Travel Guide

Practical planning advice for visiting the Maldives

Photo: 7777777kz · CC BY 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons
All-Inclusive vs Full Board vs Half Board in the Maldives
Travel Guide

All-Inclusive vs Full Board vs Half Board in the Maldives

On an island where every meal comes from the same resort, your board basis shapes the whole holiday budget. Here is how the plans really compare.

Best Time to Visit the Maldives: Seasons, Weather and Monsoons
Travel Guide

Best Time to Visit the Maldives: Seasons, Weather and Monsoons

The Maldives has two monsoon seasons rather than four traditional seasons. Understanding them is the key to timing your trip.

Getting to the Maldives: Flights, Routes and Arrival Basics
Travel Guide

Getting to the Maldives: Flights, Routes and Arrival Basics

Almost every international visitor arrives at Velana International Airport near Male. Here is how the journey works from start to finish.

Health and Safety in the Maldives: What Travellers Should Know
Travel Guide

Health and Safety in the Maldives: What Travellers Should Know

The Maldives is a safe, welcoming destination with low crime, but remoteness makes preparation and insurance genuinely important.

How to Choose a Resort Island in the Maldives
Travel Guide

How to Choose a Resort Island in the Maldives

In the Maldives the island is the resort, so choosing well matters more than anywhere else. These are the factors that actually separate one island from another.

Internet, SIM Cards and Staying Connected in the Maldives
Travel Guide

Internet, SIM Cards and Staying Connected in the Maldives

For a nation of scattered islands, the Maldives is impressively connected. Here is how visitors get online and what to expect from island internet.

Island Hopping in the Maldives: Ferries, Speedboats and Multi-Island Trips
Travel Guide

Island Hopping in the Maldives: Ferries, Speedboats and Multi-Island Trips

You do not have to pick one island. With ferries, speedboats and a little planning, the Maldives becomes a chain of destinations.

Maldives Honeymoon Guide: Planning the Classic Romantic Escape
Travel Guide

Maldives Honeymoon Guide: Planning the Classic Romantic Escape

The Maldives is arguably the world's most famous honeymoon destination. Here is how to plan one well, without the marketing gloss.

Maldives Liveaboards Explained: Dive Safaris and Surf Charters
Travel Guide

Maldives Liveaboards Explained: Dive Safaris and Surf Charters

A liveaboard turns the whole archipelago into your itinerary: sleep aboard, wake at a new reef, dive or surf sites no island can reach daily.

Maldives Visa and Entry Requirements Explained
Travel Guide

Maldives Visa and Entry Requirements Explained

The Maldives operates one of the world's most open tourist entry policies: a free visa on arrival for visitors of every nationality.

Money and Currency in the Maldives: Rufiyaa, Dollars and Cards
Travel Guide

Money and Currency in the Maldives: Rufiyaa, Dollars and Cards

The Maldives runs on two parallel currencies in practice: the local rufiyaa and the US dollar. Here is how to handle money smoothly.

Overwater Villas in the Maldives: What to Know Before You Book
Travel Guide

Overwater Villas in the Maldives: What to Know Before You Book

The overwater villa is the defining image of the Maldives. Here is what the postcards do not tell you before you spend big on one.

Seaplane Transfers in the Maldives Explained
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Seaplane Transfers in the Maldives Explained

The Maldives operates one of the largest seaplane fleets in the world. Here is what to expect if your island requires a flight.

The Maldives on a Budget: Guesthouses and Local Islands
Travel Guide

The Maldives on a Budget: Guesthouses and Local Islands

Since guesthouses were permitted on inhabited islands, the Maldives has become genuinely accessible to independent travellers. Here is how budget travel works.

The Maldives with Kids: A Family Travel Guide
Travel Guide

The Maldives with Kids: A Family Travel Guide

The Maldives is not only for honeymooners. With the right island, it is one of the easiest and most magical family beach destinations anywhere.

Tipping in the Maldives: Who, When and How Much
Travel Guide

Tipping in the Maldives: Who, When and How Much

Tipping in the Maldives is appreciated but not compulsory. Here is how service charge works and how travellers typically handle gratuities.

Velana International Airport Guide: Arrivals, Transfers and Layovers
Travel Guide

Velana International Airport Guide: Arrivals, Transfers and Layovers

Velana International Airport occupies its own island beside Male and works unlike any other gateway: boats and seaplanes replace taxis and trains.

What to Pack for the Maldives: The Only Checklist You Need
Travel Guide

What to Pack for the Maldives: The Only Checklist You Need

Packing for the Maldives is about sun, sea and simplicity, with a few destination-specific rules that catch travellers out.