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Food & Drink
Mal, the capital, has a few simple restaurants which serve local and international food. On the other islands, there are a few restaurants in addition to those run by the resorts. Cuisine is international, with all foodstuffs other than seafood imported. The fish is magnificent. Curries and oriental buffets are widely available.
There is a good range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drink available at the resorts, reflecting the demands of the visitors. There are a few local cocktails, including The Maldive Lady, a powerful and delicious concoction, whose composition varies from bar to bar and island to island.

Note
All bars are situated in tourist resorts (no alcohol is available on Mal). All accept cash, but normally add orders onto the total bill. Locals do not drink at all. During the month of Ramadan (see Public Holidays), visitors are not allowed to drink alcohol in public except in the tourist resorts.

Nightlife
There is little or no organised nightlife, although most resorts have informal discos around the bar areas, sometimes featuring live bands playing either traditional or Western music. Beach parties and barbecues are also popular. On some evenings, many resorts have cultural shows and some show videos.

Shopping
Local purchases include sea shells (only when bought in official shops; they may not be removed from the beach or from the sea), lacquered wooden boxes and reed mats. Jewellery to purchase includes gold, silver, coral, mother-of-pearl and turtle-shell items. However, there are strict prohibitions against the export of coral and turtle-shell. Shopping hours: Sat-Thurs 0830-2300, Fri 1330-2300. Shops officially shut for 15 minutes five times a day in deference to Muslim prayer times; however, this rule is not always strictly adhered to in the tourist areas away from the capital.

Special Events
For further details on special events and festivals in the Maldives, contact the Maldives Tourism Promotion Board (see Contact Addresses section). The following is a selection of special events occurring in the Maldives in 2005:
Jan 1 New Year Celebrations. Jan 21 Eid al Adha (Feast of the Sacrifice). Jul 26-27 Independence Day Theme Floats (celebrations with themed floats). Sep 27 Tourism Day. Nov 4-6 Kuda Eid (End of Ramadan).

Social Conventions
Dress is informal, but locals who are Muslim will be offended by nudity or scanty clothing in public places, and the Government rigidly enforces these standards. Bikinis and other scanty beachwear are not acceptable in Mal or on any other inhabited island. When entering a mosque, the legs and the body, but not the neck and the face, should be covered. Handshaking is the most common form of greeting. The indigenous population not involved in the tourist trade lives in isolated island communities maintaining almost total privacy. A large number of locals smoke, but smoking and eating during Ramadan is discouraged. Tipping: This is officially discouraged.