Hanimaadhoo

No. Alcohol is not sold on inhabited islands in the Maldives. The two exceptions travellers hear about are floating bars — boats anchored offshore — and day trips to a nearby resort, where the resort's own bars serve visitors. Neither is available in the village itself.

On the village beaches and in the streets, yes — shoulders and knees covered is the norm for everyone. Swimwear belongs on the designated bikini beach, which guesthouse islands set aside for exactly this purpose. Nobody will be unpleasant about it; it is simply the local convention, and respecting it costs nothing.

Cafés and restaurants keep different hours, and eating, drinking or smoking in public during daylight is avoided. Guesthouses generally still serve their own guests — worth confirming when you book. Ramadan shifts roughly eleven days earlier each year, so check the dates against your trip.

Most guesthouse islands sit on or beside a reef, and snorkelling from the beach or a short boat ride is usually the main draw. Sandbank trips, dolphin cruises and fishing afternoons are standard. Diving is an option on these islands, not a requirement.

This island is in one of the outer atolls, which means a domestic flight from Malé and a boat for the last stretch — not a ferry ride. Book the flight together with the guesthouse transfer; the connections are timed around each other and getting one without the other is how people lose a day.