The only UK airline to offer direct flights to the Maldives, for example, is British Airways. Its flights depart from London Gatwick (LGW) several times a week during high season.
The best weather and the best time to visit the Maldives is between November and April. The high season falls between December and March. The monsoon runs from May to October, peaking around June.
The northern atolls have the highest rainfall May-November; the southern atolls from November-March. The best times to visit on a budget would be between April and June.
The weather is not as wet as later months, and you can find comfy accommodation, which is cheaper than the luxury resorts. Try booking your flight in advance, and plan around the peak seasons
| Popular in | July |
High demand for flights, 28% potential price rise
|
| Cheapest in | September |
Best time to find cheap flights, 6% potential price drop
|
| Average price | $1,788 | Average for round-trip flights in June 2020 |
| Round-trip from | $1,009 | From Las Vegas to Malé |
| One-way from | $739 | One-way flight from Las Vegas to Malé |
A direct flight to the Maldives takes around ten hours and some flights include a stopover. Make sure you beat jetlag by living in your new time zone as soon as possible.
If you plan on spending most of your stay underwater, you might want to plan your flight to the Maldives during the damp months of June and July for a cheaper rate. High humidity, rain, and cloudy skies offset the sunshine, but cheap flights to the Maldives are commonly available.
Between May and November, the weather is less guaranteed in the Maldives with cloudy skies, higher humidity, and a greater chance of rain. The southwest monsoon brings rain between June and August. You may be lucky enough to find sales offering the cheapest flights to the Maldives at this time if you get in quick.
While no U.S. airlines offer flights to the Maldives, many airlines in Europe and Asia take on U.S. passengers via connecting flights. Some of these airlines include Korean Air, Qatar Airways, Etihad Airways, Condor, China Eastern, Singapore Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Aeroflot, Air India, and Turkish Airlines.
Flights to the Maldives land at Male International Airport (MLE) on Hulhule Island in the North Male Atoll. A ferry service operates regularly to and from the airport to Male city or there are speedboat transfers to nearby resorts.
Some resorts offer complimentary transport from the airport with package holiday deals. Trans Maldivian Airways and Maldivian Air Taxi (PTE) Ltd offer inter-island Maldives flights.
Although independent travel in the Maldives is sometimes discouraged because tourism is strictly regulated, you can acquire an Inter Atoll Travel Permit to visit the surrounding islands. But keep in mind, it's easiest to attain a permit if you are sponsored by a resident.
For more inter-island Maldives flights, use Trans Maldivian Airways and Maldivian Air Taxi (PTE) Ltd. Helicopters and seaplanes help get tourists to and from popular resorts, but the most common form of transportation is called a dhoni, a diesel engine vehicle used for longer trips.
On land, taxis, motorcycles, and bicycles are available to just about every determined adventurer.
Your Maldives flight will land in one of the smallest capitals in the world. Male captures myriad attractions like the Huskuru Miskiiy, (a 17th- century mosque), Mulee- Aage (a palace built in 1906), and the National Museum, built in what is now the Sultan’s Park.
