How To Reach Maldives and How to Travel Around

The Maldives is made up of 1190 little islands each wrapped up in their own collections which are called atolls. The atoll formations are all made of coral and are a very rare phenomenon. So, it would be rather complicated travelling around the Maldives when comparing it to other countries and transport within the countries. Let's get to know more.

Reaching the Maldives by Air

Male International Airport is the main airport in the Maldives which is where your flight from wherever in the world will take you to. The airport mainly gets flights from China and its neighbours Sri Lanka and India. The airport is not located on the main island of Male but rather on Hulhule Island on the North Male Atoll. Apart from Male International Airport, you will also find there are 3 other international airports. They are Maafuru International Airport, Maafuru, Gan International Airport in Gan and Hanimaadhoo Airport in Hanimaadhoo.

Domestic flights are a whole other ball game and are rather frequent between islands as it is one of the two ways in which you can find transport when going from one island to the next. You will have to take a plane to go from Male International Airport to Milaidhoo Island Maldives, for example. But not all atolls are serviced by domestic flights so it's important to consider that aspect and how you are going to get to your Maldives water villa with pool way before you book your tickets.

Reaching the Maldives by Sea

The only other option when it comes to transportation in the Maldives is travelling by sea. There are no scheduled ship routes between India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives so unless you are on a cruise and it docks on the islands you are better off coming into the islands by air. However, once you are in the islands you can sail within them by boat.

Transportation

When commuting between islands in the Maldives, you would find that there aren't many options. But before you choose you will need to consider if you are going for the cost-effective methods or the quicker and easier method.

a. Seaplane – your journey from the airport to your resort island of choice, as mentioned above, will more often than not be by seaplane. Seaplane rides are quite beautiful and a great way to see the natural landscapes and beauty of the Maldives as they fly at a lower altitude. But they can be quite expensive. There are air taxis that you can hire as well, so look into those before you book your flight to the Maldives.

b. Boat – the boat is the cheaper option of flying from island to island. These could mean the speedboats, small cruise ships or a traditional dhoni. There are taxi services that operate mainly on the south and north atolls. Boats do not operate at midnight.

c. Taxi – the only cities in the Maldives where you will find taxis operating are Addu and Male. The rest of the islands are far too small for such a thing so consider road travel as something that you just won't be doing any of while you are in the Maldives.

The Weather Quotient

When visiting the Maldives, the most important factor that you should consider in your plans is the weather. Despite the Maldives being praised and lauded as a destination where the weather rarely changes, your transport options can be adversely affected during the monsoon season. Try and avoid the islands during the months of the winter monsoon which is October to November and again from May to August.