Travel

Why go?

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The Maldives are made up of 26 coral atolls in a chain reaching down to cross the equator. Within those 26 atolls are roughly 1,200 islands and of these around 200 are inhabited and 100 are resorts.

Which is not to say that this is not also one of the most sophisticated holiday destinations in the world. A race to the top has seen the standard of service, rooms and cuisine rise exponentially in the last 10 years. Now, instead of the dreaded buffet, there is superb à la carte cuisine; there are cellars for cheese, charcuterie, wine and chocolate. The world’s first underwater restaurant, under-water nightclub and underwater spa are all to be found here.

The explorer Thor Heyerdahl sums it up perfectly in his book The Maldive Mystery: “That afternoon we passed the most beautiful palm islands I have ever seen. With the sun low on our starboard side it threw a glowing sidelight on the tiny islets, which seemed to float by like flower baskets. Under the spell of this picture of an earthy paradise I made an entry in my notebook that the Maldives are even more beautiful than any of the coral atolls in Polynesia.”

When to go

The Maldives has a benign climate, with year-round temperatures between 79F and 86F (26C-30C). It never suffers from tornadoes though it does have a monsoon season in November which is best avoided and unsettled weather can persist well into December, though then the rain tends to be in short, afternoon bursts only.

The high season stretches from November to April, with Christmas and New Year being the most expensive time to travel. The perfect months are January, February and March when the sky is blue and the water so calm it could be glass.

As April is a 'shoulder’ period, the prices are lower; then May sees the start of the low season when the weather is less predictable but rarely bad enough to disturb a holiday.

Getting there

Holidaymakers arrive at Male International Airport. This takes up the whole of Hulhule Island, which lies, like a mighty aircraft carrier, a short distance from the capital island, Male.