Maldives Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know for Your Trip
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Think the Maldives is only for honeymooners and influencers who get free press trips? Think again. After living here for 18 months and visiting over a dozen islands (yep, including some uninhabited ones), I’ve got a lot to say about this little slice of paradise.
Whether you’re dreaming of a luxury resort, curious about local islands, or just trying to figure out if the Maldives is the right destination for you (if you love the ocean it absolutely is!). I’m breaking down everything you need to know before your Maldives trip: where to stay, how to get around, what to pack, when to come, what it costs, and all the little insider quirks you only find out when you actually live in a country!
Fun Facts
Crazy Number of Islands
There are 1192 islands in the Maldives of which approximately 200 are inhabited. It is the smallest country in Asia! The islands are grouped into 26 atolls. My forever aim is to visit them all! I think I’m on around 20 visited islands now…including some uninhabited ones!
Maldives Location
The Maldives is in the Indian Ocean and a short flight from both Southern India and Sri Lanka. Also great to visit from Thailand as you can find budget flights with Air Asia that only take 4 hours.
It’s so tiny it even gets missed off maps…even the map I had in my classroom IN THE MALDIVES. Yep. Not sure who was responsible for that!
Getting to the Maldives
The main airport that you can fly into is Velana International Airport near the capital city and island of Male (pronounced Maa-ley). Visiting the Maldives from India or Sri Lanka is cheap way to find budget flights to the Maldives.
Flying from other countries in Asia like Thailand or Malaysia is also a budget option to visit the Maldives and one that I do frequently as I’m currently teaching in Bangkok and moved here after my Maldives job finished.
Visas Options
The Maldives offer a one month free visa on arrival to almost every nationality. Check with your government website to make sure.
Hot Tropical Weather
The Maldives is a tropical country in the middle of the Indian Ocean. It therefore has hot, humid weather and experiences monsoon seasons. Monsoon season is usually from May-October and can be great as that means its manta ray season in Hanifaru Bay!
Maldives Weather & Seasons (or lack of)
It is usually around 30 degrees Celsius in the Maldives and it rarely changes much over the year so you will just need to pack light items!
Best Time of Year to Visit the Maldives
It depends which islands and atolls you are planning to visit on your Maldives holiday. For most atolls the rainy season is between May to October.
However, this definitely doesn’t mean that it will rain every day and the weather is extremely unpredictable. Rainy season also brings ocean adventures and is the best time to see manta rays in Hanifaru bay.
What is a resort island?
A resort island refers to an island which is owned by a hotel. Resort Islands in the Maldives range from luxury 5 star global brands to more affordable resorts like Kihaa Resort and Bandos Maldives. Resort islands can serve alcohol, guests can wear any clothing and the whole island is the resort.
What is a local island in the Maldives?
A local island is where Maldivians live and work and local islands are different to resort islands.
Can I stay on a local island?
Yes! I strongly recommend experiencing and staying on a local island in the Maldives. I love visiting local islands and I think it is a great way to experience the real Maldives. Make sure you know what to expect when visiting local islands with all my tips here – they have different laws and customs!
If I stay at a resort can I visit a local island?
Yes. Many Maldives resorts will offer local island tours where you are given a tour around a nearby local island.
Religion in the Maldives
Many people are surprised that the Maldives’ only religion is Islam. Maldivians must be Muslim by law.
Is the Maldives only a honeymoon destination?
Absolutely not. During the 1.5 years I spent living and working in the Maldives, I travelled with friends, family and boyfriend. If you are a diver or would like to learn to scuba dive with PADI or SSI, or you just love being in the water then the Maldives is a perfect holiday destination for you because of all the things you can do in the Maldives.
Solo Travel & Backpacking the Maldives
Solo Travel Experience
I am a huge fan of solo travel around Asia, particularly travelling as a solo female. However, the Maldives has certain challenges when travelling solo, mainly the cost of rooms and there are limited ways to meet other travellers. It’s very different from the solo travel I’ve done in other countries in Asia because there aren’t any hostels or many other solo travellers!
Can I backpack in the Maldives?
There are no hostels and therefore you cannot find budget accommodation like in India and Sri Lanka and South East Asia. Even on local islands in the Maldives the cost of accommodation is from $30-$50 per night. There are still affordable Maldives hotels on local islands but it will not be backpacker rates like some other countries in Asia.
Solo Luxury
You definitely can solo travel in luxury if you can afford the expensive resorts in the Maldives. Generally speaking, the cheapest resort is around $300 US dollars per night so travelling with someone and sharing the cost of a luxury resort makes it more affordable.
Solo on Local Islands
Guesthouses start from around $40 per night so staying on local islands is a much more affordable option for solo travel than staying in a luxury Maldives resort. If you are a diver or join other trips such as dolphin watching or snorkelling trips, then you are likely to find other like-minded travellers as well.
Maldives Safety
I have always felt safe travelling in the Maldives and staying on different islands. Of course, crime happens like in every country and you could feel isolated if you are solo travelling as a woman because there aren’t many solo travellers around you. Like always, there are no guarantees of safety and all we can do is take the usual precautions when solo travelling.
Maldives Budget Tips
Cheapest time to go to the Maldives
For staying in luxury resorts the cheapest time will be rainy season so between the months of May- October. The most expensive season is over Christmas and New Year and many resorts experience full occupancy.
Affordable Resorts
The cheapest resorts will be resorts that are near to Male and near to the airport because you will not have to pay for expensive seaplane transfers or domestic flights. Kihaa Resort is one of the best budget resorts although it is not near Male, it is in Baa atoll.
Affordable Local Islands
Many local islands offer budget accommodation and cheap diving and affordable excursions. Here I have written about the local islands of Gulhi, Maafushi, Dhiffushi, Thoddoo , Fuvahmulah and Thulusdhoo.
Maldives on a Budget
The best budget Maldives trip will be to local islands. I’ve written blog posts about all the different local Maldivian islands I have visited here for you to choose which island to visit and what activities you can do on each island. On this blog post I have suggested a perfect Maldives itinerary.
Maldives Holiday Cost
This definitely depends on how much you are willing to spend! Resorts start from $300 per night and can rise to $40,000 per night for private islands. Guesthouses on local islands usually range from $40-100 per night
Maldives Itinerary Planning
I think this depends on what activities you are planning to do on your Maldives vacation. For honeymooners staying at expensive resorts, many stay for around 4-5 days to experience a luxury resort. For me personally, I could easily spend a month island hopping around different islands. I have some suggested one week itineraries here.
Getting around the Maldives
Boats and airplanes. If you are staying at a resort then the resort will usually arrange a speedboat transfer or a seaplane or a domestic flight for you at an additional cost. If you are staying on local islands then you can take a speedboat transfer from the airport or from Male. Ferries are the cheapest way to travel around the Maldives as domestic flights can still be expensive (around $200 return).
Maldives Packing List
I have written a separate blog post about what items to bring to the Maldives and an important packing guide for your Maldives trip.
Maldives Dress Code
This depends if you are intending to visit local islands. In resort islands anything goes and you are welcome to wear whatever you like, including bikinis (unless you are a staff member – don’t get me started on those double standards! Most local islands that welcome tourists now have bikini beaches so you can wear a bikini and swimsuit on these beaches on local islands but should cover up when walking around the rest of the island. Here’s what to pack for the Maldives.
Unmarried couples in the Maldives
Both resorts and local island guesthouses welcome unmarried couples and this is no problem at all. Guesthouses can refuse to accept an unmarried couple where one of the party is Maldivian and I have heard of this happening to friends. However, I have never personally experienced this and all guesthouses and hotels that I recommend I was able to stay at in a mixed nationality couple.
