Why the Maldives
One thousand one hundred and ninety-two islands across twenty-six atolls, over eight hundred kilometres. The flattest country in the world: average elevation is a metre and a half, the highest point barely passes two metres.
Two economies coexist. The resort islands, one island per property, run as closed worlds with their own rules. The inhabited islands, where tourism has been allowed since 2009, offer guesthouses at a fraction of the price — but local law applies there, and that is not the same thing.
November to April: dry, calm seas, best visibility for diving. From May to October, the south-west monsoon brings rain and heavier seas. Prices follow.
Entry and stay
Requirements depend on nationality. Check yours with the local authorities before booking.
No duration is quoted here, for want of an official source verified at the time of writing — 22 September 2026.
Getting around
Nothing links the islands except by water or by air. From Malé there are three options: the seaplane, expensive and daylight-only; a domestic flight to an atoll airport; or the speedboat — the cheapest, but dependent on the sea.
Public ferries link the inhabited islands very cheaply, slowly, and not every day. They do not serve the resort islands.
Seaplanes do not fly at night. A late arrival in Malé means a night there before the transfer.
Money
The Maldivian rufiyaa, but the US dollar is the de facto currency on resort islands, where almost everything is billed at the end of the stay.
On inhabited islands, cards are less widely accepted and cash machines are scarce: carry cash.
Health
No vaccination required from Europe. Malaria is absent.
Serious facilities are in Malé. From a distant atoll the question is evacuation, and the nearest hyperbaric chamber may be hours away — which matters for diving.
Before you go
The Maldives is a Muslim republic and the law applies everywhere, visitors included. Alcohol is prohibited on inhabited islands and is served only on resort islands and on some boats. Importing it is illegal and bags are checked on arrival.
On inhabited islands, bikinis are allowed only on designated beaches, known as bikini beaches. Elsewhere, covered dress is required.
The country is on the front line of sea level rise, and the reefs suffer bleaching episodes. That is not atmosphere: it affects what you see underwater from one year to the next.