How to Go to the Maldives

Booking a Flight

Visit the Maldives from November to April for the best weather. These months make up the dry season in the Maldives, which means the chance for rain interrupting your afternoon at the beach is much lower than during the wet season. Expect to pay more for accommodations and be around more people, as these are the most popular months to travel here. Regardless of what time of year you travel to the Maldives, you can expect temperatures in the 80 °F (27 °C) range.

Arrange to go from May to October for less expensive lodgings. If you are looking for accommodations that are a little more wallet-friendly and don’t mind a little rain, book your trip during the wet season months. This is also a great time to travel if you’d prefer a less crowded vacation, as the peak travel time to the Maldives is from November to April. If you like to surf, this is the time to go to the Maldives. In addition to more rain, there will also be more wind, which means the waves and swells will be bigger. During the rainy season, there is generally about 5 to 10 inches (13 to 25 cm) of precipitation on a monthly basis. The mornings are normally clear, followed by cloudy afternoons.

Obtain a valid passport. If you don’t already have one, fill out a passport application several months before your trip. When you book your flight to the Maldives, you’ll be issued a 30-day visa automatically. If you want, you can extend that to a 90-day visa, depending on your travel plans. If you have a passport that will be expiring within 6 months of your travel dates, you’ll need to get it renewed before you travel.

Research and book your flight several months in advance. Flying directly from the United States to Malé (the capital of the Maldives) is really expensive, with tickets ranging anywhere from $1300 to $2000 per ticket (with some airlines pricing tickets as high as $6000). It’s generally less expensive to fly to Europe or the Middle East and then fly directly to Malé from there. Most travelers fly into the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport, located in Malé. British Airways is the only European airway to offer a direct flight to the Maldives. Depending on your credit card programs, you may be able to use miles and points to decrease the cost of your flight to the Maldives.

Prepare for a long flight and pack a carry-on bag. It’s a great idea to pack a bag with some kind of entertainment, like a book, magazine, or electronic device with movies or television episodes downloaded. You also may want to pack a change of clothes, deodorant, and a toothbrush to help yourself feel fresh for the duration of your flight. If you’re flying from the United States, your flight time will take anywhere from 18 to 23 hours, depending on layovers. Flying from the UK will take about 10 hours.

Pack for your trip several days before you leave for the airport. If you’ll primarily be on a resort island, you’ll need to bring clothes for the beach and for hanging out at the resort. If you’ll be traveling off of resort islands, you’ll need to wear clothes that adhere to the Islamic code of ethics (women need to keep their legs and arms covered, and men shouldn’t be bare-chested). Because the Maldives is a Muslim country, pork products, alcohol, and religious texts are banned, so make sure to leave these items at home. Even on resorts, the dress code is fairly casual and relaxed. Don’t forget to refill any prescriptions you might need while you’re away, and bring chargers for all your electronics.

Reserving Lodging

Choose a resort island for a relaxing, laid-back atmosphere. If you just want a place to relax and enjoy your beautiful surroundings, there are about 105 resorts you can choose from, each located on its own island. Many of these resorts include breakfast, and many of them offer deals which include dinner, too. Because the Maldives is a fully Muslim country, you won’t be able to find alcohol on non-resort islands. Also, beaches on non-resort islands often won’t allow bikinis and those islands also don’t allow public displays of affection or homosexuality.

Book your lodging ahead of time if you’re going to stay at a resort. Several months before your trip, take some time to review the different resorts to find one that caters to your likes and wants. There are resorts with golf courses, private villas, lagoons, extensive beaches, and lots of other luxury accommodations. Resorts fill up quickly, especially during the dry season, so book your lodging as soon as you know your travel dates. Because the Maldives is such a popular and beautiful location, there really aren’t very many budget hotels available. You can expect to pay about $200 per night for a room at most resorts, but depending on what you’re looking for, you could end up spending closer to $600 or $800 a night.

Book an over-the-water villa for a picturesque experience. If you’re staying at a resort, you’ll probably have the option to book an over-water villa for some extra privacy and miraculous views. They’re generally a bit more secluded from the rest of the resort, which can be nice if you’re interested in a romantic getaway. If you’re staying in the Maldives for several days, you could spend several nights in a villa for the experience, and then relocate to another resort to enjoy the beauty of a new location.

Check out B&Bs and Couchsurfing if you’re traveling on a budget. Couchsurfing is a network of individuals who allow travelers to stay with them for free. B&Bs or budget guesthouses provide accommodations for $30 to $60 per night. You’ll generally get a room, shower, breakfast, and free WiFi, though many guesthouses offer additional accommodations, like bottles of water and air conditioning. The site https://www.hotelscombined.com is recommended for finding guesthouses in the Maldives. But take some time and search online through different sites to find an option that fits your budget. Airbnb is also becoming much more popular in the Maldives, and those houses generally range from $50 to $100 a night. You can also pay about $80 for a day pass to most of the resorts.

Getting Between Islands

Take a seaplane for a quick, yet expensive, trip to your island. Once you fly in to Malé, you need to get to your resort or guesthouse, which is most likely on a separate island. One option is to take a seaplane for an additional charge. This is a more expensive option, running about $250 to $500 per person for a flight that will take 30 to 60 minutes. Some resorts include transportation to their island from Malé, so check out those options when making your reservations. There are no predictable schedules for seaplanes, so you might have to wait several hours after your main flight lands to get on a seaplane to go to the resort.

Book a speedboat to quickly get from one resort island to another. Ferries generally don’t stop at resort islands, so speedboats are a quick way to get to and from your destinations. While less expensive than taking a seaplane, speedboat trips are also expensive, sometimes charging $200 per person for a 30 to 40-minute trip. Unfortunately, there aren’t many other options to get to the resort islands. Check your resort to see if they offer a discount on speedboat rides to the island. Some will include the speedboat fee in your room fee.

Ride a ferry for an inexpensive way to travel around non-resort islands. You’ll just pay several dollars per trip to get from one island to another, as long as they don’t house a resort. This is a great way to explore the different islands, especially if you’re staying at guesthouses in the Maldives. Ferries run on unpredictable schedules, so you may have to wait several hours for a ride.

Walk around the islands to explore the beautiful beaches. Most islands are very small, and you can walk from one end to the other within a few miles. When you’re on an island, you don’t need to worry about renting a car or motorcycle, though some islands rent bicycles for you to enjoy. It’s generally very safe to walk around any island in the Maldives. If you’re walking around local islands, native Maldivians may approach you to offer you bits of Maldivian chocolate.

Seeing the Sights

Go fishing at sunset to enjoy the beautiful views. Whether you’re staying at a resort or at a guesthouse, you can arrange a fishing trip for about $50 per person. You’ll get to go out on a 60-foot dhoni, which is a wooden boat traditionally used by Maldivians. Sunset fishing is super popular because of the views, but you can also go fishing during the day. Just ask your host or resort for details.

Book a snorkeling excursion to swim with marine wildlife. If you’re interested in snorkeling, choose a resort that offers that excursion. You can also book a Liveaboard boat (like a large yacht), which will take you to different reefs and areas for you to explore. You can even snorkel underneath some of the islands because of the way they’re formed. You can expect to see many different kinds of fish, clams, sharks, turtles, and octopus. You may even get to see and swim alongside a whale shark, which is one of the largest fish in the ocean.

Hop from island to island to explore the different beaches. Book an excursion for about $50 per person for a day of island hopping. You’ll get to relax on a large boat and explore the different beaches in the Maldives. Even though the islands are relatively close together, each one boasts its own special beaches, water features, and beauty. Many local islands have beaches designated for tourists, which means once you’re on them, you can wear your bathing suits and bikinis. Topless sunbathing is illegal, so keep your suit on at all times! For “long-term” hopping, book rooms at several different resorts over the course of your trip to spend time on multiple islands, rather than doing all your hopping in one day.

Reserve a private island for a romantic picnic. When booking your accommodations, search for resorts that offer private island stays. Apart from a resort, you can also search for “private islands for rent” in the Maldives for options to rent directly from an individual who owns an island. You can expect to pay upwards of $1600 per day for a private stay on an island. Uninhabited islands are also often rented to resort guests for private excursions.

Dine underwater at Ithaa, an undersea restaurant. As of 2018, this option is only available for guests staying at the Hurawalhi Island Resort, and reservations are needed months ahead of time. You can join 14 other guests in a dining room completely surrounded by water and watch the vibrant marine life swim around you as you enjoy your meal. Make a reservation for lunch for a less expensive dining option and to enjoy the water while the sunlight is still streaming through.