A double string of 1,190 coral islands to the southwest of Sri Lanka, stretching north to just south of the equator, make up the Republic of Maldives.
We have hand-picked just a few of the best resorts here, but have many more on our books. So, if you’re looking to go somewhere that we have not published on our site, please let us know.
This archipelago in the Indian Ocean, 130 km (81 miles) at its widest point and 820 km (510 miles) in length, is also the flattest in the world, with the highest natural land less than 2.4 m (8 feet) above sea level.
Grouped into 26 atolls – ring-shaped coral formations enclosing a lagoon, which provide a natural defence against wind and wave – the Maldives covers a total area of 859,000 square kilometres (331,661 square miles), yet only 1% of this is land. Not surprisingly, this aquatic nation is considered one of the top 10 diving spots in the world. With only 200 inhabited islands and an additional 98 islands developed exclusively as tourist resorts, tourism is the dominant support for the economy.
Malé is the capital of the Republic of Maldives, an island 2 km (1.2 miles) long and 1 km (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.
Keen to dive? Read about the best Maldives hotels with a house reef in our blog.
From London: 12 hours
Mauritain Rupee
GMT +3
Six months left on your passport, a visa will be issued on arrival for three months
The weather in the Maldives is exactly what you expect from your tropical paradise. Pleasant temperatures all year round, with two main seasons: the dry season (from the end of October until the end of March), and the rainy season (from the end of April until the end of October).
The dry season is therefore the prime time to visit the Maldives, when the weather is ideal for simply lazing on the beach, or diving in and around the hot spots in the Maldives. The average temperature during the dry season is around 27C (80F).
The water temperature in Maldives never drops below 25 degrees, and with the average sunshine surpassing 8 hours in a day, it is difficult not to enjoy the blissful weather conditions.
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The Healthy Holiday Company Ltd, 5th Floor, 167-169 Great Portland Street, London W1W 5PF