Cruising Report by Lee Papillon, Maldives

In February 2015 we left Malaysia in the direction of the Maldives. Male was our intended port of entry.

Before departure, we informed our Agent about our special passenger, our dog, who has been with us for the last 9 years. The agent confirmed that there would be no problem to travel with a dog through the atolls.

However, when we contacted him one day before our arrival in Male, he changed his story. He said dogs were not allowed in the Maldives and we could not enter the territorial waters of the Maldives. We explained to him that we were out of fuel and provisions and that there was no other possibility then to enter the Maldives. Anyhow, we were less than a day away from the port of entry.

But each time we got him on the phone it was a no-go. We were told that we would be in serious trouble if we made an attempt to enter Male.

So, just before entering Male he asked us if we were willing to alter course and enter the Maldives through Uligan. It took us two extra days to get there, but if that is what it was going to take to keep our dog with us when we were gladly willing to do so.

Once we arrived in Uligan, we were contacted by all the authorities who were very helpful. They only asked us to lock up the dog when they came on board. He even got a stamp in his passport.

This time we got away with it, but it could have ended in a different way. So, if you have a dog and want to travel to the Maldives, I would advise you to ask for written permission from the government first. Once you get it you will have peace of mind.

In addition, I would like to thank the people in Uligan who helped us. Because of them, we were able to experience the Maldives with our best friend, our dog.

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