COVID-19 POLICY

COVID-19

BLISS’ commitment

UPDATED: October 2020

As we face these times of uncertainty, our priority at Bliss Dhigurah continues to be the wellbeing and safety of our guests, staff and the local community.

No confirmed cases on Dhigurah
Even though there are no confirmed cases on our naturally isolated island, we have temporarily closed our doors.
The latest update is dat the government allows guest houses to reopen from the 15 of October onwards, provided that consent is given by the Island Council per local island, and safety requirements are met.

We are currently working toward reopening Dhigurah for tourism with other guest houses and our Island Council.
Our aim is to reopen mid November 2020 and safely welcome our guests again.

At Bliss, we commit to being as flexible as possible.

Cancellation policy

We want to reassure you about any travel plans you may have with us. We are committed to full flexibility with booking terms and conditions and have further adjusted our policies accordingly. This means, for new direct bookings made till August 2021, we offer:

• Free cancellation or the opportunity to rebook for a later date.
• Book now – Pay on arrival. No need for any pre-payment of your trip.
• If you did choose to pre-pay your direct booking but find yourself unable to travel based on Government travel advice, we will provide a full refund.

If you need to adjust a reservation made through another travel site (such as Booking or Expedia), please contact them directly for assistance and cancellation policies.

At Bliss Dhigurah, we remain vigilant in enforcing procedures and protocols issued by the World Health Organization and – as always – will continue our commitment to providing meaningful, memorable experiences for all who stay with us.

Current situation in the Maldives

• You can find the most recent information on the Corona virus in the Maldives here.
• Borders are open, but the local islands, on which Bliss is situated, remain closed until the 15th of October and reopen only with the consent of the Island Council per island. Only travel to resorts is possible at this moment.

Arrival

• COVID test: You will have to do a PCR test before arrival. The test must be conducted within a maximum of 96 hours prior to departure to the Maldives. Furthermore, if you present COVID-like symptoms on arrival, you will be tested at the airport.
• VISA: A 30 day visa on arrival will be granted, free of charge, provided that:
  • You have a confirmed booking at a registered tourist facility before arrival
  • An electronic Traveler Health Declaration has been submitted 24 hours prior to departure to the Maldives
  • You have an onward- or return flight ticket
  • You have a Negative PCR test result (<96h prior to travel)
• Airport procedure:
  • Temperature check on arrival
  • You might be chosen for a random, free and voluntary PCR test by the Maldivian Health Authorities
  • You are required to wear a face mask at the airport and during domestic travel
  • Social distancing guidelines are clearly marked with visible distance information and floor markings
• Domestic transfer 
  • An airport representative from Bliss will be at the airport to assist with onward domestic transfer
  • Your options remain the same, except that the public speedboat can only be taken from the airport, not from Male’. More information here.
  • Elevated health and safety procedures are in place

AT BLISS

• Before your arrival, you will be requested to share a high quality digital copy of your passport(s). This will ensure a contactless check in
• We will pick you up at arrival at the harbor of Dhigurah
• Precautionary measures have been in place since the outbreak. This includes elevated deep cleaning procedures and strict hygiene checks. The Maldives’ Health Protection Agency (HPA) guidelines are followed in cleaning and disinfecting rooms and building. Housekeeping staff will clean and disinfect rooms wearing face masks as well as disposable gloves.
• Daily temperature checks of staff and increased, elevated, hand-washing procedures are carried out
• The setup of our in-house restaurant, Hermit’s, is changed so that social distancing can be ensured
• The maximum amount of people on excursions is reduced so that social distancing can be ensured on our boat

PCR test before departing the Maldives

• Note that you will be required to conduct a PCR test 72 hours prior to your scheduled departure from the Maldives. We help you with this!
• There is a health center on the island. The resident doctor on Dhigurah has undergone HPA certified training on COVID-19 management, isolation procedures and sampling.
• The exact cost of the test (and transportation of it to Male’) is at this moment not known, though most likely to be below US$150. This exact price will be updated once it is known to us.

Payments

• Online bank transfers are encouraged, though bear additional fees and might take a few days to be cleared by the bank. Therefore, it might not always be possible for the guest to pay this way
• Card payments accepted at the guest house as well as in the restaurant. All extras will be added to the room bill and paid in one go at the end of the guests stay to avoid unnecessary contact
• Cash payments are discouraged and only accepted if a bank transfer or card payment is not possible

Split stays & Day trips

Are you moving around in the Maldives? Island hopping? Combining a local stay with a resort?
Updated regulations below:

• Guest house <–> Guest house

“Tourists are allowed to travel from a tourist guesthouse island to another tourist guesthouse island (if neither tourist guesthouse island is under monitoring nor have any reported community spread of COVID-19)”

• Guest house <–> Resort

“Tourists are allowed to travel from a tourist resort to a tourist guesthouse and vice versa, given the split-stay procedures are complied with.”
–> We can help you with this if you advise us at least 1 week in advance.

• Day trip to Resort or Local island

“No prior approval is required for day visits between different Tourist Resorts and Guesthouse islands and vice versa. However, tourists must undergo an exit screening as per Annex 5 of Public health interventions to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 in the Tourism Sector (version 4) prior to arrival from one tourist Guesthouse Island to the other (This is to ensure that a symptomatic person or a person undergoing quarantine does not exit the island).”

Note: This is regarding government approval. We dó still have to check for approval of the day visit with the specific resort, as we would under normal circumstances. Other local islands can only be visited when cleared for tourism purposes. We can help you with figuring this out!

A complete and updated overview of our Ministry of Tourism’s Guideline to restart tourism can be found here.

If you have any questions leading up to your arrival, please let us know.
We’re looking forward to welcoming you to Bliss soon.

Warm regards from Dhigurah, keep safe & in good spirits!

Anne