When To Go

The Maldives has the advantage of being a truly year round destination; air (30-32°C) and sea (28-30°C) temperatures barely change throughout. Maldivians still operate on the ancient ‘nakaiy’ calendar, which determines their lifestyle (when to fish, build, marry etc.). This calendar is split into two seasons, Iruvai and Hulhangu, known to tourists simply as high and low season respectively. If you're looking for a few extra hours of sunshine, you should travel between December and April, which is the high season. February to April is the hottest, most popular period. May to November is the period when storms and rain are more likely.

Ultimately, it is simply not possible to predict weather patterns across the 800km extent of the Maldives islands. There is no land mass to influence where the rain falls, so there is no way of saying whether any region, north or south would have more or less precipitation- North Malé Atoll could be experiencing clear sunshine while Gaafu Atoll is experiencing a thunderstorm. We generally consider the best times to go in terms of value for money as late-April/early-May, or during October. If you are looking for stable weather then January to March is your best bet, though prices are correspondingly higher and offer no guarantee of unmitigated, clear weather.