Maldives

Water the colour of a swimming pool, a reef off every beach, and a villa you never need to leave.

Best time to visit: Nov–Apr (dry season)
Getting around: Speedboat, seaplane or domestic flight
Currency: Maldivian Rufiyaa (MVR); US dollars widely used
Ideal length: 4–6 nights

In the Maldives, the island you pick is the trip

The Maldives is 1,192 coral islands in 26 atolls, and the real choice is which one you wake up on. A resort island near Malé means a short speedboat ride and more of your holiday on the beach. A seaplane to Baa or Ari buys emptier reefs, manta rays and whale sharks. A guesthouse on a local island like Maafushi makes it far more affordable.

November to April is the dry season, with calm seas and the clearest water. May to October brings more rain but lower prices, and it's manta season in Baa Atoll. We match the island to who's travelling: honeymooners, families with small children, divers and first-timers each want something different.

The islands, atoll by atoll

Map of Maldives — Approximate Map & Locations

The capital is a busy, compact island of mosques, markets, museums and the fish market, worth an afternoon and a Maldivian lunch. Hulhumalé, next to the airport, has a city beach, cafés, parks and easy hotels for a first or last night.
Local islands near Malé, where you stay in guesthouses at a fraction of resort prices. Maafushi, in South Malé Atoll, is lively, with water sports and sandbank and snorkelling trips. Thulusdhoo, in North Malé Atoll, is a surf island with big breaks and beach cafés.
The resorts closest to the airport, from 25 minutes to about an hour by speedboat in North Malé Atoll. Baros is small and made for couples, Meeru is a big, family-friendly island, and Banana Reef, one of the oldest dive sites in the country, is close by.
West of Malé by seaplane or speedboat. South Ari is one of the few places on earth to swim with whale sharks all year, with manta rays and coral gardens close by. Sun Island, a large resort here, suits families and divers, with kayaking and snorkelling off the beach.
Baa Atoll is a UNESCO biosphere reserve where hundreds of manta rays gather at Hanifaru Bay from about June to November. Vaadhoo, in Raa Atoll, is known for its 'sea of stars': on the right nights, plankton make the shore glow blue.
The far south, an hour by domestic flight, just below the equator. Quieter islands linked by a causeway you can cycle, a wartime history on Gan, and reefs with turtles and mantas.

Things worth actually doing

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Good to know before you go

Free visa on arrival, plus IMUGA
Every nationality gets a free 30-day visa on arrival. Fill in the IMUGA traveller declaration online within 96 hours before your flight lands.
Budget for the green tax
Resorts charge a green tax of US$12 per person per night (US$6 at small guesthouses), plus 17% tourism tax. Children under two are exempt.
Local islands are dry
Alcohol isn't sold on inhabited islands, and modest dress is expected there outside the marked bikini beaches. Don't bring alcohol in; customs will take it.
Your arrival time matters
Seaplanes fly only in daylight. Land in the late afternoon and you may need a night near the airport first; we plan around it.