MALDIVES

- Maldives - 


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Picture yourself lying on a white sandy beach, palm trees above you rustling from a gentle breeze, the waves lapping at your toes, while you lazily sip on your lavish cocktail. The only decision left to make for the day is whether or not to take one more dip in the gin-clear waters in front of you before heading off to your romantic candlelit champagne dinner, or to go for a romantic massage... Cliché? Perhaps, but in this case the cliché really does exist.

Yes, that's right, paradise has a name and it is called The Maldives - a collection of over a thousand individual islands sprinkled across the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. These islands, famous for their breath-taking stilted water bungalows, have become synonymous with romance, luxury, honeymoons and decadence. While the Maldives are certainly one of the pricier holiday destinations in the Indian Ocean, this should be no surprise considering the gorgeously exclusive location and absolute luxury on offer. 

 

With over 1,000 islands ranging from the larger capital island of Malé to small and intimate islands, including islands that can be booked for your exclusive use, choosing the right Maldives island to stay on can be confusing for visitors, especially as most islands look extremely similar at first glance.

And yet, it is crucial to choose carefully and take every aspect under consideration, as most islands have only one resort on them, sometimes with only one restaurant, and one clearly defined program of activities. If you don’t like the restaurant menu for example, or your favourite water sport in not on offer, there will be no possibility of a Plan B. This is where we at The Travel Cafe Cape Town can help you select the hotel best suited to your unique needs!


The Maldives are a diver’s dream, as they offer some of the world’s best marine life viewing. South Ari Atoll is well-known for having a year-round population of whale sharks, making it one of the top spots to see them in the world. If you wish to dive with majestic Manta Rays, you should head to the North Male Atoll, where there is a high concentration of them, in addition to endangered sea turtles, and thousands of species of exotic colourful fish.


A spectacular sight in the Maldives is the presence of bioluminescent plankton. Only a handful of places in the world can offer the incredible night sight of a brightly luminous sea, competing with the starry skies above. For this natural wonder, we recommend to opt for a resort in the Baa Atoll.

 

One fact some visitors to the Maldives often forget to consider is that the Maldives in a Muslim country. While Muslim laws will have very little impact on most luxury accommodation options on small remote islands, some hotels on the main island of Malé will observe the cultural norms, which means strict alcohol ban, restrictions on pork products and if you travel during Ramadan, the Muslim month of fasting and prayer, shopping will be out of the picture.

If cocktails on the beach and bacon for breakfast are things you do not wish to live without, the choice of the right island is again crucially important. However, if you are interested in alternating days on the beach with learning about the fascinating culture of history of the locals, Malé, with its beautiful sights such as the Grand Friday Mosque, might be a worth spending a couple of days on.


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- Best time to visit The Maldives -

Best time to go to The Serengeti

The Maldives enjoy a warm and tropical climate, with average highs at a consistent 29°C to 31°C year-round and average lows rarely falling below 24°C. However, there is a distinct dry and wet season, which are the reverse of most other Indian Ocean destinations. 


Summer (November to April):

The summer months are warm and dry, with almost no rainfall. Temperatures consistently hover around 30°C, so it is no surprise that for us this is the best time to go to the Maldives. Of course, this is also everyone else’s favourite time to visit the Maldives, which means most hotels will be running at full capacity and most will apply a high season rate increase


Winter (May to October): 

While the winter months are officially known as the wet season, the Maldives do not experience monsoons typical of tropical climates. You might experience short afternoon showers, but the clouds are rapidly gone leaving clear blue skies behind.

The advantage of these months is that rates are typically lower, and there might be fewer fellow travellers around, making winter well worth considering for your visit to the Maldives, especially if you have a restricted budget. 
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