Transportation

Little things make life easier in Male, like taxi rides from the Nalahiya hotel van. The friendly driver will usually take me to TVM in the morning if he doesn't have to drive other guests to the airport ferry and I can sign for the fare instead of fishing in my purse for the rufiyaa. TVM always provides a car in the evening for the ride back to the hotel and the news director wouldn't think of letting us call a taxi. It's just part of the warm hospitality we have experienced here.

The commercial taxis are a bit confusing. First, you can't always flag a taxi down in the street because they are usually full or responding to a call to go somewhere. So you have to call and request your own taxi. Second, the drivers were recently granted a fare increase to 25 rufiyaa, but they got fewer customers so some reduced the fare back to 20 rufiyaa and you never know which price the taxi is charging. Still, a ride anywhere on the island for less than two bucks is a bargain.