Maldives Shopping

There are plenty of opportunities to purchase local artefacts from souvenir shops (Male) and the stalls and sellers from various islands that you might visit on excursions.

Your resort will almost certainly have a gift shop to purchase from but usually at a much higher price than from local sellers.

Maldives Shopping is an amazing experience. In Male, the capital of Maldives you will find local handicrafts and other art items catered specifically to tourists. This is also a place well known for selling imported goods.

Maldives Shopping at the Local Market

Located on the Northern waterfront, the “Local Market” is just a block away from the Male Fish Market.

Here a peaceful atmosphere prevails on the block when compared to the frenzy of activity in the rest of the neighborhood.

You will find small stores each selling local products from the atolls.

You will find stuffs like packets of sweet, candies, meat, nuts, yam, different kinds of local vegetables, fruits, and breadfruit chips on top of bottles of pickles, banana bunches and home made sweets hang on coir ropes from beams of ceiling.

The Chaandanee Magu, Male

The “Chaandanee Magu” in Male is a major commercial center well known to those wishing to buy imported products. O these products, a large number are from Singapore.

Lining up the northern end of Chaandanee Magu are souvenir shops. Among the best products is what is known as the ‘Thudu Kuna’ which is a local elegant geometric designs mat woven with local natural fibres.

Other popular Maldives shopping items include wooden miniature Dhonis.

The Majeedhee Magu

The “Majeedhee Magu” is on the main road of the island and its sides are lined with shops selling products ranging from electronic items, garments, handbags to cosmetics. Shops are opened till 11.00 in the night with the shops closing in between only during prayer times.

Getting Around

Since Male is very tiny, you can walk from one end to the other or by taxi.

Maldives Shopping Miscellaneous Tips:

You can get various kinds of gifts or souvenirs from this island, and some nice crafty pieces too. They have loads of placemats and wood carvings, teas, keyrings, fridge magnets and other similar items.

What can be most annoying to some tourist is that there are no price stickers on the items. So you simply pick the items and ask the price. The asking price is negotiable and it is common to close the deal at 40 to 50% down the asking price.

Maldives Shopping Tips:

Export of items made of turtle shell, coral and pearl oyster shell is prohibited.

Maldives Shopping Hours: Saturday-Thursday 0800 to 2300.

Banking Hours: Sunday-Thursday 0900 to 1300.

Enjoy Maldives Shopping!