underwent LASIK a few years ago, and not only did it not hinder activities like swimming and diving, but my vision improved from 0.1 in both eyes to 1.5, changing the way I see the world. While LASIK has a very low chance of postoperative vision regression, and some people may have concerns about the surgery, or it may not be possible to undergo it at a certain age, I think it was really good for me to undergo LASIK before going to the Maldives!
In this article, there’s information on discounted LASIK surgery and an explanation of the tax-saving system. Be sure to check it out!
Extra Edition: What to Prepare as Soon as You Arrive in the Maldives
Finally, as an extra edition, I’d like to introduce things that you can’t prepare in Japan but should prepare as soon as you arrive. That is a local SIM card.
Free Wi-Fi in resorts or hotels can be unreliable, with unstable signals or limited coverage areas, making it somewhat inconvenient. Therefore, it’s common to use a SIM card to ensure a constant internet connection. Check out the detailed information in the article below, and make sure to confirm it well in advance before your trip!
In this article, I introduced six things that are often overlooked but can make a trip to the Maldives much more enjoyable when prepared! Whether you’re about to travel to the Maldives or just considering a trip, I hope this information is helpful!
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