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The Maldives experiences two seasons currently: the dry season (November – April) and the wet season (May – October). The most popular time for this collection of islands is between December and March. While you will never experience overcrowding, room rates will reach their peak during this part of the dry season. Visiting during the beginning and end of the season (November and April) will help you get better room rates. For more deals on rooms, visit the Maldives during the wet season. There are brief periods of heavy rains, but storms tend to move quickly over the islands. The temperatures sit around the mid-20s to mid-30s during this period, guaranteeing pleasant conditions during the dry spells. This season also provides the best opportunities for surfing and scuba diving.

South African passport holders will need a visa to enter the Maldives. This visa will be issued to you on arrival and be valid for 30 days. Additionally, your passport must be valid for six months after your return date and have two blank pages available for entry stamps.

The South African Honorary Consulate is in Malé.

Address: H. Nereen, Second Floor, Majeedhee Magu, Malé, 20042

Phone: 960 333 7792

Fax: 960 332 4216

Get all the routine vaccinations four to six weeks before you depart for the Maldives. Other diseases that you may need to guard against include hepatitis A and typhoid (transmitted through contaminated food and water), hepatitis B (transmitted through sexual contact, contaminated needles and blood products) and Zika (transmitted through mosquito bites and sexual contact).

There is no risk of yellow fever in the Maldives, but the government of the Maldives requires proof of yellow fever vaccinations, if you have come from a country where this disease is a problem.

The Maldives is a relatively safe nation. With a growing drug problem, however, petty crime has become an issue. Make sure that your valuables are in a safe and secure spot, and well out of sight.

As an Islamic state, conservative views dominate the Maldives. Refrain from displaying affection in the open. The LGBT community should take care, as homosexuality is illegal in this country.

Accommodation in the Maldives is unlike anywhere else in the world — a destination where the resort island concept was essentially invented and perfected, and where the standard of hospitality, natural beauty and sheer indulgence consistently sets the global benchmark for luxury travel. From budget-friendly guesthouses on local islands to the world’s most celebrated overwater bungalows, the Maldives offers South African travellers an extraordinary range of Indian Ocean experiences.

The Maldives resort model is built around the concept of the private island resort — where an entire island is dedicated to a single property, giving guests exclusive access to pristine beaches, house reefs and the surrounding lagoon. With over 150 resort islands spread across 26 natural atolls, choosing the right resort for your needs and budget is the single most important planning decision for a Maldives holiday. Resorts vary enormously in size, character, price point and the quality of their surrounding reef — and the atoll and transfer method (speedboat, seaplane or domestic flight) will significantly affect both the cost and the experience of your stay.

In North Malé Atoll — the closest atoll to Velana International Airport and the most accessible by speedboat transfer (typically 20–45 minutes) — a wide range of resorts cater to every budget from mid-range to ultra-luxury. This is the ideal atoll for South African travellers on shorter itineraries or tighter budgets, as the shorter transfers keep costs down and allow more time at the resort. Well-regarded properties in this atoll include the Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa, the Centara Grand Island Resort and the more affordable Cinnamon Dhonveli — a popular choice for surfers, with access to the famous Pasta Point break.

For the classic overwater bungalow experience — the image most synonymous with the Maldives globally — the atolls of Baa, Lhaviyani, Ari and Raa offer some of the most celebrated overwater villa experiences in the world. The Soneva Fushi in Baa Atoll — a pioneering barefoot-luxury eco-resort set on one of the Maldives’ most biodiverse reef ecosystems — is consistently rated among the finest resorts on earth. Gili Lankanfushi in North Malé Atoll, Anantara Kihavah in Baa Atoll and the iconic Conrad Maldives Rangali Island in South Ari Atoll — home to the world’s first underwater restaurant and glass-floored overwater villas — are among the most coveted addresses in the Indian Ocean.

Baa Atoll deserves special mention as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve — home to the extraordinary Hanifaru Bay, where between June and November the world’s largest seasonal aggregation of manta rays and whale sharks congregates to feed on the atoll’s nutrient-rich waters. Staying in Baa Atoll during this period and snorkelling or diving at Hanifaru Bay is one of the greatest wildlife experiences available to South African travellers anywhere in the Indian Ocean.

For South African travellers on a more modest budget, the growth of the Maldives’ local island guesthouse scene over the past decade has been transformative — opening up the destination to independent travellers who previously could not afford the all-inclusive private island resort model. Islands including Maafushi, Thulusdhoo, Dhigurah and Fulidhoo offer comfortable, clean guesthouses at a fraction of the resort price, with easy access to excellent snorkelling reefs, dive schools and day trips to sandbanks and uninhabited islands. Note that alcohol is only available at resort islands — local islands are dry in accordance with Maldivian Islamic law, and designated bikini beaches are the only places where beachwear is acceptable.

The most exclusive tier of Maldives accommodation — the ultra-private island retreats — includes properties such as North Island (part of the One&Only group, with just 11 villas on a private island), Velaa Private Island in Noonu Atoll and the extraordinary Soneva Jani in Noonu Atoll, with its retractable-roof overwater villas that open to reveal a canopy of stars above your bed. These properties represent the absolute pinnacle of Indian Ocean luxury and are among the most sought-after addresses in the world.

Ready to book? Search and book accommodation in the Maldives at Travelstart and find the best deals across all budgets.

Getting around the Maldives is a uniquely beautiful logistical adventure — the country consists of 1,192 coral islands spread across 26 atolls stretching over 800km from north to south, and the ocean is simultaneously the destination and the highway. Unlike most countries, where getting around is a means to an end, in the Maldives the journey between islands — whether by seaplane, speedboat or traditional dhoni — is often a highlight of the trip in its own right.

The first and most important transport decision for South African travellers is how to reach their chosen resort or guesthouse from Velana International Airport (MLE) in Malé. There are three main options, depending on the location of your resort and your budget:

Speedboat transfers are the most common transfer method for resorts in the atolls closest to Malé — primarily North and South Malé Atolls and occasionally Ari Atoll. Journey times range from approximately 20 minutes to 2 hours depending on the resort’s location. Speedboat transfers are typically arranged and included (or added) by the resort at booking, and operate during daylight hours. This is the most affordable transfer option and is perfectly comfortable in calm sea conditions — though the Maldives’ open ocean can be choppy, particularly during the southwest monsoon season (May to October).

Seaplane transfers are the most spectacular and — for many South African travellers — the most memorable part of arriving at a Maldives resort. Twin Otter seaplanes operated by Trans Maldivian Airways and Manta Air serve resorts across the central and outer atolls, with the flight from Malé taking between 15 and 45 minutes depending on destination. The aerial views of the atolls — turquoise lagoons, coral reefs and tiny palm-fringed islands scattered across the Indian Ocean — are extraordinarily beautiful and unlike anything visible from the ground. Seaplane transfers operate only during daylight hours, which means guests arriving on late-evening international flights (as many South African connections do) will typically spend their first night in a Malé airport hotel before transferring to their resort the following morning — an important logistical point to factor into your planning.

Domestic flights followed by a speedboat transfer serve the more remote northern and southern atolls — including Noonu, Raa, Baa and Laamu — where seaplanes cannot reach due to distance. Maldivian Airlines and Flyme operate domestic routes from Malé’s domestic terminal (Velana Domestic Terminal) to regional airports including Hanimaadhoo (HDK) in the north and Gan (GAN) in the south, from where resort speedboats complete the final leg of the journey.

Within Malé — the Maldivian capital and one of the most densely populated cities on earth — the primary modes of transport are walking (the city centre is extremely compact) and taxi. The short ferry crossing from Velana International Airport to Malé city takes approximately 10 minutes and operates frequently throughout the day and night. A new bridge — the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge — now connects Malé with Hulhumalé, a rapidly developing artificial island that hosts a growing number of hotels, guesthouses and facilities for transit passengers.

Between the islands of any given atoll, local ferries operated by the Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) provide an affordable and authentic way to travel — used primarily by Maldivian residents commuting between inhabited islands. For travellers staying on local islands rather than resort islands, the public ferry network is the most affordable way to island-hop and explore the atoll. Ferry schedules are limited (often once or twice daily on each route) and do not always align conveniently with tourist timelines — speedboat day trips arranged through your guesthouse offer more flexibility for visiting neighbouring islands, sandbanks and snorkelling sites.

The traditional Maldivian dhoni — a wooden sailing and motorised vessel that has been the backbone of Maldivian maritime culture for centuries — is widely used for fishing trips, sunset cruises, snorkelling excursions and inter-island transfers at a more relaxed pace. Most resorts and guesthouses offer dhoni excursions as part of their activities programme — a wonderfully atmospheric way to experience the Maldives’ extraordinary ocean environment.

For diving and snorkelling — which for many South African travellers is the primary motivation for visiting the Maldives — most resorts have their own PADI-certified dive centres offering equipment hire, guided dives and certification courses. Day trips to the best dive sites across the atoll are typically arranged through your resort or guesthouse dive centre, using dedicated dive dhonis. Live-aboard dive safaris — multi-day diving expeditions on purpose-built vessels covering multiple atolls — are available through several operators and offer access to some of the most remote and pristine dive sites in the Indian Ocean.

Planning your Maldives island-hopping adventure? Search, compare and book transport options for your Maldives trip at Travelstart and find the best deals for your Indian Ocean escape.