This is the oldest mosque in the country, dating from 1656. It’s a beautiful structure made from coral stone into which intricate decoration and Quranic…
© Matteo Colombo/Getty Images
Maldives
Unrivalled luxury, stunning white-sand beaches and an amazing underwater world make Maldives an obvious choice for a true holiday of a lifetime.
Unbelievable Beaches
Maldives is home to perhaps the best beaches in the world; they’re on almost every one of the country’s nearly 1200 islands and are so consistently perfect that it’s hard not to become blasé about them. While some beaches may boast softer granules than others, the basic fact remains: you won't find consistently whiter-than-white powder sand and luminous cyan-blue water like this anywhere else on earth. This fact alone is enough to bring well over a million people a year to this tiny, remote Indian Ocean paradise.
Resorts for Everyone
Every resort in Maldives is its own private island, and with over 100 to choose from the only problem is selecting where you want to stay. At the top end, the world’s most exclusive hotel brands compete with each other to attain ever-greater heights of luxury, from personal butlers and private lap pools to in-room massages and pillow menus. It’s not surprising that honeymooners and those seeking a glamorous tropical getaway have long had the country at the very top of their wish lists. But there’s also plenty of choice beyond the five- and six-star resorts.
Independent Travel
Maldives has undergone seismic change in the past 10 years, since inhabited islands have been opened to tourism and locals permitted to build their own guesthouses. Travelers no longer have to stay in resorts and remain separate from the local population, something that kept backpackers away for decades. Island hopping by public ferry, speedboat and domestic flights has opened up this incredible country to visitors on almost all budgets. A number of islands in Male and Ari atolls are now big centers for a booming guesthouse industry, with dozens of options on each.
Underwater World
With some of the best diving and snorkeling in the world, the clear waters of Maldives are a magnet for anyone with an interest in marine life. The richness and variety is astonishing; dazzling coral walls, magnificent caves and schools of brightly colored tropical fish await you when you get down to the reef. In deeper waters lurk manta rays, turtles, sharks and even the world’s largest fish, the whale shark. The best bit? The water is so warm many people don’t even wear a wetsuit.
Explore Maldives
- Old Friday Mosque
This is the oldest mosque in the country, dating from 1656. It’s a beautiful structure made from coral stone into which intricate decoration and Quranic…
- Dhigurah
Dhigurah is a charming, clean and friendly local island with about 600 inhabitants and around ten guesthouses. It's a very long island, with an absolutely…
- NNational Museum
Maldives' National Museum may be a ferociously ugly building gifted by China, but it nevertheless contains a well-labelled collection of historic…
- UUtheemu Ganduvaru
This small palace – now a museum – was the childhood home of Maldivian national hero Mohammed Thakurufaanu, who, alongside his brothers, overthrew…
- Thulusdhoo
Thulusdhoo has traditionally been an industrious island, known for manufacturing of bodu beru (big drums), for its salted-fish warehouse and for its Coca…
- China-Maldives Friendship Bridge
This incredibly impressive piece of engineering connects Male to the airport island of Hulhule, but unlike most of the causeways connecting islands…
- Himmafushi
Himmafushi is famous for its main street selling some of the least expensive souvenirs in the country, such as carved rosewood manta rays, sharks and…
- Fish Market
Although the squeamish may well object to the buckets of entrails or the very public gutting of fish going on all around, the Fish Market should not be…
- TThoondu Beach
At the northwestern end of Fuvahmulah, the absolutely stunning Thoondu Beach is a wide band of dazzling white overlooked by swaying palms. It's famous in…
Latest Stories from Maldives
Planning Toolkit
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Everything you need to know about services, requirements, and the application process when traveling internationally.
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Browse the various transportation options to make your trip that much easier when you arrive.
Top attractions
These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Maldives.
See
Old Friday Mosque
This is the oldest mosque in the country, dating from 1656. It’s a beautiful structure made from coral stone into which intricate decoration and Quranic…
See
Dhigurah
Dhigurah is a charming, clean and friendly local island with about 600 inhabitants and around ten guesthouses. It's a very long island, with an absolutely…
See
National Museum
Maldives' National Museum may be a ferociously ugly building gifted by China, but it nevertheless contains a well-labelled collection of historic…
See
Utheemu Ganduvaru
This small palace – now a museum – was the childhood home of Maldivian national hero Mohammed Thakurufaanu, who, alongside his brothers, overthrew…
See
Thulusdhoo
Thulusdhoo has traditionally been an industrious island, known for manufacturing of bodu beru (big drums), for its salted-fish warehouse and for its Coca…
See
China-Maldives Friendship Bridge
This incredibly impressive piece of engineering connects Male to the airport island of Hulhule, but unlike most of the causeways connecting islands…
See
Himmafushi
Himmafushi is famous for its main street selling some of the least expensive souvenirs in the country, such as carved rosewood manta rays, sharks and…
See
Fish Market
Although the squeamish may well object to the buckets of entrails or the very public gutting of fish going on all around, the Fish Market should not be…
See
Thoondu Beach
At the northwestern end of Fuvahmulah, the absolutely stunning Thoondu Beach is a wide band of dazzling white overlooked by swaying palms. It's famous in…