With an amazingly pleasant and consistent climate throughout the entire year, the best time to visit the Maldives is whenever you choose to visit. With that said, there are however, some subtle differences from one season to the next. In order to help you figure out when the best time for you to visit the Maldives is, we'll discuss all of that below.

In spite of its tiny population, the Maldives is spread out over a very large section of the Indian Ocean. Because of this, the weather in the north can be very different from the weather in the south from one day to the next. You'll want to note that most private-island resorts featuring water villa resorts in the Maldives are fairly close to the capital city of Malé, but a few are quite remote, including at least one that's south of the equator.

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Weather in the Maldives

Tropical islands in general tend to have the same weather throughout the entire year. This is very true for The Maldives as well. For more information detailing the weather from month to month, see our main Maldives weather by month article. You’ll find information regarding the temperature averages and information on the mild monsoon seasons. The summary for the Maldives is that every day is warm and humid, and it can rain in short bursts at any time of the year, though some months are definitely wetter than others.


High season for hotels: December through April

Not only are the months from December through into April considered the “dry season” in the Maldives, but the highest demand comes from Europeans who are escaping their cold winters. Because of this, all the resorts, especially the water villa resorts, charge the highest rates of the year during this period.

 

The peak season for hotels surround the weeks of Christmas and New Years. You’ll want to make sure to book well in advance if you are coming during this period, as it’s the only time of the year that pretty much every resort is full. In addition, there are very rarely any cancelations, so once a resort is booked solid, it tends to stay that way the entire season.

What about crowds?

One of the most attractive things about visiting the Maldives is that nearly every resort is on a private island, and each island has a maximum capacity and number of rooms that insures that the beaches will never be crowded. This means that you won’t feel like you’re vacationing on a beach in Miami that’s packed with other visitors.

 

Because of the limited amount of guests as each of the country’s overwater resorts, you’ll find that the care and attention to detail is above the rest. You’ll also find that help is available much more quickly than at big crowded resorts where the staff members are stretched thin.


Best scuba diving: November to May

The Maldives is famous for excellent scuba diving all year round, but most experts agree that the most reliable times also coincide with the drier season from November through May. This is because the quick downpours of summer can (and will) disrupt the clear water for short periods of time, and even though they can and do happen at any time of year, you are less likely to have any interruptions during the dry season.


Off season: May through November

Resorts drop their rates in the Maldives from May through November, usually with the lowest rates being during the months of July and August. This isn’t because the weather is bad, it’s just that most Europeans prefer resorts closer to home during this period.

 

November in particular might be the best time to visit the Maldives, with the monsoons over and hotel rates still in low-season mode. During this month, you’ll find great weather with lower accommodation prices than if you were to travel during the winter months.

 

Top photo courtesy of Badruddeen on Flickr


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