The Fabulous World of Visas - Maldives

Hello peeps!

I thought I might do a serie of "informative" post rather than just my usual ranting and outpouring of thought. I will do this from time to time on different topics, so if you ever think about visiting the same countries, at least I can give you a head start on what to expect and how to avoid the pitfalls.

Sooooo... Welcome to...

THE FABULOUS WORLD OF VISAS - or how to get lost in bureaucracy!

Aside of all the excitement of planning a round the world trip, one of the tings i found decidedly not glamorous is the think about the visas I will need along the way.

First thing first - I will be going for a year, so not point getting all the visas I could possibly need before I go because chances are most of them will expire way before I get anywhere near said countries!

I will however get some before I go and the rest I will just pick up along the way. Wish me luck :)

Today's topic is the Maldives.

All official info available here: http://www.immigration.gov.mv/index.php/entry-to-maldives.html

There no procedure to go through before entering the country. A 30 days free visa issued on arrival.

You will just need to show: 

• A valid passport
• A valid ticket onward ticket
• Enough funds to cover the expenses for the duration of your stay - US$100 + $50 dollars per day - OR a confirmation of reservation in a Tourist Resort or a Hotel.

It is that easy!
 
A word of caution: the Immigration officer is well within his/her right to issue anything up to 30 days. Sad but true - so smile, be polite and look smart. Could prove a bit of a challenge after a 13hrs journey, but just think about that cocktail you will sip when you arrive at the hotel - it is worth the hassle!

Happy days :)

Itinerary

Hello there!

I have done some progress on my planning since last time. Now I have pretty much defined when I will go - end Feb 2013 – which countries I will visit and roughly how long I will stay.

0- I will go back home to the Caribbean see the family in December and January then come back to London early February, get all my stuff together then hop on a plan again!

1- From London, my first stop will be the Maldives.  I will stay for a couple of weeks, relaxing on the beach and slowly melting away my stressed self. Like a holiday at the beginning of the trip.

2- From there, I will fly out to India where I will stay for about a couple of months, traveling around.

3- Next: Hong Kong for about 2-3 weeks for some shopping and a short overland trip to China.

4- After filling up on dim sums, I will be heading down south to Thailand. This will be the main part of the trip. I intend to stay for about 3 months, alternating between hostelling and work-for-keep.

5- Leaving Thailand, I will end up in Bali/Lombok for a few weeks for my second “holiday”.

6- After recharging my batteries, still heading south, I will then reach New Zealand. There also  I will alternate between hostelling and work-for-keep for a couple of months.

7- Next is Fiji where I want to be there for my birthday end of October. I am planning to stay at least 2-3 weeks, soaking up the sun and visiting around.

8- Now the next leg of the trip is still TBC. There are two options: either heading to Patagonia then head up to Brazil or Brazil straight away from Fiji. Both are equally appealing, and I quite like the idea of Patagonia, but first I need to see if I can get a flight or overland transfer from Buenos Aires. Staying in Brazil for a couple of months sounds good too!

9- Whatever the option I will choose in 8, Brazil will be my last stop before flying back to London.

I just need to get a good deal on the ticket then I can start putting some meat around the bones of this trip with things I will do/see. It will not be a day by day type of planning, more like a very loose short list of the main things and activities that will add some spice to the plan.

Catch up soon!