A traveler's guide to Maldives
The Maldives is a transfer, then a small island. Once you arrive, the itinerary is swim, eat, stare at the water, repeat.
About 1,200 islands, most of them a ring of sand around a lagoon. You pick a resort island (or a local island) and stay put. The beach is not a side trip. It is the entire product.
Resort vs local island
Resorts own their motu and dress codes relax on the beach. Local islands (Maafushi, Thulusdhoo, Fulidhoo) are cheaper, more social, and have bikini beaches set aside because this is an Islamic country. Both versions are valid.
Getting there
Fly into Malé (MLE), then a domestic flight, seaplane, or speedboat that the resort arranges. Seaplanes do not fly at night — miss the last one and you hotel in Malé.
In the water
House reefs vary wildly. Ask before you book if snorkeling off the beach matters. Whale sharks and manta season is a different calendar than 'sunny beach.'
If you only remember this
- December–April is drier. May–November brings more rain and better manta odds in some atolls.
- All-inclusive is often the only sane way to eat on a resort island.
- Reef-safe sunscreen is not optional if you actually enter the water.
- Alcohol is for resorts, not local islands.