Fihalhohi Tips

The first time you visit the Palm Groove restaurant a table will be assigned to you. If you are travelling with one other person and would rather not share a table with other people, you can ask for a table for two. However, this option is not always available in high season.

There is no need to have foreign currency with you other than a few US dollars in cash (for tips or for buying things at the diving school or souvenir shop). The cashier accepts credit cards (Visa, Master card and American Express) and traveller’s cheques. You can even withdraw some US Dollars with your credit card/traveller’s cheques (for which you will be charged a 3% commission fee). Do not forget to take into account that you will have to pay $10 per person in cash for airport taxes on Hulhule airport.

The price for a 1.5 litre bottle of drinking water is $3.50. If this is too pricey for your liking you can take an electric cooker with you and boil some tap water. Unfortunately, the water still does not taste nice when boiled, but you can improve the taste by adding a vitamin C effervescent tablet to the water. If you have little children with you who like candy or if you yourself like candy, it is advisable to bring it with you as candy is very expensive on the Maldives.

When the sun sets at 19.30 it is dark on the island as there is little electric illumination on Fihalhohi. It is useful to have a flashlight with you when you walk back to your room at night from, for instance, the Palm Groove Restaurant. The key of each room has a flashlight, but its light is so dim that it will prove to be of little use.

It is warm all year round, day and night, so it is advisable to wear light cotton clothing. Short pants and shirts with short sleeves are more than enough. You do not need any footwear at all as you are not obliged to wear it on any part of the island. With the exception of the tiles in your room, the lounge, the Coral Cove snack bar, the Fishermen’s bar, the Palm Groove restaurant, the entrance of the diving school, the souvenir shop and the indoor games area, the entire island is covered in sand (even the inside of the Blue Lagoon bar).

In an environment where nothing is necessary and where you seem to have all the time in the world it is easy to lose track of time. If you enjoy dining at the Palm Groove restaurant, however, it is important to keep track of their opening and closing hours as they are strictly kept.

While they look like aliens with their big black eyes and their liver-coloured bodies, the gecko is your best insecticide against flies, mosquito’s and ants. So don’t chase them away when you find them in your room. Let's be honest: they are cute, aren't they?

The combination of sun and wind provides a lot of comfort on the island. But don’t forget that it is very easy to get sunburnt in these conditions. The temperature of the sea is about 28 degrees Centigrade. In these wonderful conditions it is easy to lose track of time while snorkelling. As it is easy to get sunburnt under water we strongly recommend using a T-shirt and adequate suntan lotion, especially the first few days you go snorkelling.

After you have booked your holiday via your travel agency, you can try to reserve your room of choice by sending an e-mail to the resort. It is by no means certain that you will get the room you request as many other people send comparable e-mail requests to the resort. However, the management of the resort tries to take your request into account as much as possible. The chance that your request will be fulfilled is considerably higher in the low season. It is at any rate worth a try.

As you well know, the fun of a holiday starts long before (in the planning) and ends long after (in the joy of memories) the holiday itself. To help ensure that you can look back on your holiday with pleasure we advise you to choose your sunbathing/picnic spots very carefully. Finding yourself pummelled with falling coconuts from the tree you are lying under doesn’t usually make for a good memory (if you remember anything at all after that).

Speaking of memories; unless you belong to the happy few who visit Fihalhohi or the Maldives more than once in a lifetime, it is wise to take plenty of film rolls, videotapes or memory-cards for your (digital) camera from home. There may not be a second chance to capture the beauty of this island on film. It is possible to buy film rolls (etc.) at the souvenir shop and the diving school, but they are usually quite expensive and often past expiration date. So if you do find yourself buying a film roll at these shops, check the expiration date. For fine pictures we recommend (if possible) to use a grey-filter or a polarisation-filter for your camera.