A while ago a friend of mine shared an interesting article:
“Leggings are NOT pants: Qatar puts its foot down with dress code as it launches advertising campaign reminding female tourists what not to wear”
Read the full article here >>
Qatar is a strict Islamic country and the fact that it asks for some modesty from its foreign visitors comes as no surprise to me.
But, I have lived in a strict Islamic country myself. I spent about a year living in the Maldives.
Living in the Maldives as a Non-Muslim Expat
“The Maldives? A strict Islamic country?” you may wonder, but yes, it is. They use Sharia law (also referred to as Islamic law) and the constitution demands every citizen to be a Muslim.
Dress Code in the Maldives
Whether you’re just visiting the Maldives or planning to move here, it’s good to know a bit about the dress code.
In the Maldives foreigners are not forced by law to cover themselves. The only thing you aren’t allowed to wear as a woman on inhabited islands in the Maldives, which is very clearly indicated on some of the beaches, is a bathing suit.
At times I found that quite annoying. Swimming with your clothes on, not being allowed to change into something dry afterwards… But, you are a guest in their country so you follow their rules.
That being said, there are two very different sets of rules depending on where you are going. There are rules for private islands and rules local islands.
Dress Code on Private Islands
All those beautiful Maldivian resorts that I’m sure you’ve seen pictures of are located on private, uninhabited islands.
And because they are private islands, different rules apply here.
Basically, you are allowed to wear whatever you like. Of course, you are still in a Muslim country and most of the resort staff is Maldivian, so some modesty is appreciated.
When you’re on a resort beach, you can wear any type of bikini or bathing suit you’d like. When you leave the beach, use something simple to cover up like a sarong or a light dress.
Note: topless sunbathing isn’t allowed anywhere in the Maldives, including resorts.
For men, the dress code is definitely more lenient anywhere in the Maldives. But I’d still suggest putting on a T-shirt when you’re leaving the beach, especially if you plan to walk into one of the resort bars or restaurants.
Summer dresses, skirts, shorts, etc. are all perfectly acceptable on resort islands. Basically, wear whatever you feel comfortable in. But I’d always be aware of the fact that you are in a resort with Muslim staff so be a bit mindful about just how revealing you want your outfits to be.
Many resorts have at least one high-end restaurant where dressing up is appreciated. For women, this can definitely be a classy, yet somewhat revealing dress, or just a nice summery outfit you feel comfortable in.
If you decide to visit a local island, which some resorts offer as a day trip, then the local dress code applies.
Dress Code on Local Islands
There are 1,192 islands in the Maldives, of which only 187 are inhabited. On those inhabited islands you’ll have to stick to a more modest dress code.
Local women always dress modestly but not all wear a hijab or headscarf and only a few wear a niqab. As a foreign woman, you’re definitely not expected to wear a hijab.
I normally made sure I’d wear something that covered my knees and shoulders and showed no cleavage.
But, with temperatures of normally over 30 ºC (86 ºF), I would sometimes feel like wearing shorts or a slightly more airy top. And since I didn’t have to cover my knees and shoulders by law… why wouldn’t I wear what I felt like? Because, as I quickly learned, it makes life harder.
As a pale, blond foreigner I would be stared at no matter what I wore and had to deal with occasional comments ranging from an overly friendly ‘hello beautiful’ to a not so friendly ‘hey sexy bitch’.
But when I decided to wear shorts (simple, sporty, definitely not too short shorts) it seemed to get worse. Everywhere I had to walk felt twice as far away. The constant staring, comments, men looking at me as if I was a terrible person…
I know I should be able to ignore it (I have traveled enough, try men in Latin America, they can be annoying and a lot more aggressive at it!). But I couldn’t ignore it. And so I’d cover up again.
Staying at a Local Guest House
If you’re visiting the Maldives and aren’t staying at a resort, you’ll most likely stay at a guest house on one of the less crowded local islands. Or you might spend a few days in the capital, Malé.
Staying anywhere on any of the local islands, dressing modestly is requested and expected.
There are a few guest houses that have a private beach, but not many. On any public beach as a woman you’re not allowed to wear a bathing suit that shows your shoulders or knees. As a man, you are allowed to take your shirt off and just wear swim shorts.
Other Restrictions in the Maldives
Choosing your wardrobe is not the only thing to be mindful of when you’re in the Maldives. Away from the resorts, the sale and consumption of alcohol is forbidden, as are pork products so forget about that bacon sandwich.
While I was living here it became illegal to dance with someone of the opposite sex and if you are thinking of bringing your pooch, forget it… dogs are also illegal!
The Maldives are some of the most amazingly beautiful islands on Earth. Living in the Maldives, however, will quickly show you it’s not quite life in paradise…
Also Read: What Living in the Maldives is Really Like
Any type of public display of affection is also heavily frowned upon and could even get you into trouble. Thankfully nothing like that happened when I was living here. That is, to us expats that didn’t happen.
I do remember that while I was there the court sentenced a 17-year-old boy to four months in prison after he kissed his 16-year-old girlfriend in a court waiting room… Is that insane? Should we judge? Can we judge? Or should we just respect the law and the court of the country we are in even if we don’t agree with it? I don’t know…
Again, all of this excludes private island resorts, so if you’re just in the Maldives to visit a resort, your experience will be very different from someone moving to the Maldives.
But I do know one thing: we are free to choose the countries we travel to and the countries we decide to work in as an expat. And maybe a country where something as innocent as kissing your partner could send you to jail doesn’t offer an ideal lifestyle.
I’m thankful that I get to choose and walk away from countries whose systems I don’t believe in… Too bad it’s an entirely different story for most of its citizens.
Also Read:
I lived in India for a bit and we got by swimming with what we called a swim dress….a long shoulder to toes big moo moo, with shoulder straps and a choli underneath…..Could you swim there with that?
Yes, that should be fine. I used to swim in a t-shirt and board shorts (well above the knee) and that was also fine.
Very interesting article. My family of five are in the Maldives now as a participant in the first ever Maldives Yacht Rally, and we are learning alot. We’ve gone to both resorts and the local villages. The Rally hosts are allowing us to wear shorts and tank tops, but not to wear swimsuits to swim on beaches with locals. We respect their religion, but my blond-haired blue-eyed family are also getting so many stares and questions from the local kids, like “did you put blue lenses in your eyes?!”
Hi Renee,
Thank you for your comment!
“did you put blue lenses in your eyes?” that must be one of the most adorable comments I’ve ever heard! 🙂 And it proves just how good traveling is. It opens our eyes to different cultures and different worlds and at the same time exposes locals who may otherwise not have the opportunity to meet many foreigners, to people from all over the world.
Nice to hear that you are sailing in the Maldives by the way! I always said that it looked like such a nice sailing destination yet you see very few sailboats there… Hopefully that’s changing then!
I’m currently sailing in the Caribbean, so maybe I’ll make it back to the Maldives on the boat some day as well 🙂