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Best Time of Year to Visit the MaldivesExplore > Travel Planning Articles > Best Time of Year to Visit the MaldivesDate published: 2023-05-07
Photo courtesy Jon Haase.
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Where are the Maldives?The Maldives are a coveted vacation spot as the smallest country in Asia (regarding both size and population). This beautiful destination has historically been known under different names in the Sanskrit language, translated as "Necklace Islands," "Garland of Islands," and "Hundred Thousand Islands." Adaaran Prestige Vadoo 5 nights from 5,273 per person  Adaaran Prestige Vadoo Welcome to Adaaran Prestige Vadoo, the prestigious Maldives Luxury Resorts, where time ceases to exist and the voice of the Indian Ocean beckons you to her shores. As the gateway to the South Atolls, Vadoo possesses its own exotic reef teeming with vibrant aquatic flora and fauna. Awarded as the World’s Leading Water Villa retreat at the World Travel Awards in 2010, Adaaran Prestige Vadoo is a luxurious Maldives Island resort that stands out amongst the best. The list of indulgences that awaits you at our Maldives Island resort can only be matched by the captivating lushness of the surroundings.
Wedding pavilion at Angsana Resort & Spa Ihuru. Photo courtesy the resort. As a cluster of small islands in the Indian ocean, the Maldives are made up mostly of the water in between its 1,190 islands, about 90 of which are developed as tourist resorts. Their unique layout into a double chain of 26 atolls spread out over roughly 35,000 square miles. Each atoll adds to a variety of vibrant coral reefs teeming with lush underwater life including fish, sea turtles, whales, and dolphins. Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru 5 nights from 12,646 per person  Combining innovation, wellness and conservation, Landaa Giraavaru is a 44 acre, 103 villa wonderland in the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve – a 30-minute seaplane flight from Malé. Its sister property, Kuda Huraa, lies to the south: an enchanting garden island complete with Island Spa sea sanctuary and Tropicsurf coaches and guides. The luxury catamaran, Four Seasons Explorer, connects the two via 3, 4 and 7-night cruises, plus private leisure, surf and manta ray charters. The latest addition to the Maldives collection, Four Seasons Private Island Maldives at Voavah, Baa Atoll, opens late 2016 as the group’s first exclusive-use private island: off limits to everyone else, limitless to you.Learn more about Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru Price includes hotel stay and all taxes and fees. 
Maldivian beach villas. Photo courtesy Jon Haase. Typical airfares from New York (JFK) to Male, Republic of the MaldivesBaros Maldives 5 nights from 3,651 per person  At Baros you will find service dedicated to the desires of each guest, architecture that celebrates and preserves the beauty of nature, and luxurious, intimate villas created with natural materials such as wood, stone and coconut thatch. Baros was chosen to be a special resort because it was small, unspoilt and idyllically located in the centre of the atoll, with its own reef encircling a pristine lagoon and untouched sandy shores. To conserve the island's intrinsic beauty, the Maldivian family who leased it from the government and still operate it today, resolved to keep Baros pure. Accommodation at first consisted of 56 beds in round cabanas with conical-shaped palm thatched roofs and rough coral walls. There was no air-conditioning. By 1983 the resort had expanded to 100 beds but even then only some of the rooms were air-conditioned. Ten years later 12 wooden, thatched octagonal cottages built on columns over the lagoon were added. Because of the inherent hospitality of Maldivians, from its opening the resort gained a reputation for its friendly informality and caring, personalised service. Over four decades this has been enhanced with attention to detail, leading to Baros Maldives becoming the hallmark of top quality Maldivian holiday hospitality. See & compare all resorts in the Maldives atollsIf you're trying to decide where to stay on Ari Atoll, Lhaviyani Atoll, Male, North Male Atoll, North Baa Atoll, or South Male Atolls, we can help! For the 28 resorts there, we've got nearly 500 high-resolution photos, 7 videos, and 13 virtual tours to help you find your Maldivian dream resort. Click here to use our Visual Explorer to check out all of them. 
Photo courtesy Jon Haase. Hideaway Beach Resort and Spa 5 nights from 3,670 per person  LocationThis Papagayo resort is on the beach, 0.6 mi (1 km) from Reserva Biologica Lomas Barbudal, and within 9 mi (15 km) of Hermosa Bay Beach and Coco Beach. Haras del Mar Equestrian Center and Hidden Garden Art Gallery are also within 9 mi (15 km). Resort Features Catch some rays at the beach or spend the day relaxing at Secrets Papagayo Costa Rica - Adults only - All Inclusive's full-service spa. Then enjoy a meal at one of the resort's 4 restaurants. Room Amenities All 202 rooms offer WiFi, furnished balconies or patios, and flat-screen TVs with cable channels. Other amenities available to guests include 24-hour room service, minibars, and premium bedding. Best time of year to go to the MaldivesAs a tropical monsoon climate, the Maldives have two dominating seasons: a dry season (associated with dry northeast winter monsoons) and a wet season (associated with moist southwest monsoons and strong winds and storms). The dry season has little rain and lower humidity; it lasts from December-April. The wet season is (you guessed it) wetter, characterized by stronger winds and rain; it lasts from May-November. For divers, both the dry and wet seasons have their advantages: during the dry season, visibility is superb, due to currents beginning to flow in November from the northeast; the currents start to weaken in February. During the wet season, the water temperatures are a couple of degrees lower, and this seems to inspire larger numbers of hammerhead sharks and reef sharks to congregate, and to do so in shallower waters than in the dry season. Visibility isn't as good, however, as the currents are less. 
Aerial view of Sheraton Full Moon Maldives. Photo courtesy the resort. Average temperatures in the MaldivesThe temperature remains fairly consistent year-round, ranging only from the low- to mid-80's (Fahrenheit). September-January tend to hover around the 80 degree mark, and February-August tend to reach a little higher around the mid-80's. Chances are any time you decide to visit, the Maldives will be pleasantly warm. Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru 5 nights from 12,646 per person Combining innovation, wellness and conservation, Landaa Giraavaru is a 44 acre, 103 villa wonderland in the Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve – a 30-minute seaplane flight from Malé. Its sister property, Kuda Huraa, lies to the south: an enchanting garden island complete with Island Spa sea sanctuary and Tropicsurf coaches and guides. The luxury catamaran, Four Seasons Explorer, connects the two via 3, 4 and 7-night cruises, plus private leisure, surf and manta ray charters. The latest addition to the Maldives collection, Four Seasons Private Island Maldives at Voavah, Baa Atoll, opens late 2016 as the group’s first exclusive-use private island: off limits to everyone else, limitless to you.Learn more about Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru Price includes hotel stay and all taxes and fees. Storms in the MaldivesDuring the winter rainy season, afternoon showers occur with frequency. In the case of a tropical storm or cyclone, residents and travelers are relocated to safe areas. Fortunately, the Maldives are not as prone to cyclones as other islands; only 11 cyclones have affected the Maldives in over 128 years. 
Overwater villas in the Maldives. Photo courtesy Jon Haase. Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa 5 nights from 6,895 per person  Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa where an unforgettable Maldives adventure on a private coral island, fringed with white sand and crystal water awaits. Palm-thatched bungalows dip their feet into a turquoise sea. An island spa offers soothing Asian secrets. Sunrise, sunshine and sunset paint the endless sky. Sail, dive, surf, or just take in views of the endless sky and sea from your traditional beachfront bungalow. On this lush garden island, everything you need is close at hand. Choose from a wide variety of short, half-day and full-day guided activities, from island-hopping by seaplane to a traditional Baraabaru cooking class. Our infinity-edge freshwater swimming pool and half-metre children's pool ensure that the whole family can easily cool off. Learn to appreciate to majesty of the coral reefs and, if you like, participate in some of the Resort's many conservation projects. Choose from a wide variety of short, half-day and full-day guided activities, from island-hopping by seaplane to a traditional Baraabaru cooking class. Take advantage of our natural surroundings on parasail, jet ski and underwater scooter, or try one of our many snorkeling and fishing options. Malé is the capital of the Republic of Maldives, an island 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) long and 1 kilometre (0.6 mile) wide. Though built to the edge, Malé is clean and quaint, with markets, mosques and a maze of small streets that approximately 103,000 people call home. A pleasant 25-minute speedboat ride from Malé International Airport, visitors are welcomed to the enchanting island of Kuda Huraa, where Four Seasons awaits. Learn more about Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa Price includes hotel stay and all taxes and fees. What's special about the Maldives?Tourism is relatively recent here--really, it all started for the Maldives in 1972 with just 2 resorts. It's grown to over 80 resorts today. It's the lowest country in the world (yes, it's in the record books) with an average altitude of only about 5 feet above sea level. You're going to get fabulous lagoons protected by coral reefs and other atolls, and gorgeous beaches. But you won't get the knife-edge mountain backdrops you'd see somewhere like Bora Bora, or jungle hikes to waterfalls like you'd get in Hawaii, Fiji, or the Seychelles. 
Infinity pool at the Four Seasons Resort at Kuda Huraa. Photo courtesy the resort. Certainly it's famous for fantastic snorkeling, scuba diving, and above-water sports too. Like the Seychelles, you're going to be a long ways from a major land mass, which means dense schools of fish, less pollution, and more privacy. The roughly 1200 islands are all quite small, with none of them larger than 5 miles across. Each atoll has on average about a half dozen inhabited islands, plus 20 to 60 that are uninhabited. Adaaran Prestige Vadoo 5 nights from 5,273 per person Adaaran Prestige Vadoo Welcome to Adaaran Prestige Vadoo, the prestigious Maldives Luxury Resorts, where time ceases to exist and the voice of the Indian Ocean beckons you to her shores. As the gateway to the South Atolls, Vadoo possesses its own exotic reef teeming with vibrant aquatic flora and fauna. Awarded as the World’s Leading Water Villa retreat at the World Travel Awards in 2010, Adaaran Prestige Vadoo is a luxurious Maldives Island resort that stands out amongst the best. The list of indulgences that awaits you at our Maldives Island resort can only be matched by the captivating lushness of the surroundings.
Underground wine cellar and chocolate cave at Gili Lankanfushi, North Male Atoll, Maldives. Photo courtesy the resort. Traditional Maldivian cuisine is based on coconuts, fish, and starches. Skipjack tuna, yellowfin tuna, frigate tuna and wahoo are common in Maldivian cuisine. As well, a thick brown paste made from tuna, called Rihaakuru, is an essential part of many dishes. Maldivians don't eat raw fish, however (but that doesn't mean you won't ever find sushi in resort restaurants). Their starches are typically rice, taro (the root ingredient of Hawaii's poi), sweet potato, and cassava. You'll find a strong Indian influence--not surprising, given the proximity--and a plethora of different curries. As a tourist in the resorts, expect to find Indian and Maldivian options, but also food styles from around the world. The resorts are well aware that many guests will want to what what's familiar to them. Check this video overview of the Maldives, courtesy Maldives Tourist Promotion Board (MTPB): 
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