Le Maldive sono più di mille isole coralline sparse nell'Oceano Indiano, la maggior parte dei visitatori ne vede esattamente due: l'aeroporto e la propria. Installi l'eSIM prima di volare e sarà online al molo degli arrivi, mentre il Wi-Fi del resort è ancora raggiungibile solo con un giro in barca


Tutti atterrano al Velana International Airport, su un'isola separata accanto alla capitale, e nessuno resta lì: uscite dagli arrivi su una banchina, e un speedboat, un idrovolante o un volo domestico vi porta oltre. Lo staff del resort vi accoglie alla porta, ma l'attesa per un idrovolante può essere lunga, e una guesthouse su un'isola locale può semplicemente inviarvi l'orario del traghetto.

La copertura qui è migliore di quanto suggerisca la mappa. Malé, Hulhumalé e l'aeroporto hanno segnale forte, e quasi ogni isola abitata e resort ha un proprio traliccio, quindi normalmente potete aspettarvi 4G in spiaggia, nella villa e sulla barriera corallina dell'hotel.
Le lacune sono fatte d'acqua. Su uno speedboat che attraversa un canale, su un traghetto lungo e soprattutto su un liveaboard che si sposta tra gli atolli, il segnale appare quando passate un'isola e svanisce quando la lasciate. Bancate di sabbia remote e gli atolli meridionali e settentrionali più tranquilli hanno i silenzi più lunghi. A metà volo su un idrovolante, non aspettatevi nulla.

For most home plans the Maldives falls in the most expensive roaming band, and it is one of the destinations most often left out of "worldwide" and daily passes. A few photographs sent from the jetty can cost more than the cocktail.
Resort Wi-Fi is not always the answer either: it is frequently slow at the far end of the overwater jetty, shared with every other guest, and at some properties the faster tier is charged. Local SIMs are sold at the airport, with a queue and your passport, just as your transfer is being called.
A travel eSIM takes the question away: a fixed price, paid before you leave, on a local network.
Seaplanes operate only in daylight and to the operator's schedule, not yours: you are told your departure after you land, and a wait of an hour or three in the lounge is normal. If your international flight arrives late in the afternoon you may need a night in Malé or Hulhumalé first — check with the resort before you book.
The same applies on the way home: the resort sets your departure time, so leave a generous gap before an evening flight.
The two are different countries in all but name. On local islands alcohol is not available, swimwear is for the designated tourist beaches only, and dress elsewhere should cover shoulders and knees. Friday is the day of rest: public ferries are limited and many shops close until the afternoon.
On resort islands none of this applies. If you are combining the two, check the ferry days before you book the rooms.
It will usually connect, and it is usually expensive. Most operators place the Maldives in their top roaming band and exclude it from daily and "worldwide" passes. Check your own price list before you land — or use a travel eSIM and settle the cost at home.
In almost all cases, yes. Resorts are covered by the national networks, generally with 4G across the island, the villas and the jetty. It is on the transfer between islands, and on boat trips well away from land, that you should expect gaps.
It helps more than you would expect. Resort Wi-Fi is often slow in the overwater villas and on the beach, sometimes limited to a basic tier unless you pay, and it does not exist at the airport jetty, on the speedboat or on an excursion. Mobile data fills those gaps and gives you a fallback for calls home.
5G is available in and around Malé and at a growing number of islands, with 4G almost everywhere else that is inhabited. Whether your plan uses it is shown on each plan's card.
No — a Maldives plan covers the Maldives. Sri Lanka has its own plans, and if you are combining the two with India or the Gulf on the way, a regional plan is the simpler choice.
At resorts everything goes on the room bill and is settled by card, with prices quoted in US dollars. On local islands guesthouses and dive centres take cards too, but cafés, small shops and ferries are easier with cash — rufiyaa, or small dollar notes, which are widely accepted.
Piani per i paesi confinanti:
Dove c'è segnale, come funziona lì il roaming e cosa sapere prima di atterrare.