Paradise resorts change their clocks. “Island time” applies here

Luxury resorts in the Maldives can boast of everything that affects tourists the most. It's hot, the turquoise water is teeming with rich marine life, the food is delicious, the people are hospitable, and in some cases there is even a time system unique to this island. How does it happend?

Clocks are changed in the Maldives

The time on some Maldivian islands is called “island time”. And this is not a metaphor, this form should be taken literally. There is a practice here of changing clocks. For what purpose?

Many centers set their clocks forward at least one hour from the country's official time zone.

“This intentional time change is more than just a travel quirk; it is a thoughtful improvement of the guest experience, meeting the diverse needs of visitors from abroad,” says Mohit Dembla, general manager of JW Marriott Maldives Resort & Spa, in an interview with CNN Travel.

JW Marriott is one of four properties in the Maldives belonging to the Marriott Group, along with St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort, Westin Maldives Miriandhoo Resort and Ritz-Carlton Maldives in the Fari Islands.

In all four centers the so-called island time. It allows you to do more activities during the day and enjoy dinner with a magical sunset.

While this one-hour shift may not seem like a big deal to those who live in places where the days are long, it makes a big difference when you're on vacation and only have so many hours of daylight.

“Because most resorts in the Maldives are located on private islands, often many miles away from the mainland of Malé, they often operate according to their own rules, namely the so-called island time, so travelers can take advantage of an extra hour of daylight every day to fully enjoy the resort,” explains Zhilah Vego, director of sales and marketing at St. Regis Maldives Vommuli Resort.

Island time in the Maldives

The time change means that the sun rises at 7 a.m. in resorts, rather than 6 a.m. – the official time in the Maldives. Soneva, another luxury resort group with multiple properties in the Maldives, also sets the clocks at its resorts one hour ahead. However, instead of “island time”, they use the name “Soneva Jani time”.

“The sun rises at 7:00 a.m. and sets at 7:15 p.m., our guests can enjoy daylight perfectly suited for morning jogging or evening sports, avoiding the heat at the peak of the day,” says Charles Morris, general manager of Soneva Jani. “This allows them to enjoy the peaceful beauty of twilight until 7:45 p.m.”

Employees at other resorts have similar explanations, telling CNN that the unofficial time zone helps guests enjoy more outdoor activities before sunset and bask in the sun during dinner. Special activities are often planned for these golden hours.

Guests are informed that the so-called island time, and the staff coordinates all transfers, especially when it comes to not missing a flight departing from Male.

Most of the country's 160-plus resorts are located on single islands, and many of them can be reached by hydrofoil from Velana International Airport in the capital, Male. These planes cannot fly after dark, so daylight is valuable.

Over the years, resorts in other countries have created their own time zones for various reasons, but the Maldives certainly has the most of them.