SOUTH ASIA

Maldives travel guides

The Maldives is not only a resort brochure. Guesthouses on inhabited islands such as Maafushi and Thulusdhoo put reefs, sandbanks and dolphin trips within reach at a fraction of resort prices, and an hour by speedboat from the airport. These guides cover entry and the arrival declaration, the ferries, speedboats and seaplanes between islands, the taxes added to every bill, what a trip costs all in, the monsoon seasons for mantas and whale sharks, the island rules on dress and alcohol, and two routes that end with two nights at a resort.

Malé and the islands near the airport Ari and Baa atolls

Water villas at Thudufushi · Ari Atoll, Maldives

Destination guides

Each guide helps you decide whether a place fits your trip, how long to stay, where to sleep, what to eat and how to get there.

Malé and the islands near the airport

The capital, Hulhumalé and the guesthouse islands of Kaafu Atoll, a speedboat ride from the airport.

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Hukuru Miskiy, the coral-stone Old Friday Mosque in Malé, under a pitched metal roof

Malé · 1 night in Malé or Hulhumalé

Malé and Hulhumalé

Malé or Hulhumalé for a night: the coral-stone Friday Mosque, museum, fish market and Hulhumalé beach, with the airport ferry, hotels and costs.

Sunset over the Water Sports Beach on Maafushi with a jet ski in the lagoon

Kaafu Atoll · 3 nights on Maafushi

Maafushi

How many nights on Maafushi, which boat from the airport, the bikini beach and island rules, snorkelling and resort day trips, guesthouses and a three-night budget.

Rooftops of Gulhi village with the lagoon beyond

Kaafu, Vaavu and Ari atolls · 3 nights on one island

Local islands of the Maldives

Compare seven Maldives guesthouse islands, from Maafushi and Thulusdhoo to Fulidhoo, Thoddoo and Dhigurah: boats from the airport, fares, rules and three-night costs.

Ari and Baa atolls

Whale sharks in South Ari and the manta feeding grounds of Hanifaru Bay.

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A hawksbill turtle swimming above a clownfish in a sea anemone on a reef

Baa and South Ari (Alif Dhaal) atolls · 3 nights on one island

Snorkelling and diving in the Maldives

Mantas at Hanifaru Bay or whale sharks off Dhigurah: seasons, the rules in the water, dive centres and packages, boats and flights, and what three nights cost.

Make the important choices first

Entry rules, seasons, boats and seaplanes, taxes, costs and holidays.

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Wooden jetty crossing a turquoise lagoon to white water villas at Thudufushi in Ari Atoll

Malé and Kaafu Atoll · 7 days / 6 nights (Malé 1, Maafushi 3, a resort 2), or 10 days / 9 nights with three nights on Thulusdhoo

First trip to the Maldives

Resort or guesthouse island for a first Maldives trip: the rules on alcohol and dress, money, SIM cards, entry, safety and what a day costs at three levels.

Bathala, a small round island ringed by a pale reef in deep blue sea

Kaafu · Entry planning before you book; a free visa on arrival for up to 30 days

Entering the Maldives

The free Maldives visa on arrival, passport rules, the IMUGA declaration's 96-hour window, what customs confiscates, and the taxes on rooms and tickets.

A red and white Trans Maldivian Airways seaplane moored at a floating dock in a turquoise lagoon at Velana International Airport

Malé and Kaafu Atoll · Transfers for a one- to two-week trip: airport, Malé and Hulhumalé, guesthouse islands and a resort

Getting around the Maldives

From Velana airport to Malé, Hulhumalé and the guesthouse islands: the MVR 15 ferry, shared speedboat fares and times, MTCC ferries, seaplanes and domestic flights.

Grey sky and rainwater standing in the grass at Kogannu cemetery on Hulhumeedhoo, Addu Atoll

Maldives · Any month suits a week; allow three nights in Baa for Hanifaru trips that depend on manta sightings

Best time to visit the Maldives

When to go to the Maldives: calm seas from January to March, the wetter south-west monsoon, Hanifaru Bay's manta season, South Ari's whale sharks and Ramadan 2027.

Palm trees and a white beach above a turquoise lagoon on an island in Kaafu Atoll

Maldives · 8 days, 7 nights: budget 1 in Malé and 6 on Maafushi; mid-range 1 in Malé, 4 on Maafushi and 2 at a resort; comfort 7 at a resort.

Maldives trip cost

A Maldives week for two, all in: about USD 1,260 per person on a guesthouse island, USD 1,910 with two resort nights, or USD 3,230 for a resort week.

Light sculptures of tulips, stars and a crescent moon glowing at night in Republic Square, Malé

Malé and Kaafu Atoll · Ramadan lasts 29 or 30 days; most holidays are single days, but each Eid brings several days off for government offices

Festivals and holidays in the Maldives

Which 2027 dates change a Maldives trip: Ramadan and the two Eids on the Islamic calendar, Independence Day on 26 July, Victory and Republic days in November.

A Maldivian lunch set of rice, rolled roshi flatbread, fish curry, red onion salad and lime in lacquered bowls

Maldives · A day of meals in Malé or Hulhumalé, then the guesthouse kitchens and cafés of a local island

Maldives food

What to eat in the Maldives, from mas huni and garudhiya to the hedhikaa of evening tea, where to find them in Malé and on the islands, and what a day of meals costs.

A wooden jetty over turquoise water leading to a white-roofed overwater restaurant and a palm-covered island

Maldives · One night by the airport, then three or more nights on one island

Where to stay in the Maldives

Resort or local island: where to stay in the Maldives, from an airport night in Malé or Hulhumalé to Maafushi, Thoddoo, Dhigurah and resorts, with transfers and taxes.

A hand holding a fan of Maldivian MVR 500 polymer banknotes in a busy hall

Malé and Kaafu Atoll · Set up before you fly: two cards, some US dollar notes and a check of your bank's foreign fees

Money and payments in the Maldives

US dollars or rufiyaa in the Maldives: where a foreign card works, ATMs, where to change money, the airport ferry fare, service charge, taxes and tipping.

A white speedboat crossing open sea off Rannalhi at sunset

Malé and Kaafu Atoll · Start at least 8 weeks before you fly: travel clinic, evacuation insurance and a dive medical if you dive

Health and safety in the Maldives

Currents and dive safety, how far resorts are from a hospital, evacuation cover, dengue, emergency numbers and the drug, vape and alcohol laws in the Maldives.

Hulhumalé beach with a thatched shade, sun loungers and kayaks on the white sand

Maldives · Set up before you fly: a taxi app, saved numbers, a first night booked if you land late, and clothes that cover your shoulders, with no short or tight shorts

Solo female travel in the Maldives

Travelling alone as a woman in the Maldives: the UK, German and French advice, Velana at night, Malé after dark, bikini beaches, swimming alone and 1478.

Routes with time to stay

A week and ten days that combine local islands with two resort nights.

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Sign on Maafushi reading that bikini wear is not allowed along the public beach area

Malé, Kaafu Atoll (South and North Malé atolls) · 7 days / 6 nights: Malé 1, Maafushi 3, resort in North Malé Atoll 2

Maldives in seven days

Six nights: Malé for one, the guesthouse island of Maafushi for three and a resort about 20 minutes from the airport for two, with boats, hotels and an all-in budget.

Clear shallow water over white sand at an uninhabited island in Kaafu Atoll

Kaafu Atoll · 10 days / 9 nights: Malé 1, Maafushi 3, Thulusdhoo 3, resort 2

Maldives in 10 days

Ten days, nine nights: Malé, three nights each on Maafushi and Thulusdhoo, two at a resort, the speedboats via the airport, four hotels and an all-in budget.

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