DON´T BE AFRAID TO GO ON HOLIDAY DURING RAMADAN
24.01.2025
I’m sitting at the restaurant right now, sipping a drink and waiting for my friend Jane, who is flying to the Maldives with her husband for a dream holiday in early March 2025. Yes, to Thoddoo, exactly where I was a year ago. I’m looking forward to telling her where to go and what she absolutely must see.
Jane enters the door and I can see from afar that she is somehow worried and out of sorts. So I asked her: “Dear, in less than two months you’re going on a dream holiday, why the gloomy mood?” Jane answers me hopelessly and with a tear on the edge of her eye, “Misha, there will
be no vacation. It’s Ramadan in the Maldives, and I heard that everything is closed: shops, restaurants and no excursions. My husband and I are going to cancel it.” So now I’m mentally shaking my head in disbelief because I haven’t heard such nonsense, but I try to calm her so she
knows that not everything she reads has to be true.
“Jane, let’s have a drink or two, talk quietly together, and I’ll tell you the real story, okay? I was there last year when it was Ramadan, so you’ll have first-hand information, ask anything you’re interested in.“
I’m starting to wonder what I actually know about Ramadan myself……
For Muslims, it is an important time of the year, a month of prayer, contemplation, and fasting, which is what we Europeans associate Ramadan with above all. Of course, in order to be able to fast from dawn to dusk, that is to say, not to eat or drink, they must eat and drink to their heart’s content before dawn. This special hearty breakfast is called suhur. Then, after sunset, the fast ends – the end is usually announced from the mosque by the muezzin – and then the grand dinner, called iftar, begins.
Children do not fast until they reach puberty; women who are pregnant, breastfeeding, menstruating, people who are ill and those who travel long distances. During Ramadan, however, it is not only that people do not eat or drink from dawn to dusk, but also that they do not smoke, do not speak vulgarly, and avoid envy, gossip and other indecencies and improprieties. On the contrary, they visit each other, try to be kind and friendly, are generous and give charity to the poorest. Ramadan is also an ideal opportunity to settle disputes and bad relations.
Photo by Misha
“Misha, you know that I have never had a problem following the rules of the country I am vacationing in, so what should I do or not do during Ramadan?“
“Well , Jane, it doesn’t change much for a tourist. Surely, it’s a good idea not to provoke people in public by eating, drinking or smoking in front of the locals during the fast. On the other hand, it’s a fact that most tourists spend the day on the beach until almost dusk anyway.”
“Misha, is there any public celebration at the beginning of Ramadan, or do you have to be in your hotel and should not go out that night? Have you noticed that Ramadan has started?“
“Well, I didn’t see any difference from the previous days. Maybe there were more tourists on the streets than locals, and suddenly, you don’t hear and see as many motorbikes and scooters as you’re used to. I did my normal shopping at the store that night. But as quiet as the streets are in the daytime, they’re even busier after dark.”
The beginning of Ramadan is not celebrated publicly in any significant way. I would compare it to Christmas Eve, which most people spend with their families. However, the celebrations of the end of Ramadan (Eid al-Fitr) are already huge and full of cheer, lasting from one to three days. Every Muslim country has certain celebrations according to local customs; in Thoddoo, for example, the celebration starts with a large fire in the shape of a narrow cone lit on the beach after dark. There are a lot of spectators, locals and tourists, and as it happens with such events, everyone is filming it on their cell phones. It’s a bit like our “The Burning of Witches” and in Maldivian it’s called Eid Bidi.
The end of Ramadan celebrations are opened on the beach with the lighting of the Eid Bidi torch
Photo by Moosa Farooq
“And Misha, are the restaurants and shops normally open during the day? I read an article from a guy who said that he had to shop and cook for himself during Ramadan, that restaurants were closed.”
“I don’t know how it is in other places that aren’t so touristy, but it’s certainly not a problem in Thoddoo. The biggest grocery store is open during Ramadan from 9 am to 5:30 pm and even has night hours from 8:30 pm to 11:30 pm, which I can understand quite well; if I were a local, I wouldn’t want to go to the store at a time when I can’t eat either. I remember how hard it was to shop for my family when I was on a diet”.
Some smaller shops may be closed for a while during the day when the owner goes to the mosque to pray. Of course, that’s how it used to be in some shops, even outside of Ramadan.
A note on the door usually told when it would be open again.”
HONEY
Photo by Ladka
Muslims pray 5 times a day, prayers are a little longer during Ramadan than usual, and there is one special evening prayer from about 7:15 to 9:00 pm.
However, not all restaurant and shop employees are Muslim; there are also people from other Asian countries (Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka) working here, and they are not affected by Ramadan.
Photo by Ladka
“So breakfast and dinner service is usually available at the hotel?
“Yes, Jane, nothing changes during Ramadan. Breakfast and dinner are served at the hotel at the same time, regardless of whether it is Ramadan or not. You won’t be without food. What you can cook for yourself is at most coffee and you can do that anytime, as there is drinking water, hot water, tea and coffee available for guests at Amazing View all day long.”
There are a lot of restaurants in Thoddoo, and many of them will be open during Ramadan; some of them I even know the opening hours for Ramadan 2025:
| Restaurant | Opening Hours |
|---|---|
| FoodLand | 11:00 – 23:00 |
| Fishka Thoddoo | 13:00 – 21:30 |
| Astro Café & Restaurant | 11:00 – 22:30 |
| Seli Poeli Café & Restaurant | Will be open over noon, to be specified later |
| Mint Garden restaurant | 12:00 – 15:00 and 18:00 – 00:00 |
Photo by Facebook
Photo by Facebook
You know Jane, it’s always best, if you have the opportunity, to ask some of your friends who have been to the Maldives, preferably if they have visited the place you are going to. Don’t believe everything you read on the internet.
There are about a billion Muslims in the world. Ramadan may look different in each country, but you should go to Thoddoo for a holiday with your husband without any worries. You’ll have a great time. Trust me. And feel free to keep asking questions about anything that interests you.
I’ve seen pictures of fruit stalls on the beaches. Are those also available during Ramadan without restrictions?
At SUNSET BIKINI BEACH, the stalls were always open, or at least I never had a situation where they were closed, and I had to wait for a vendor to come.
SUNRISE BIKINI BEACH, the smaller one on the northeast of the island, near the marina, has only one stall (they used to make fancy fresh fruit juices), and it used to be open- regardless of Ramadan- only occasionally in the morning or around noon. Maybe it depends on how busy the owner was, so I can’t promise that one will be open when you arrive, so you’ll have to see.
Fruit stall at Sunset bikini beach, Thoddoo Photo by Facebook + Ladka
We were also happy to stop by the Green Berry stand on the way to SUNSET BIKINI BEACH or back, where they make you a fresh juice or fruit cocktail, or you can buy ice cream. They even have good coffee and local small snacks. Beware that even what looks like a small sweet doughnut can be salty with a spicy filling. It’s just a different region – different tastes.
Green Berry stand, milk and fruit bar, Thoddoo Photo by Ladka + Facebook
Mischa, now I need to know the main thing. What about trips? Are the locals willing to take guests on excursions if they fast all day? Aren’t they rather grumpy? I’d be if I didn’t eat and drink all day in the blazing sun.
Don’t worry about that at all. They are professionals, organising trips is their job, and they won’t be grumpy. The only restriction on the trips may be the weather, like big waves or all-day rains, which are relatively rare in the high season. It rains more often than here; you’re almost at the equator, but the rains are usually short, sometimes lasting only a few minutes. It’s always best to discuss your ideas and plans for trips as soon as you arrive with Farooq, the owner of the Amazing View Hotel and co-owner of the Amazing Trip Agency, which I like to call the Experience Agency. He and his staff do everything they can to ensure clients are as happy as possible. As I wrote above, they are professionals, so they don’t let their own “discomfort” during Ramadan.
Thank you, Misha; you calmed me down because I see that there is really nothing terrible that would make my stay unpleasant during Ramadan.
Exactly, it’s possible that you and your husband may not even notice it’s Ramadan during your stay. And if you will be in Thoddoo during the end of Ramadan celebrations, don’t miss the festivities associated with it. Enjoy your holiday, and don’t let the information on the internet throw you off. Not everything is accurate. And this is not only true of information about the Maldives and Ramadan.
Do you have any final advice for us, Misha?
Jane, I do. It’s not about Ramadan anymore but about the weather in the Maldives in general. I’m sorry when someone cancels a holiday because the weather forecast shows rain.
I know it’s hard, but don’t check the weather sites before you go. I understand everyone wants a sunny and rain-free holiday, but the Maldives is in the equatorial region, so blue skies without a single cloud are more of a rarity. Even during the high season, when it’s expected that it shouldn’t rain, it just might. At any time. Sometimes harder, sometimes just a few drops you don’t notice. Forecasts tend to be vague regarding location because each atoll has its microclimate, and they are inaccurate if they are forecast more than 48 hours in advance. According to the forecast, I was supposed to have rain all week. Can you guess how it was? Beautifully sunny, without a single drop!
We in Europe are used to forecasts that match more or less, but not here, so don’t be discouraged. Oh, and watch out, the sun is burning there even when it’s hidden behind clouds, so don’t underestimate it and get a sunburn instead of a tan.
“I have so much more to tell you, Jane, but time flies… but never mind, we’ll get together again next time you come home from Thoddoo and tell me about your experiences. But we probably won’t have enough of a glass of wine, so we’ll order a whole bottle of excellent Pinot Gris. I’m looking forward to it. So have a wonderful time on the Thoddoo, and see you soon.”
Misha was written
michaela.janikova395@seznam.cz or Instagram @miskawindiska
Ladka added
