Best Travel Time and Climate for the Maldives

By itypemba | October 16, 2021

The Maldives is a palm-fringed atoll in the Indian Ocean. You can decide whether you prefer to relax in an underwater spa in the Maldives or go on snorkeling tours and diving on the house reef. In any case, you should pay attention to the best time to travel to the Maldives.

Take a dive, spot manta rays and even whale sharks, and swim in beautiful lagoons. Take a boat trip in the evening to see dolphins or enjoy an hour-long picnic on your own thila (sandbar).

Best travel time

According to politicsezine, the Maldives are hot and sunny all year round with average temperatures of 23–31 ° C. The best weather – and therefore the best time to travel to the Maldives – is between November and April . The main season is between December and March. The monsoons last from May to October and peak in June. The northern atolls have the highest rainfall from May to November; the southern atolls from November to March. It’s worth paying the higher prices for travel in the dry season as there isn’t much to do in the Maldives on rainy days other than drink, exercise, or dive.

For divers, both the dry and the wet season have their charm: In the dry season, the underwater visibility is excellent due to the current, which increases in November from the northeast. In February these currents weaken. During the rainy season, water temperatures are a few degrees lower, but this causes larger numbers of hammerhead and reef sharks to congregate in shallower waters. On the one hand, this is very attractive, but the other side of the coin is poor visibility due to the decreasing current.

Optimal travel time after months

January

With lots of sun and warmth, January is a great time for a beach vacation. There is also good visibility for diving and snorkeling. This is a very popular time to travel and it is recommended that you book in advance.

February March

These are the two driest months with warm temperatures, low humidity and excellent visibility for diving and snorkeling. As these months are also very popular, you should book your vacation in good time.

April

Another good month to travel with lots of sunshine and good visibility in the water. However, there is a slightly increased risk of rain, especially towards the end of the month.

May – September

These months are still warm and there is a lot of sun, but the chance of rain increases and there is a risk of storms. In addition, the plankton increases, so that the visibility is somewhat clouded when diving. However, lower prices and great deals make it a good time to travel. August in particular is still a popular month to travel.

October November

As in the previous months, warm temperatures and lots of sunshine are balanced with the increasing probability of rain and storm. In October and November, you can see whale sharks and manta rays feeding on plankton in the Maldives. There are many great offers to take advantage of this time of year.

December

December is warm with many hours of sunshine, but the likelihood of rain and storms increases. Until just before Christmas, many hotels usually have great deals, so earlier in the month is a good time to travel.

Climate in Malé

The Maldives has a tropical climate that is hot all year round and is influenced by the monsoons. The southwest monsoons, from late April to September, are stronger in the northern islands and are accompanied by winds that can make the sea rough and make activities such as diving difficult. In addition, the humidity is higher and more often cloudy. The northeastern monsoons from October to December are quieter and only bring brief showers and thunderstorms in the afternoon or evening, especially in the southern atolls. The driest time outside of the monsoons is from January to April and is more noticeable on the northern atolls.

The temperatures are stable all year round: The maximum values are around 30 ° C and usually only drop to 25 ° C. Throughout the year the humidity is very high and is around 80%. Rainfalls usually occur in the form of short and heavy showers or thunderstorms. They are a little more common in the southern atolls, but less so in the north. Sunshine is constant in the Maldives, an average of about 7 hours a day. The sunniest months are February and March. The sea is warm all year round, with a water temperature between 28 ° C and 30 ° C.

Food and drink

In the resorts around the Maldives you will find a large selection of international cuisine with excellent fish dishes and seafood. Most resorts also offer a selection of Asian and European dishes as a buffet or à la carte. All drinks are imported and alcoholic drink prices can be high.

Social conventions

With all the luxury the resorts offer, it’s easy to forget that the Maldives is an Islamic country. While bikinis and alcohol are allowed in the resorts, the inhabited islands, including Malé, insist on more decency. It is recommended that women wear closed clothing and not show too much skin.

Language

The Maldivian language is Divehi, a dialect of Sinhala (spoken by the majority in Sri Lanka). Recently, the Arabic language is becoming more and more important. Most of the officials speak English, which is also spoken in almost all holiday resorts.