aysoo

ah ok.. haha, I brought alcohol free beer cans into Maldives, no problems at customs at all

mpeterson78

Wait, are people not allowed to bring alcohol into the Maldives? I hadn't heard this before. So if I hit up the duty free shop at Dubai airport before flying to Male, will my alcohol be confiscated upon arrival?

easthamptons

Will have to check out this spot, sounds great. Stay at Naladhu last time around.

MaldivesFreak

You're spot on there, @mpeterson78! It's a Muslim nation and alcohol is only allowed at the hotels and resorts.

aysoo

#spellcheckeron

goliath

nah - imagine the "heart" as a symbol = I love it

soonerfanatic

If you are caught, it will be confiscated. Don't get caught. Duty free will tell you that you can bring it in but they just have no clue.

Cynicor

It isn't confiscated really, it's held at the airport for your return.

mpeterson78

Is this unique to the Maldives though? I was in Bangladesh last year (Muslim country) and was able to bring in several bottles of booze from the duty free at HKG. So it's not just a religious thing. Maybe half religious, half extortion?

lhrhappy

Islam isn't monolithic, and it influences world governments to varying degrees. France and El Salvador are both very Catholic and yet still very different.

hyperzulu

I'm already in the process of figuring out how to get back here. Went for five days as part of my honeymoon trip. Need 10 days next time for a babymoon perhaps. When is the best time to knock up my wife if we want to travel here and have her second trimester coincide with best travel dates?

jp-mco

I don’t think you would want to take your pregnant wife and unborn child to the tropics. You’ve heard of Zika right?

alanslegal

I might not be welcome at the Conrad Maldives anymore then. I am Chinese, I can speak Chinese, heck I even look Chinese. I can't escape those attributes.

I visit China, Hong Kong, Macao, Singapore - they speak mandarin/cantonese to me. I walk into a Prada shop in Europe and one of the Chinese sales people approach me and speak mandarin immediately.

I visit Atoll Marketplace and others might assume I am going to raid the buffet and clear everything out with one hand, and the other free hand holding a selfie stick taking a selfie - I don't do any of those things.

You see I was born, raised, educated and lived in Australia all my life so I am an 'Aussie through and through' with genuine Aussie accent too

Anyway it sucks to be judged when I travel "because you know, your people" comments I get. Sad but true but I understand why. Get Drunk On the Good Life I say.

lhrhappy

My tippling sense just tingled!

I hear ya. I'll be on the lookout for ya when we're at the Conrad. Overpriced cocktails are on me. Ozzie Ozzie Ozzie!

hyperzulu

Yes. I don't remember dealing with mosquito bites while there last time though, and I didn't even use any repellent. I don't work for the CDC, but it seems the majority of cases involving birth defects for some inexplicable reason seem to be disproportionately higher in Brazil. Plenty of cases of Zika in places like Mexico, but even of those cases where a woman was pregnant, only a small percentage have resulted in birth defects in the fetus. Women are still getting pregnant in Mexico. They're still getting pregnant in Brazil. If taking precautions means you have to move to Alberta, then I think I might as well give up on children entirely. Presumably so should everyone living in the tropics.

In my opinion if one is going to be super concerned about catching Zika, they should choose another destination. Not because your fears make you a magnet for Zika-carrying mosquitoes, but more so I think you'll just ruin your vacation. I would likely be more worried about her out and about, day to day, driving in LA traffic.