{"id":283495,"date":"2023-06-23T15:07:57","date_gmt":"2023-06-23T14:07:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/turkeyalwan.net\/?p=283495"},"modified":"2024-11-15T14:44:07","modified_gmt":"2024-11-15T13:44:07","slug":"travel-guide-to-the-maldives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/turkeyalwan.net\/travel-guide-to-the-maldives\/","title":{"rendered":"A travel guide to the Maldives"},"content":{"rendered":"
Friday\u00a0newsletters<\/a>\u00a0always feature luxury travel\u00a0contests<\/a>,\u00a0tips<\/a>,\u00a0or news<\/a>.<\/p>\n My travel blog features a section that comprises a selection of destination & travel guides. You can find these travel guides under ‘destinations<\/a>‘ in the blog\u2019s header menu (indicated by the blue arrow in the screenshot below).<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n I hope these online travel guides \u2013 based on my own travel experiences \u2013 may help you to get\u00a0the most\u00a0out\u00a0of your (luxury) trips. So far, I have published travel guides on the following destinations:<\/p>\n Today, I am publishing an updated travel guide to my blog about the Maldives.<\/p>\n Glamorous overwater resorts<\/a>, pristine\u00a0white-sand beaches<\/a>, and a spectacular underwater world make the Maldives the ultimate travel destination for the discerning traveler. The sovereign archipelagic nation \u2013 positioned in the Indian Ocean southwest of India \u2013 consists of 26 breathtaking atolls boasting rich cultural traditions and natural treasures. All 1192 coral islands and sandbanks (200 inhabited islands, plus 100 islands with tourist resorts) are the visible coral tips of an oceanic volcanic mountain range whose outer edge at some points plunge to depths of over 3 km (10,000 ft). The tiny islands are encircled by magnificent beaches and incredibly beautiful lagoons, blessed with crystal clear waters and protected by reef structures. Every resort in the Maldives is built on its own private, picture-perfect palm island, with the world\u2019s most exclusive hotel brands<\/a>\u00a0competing with each other to offer their guests unprecedented levels of mind-blowing luxury.\u00a0A holiday in the Maldives can be easily combined with a stay in Sri Lanka<\/a>\u00a0as there are numerous direct flights \u2013 most of them operated by\u00a0SriLankan Airlines<\/a>\u00a0\u2013 between Sri Lanka and the Maldives (with a flight time of around one hour).<\/p>\n Get\u00a0the most\u00a0out\u00a0of your (luxury) trip to the Maldives with my travel guide. Find out more about:<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Maldives enjoys a tropical climate, hot all year round, with a weather pattern that is mainly determined by two monsoon seasons in which the trade winds blow from opposite directions.<\/p>\n It has to be noted that the tropical climate in the Maldives and the exact timing of the transition periods have become very much unpredictable in recent years, with the wet season becoming drier and the dry season seeing more showers. Also, there a subtle differences in the weather patterns from atoll to atoll, since the Maldives is a very large country, stretching out over 800 km (500 mi) in the equatorial area. The northern atolls – which are home to the archipelago’s most luxurious resorts – enjoy more sunshine and have lesser annual rainfall than the central atolls (where the capital Male is located) and the atolls located south of the Equator. This geographic difference is mainly due to the fact that the dry season is more pronounced in the northernmost atolls.<\/p>\n Some travelers visit the Maldives, not so much for the beaches and resorts, but for the world-class diving and the opportunity of swimming with manta rays and whale sharks. Diving conditions are superb throughout the year, but the areas frequented by the larger marine animals vary with the seasons. During the dry northeast monsoon season, manta ray and whale shark diving in the Maldives is best on the western side of the atolls, whereas during the Southeast Monsoon season, manta rays and whale sharks will typically be encountered near the eastern edge of the atolls.<\/p>\n IMHO, it is worth paying higher prices and sticking to the dry season in the Maldives (January to mid-April) as there is not much to do on a rainy day, except drink, eat, work out, or scuba dive.<\/p>\n The majority of the Maldives’ secluded resorts on far-flung private islands are within a one hour boat or floatplane ride from the Maldives’ main airport, Male\u00a0International Airport (MLE; also known as Velana International Airport<\/strong>), which is located in the North Male Atoll near the capital of Male. The airport is served by a wide array of international Asian and European airlines, both charters and mainstream carriers. Click\u00a0here<\/a> for a list of airlines that offer direct flights to Male\u00a0International Airport.<\/p>\n Before you buy a plane ticket, consider reading my\u00a0tips & tricks for buying the cheapest plane ticket<\/a>.<\/p>\n Transfers from Male airport to the hotels are taken care of by the resorts:<\/p>\n Requirements\u00a0for\u00a0entry\u00a0into the Maldives differ from country to country, and are subject to change. Prior to departure, always check with your government and your nearest Maldivian embassy or consulate what documents you need for travel to the Maldives.<\/p>\n Make sure you read my 10 tips to plan a worry-free trip<\/a>.<\/p>\n There are several good reasons why you should put the Maldives on your bucket list:<\/p>\n The following articles may also inspire you and help you plan your holiday to the Maldives:<\/p>\n Most people who travel to the Maldives stay at one resort for one week. I don’t recommend to travel around too much within the Maldives, since getting from one resort to another is an expensive and often time-consuming affair (since you mostly have to backtrack via Male airport).<\/p>\n However, if the prospect of staying an entire week at one resort on a little island sounds too much for you, there are a few resorts that can be easily combined in one and the same itinerary, because they are either located in the same atoll or connected via a direct and private (and often pricey) speedboat transfer. A few examples:<\/p>\n In addition, a select group of ultra-luxe hotel companies operates more than one resort in the archipelago, offering an enhanced and more convenient transfer experience between their properties. A few examples:<\/p>\n I recommend to visit my top 10 travel lists\u00a0if you are eager to know how I rank the Maldives’ top hotels, based on my own experience:<\/p>\n Below, you find my reviews of hotels in the Maldives (with pros, cons, and tips to save money per hotel).<\/p>\n *** Follow me on\u00a0Instagram<\/a>,\u00a0YouTube<\/a>,\u00a0Twitter<\/a>\u00a0or\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0for a daily moment of travel inspiration ***<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Today: A travel guide to the Maldives<\/strong><\/h5>\n
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\nBEST TIME TO VISIT<\/strong><\/h5>\n
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\nHOW TO GET THERE<\/strong><\/h5>\n
\nGETTING AROUND<\/strong><\/h5>\n
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\nTRAVEL REQUIREMENTS<\/strong><\/h5>\n
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\nINSPIRATION, HIGHLIGHTS, & TRAVEL TIPS<\/strong><\/h5>\n
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\nSUGGESTED ITINERARIES\u00a0<\/strong><\/h5>\n
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\nRECOMMENDED LUXURY HOTELS (+ REVIEWS)<\/strong><\/h5>\n
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