Life and Work in Maldives for a European person

hi netyoda,

its not that difficult to find a local island to live, you can easily find once for about 15$-30$ per day,

for internet, again i will suggest that you buy a 3G modem from one of our telecom service providers, dhiraagu or wataniya. with SIM you can get one for about 50$ including 2GB allowance, and you can keep on topping up your account with 1GB credit for 10$s. that is if you run out of credit.

please note that Alcohol is a big NO-NO in local inhabited islands,

again if your coming for just a week or two, you can stay at a luxury 5star resort, for about 200-400$s per night, FB, free swimming pool, free unlimited internet.

hope this helped.

cheers
mooch

Thanks for the info Mooch.

Looks like life in the Maldives won't be for me then.

I don't want to live on Male, I like a quiet life away from the cities, but alcohol is a requirement in my life.  ( I don't need it, I enjoy it).

Oh well, time to look for another paradise

Lee

my pleaure lee

i guess a seychelles life style wud be best for you. i was in seychelles for 3 years, frm 2008-2011, check out praslin and ladigue, really quiet and peaceful places,

i would highly recomend that you visit praslin seychelles, very very few vehicles, hude island paradise, with a beach called anse lazio which is simply one of the best places to hang our on a lazy sunday afternoon.

unfortunatley i dont have any contact there, and alcohol? oh yes Seychellois live on alcohol. some nice clubs as well..


hope this will help you to find a relaxing paradise to work..

cheers
mooch

I'd love the seychelles but I've been assuming that the cost of living would be way above my means.

I have around $1500-2000 a month to survive on

LC

Hello,

Just to remind you that the title of this thread is "Life and Work in Maldives for a European person". Thanks

Thanks Christine,

that is what Mooch and I were discussing, but it looks as though the Maldives won't be suitable for me, I'll take the conversation elsewhere with Mooch, he's been very helpful.

Lee

Christine,

thanks, for the reminder. am loving this site hence get carried away with my other experiences.

cheers
mooch

mooch wrote:

Hi Lenina,

if you are a expat you will always get paid in USD. and i also cannot agree completely with buzyhunk. i am a Maldivian working in Maldives, in the hospitality industry for the past 9 years.

not every resort has a "staff bar", huvafenfushi used to have a "staff bar" but was shut down as locals were getting access to alchol (which is against maldivian law, religion and culture).

tho, most of the resorts are fexible with expats going to guest bar, and if your a european most of the resorts they offer your meals from a guest restaurent.(very very racist..most of the managements). this is changing slightly tho.

a lot of new resorts do have a staff beach, where team members can enjoy their dayoff on the beach if they like to.

agree with angelac on the bank issues, even if you missed forgot a tinest of detail you have to go back, and come again....sometimes this can be really frustrating. but if you check with your HR department they can have everything organised for you.

Now, working on a resort island is a very diffifult as you are limited to people you will meet, and there is not much social life(again depends on your lifestyle). like buzyhunk said, there are a few expats europeans who manage to stay for longer than 2 years. but they all enter maldives with a good post.ie as a head of department HOD. hence they have the luxury of having a own bed room, meals at restaurants, free water sports, free diving, free to join guest excursions. hence they manage to compensate the frustrations.

Working at a island is not as bad as these word might sound but all depend on your "style".

maldivains are extremely friendly people. love to chat smile...

enjoy maldives

My question is to discuss about what is doing mostly expatriates staff who came work in  Resort?



if come back to topic of mooch
"" but they all enter maldives with a good post.ie as a head of department HOD. hence they have the luxury of having a own bed room, meals at restaurants, free water sports, free diving, free to join guest excursions. hence they manage to compensate the frustrations""

After my 2 months experience in Island i find out that some of expatriates who holding high position didn't give
any real experience for local staff but they pretty drunk and getting more sexual experience.
Most of them came from Europe.I am making blog about hotelier staff and in future will share
nice story about poor staff  from Bangladesh who don't have even normal room, the place where
they are sleeping to difficult call a room.And very angry executive chef who was pretty drunk day before and came for
duty early morning without control any emotions.of course he is from Germany, he must be proud but because
he have headache after drinking big amount alcohol he just simple call Maldivian staff a donkey.
I am also expatriate and with my huge experience in Middle East  I can say for sure that all this "HOD" just a loser's who
find nice place under sun here in Maldives because what they doing here  in Maldives was never allowed to do in other countries.

Hi Olena,

I am not sure if you understood what i was trying to mean,

what i meant was, Europeans who manages to stay in maldives for more than 1 year are people in good positions.... cox they get free everything from the management....

but the poor Bangladesh people have no choice, some of them stay in maldives under very poor conditions for over 20 years.

what you say is very true... and that is quite common in most of the maldivian resorts...

cheers
mooch

mooch wrote:

Hi Olena,

I am not sure if you understood what i was trying to mean,

what i meant was, Europeans who manages to stay in maldives for more than 1 year are people in good positions.... cox they get free everything from the management....

but the poor Bangladesh people have no choice, some of them stay in maldives under very poor conditions for over 20 years.

what you say is very true... and that is quite common in most of the maldivian resorts...

cheers
mooch

But why you are Maldivians  didnt take any action if someone from europe doing this [Moderated]????
Most of these "EUROPE HOD" had bad experience in Dubai and sure some of them was kicked out from the board by arabic staff.
When i just join resort all of expat told me that Maldivian staff very protected here.I am not sure.
What I want to say such kind HOD just put black shadov on hotel staff who really join to work in hotel industry but not for getting nice place under sun.

Hi Leina,

i can advise you to use ur internet on find your answers. dnt only listen and believe ppl who may get jealous of Maldives.  Truth will be truth...all the time!

if you are interested on getting any help in Maldives in regard to get a good job here, i will surely assist with caring through my company. if you r intersetd, u may send an email to proceed.

make sure you'll love this!   

Best regards!
Shinaz.

Nemodot I think you must have had a bad time here in Maldives. The environment in the resorts and in Male' where you lived married to a local girl is very different as you know. So as the food, coz like mos Asians,  Maldivians like spicy foods but it doesn't mean you don't have other options.  About the working conditions in resorts; it will be gr8 if someone who has worked  share their experience here.

Its Possible to live in Maldives. I will help you to get the internet and accomodation which is no too expensive.

hello!
so Anna how is / was the Maldives??
I will soon be going so would be happy to hear your feedback.
Thanks you all for your posts:D

Hi Lenina

Yes, the acc and food are free, yes, you can save most of the money you earn.

However, it's not an easy life....living on an island without much to do in the little spare time you have can be tough...you will work 6 days a week and looooong days. You will have to go without things that you take for granted, cosmetics, yr favourite foods, chocolate etc.....

That being said, if you are a social person, like yr own company, as it can be lonely, prepared to work hard, enjoy the beauty and the weather and will take life as it comes, and can cope with 'island life' then give it a go!

Good luck!

Anne

is it legally possible to live in a resort near Male and work in male?
i use the term living, since i am talking about a full year hiring of a resort villa. i made a quick search and find some resorts offering just above the $100 for a room fullboard tax included. This makes about 30.000/ year which sounds quite comparable to living in Male, when the standards are in concern.
what do you think?

P.S. i have a captains licence and also PPL.  i dont know if they are valid in Maldives and if it is practical, but i just wanted to note.

Hi guys! this post is about a year old and i guess lenina and netyoda have had their experiences ?? i am planning to go in male,maldives for a job....so doing a basic search about it, when i found this blog...so guys could you please share your experiences ?? like is drinking water a problem ? how about vegetables,fruits(as i am vegetarian ) would that be a problem? is it possible not to spend too much on food and laundry??

hii, i think you should experience it for yourself and how it goes, never hurts trying right? ;]

Hi, yes I've had my experiences but unfortunately not in the Maldives.

A bike accident last year prevented any travelling for me and this year a family illness means that I'll be returning to the UK rather than anywhere exotic.

My own advice on travelling would be - just do it!

already been there now for 18days and its a bit expensive but managable.Looking to make new friends in male' city

Great news Hope you're enjoying it.

I was hoping to live on one of the islands but my life's had a few swerves recently.

well its been a decent experience yet...hoping to have more fun when i go there again.(this time for a longer duration).
And i hope you could come here soon and get your dream of living on an island fulfilled

I am going there next month,anyone?

Hi everyone, im currently in Dubai with my Husband working for Jumeirah company (hospitality). He has applied for a job in the maldives in a good high position, i just wandered if anyone had some advice as to what its like living there as a house wife / lady of leisure

Lenina so what ever happened? Did you go? How was it? Am curious

Jay0.0 you too dude tells us all about it!

Dear all,

I am from Maldives, and i lived there until last year in Maldives.
Let me talk little bit about this topic.

I think living in Maldives can be depends who who is going there.
Can't simply say thats a boring place or a fun place. What i know is thats a paradise.

If you want know more details, please send me a email, i will give you everything you want about Maldives.
[email protected]

Hi pd5683,

I suggest you to create a new post on the Maldives forum telling us more about your experiences, sharing more information about life in Maldives, this could help.

Thank you,

David.

Hello Friends!!

This is quiet an Interesting topic.

Well I am looking for a job at Maldives. Can anyone of you help me with getting a job over there?? I'll really greatful to you. I need to relocate alone. Please friends help me..

Regards,
Vinay..

@Vinay - if looking for a job.. i suggest you start by telling us in which sector are you job hunting for better guidance please ?

Hi Maximilien!!

I have more than 8 years of experience in Travel Industry in India. I am looking for jobs in travel industry or in resorts.

I just want to move out of this place at the earliest. I now feel like living alone on some island working with some resort. Thanks a lot for your help.

Hi vinay.ch,

Thank you for these complementary information. 

I advise you to drop your CV in the Tourism job offers in Maldives section as it may help. :

You may also search for other recruitment websites on the internet and to drop your CV there also.


Good luck,


Priscilla
Expat.com team

Hi Priscilla!!

Thanks a lot for the help. I am applying on all the available recruitment websites and will also do it on the link provided by you.

So nice of you all. 

Thanks & Regards,
Vinay Kumar

[moderated: off topic + pls post your ad in the activities classifieds section]

Hi everyone! I have just received an offer to work at a 5-star Jumeirah resort in the southern part of Maldives, as the personal assistant of the General Manager. I was wondering about their salary proposal - it's only 1200 USD. Isn't it low than what an average European expat would receive?

Hi Irina,

You are right. The salary is very low even if you compare it with India. But, the point is what are you looking at?? A work life at place like Maldives or good pay. Because what I've heard is that pay at any resort in Maldives is very low.

Regards.

Both, actually. I don't have any experience in working at a resort or hotel, but I do have experience in assisting directors, and they also selected me because I can speak 7 languages, including Spanish, Russian, French, English and Arabic, so I think that any European expat would deserve to receive a better salary, since the extra-hours are not financially compensated and I'll have to work 6 days out of 7. And by the way, a night at this resort in high season is 2500 USD, so it should mean something, right?

Ya.. Very true.. It should be more than what is offered to you. I will accept any kind of job but, it should be only an island resort job. I need to relocate to a calm place. I am very much stressed living in city. I am looking for cruise jobs aswell. I wish I get one at the earliest.

Best of luck for your further searches. You'll get a good one. 

Lenina decided to continue diving in bathtub at home.