When to go

Maldives enjoy typical tropical climate - warm summerly days any time of the year. One thing to note is the presence of monsoon season - from May to Dec, thunderstorms are more common along with the north easterly winds. Storms do not last whole day so it's not a major problem for fishing. But wiser of course to choose the dry season from Jan to April, particularly for .

Once stepping out of the airport's arrival gate, you are already at the waterfront where boats busily come and go.

Activities

Most guesthouses offer a range of day trips - snorkelling, whale watching, sand bank trips, etc. They are casually run with no advance booking needed. Most of such trips cost $20-30 per person, though scuba diving naturally costs more. We normally do not need to travel far out - a speedboat ride of half an hour will put you into the action & attraction.

Most guesthouses offers European meals as well as Maldivean menu often with a pinch of curry. The quality of dining varies a lot from one guesthouse to another. Since you end up eating there several days, a good research in advance of booking (like reading other travellers' feedback) is a must.

Maldives is an Islamic nation, therefore no alcohol is available except in the resorts. At the end of a hot day we face an urge for the cold one, but for once you have to make do with non-alcohol beer fooling yourself.

Money & prices

The currency is called Rufiyaa, 1 Rufiyaa equals to 7cents. As far as tourist's life is concerned, almost all payment are done in US$ (or in Euro). Even small candy shops will accept US$ cash. Only if you intend to spend some time in the capital city Male you may gain some benefit having Rufiyaa in the pocket, otherwise no need to exchange moneys. Prices of restaurants and general goods are cheaper than in Europe, though there are not that many shopping opportunities anyhow.

- Back

Lastly for those wishing to visit more remote islands, there are two domestic flight operators and some private charter planes. Fares are rather steep for foreigners, $200-500 one way depending on the distance. A tad too much for us family visitors but remote atolls do offer even wilder, untouched nature for fishermen & diving enthusiasts - so I hear.

Getting there

Located in the Indian ocean off the southern most point of India, Maldives is about 6-7 hours flight away from major European cities. Apart from the Christmas peak season, return fare usually starts at 500-700euros. From the East, the popular transit point includes Bangkok and HongKong.

Where to stay

There are rich selection of gorgeous villas and water cottages, that typically charge $1,000 a night. Meanwhile our preferred choice is basic but affordable guesthouses on local islands. You can find thousands of them on such services like Booking.com. We typically pay $60-80 per person per day full board.

Unlike ferries that run only once a day on most legs, speedboats are much more flexible, and as the name suggests, much speedier. There are numerous charter or regular services connecting islands of your choice, which your guesthouse will be able to book or advise. The travel time is about a quarter of what the ferryboat would need. Fare on most legs are between $50-100 per person.

The most affordable option is the local ferries. Though the voyage is slow and the trip can only starts or end in Male, the super cheap fare, up to $5 per person, makes them a sensible choice as long as the timetable happens to suits your itinerary (They operate only near Male, marked in red dotted lines in the map above) Sitting in the warm seabreeze with the Maldivian people, it makes a fun attraction in itself.

Getting around

The capital city Male is located right in the middle of the atolls spreading north south - marked by ★. All international flights land in & depart from there. From Male we have a choice of connecting trip by local ferries, speedboats and aeroplanes.