Made up of around 1200 islands, the Maldives is hands-down one of the most interesting tropical destinations in the world. It first became popular with jet-setting celebrities a few years ago,particularly loved-up couples looking for a romantic getaway to a private tropical island.

However, with more and more airlines now operating flights to the Maldives, it has become more affordable and accessible. It’s also a great destination for families, with many Maldives resorts offering family-friendly accommodations and fun activities for everyone. Glamorous overwater resorts, pristine white-sand beaches, and a spectacular underwater world make the Maldives the ultimate travel destination for the discerning traveler. The sovereign archipelagic nation – positioned in the Indian Ocean southwest of India – consists of 26 breathtaking atolls boasting rich cultural traditions and natural treasures. All the coral islands and sandbanks (200 inhabited islands, plus 130+ islands with tourist resorts) are the visible coral tips of an oceanic volcanic mountain range whose outer edge at some points plunge to depths of over 3 km (10,000 ft). The tiny islands are encircled by magnificent beaches and incredibly beautiful lagoons, blessed with crystal clear waters and protected by reef structures. Every resort in the Maldives is built on its own private, picture-perfect palm island, with the world’s most exclusive hotel brands competing with each other to offer their guests unprecedented levels of mind-blowing luxury.

Get the most out of your (luxury or budget) trip to the Maldives with our travel guide and assistance.

The Maldives enjoys a tropical climate, hot all year round, with a weather pattern that is mainly determined by two monsoon seasons in which the trade winds blow from opposite directions.

• The best weather in the Maldives is between January and mid-April, when the dry northeast monsoon prevails. You can expect blue skies and low humidity, although occasional, short showers can still occur (especially in the southern atolls). The dry season also coincides with the northern hemisphere’s cold winter season, which means this is high season in the Maldives, with low availability (although it never gets crowded) and often high room rates at the resorts.
• The wet southwest monsoon runs from May to October, peaking in June. Although the temperatures remain as warm as in the dry season, rainy days and thunderstorms are far more likely. There may be days, or periods of a few days, when the sky is cloudy. However, even during this period, there are usually long periods of bright sunshine, and more affordable room rates mean this is still a good time to visit.
• The transition periods between the dry northeast and the wet southwest monsoon usually occurs sometime in late November or December and the end of April or May. These transition periods are often accompanied by a longer period of unsettled weather and overcast, rainy days.

It has to be noted that the tropical climate in the Maldives and the exact timing of the transition periods have become very much unpredictable in recent years, with the wet season becoming drier and the dry season seeing more showers. Also, there a subtle differences in the weather patterns from atoll to atoll, since the Maldives is a very large country, stretching out over 800 km (500 mi) in the equatorial area. The northern atolls – which are home to the archipelago’s most luxurious resorts – enjoy more sunshine and have lesser annual rainfall than the central atolls (where the capital Male is located) and the atolls located south of the Equator. This geographic difference is mainly due to the fact that the dry season is more pronounced in the northernmost atolls.

Some travelers visit the Maldives, not so much for the beaches and resorts, but for the world-class diving and the opportunity of swimming with manta rays and whale sharks. Diving conditions are superb throughout the year, but the areas frequented by the larger marine animals vary with the seasons. During the dry northeast monsoon season, manta ray and whale shark diving in the Maldives is best on the western side of the atolls, whereas during the Southeast Monsoon season, manta rays and whale sharks will typically be encountered near the eastern edge of the atolls.

The majority of the Maldives’ secluded resorts on far-flung private islands are within a one hour boat or seaplane ride from the Maldives’ main airport, Male International Airport (MLE; also known as Velana International Airport), which is located in the North Male Atoll near the capital of Male. The airport is served by a wide array of international Asian and European airlines, both charters and mainstream carriers.

Transfers from Male airport to the hotels are taken care of by the resorts:

• Hotels located in the North and South Male Atoll are reached by speedboat from the airport, with a transfer time between 15 minutes and one hour. Due to their proximity to the airport, these resorts experience more boat traffic and noise levels as compared the more remotely located resorts in other atolls. Boat transfers run 24 hours a day.
• Hotels located in all other central atolls as well as some of the northernmost atolls can be reached by seaplane from the airport, with a flight time between 20 minutes and one hour. Admiring the picture-perfect archipelago from a bird’s eye perspective is one of the ultimate experiences that the destination has to offer. However, keep in mind that seaplanes operate during daylight hours only, so you may have to stay overnight near the airport when you arrive in the Maldives after 330 pm. In addition, getting to a resort in a remote atoll by seaplane does take more time as compared to reaching one of the hotels closer to the airport, because of additional waiting time at the airport. On a positive note, most five-star hotels offer a private lounge at the airport to ease the waiting process which seldom exceeds two hours.
• Hotels located in some of the further northern atolls and all southern atolls are reached by a domestic flight, operated by a turboprop plane, followed by a speedboat transfer. Getting to these resort requires an often lengthy and tiring trip, something you may not be looking forward to after your long-haul flight arrives in the Maldives. Besides the 30 to 60 minute domestic flight, you also have to take into account waiting time – varying from one to maximum five hours – at Male airport, both at the start and the end of your journey. All in all, it means that getting to these resorts may take a large chunk of your holiday time on the day of your arrival and departure, making the southern atolls not ideal for a short trip. I suggest you stay at least 5 nights here to make the most of the long journey getting there. The good news is that once there, you will completely relax in otherworldly tropical scenery.

Requirements for entry into the Maldives differ from country to country, and are subject to change. Prior to departure, always check with your government and your nearest Maldivian embassy or consulate what documents you need for travel to the Maldives.

• You need a valid passport. The passport should be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from the date of entry into the Maldives.
• The Maldives have a remarkably easy visa policy: everybody gets a free 30-day visa on arrival, provided that you have a valid travel document, a ticket out and proof of sufficient funds, defined as a confirmed reservation in a hotel.
• Apart from that, a simple and easy to fill online travel declaration form needs to be filled within 96 hours prior to your arrival and departure to and from the Maldives which can be found on https://travel.immigration.gov.mv/ .

There are several good reasons why you should put the Maldives on your bucket list:

• Magnificent white-sand beaches, that rank among the best beaches in the world.
• Incredible marine wildlife viewing opportunities (the Maldives is the world’s best snorkeling and diving destination).
• Ultra-luxury overwater resorts, unmatched in the world.

Most people who travel to the Maldives stay at one resort for one week. I don’t recommend to travel around too much within the Maldives, since getting from one resort to another is an expensive and often time-consuming affair (since you mostly have to backtrack via Male airport).

However, if the prospect of staying an entire week at one resort on a little island sounds too much for you, there are a few resorts that can be easily combined in one and the same itinerary, because they are either located in the same atoll or connected via a direct and private (and often pricey) speedboat transfer. A few examples:

• Noonu Atoll: Soneva Jani, Sun Siyam Iru Fushi, and Siyam World
• Baa Atoll (a UNESCOBiosphere Reserve): Soneva Fushi, Vakkaru, and Anantara Kihavah
• Raa Atoll: JOALI Maldives, JOALI BEING, Alila Kothaifaru Maldives, and EmeraId Maldives
• North Male Atoll: Jumeirah Olhahali, Patina Maldives, Kuda Villingili, Hilton Amingiri, and Huvafenfushi
• South Male Atoll: Velassaru, Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi, Anantara Dhigu and COMO Cocoa Island
• Huvadhu Atoll: Ayada Maldives and Pullman Maldives Maamutaa

In addition, a select group of ultra-luxe hotel companies operates more than one resort in the archipelago, offering an enhanced and more convenient transfer experience between their properties. A few examples:

• Soneva: Soneva Fushi and Soneva Jani (60 min speedboat transfer between both resorts)
• COMO Hotels & Resorts: COMO Cocoa Island and COMO Maalifushi (45 min watertaxi transfer)
• JOALI: JOALI Maldives and JOALI BEING (25 min speedboat transfer)
• Emerald: Emerald Maldives & Emerald Faarufushi (15 min speedboat transfer)