The public expresses strong enthusiasm for the Maldives as a travel destination, particularly due to the recent airport expansion. Many commenters reflect on personal experiences and fond memories while highlighting the islands' beauty, friendly locals, and potential for economic growth. However, concerns are noted regarding high costs, the limited scope of activities, and the impact on local culture and environment.

Maldives Government

Tourism Authorities

Local Businesses

Travelers

Went there in March. 

It was cool. Glad we went, but we won’t go back. Too much travel and really expensive for not that much better than some of the places we have been to in the carribean.

LzyPenguin

Been three times. Answer is: depends on what you like, and what you want to pay for.

We saw a tourist talking to staff as he was getting ready to leave early, he was just too bored.

For me, I find lots to love. Snorkeling/swimming, walking the beaches, jetskiing/jetblading, kayaking, boat tours, and lots of great dining options. My wife goes Scuba Diving, so even better for her.

Costs add up on top of whatever you pay for airfare/hotel (personally I use hotel points to do nice hotels).


If you're trying to find an island with several hotels on it, it might not be as "cool as they said".

sacramentojoe1985

I've enjoyed beach holidays in Hawaii, Australia, Mexico, Turkey, the Caribbean, and other great places, and the Maldives is still my best vacation memory. Beaches and water sports were fantastic.

Pity4lowIQmoddz

The snorkeling and diving are phenomenal. Great visibility and oodles of fish. The water is warm and mostly calm. Both times we went were November/December and the weather was in the 80s and wonderful. 

That being said you’re basically trapped at what resort you pick because of traveling there by either boat or float plane from Male. So food and drinks are overpriced. We have stayed at the Conrad and Gili Lakanfushi and the food was excellent at both but Gili was better. 

Activities vary by resort so you definitely need to research that. Most places will have snorkeling, kayaks, paddleboards, etc but if you are looking for specific things then it’s best to find a resort that has those. 

It’s definitely expensive but my family thoroughly enjoyed both of our trips to the Maldives.

Local-Finance8389

So there’s the tourist Maldives and the real Maldives. The tourist one is what most people talk about. That consists of arriving in Male airport taking a helicopter seaplane or boat to your selected luxury island resort. It will be beautiful, over the top and expensive (to the point that most save it for a special occasion like a honeymoon). Then there’s the real Maldives a Muslim country where locals are not allowed to visit the resorts as a guest even though they all work in them. They are not allowed to drink the alcohol they serve. They are living in crowded conditions in Male, a tiny capital city with an island of floating garbage nearby that is growing year after year with the waste from the many resorts. If you do decide to go try to spend a day in Male and get a much more interesting look at the tiny island nation.

davybert

My son and I went for scuba diving, which proved to be world class. The trouble is that the resort islands seem to obsessively focussed on honeymooners/couples. For instance, on our island this meant that every evening we got flower blossoms arranged in heart shapes on our beds, which we found weird and funny in equal measure.  There was also the islamic dimension in the background - most of the staff at our resort were wonderful but a few clearly had somewhat fundamentalist islamic views and muttered under their breath when a guest ordered an alcoholic drink.

There are equally beautiful coral islands that are less expensive and less one-dimensional, e.g. the Seychelles, Raja Ampat, Mauritius, and some islands on the Great Barrier Reef (such as Lady Elliot Island).

Ribbitor123

I would only consider going there if I was already in the area.  So in other words tack on a few days there after a trip somewhere else.   I don’t think I would do a specific trip to go there.

Salcha_00

Completely depends on what kind of trip you’re looking for.  If all you want to do is relax on a gorgeous beach on a secluded tropical island, and maybe do some diving/snorkeling or get a spa treatment, the Maldives is great.  Every island (read: sandbar) is home to 1-3 private resort hotels (except the main island of Malé which is just an overcrowded city) and there is quite literally nothing to do on land (no hikes, no local restaurants or museums, etc).

If you want that perfect tropical island paradise vibe but still want to leave your resort and see real local people or go for a day hike in the jungle etc, you’re much better off in French Polynesia, the Seychelles, or even Fiji.  

My ranking of tropical paradises I’ve been to (roughly in order):

- French Polynesia (Moorea and Bora Bora)
- Seychelles (Praslin)
- Barbados 
- Bermuda (summer only)
- Bahamas
- Fiji
- Grenada
- Virgin Islands
- Aruba
- Maldives (I was at Kandolhu in North Ari Atoll but most islands are the same… sandbar islands with a single resort)
- Antigua
- Hawaii (Kauai and Maui)
- El Nido (palawan, Philippines)
- Cayman Islands
- Turks &amp; Caicos (Providenciales - incredible beaches but nothing much else there)
- St Lucia

No-where I’ve been captures the stereotypical tropical island paradise better than Bora Bora.  It is just as stunning (or more) in person than in photos, and while the beaches aren’t quite as perfect as some in the Caribbean or Seychelles or Maldives, they’re still spectacular.

[My old post sharing some of the top beaches I’ve ever been to.](https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/s/pIO2NKj7iI)

Good luck.

burgleshams

We loved it.

There is just something special about being far away from land, not seeing anything around but the sea. My family is from the Caribbeans so just the sea doesn’t do much for me, but feeling like you are alone and lost somewhere in Paradise is priceless.

We contemplated and just finally were able to cut from everything.

We will go back that’s for sure.

Lnnam

My niece went recently and loved it and would love to go again, or do Bora Bora.  

I'd personally be bored I think, I like to get about and see different things when I holiday, I can't sit still. 

I'd go if someone wanted to treat me though.

BartholomewKnightIII

Bora Bora is better. I've been to both. The Maldives are beautiful, but Bora Bora, Morea, and Tahiti are way more interesting with more things to do.

The_Boffus

I went there on a group tour for youngsters, so mine was a different experience than most who go there. We did not stay in one of those expensive small cottages on the water, instead we stayed at a group house on a small island and had daily contact with the locals, we visited their schools, became friends with the people who cooked us food (fresh fish and vegetables), and became really good friends with our diving instructor who taught us to dive on a local fishing boat for two whole weeks. We wrote him a custom thank you card, I drew a fish on it, and he gave me a hug underwater when I finally completed a difficult mask exercise lol (he now runs his own diving business). I became very good friends with him and my dive buddy, and I still miss them sometimes. I actually cried in secret when we had to go home lol. The water is so clear and amazing, and the locals are very nice and friendly. Male is very crowded and sorta dirty from what I remember, but still an experience. Best thing about the trip was definitely diving between amazing fish and manta rays (and sting rays... be careful), lying at the beach relaxing, and talking to the locals and the food. Also, the view of the islands from the plane is *insane* and nothing except mountains have come close to that beautiful view.

North_Community_

The Maldives are incredible but you definitely want to go with a full board option.  You are captive and it’s not easy to visit another resort just to have dinner somewhere else so the pricing for meals reflects that.

Few_Engineer4517

Went there for 8 days. It was good enough, but I'm not planning to come back. Sure, if you've got money to spend, by all means, but there are tons of other places I'd rather visit. It's basically just a beach and expensive food and drinks. Once you've done all the diving/snorkeling and watersport activities, there's isn't much else to do. We didn't go on a resort island, and I don't feel like we missed out. We got to play football with some locals and other travelers in the evening so that was good fun.

I think it's worth visiting once or twice, but as I said, there are loads of other places I'd rate much higher than the Maldives.

WasaV9

My fiancée spent some time on a local island in a research role. It’s currently being reclaimed to make an airport to get to nearby islands, locals living on the land being told they’ll have jobs while really being relocated. They buried acres of reefs in sand to make the airfield, including the reefs the facility was researching. In the meantime, the local uninhabited islands are being used as giant trash receptacles.

She interviewed the locals who said (I quote) “they took away our happy places.” That being said, a woman born on a local island is generally not allowed (according to locals) to go to another island. The resorts are staffed by (according to locals) south Asians with confiscated passports. And the resorts are not owned by Maldivians, the resort money goes to… sponsors. 

Short read: modern slavery, ancient attitude, looks like paradise and stinks of nasty.

boopplus

I like the Maldives a lot. Stayed at two resorts, Kuramathi and Bandos, and had a very relaxing time with great snorkeling, good food, excellent beaches, great service and some nice half-day trips. It's a specific type of holiday that does not tick all boxes for everyone. 

I don't think they're overpriced compared to what they offer. You can find some good deals on agoda.com if you invest some time in this and book early. 

You'll probably want to look elsewhere, though, if you don't want an island resort and want a different type of experience.

moderatelyremarkable

You got the correct idea from your research. Local islands will be boring and the food/hotel will be OK at best. The resorts are expensive. 

The ocean is amazing though and the people are nice. I would say give it a shot, but either go on a budget and understand what that means or spend more and get yourself a fancy vacation.

SurroundSex

Resorts are not the only option anymore. You can travel to the most local islands. This will give you the most authentic experience and probably much much less boring that the resort experience would be. I was really sceptical, but had a blast in the end. We were on the sea most of the time, in constant search for the next marine animal. 

arbenowskee

[deleted]

TheZimmer550

There is no way it’s worth the travel from the US maybe if you are Europe based or tied it into a long trip and hit India or East Africa.

MyFATthrowayay

It’s amazing but there’s literally nothing to do but fuck and eat and look at the incredible paradise around you. So either bring a good lover or a good book.

windowseat1F

I did my honeymoon on local islands, have friends who work there, and did an extensive amount of research.   

Things to know:  

The Maldives are separated into three parts: Local, Resort, and Deserted islands. Locals in local islands can go to deserted islands for the night but resorts can only visit for the day. Resorts buy/rent entire islands so within an island, there is no competition, as you noted. I wouldn't say local islands are crap though. I loved Dhangethi in particular (South Ari Atoll). It gives you an insight into the culture. Hell, I even REALLY enjoyed Male.   

Given your priorities, it isn't a good value. If you're just looking for a great beach to have beer and competitive prices, the Maldives are NOT it. I recommend Malaysia or Thailand for that.

uReallyShouldTrustMe

Had a great time there, but don’t spend more than 4 nights as it might get repetitive.

boomer959

I lived in Dubai and visited the Maldive. It is now my favorite place. Beautiful, quiet, serene. A must do if you can.

LouisV25

fiji and tahiti are better, but for europeans, its much further and harder to reach. so maldives does ok if you want nice water and a sandy beach at a resort, but its overpriced compared to parts of the med.

the only reason worth going to maldives is to scuba imo with sharks and mantas.

runsongas

If you wan tot get away, it is about as much quiet luxury as you can find anywhere in the world and one of the few places with a lot of overwater bungalows.

But the price is also insane as bloggers and travel writers have made it onto so many peoples'bucket lists. And since everything is flown in, it is expensive by nature. 

I just don't think the value is there for most people unless you are really celebrating something truly special AND you want a quiet trip.

wildcat12321

About 7 years ago we went to a local island called Thulusdhoo! Not too far from Male. Enjoyed walking around the island seeing how the locals live and eat authentic Maldivian food. Had a good time on excursions arranged by our hotel Samura (beautiful place run by an Italian dude, amazing food too).

laamargachica

DoughnutVibez

 Yep, have went there every year for the past 4 years from the US.  Has the best snorkeling out of all the places I have been.

bengtc

If you scuba dive, do a week or 2 on a live aboard.  Amazing!!!

HurricanesComing41

Honestly, if based in the U.S., Tahiti makes the most sense and it’s heaps and bounds more beautiful. Maldives couldn’t compare to Bora Bora.

Donterre

I just got back this week from a few days stay at a hotel called the Ranthari on an island called Ukulhas. They’ll book the speedboat transfer for you, it’s affordable, and there’s lots of tour companies on the island so excursion prices stay low. Hotel itself was pretty nice, not an ‘over-water’ cottage but still a good room, we had a balcony too. 

They also offer daytime excursions to some of the resort islands if you want a taste of that lifestyle too. Locals were all incredibly kind and it was nice being able to go around the island to a few different restaurants.

Brainiac_Kid

Yes! Was a life changing experience. And I have been to Mexico, places in the carribean, and Hawaii (comparables). I would check out Luxe Maldives… they have plenty of restaurants and activities to do (all inclusive packages for more money). I believe it was South Ari Atoll.

Low-Echidna4438

Depends on what you'd like to do. I'm an avid scuba diver and went there for 2 weeks (1 week live aboard and 1 week in a cool hotel) I did enjoy both, the flights were incredibly long but that's cause I live far from the Maldives. The resort islands are ok, a bit expensive and if my memory serves right, the only place where you can get alcoholic beverages. Male, the capital city and main island is quite boring, not much to do there.

Visited there last year. Also traveled through Dubai and made it a 4 night stay. Check out Velassaru resort. Didn't think it was overpriced. Actually much cheaper for overwater bungalow with private pool than resorts in the Caribbean. Just know, you can't bring alcohol into the country. You can buy it at resorts though

Ok_Play2364

Stay on the ocean on the boat, stay at local buisnesses if you want to stay in one spot. Best trips are on boat with food and lodging. 

I will go back cause i love ocean fish and ocean. If you are not keen on snorkling or diving I would suggest other places like thailand which also have beaches.

Soft-Distance-1811

Caribbean or even sri lanka is much better than Maldives imo

If you love to swim and watersports maldives is the perfect place for you but if you want to visit like parks or something here nahhh

pandakburnek696

The Maldives are absolutely gorgeous, the beaches are amazing, very clear water for snorkeling and water sports, and a very relaxing vacation spot overall. That said, it is extremely expensive to get there and you're basically beholden to whichever resort you choose, which will also be very expensive for what you get. It's the kind of place I am glad to have gone and seen, but wouldn't be top of my list to go back. If you do go, go to Male and checkout the Seahouse Cafe (right by the boat port) and walk around the island a little bit. It's an interesting place and much more lively/busy than the resorts (obviously since this is where the natives actually live), but neat to see the culture.

Suspect__Advice

Every new place you've not been to is cool if you're cool.

wilhelmtherealm

Beside diving there is NOTHING to do.

You're basically jailed on an (extra) small island that you can walk around in a few minutes (max 1 hour for the biggest?).

You are forced to eat / drink what the ONLY hotel offers, at the sky high price they offer.

You can have MUCH better for MUCH lower prices at other places.

Amiga07800

If you dive than its worth it. Best things are under water.


Avoid cities, they stink.

Puzzleheaded_Bus7706

If you dive, yes. Otherwise, I don't see the point.

Kuppiiiii

I did a week there in April a few years ago. It was cool but I wouldn’t go back. Not enough to do imo. Really expensive too.

caspar_milquetoast69

CurryLamb

If you are traveling from North America there are similar places which are much closer. If you are on the west coast Fiji/Tahiti/Bora-bora would give you a lot of similar things at less than half the travel time.

nightlyringer

Went a couple months ago to a resort island.  [Made a post here](https://www.reddit.com/r/travel/comments/1c2pwca/maldives_2024/?ref=share&amp;ref_source=link) which might help answer some questions for you

CivicBlues

I hear there’s similar places that don’t have the hype prices

traveleralice

Seychelles &gt; Maldives imo…but if you love water sports, you’ll love both ;)

TradeApe

It depends. If you go cheap and stay on an island with a local population, it's not great. No alcohol, for a start.

If you stay on a private island it will be amazing, but it'll be extremely expensive.

littlecomet111

Maldives is okay out of the island nations I've traveled to. I've been to Hawaii, Tahiti, Fiji, Bali+Komodo Island and most recently, Okinawa. I would say Okinawa was the best in terms of a balanced vacation with amazing snorkeling and city life while Maldives is the most pay2win destination as far as finding a resort with good facilities, food and house reef. I've researched a lot of resorts and there's 1000's to go through. There's just too many and it's a pain to choose. Most of the house reefs are dead as well.

Budilicious3

I’m on the West Coast and considered the Maldives for a bucket list beach vacation.  After some research we decided on Tahiti and islands instead.   We will be leaving next month for 11 days.  Direct 8 hour flight made it an easy decision.

No_Ebb3669

Maldives is great if you’re at a resort! Especially if you like to scuba. I’m not sure about visiting for the local culture/food. 

rco8786

Beautiful but expensive and really touristy. You can find similar destinations throughout Polynesia that are less expensive and not flooded with tourists.

It was a bucket list for us, we went for a 10th anniversary trip. It was magnificent. The travel was rough (from the east coast) but I’m so glad we went. The hype about the service is real. We stayed in a pretty upscale place and loved every second.

Last_Ask4923

Unless you scuba it’s not really that different than going to places closer (the land itself is boring and flat).

FunLife64

RJC1234

Male to Mafushi to fulidhoo. Booze on a ship off the coast they ferry you over to it.

Nyk090

Visited twice and it's probably the most boring place I've ever visited.

You have two options:
- inhabited islands - quite inexpensive, but the beaches for tourists are limited, not always well cleaned. Islands are small and you will get bored quickly. The islands close to airport are overflowing with budget tourists. No alcohol.
- resorts - those can be really nice, but really expensive. You have a variety of dining and alcohol drinks, but if you are considering flying Wizzair, I assume you don't plan to pay 1000 EUR per night.

Just go to Thailand dude, much better.

zennie4

GodGivenBirthRight

My honest opinion. I'm from Europe and I better spend travel time in something worth while like Jappan or something like that.
In Europe we have Mediterranean sand white beaches, culture and a live outside Hotel. Most of Mediterranean cityes are very beautiful.
This year I'm going to Croatia. But I been in the Caribbean - Guadalupe for honeymoon, French islands. It was great, I would like to go there again. It's freaking hot at noon. 
You say that you like visit local culture and occasionally night bar or so. I don't think you will get that outside Resort in Maldives.
I think Maldives is for Instagram photo shoot and honeymoon as you probably have nothing to do outside resort.
My honest opinion, for what I've read here, it's a one time only in livetime and doesn't worth the money.
Try adventure. I recommend portuguese Azores islands. You will be surprised. Not sure if your style is walk or stay indoors, if it's later go to cheaper resort.

mbermonte

I spent some time on 4 of the islands but it's several years ago. Back then each island was a separate hotel resort. There were no other choices to eat / drink. You can buy bnb or full board. If you are really into water sports and diving then they are a good choice. 
I preferred the Seychelles, plenty of choice and a laid back vibe. At the time there were different  price hotels.  
Mauritius was pretty but at the time you were pretty much confined to the resort and private beach. Depending on what you want the Caribbean might be a better choice for you

Defiant-Month3930

Not "cool" if you're gay apparently. Outside of the private resorts Maldives observes Sharia Law. It will all be under water in a few decades. Byyyyyeeeee!

Beaumont64

Peak Instagram destination. Everyone I know who's gone says they get bored there. 

1006andrew

Maldives was an amazing trip and great adventure with all the travel and modes of getting to the islands. I went for my honeymoon so for that it was worth it but wouldn’t just go on a random trip there  over a special occasion. It’s very remote and relaxing there but plenty to do in the ocean and beaches. The resort you stay makes a huge difference too we had an all inclusive adult only resort and that was worth it completely. Also we had an over the water sunset view private pool villa and that was the best experience of a lifetime to have. I recommend going for something special!

Hour-Duck1696

Schmibitar

If you are in Europe (or closer) it's totally worth it! Just make sure you go during their summer, after November, otherwise you will experience lots of rains.

Healthy_Hedgehog_666

spent a day on each end of my liveaboard trip (scuba diving 10 days) in hulhumale.  That place is a dump even with the beaches LOL.  Nice enough to chill but not a vacation destination for me.  The atols with huts look nice, but they are real pricey.  Liveaboard diving, 10 days, $3000.  Way less than those things.

8008s4life

[Maldives](https://fiveandmoretravel.com) is a great destination for honeymoon

mertsabuncu

I have been to the Maldives 4 times, Bora Bora &amp; Morea/Tahiti twice, Bahamas, Hawaii, Caribbean a few times. Maldives absolutely won our hearts, and we will definitely go back there again soon. It was such a good get away trip for couples and also for families. There are hotels that are very kid friendly as well so we might bring our little one next time. We do not dive and love snorkeling activities and the Sealife in Maldives are great. Bora Bora was great too but generally Bora Bora has way less hotel options and the hotels are much older and rooms are smaller in size. If you are in doubt of it, please don't. That place is magical, you will want to keep going back, and be honest, Maldives and Bora Bora did make other beaches less enjoyable for us afterward, because it kind of set a high bar for beach expectation. It is a true paradise.

Lumpy-Photograph-789

yes in my opinion it is as good and cool as they said indeed. Here my video of my travel vlog of when I spent a week in the Maldives on Vaadoo island if you interested?

[I Visited Paradise on Earth Where Sea Glows Like a Fairy Tale🤯(YOU WON'Y BELIEVE WHAT HAPPENED)?](https://youtu.be/cjtUqqHvQHU)

Left-Ambassador-2744

They'll be disappearing under the waves any day now...  

Well they said it would happen in 40 years time around 45 years ago, so be careful!!

LoveAnn01

Head down to Cozumel Mexico, or Tulum Mexico basically the same but close and cheaper

Genoblade1394

Yes. Loved it! In our resort the rooms were spread out so people weren’t on top of each other, and the water was warm and very clear. Would I go back? I don’t know. It’s really far and really expensive. You are stuck with whatever restaurants are on the island which means at least $40 a meal per person for us. I wouldn’t say there was a whole lot to do if you don’t want to relax on the beach but that’s all we wanted to do. It was an amazing experience and I’m so happy we had the opportunity to go.

MsAmericanaFPL

It's really nice but the travel to get there and just the general lack of things to do while you are there, make it meh. I'd never go back.

LenordOvechkin

Been there. You stay on one island resort, nothing much to do there apart from sitting at one place and watch couples... i won't say it was bad but can't go again...too much expensive.. worst kind of airport waiting area where i had to wait for 3 to 5 hours for my sea plane...apart from those resorts, alcohol is crime everywhere and might be risky.. you can't go anywhere apart from those lavish resorts.

ForsakenZone858

th3bakari

Infinia to ITC to Marriott (40k to 40k to 60k) 

Amex to Marriott (40k to 40k)

Purchase Marriott Points A/c 1 at 30% bonus - (1.1L for 130k)

Purchase Marriott Points A/c 2 at 30% bonus - (25k for 30k)

Total Cash - 1.3L
Total Marriott - 260k

March 2025 some 5 nights at Le Meridien Maldives at Sunrise Overwater Villa/Beach Villa - 260k. Airport Transfers will be 90k. Food maybe 50k. 

If you can see it as cash out of pocket 2.7L for 5 nights (55k per night) at overwater villa at a nice 5 star. Then I think this is a worthy redemption. If you don’t want to comprise on quality. No point doing local non overwater rooms etc. I’d go for it, but it’s your points 😂

Also revenue rate is 3.7L so it’s like each Infinia point and Amex MR was redeemed at 1.2rs which is a solid redemption too! 

Cheers!

WhiteninjaCC

Cold_Releasee

First you gotta decide where you wanna go. The public islands or the private islands. Best what I would suggest is stay for a few days on a public island. Its pretty cheap. Then go for 2 nights on a private resort.

mdNaush

Yes, just book public islands. They are as nice as the private ones. Staff too usually are folks who’ve worked at these expensive resorts in the past and hence, are equally professional/courteous. 

Just no alcohol is served or accessible.

jayjayjaymay

OP, if you're not very keen on Maldives, there are other amazing locations that are not very crowded; like Labuan Bajo, Bintan Islands, Lombok in Indonesia; Pran Buri, Khao Lak in Thailand; Desaru Coast in Malaysia; Weligama in Sri Lanka.

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Last December, I booked a lesser known German property, over water villa (for 28k/night + 20k airport transfer for a couple). It was quite good. 


Pretty much everything including drinking water is chargeable at private islands, so preferably carry a 5L water jar and some instant noodles for quick snacking (you can get it from Male). The water is 3-4 times expensive $5/1.5L in private islands while at the airport itself you will get it for $1/L.

Tips: Carry your own snorkeling gear or you can rent it from them for a fee. Overwater villas in private islands will let you snorkel any time of the day. But beware, there won't be any help available, if you go too far. 

Water activities are much cheaper at local islands and you may get to meet seasoned instructors as well. 

Food in private resorts are bland and mediocre at best (in my experience).  Public islands have a variety of food. I tried Indian, Italian, Chinese, Thai food along with Maldivian cuisine - everything was quite delicious.

officialsimpleman

I am looking for the same. Any suggestions for luxurious overwater villa using points redemption. Like Soneva jani

Apx918

I used a **Matrix eSIM** that worked perfectly across islands without the hassle of local SIM cards.

No-Ad7069

Whatever you choose, I would definitely avoid choosing a flight that arrives in the evening/night as one commenter mentioned below

remedmlp

I went a few years ago and it’s definitely a rough few flights to get there. I flew United to Singapore and then on to Male, but the problem is the majority of flights seem to get in in the evening and the local seaplanes aren’t flying then. The Male airport is tiny and there’s no airport hotel on property so we took a taxi into town to a tiny little boutique hotel, and the city of Male itself is not as much of a tourist destination so that was kinda interesting, at least a few years ago. Then back to the airport in the morning to take a seaplane to the resort on its own island.

I feel like with all the resorts there should be a better way to do it, but that was the route we figured out. Maybe we missed some better transfer options or something, idk. 

The way back was a lot easier, and we stayed 2 nights in Singapore which was a lot of fun and I recommend it to break up the trip.

LH and TK serve MLE. I'm 1K on UA but chose instead of redeem miles on EK going there and QR on the return. Flying either of those will put you into MLE at a reasonable time. Not sure if you are a Marriott person but the Ritz was worth the stay.

SirBowsersniff

Did this in April this year.

We went IAH-FRA-MLE, and flew United on the first leg and Lufty on the second. We paid for business class, but I think there’s a way to use United points to upgrade on Lufthansa (based on availability).

On way back, I really wanted to stay at our resort as long as possible and still see Dubai, so we flew Emirates MLE-DXB one way at like 5 PM and stayed in Dubai a few days. We routed our return to the states via United: DXB - ZRH - ORD- IAH. Dubai to Zurich was Swiss though. Only 7 hours so not terrible if you can’t upgrade.

whateversoundsright

There's nothing much to do other than looking around the airport. If your here on a holiday and waiting for your ferry to talk you to your island then you can try visiting capital city

You could book the airport lounge also. Normally the resort will help you with that. Or you can ask them for a late checkout if there are villas available. Some offer at a chargeable price

Julius_Seizure2000

Also some hotels in Male/ Hulhumale offer day use rates. If you request specifically for day use rates, they can offer cheap rates. HIH (the hotel in the airport) also offers that

You can leave the luggage with the airport information desk. Mind you they do charge by the hour.....I think...

You can try Viator online and arrange for a 3-hour walking tour of Male. The guide will bring you on a ferry ride from the airport to Male, show you the Friday mosque, various buildings, art gallery, wet market (you can sample or buy some of their local produce in the market, and huge stingrays swim in the sea just beside the market!), fish market, and souvenir shops.

Traditional_Bell7883

Tour guides :) have a look around the city

Several-Impression54

Explore nearby Hulhumale' city , they also offer short stay at some guesthouses so you can keep the luggage and go out to check out places

xendenx

apsksjsnjs

The Maldives inaugurated a new passenger terminal at Velana International Airport aimed at boosting tourism and economic growth.

Maldives Tourism and Airport Expansion

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