Maldives holiday season 2021: when is the best time to go?

We determine the best time to travel to the Maldives - we take into account both the budget and the weather.

My independent trip to the Maldives happened in the summer: it was hot, windy and without rain. Then I was thrown to the islands in the "high season" - I worked from November to March on a contract basis - and sometimes the sun was so hot that I wanted to put my head in an ice box for a couple of hours.

Therefore, as a person who fully appreciated the weather on the islands at different times, I will describe in this article the season for holidays in the Maldives for months and tell you whether it is worth going in the summer, when there is not a soul on the beaches, and the villas on the water stand twice cheaper.

The beginning and end of the season in the Maldives

The Maldives is paradise, and the climate in paradise all year round implies sun and average air and water temperatures from + 25 ° C to + 30 ° C. Therefore, we can say that the beach season in the Maldives never ends. The islands are located close to the equator, and there is no division into the seasons we are accustomed to "hot" and "cold".

It's just that at certain times it rains a little more often, and the winds blow stronger. This is due to the monsoons: wet and dry. And therefore, in the Maldives, there are:

• high season or dry - lasts from November to April,
• low season or rainy season - lasts from May to October.

High season in the Maldives is a hot and cloudless day, and the ocean is so calm and transparent that you can see your life in it. All this greatly affects the prices of air tickets and hotels: they fly up, like Tesla shares. And it is here that depressive thoughts roll over that the Maldives are for Elon Musks.

In the low season, there is more rain and waves in the ocean. This is not at all scary and does not interfere, because it rains more often at night. And I'm not taking it from the ceiling: I went on vacation just in July. I got sunburned, bathed, and on the way back we all discussed by plane why they hide from us that it is super to have a rest in the Maldives in the summer, and agreed to leave collective reviews.

Entry to Maldives - 2021

Can you fly to the Maldives now? Yes, the country is open for Russians, no visa is needed.
But you need to prepare in advance:

- negative PCR test in English and not older than 96 hours from the moment you scratched your nose (only children under 1 year old are exempt from the test)

- an online application form no earlier than 24 hours before departure, you need to attach a "selfie" and the result of the PCR test to it (therefore, be sure to check that it comes to the post office).

- insurance with covid coverage

Well, at least you can fly to the Maldives without changes. In 2021, two routes are still available to a tourist from Russia:

1. Self-reliant.
View flights on Aviasales or Skyscanner - and remember that Aeroflot, Azur, Emirates, Turkish Airlines and Qatar Airways deliver to the islands for sure.

And choose a dream hotel on RoomGuru - I like this search engine more, because it compares the prices of Booking, Agoda, official hotel websites and suggests where it is cheaper.

2. Tours to the Maldives.
You can estimate the cost of a trip in the style of "myself" with a voucher - and no, this is not the last century, it really is more profitable. Moreover, the tours are also online with one foot, now the entire database of offers is not in the travel agent's computer, but in front of your eyes:

• Travelata
• Level.Travel
• Onlinetours

Everything directly from tour operators, no extra charges and with our favorite comparison for all promotions and discounts.

Maldives Monthly Weather

So, in the Maldives, two climatic seasons are conditionally distinguished, and the table below will help us to visualize them.

Season in the Maldives by months:

Green - tourist season (hot, rare rains, the ocean is beautiful)
Red - low season (hot, it rains, the ocean is beautiful and with waves).

The Maldives has tropical weather throughout the year. The average air temperature is + 28 ° C… + 30 ° C (both day and night - all twelve months!), And the water temperature does not drop below + 28 ° C. Only the amount of precipitation changes within each season. But, as the Maldivians themselves say, due to global warming and climate change, rains practically do not happen in the low season, so there is almost no difference when it is better to go to the Maldives (the principle of "Russian roulette" is more likely). Well, now in detail: what is the weather in the Maldives for months.

Maldives in December, January and February

Hurray, the rainy monsoon has passed and it is coming - the best holiday season in the Maldives.

The Maldives in winter is the very essence of summer: sunny, calm, almost cloudless days and a warm ocean, ideally transparent for snorkeling and diving. If you are traveling to the Maldives with children, then, perhaps, this period is the most comfortable: kids can build castles and skyscrapers from sand all day (with spf and panamas, of course), and in the water there is less risk of stepping on any living creatures.

The only drawback of the local "winter" is that a good half of the world wants to celebrate the New Year in the Maldives - therefore, the peak season falls on the end of December or mid-January. Prices soar into space in winter, and it is worth booking a hotel in advance.

December in the Maldives it is mostly sunny, hot and somehow ... blissful. Torrential rains do not threaten, round-the-clock + 28 ° C and the feeling that life is a success soars in the air. Only at the end of the month are small waves in the ocean possible, and the temperature may drop - oh, horror! - up to + 26 ° C. But only on the street, the ocean is unshakable and retains its +29 degrees.

In January prices for flights and lodging at a luxury resort compete with the budget of a small town. The ocean calms down, and again there is widespread carelessness. Coral reefs and their colorful fish inhabitants can be studied as if under a microscope.

In February ideal weather in the Maldives holds, and only at the very end of the month the ocean waves a little more - on the eve of the change of seasons. February is considered the driest month on the islands, and the sun shines for 10 hours a day. So you can swim and sunbathe almost endlessly.

Maldives in March, April and May

The Maldives are still beautiful in spring, but the low season is inevitable.

In what month is it better to go to the Maldives in the spring? In March - The peak season for hotel reservations is coming to an end, prices are gradually decreasing. The weather and the ocean are unchanged, with the only exception - the average air temperature is higher than usual and jumps to + 30 ° C. Classic conditions for beach sipping, and rare rains are even very handy, you can take a little break from the sun. The visibility in the ocean is excellent, but waves are already gathering: the surfing season starts in the Maldives.

In April the dry season is officially ending, but the weather is not good for the trip. Although the sky by the end of the month is often covered with clouds, and rains occur, all this practically does not interfere with the rest. You can continue to calmly hang out in the ocean and look at the drawings on the turtle's shell, much like we looked at the drawing on the wall carpet in childhood.

In May in the Maldives, everything is also hot - by +30 both on land and in water, and waves appear. It rains, yes, at night. The sun is bright during the day too. Like the first plankton in the ocean, which slightly reduces visibility.

Maldives in June, July, August

Perhaps there is some irony in the fact that it is in the summer that the rainy season begins in the Maldives.

Summer is often called the period when you should not go to the Maldives, but this is not to say that it is true. The air and water temperature does not drop critically, it also remains at + 30 ° C, only the rains become longer (up to 3 hours in total per day). The waves in the ocean are getting stronger (hello surfers!), But the beach season is strong - despite the cloudy weather, it is easy to get tanned and burned.

The big bonus of the Maldives in the summer is reduced hotel prices. It is necessary to maintain the fallen demand, so everything becomes much cheaper.In the next section, we will compare the cost of living in high season and off-season.

In June it is hot, cloudy, rainy in the Maldives. The water in the ocean is not so clear because of the plankton - by the way, it attracts manta rays and whale sharks, and they, in turn, attract divers.

In July the weather differs little from June. By the way, on July 26, the Maldives celebrate Independence Day: you can see mini-parades from local residents, however, only if you find yourself on a local island.

In August in the Maldives, it is still warm above normal, with occasional clouds and short-term rains.

Maldives in September and October and November

The Maldives in the fall is influenced by the wet monsoon, which means that, in addition to tourists, rain and wind will also be frequent guests on the islands.

But there are those who only enjoy such conditions: they are surfers and divers. While the former are honing their skills on the high ocean waves, the latter are refueling their scuba gear as the famous manta ray season begins.

For ordinary tourists who come for a quiet vacation, there is also nothing critical: there are no squally winds and rainstorms on the islands for the whole day. Maldivian rain is generally short and fresh (remember that humid smell on a warm summer day), and the sand on the beach dries up too quickly. By the way, sometimes it doesn’t rain for weeks - so lucky.

• Important! In the fall, in the Maldives, you should not be fooled by cloudiness, and every day you need a sunscreen with the maximum degree of protection: it is a little offensive if your tan resembles the flag of Poland remotely.

In September in the Maldives, there are rains and winds, which is why the visibility in the ocean is slightly worse than in the high season, but by the third decade of September, the clouds clear up and the ocean becomes calmer.

In October on the islands, the air temperature drops to blissful + 28 ° C. If the rain suddenly catches you during the day, then this is a great opportunity to try some of the hotel's services - for example, lounging in the spa (many hotels offer discounts to guests during the low season). Back in October, surfers begin to feel sad, because their season ends.

In November the seasons change: the wet monsoon recedes, and a dry monsoon takes its place. You can't go, but you need to - to pay less for something that will sharply rise in price in December.

When is the best time to relax in the Maldives?

In short, the Maldives are definitely worth seeing at any time of the year. The proximity to the equator mitigates any bad weather that can be painlessly survived in your villa. In general, rain on the islands can even be recorded in your list of life adventures: you are on a piece of land in the ocean, far from cities and bustle, and only the rumble of pouring rain on the roof breaks the silence.

The holiday season lasts all year long with a slight difference in the amount of rain and wind strength in high and low seasons.

The best month in the Maldives is March, when the heat is balanced by the still rare rains, and the prices for vacations no longer force you to think about selling the entire property.

An alternative to travel could be the intermediate months of the year, for example, when the season starts (November) and ends (April-May). If you are planning a vacation with children, then the best option is, of course, the high season. In general, the main thing in this matter is to choose a family hotel, where there is a small kindergarten and educators who can look after the baby and occupy him with all available entertainment: for example, collecting Lego or making necklaces from plumeria flowers.

When is it cheaper to vacation in the Maldives?

We have sorted out the season in the Maldives and when it is better to rest, and now let's look at the magic of pricing depending on the season.

Any hotel search engine will help us with this:

• RoomGuru
• or Booking, if you are more used to it

It happens that some hotels offer discounts on reservations up to 50% for advertising purposes, offer a free transfer to the island or a free upgrade. But there is also a general trend: accommodation is always cheaper in the low season from May to October and significantly more expensive from November to April.

For comparison, let's take two Maldivian hotels from different price categories:

And another important point: it is better to prepare for a vacation in the Maldives in advance and book hotels six months in advance, or even earlier. Despite the price tags, hotels are briskly snapping up, especially on holiday dates.

My review and advice on the Maldives

Having visited the islands in both high and low seasons, I say that any time of the year is a time for the Maldives. Yes, the probability of rain in summer is higher, but do not expect floods, storms and other disasters. In the question of when is the best time to go on vacation to the Maldives, you should focus not only on the weather, but also on seasonal offers and discounts.

• Do not trust the general forecast in the Maldives: most often it is designed for Male, but in fact, all atolls - especially those far from the capital - are at the mercy of their weather conditions.
• Do not be alarmed if rains are predicted for the whole month: more often it is a "reassurance".
• Cloudiness in the Maldives is not a reason to give up on spf: a spotted tan can be successfully obtained in January and July.
• You can fly to the Maldives very cheaply if you plan a backpacker-style vacation: stay not in an island resort, but in a guesthouse on a local island (for example, Maafushi).
• The beach and swimming season on the islands lasts the whole year, however, you need to remember that Islam is practiced in the Maldives - therefore, it is possible to be in a bikini on the beach only on the resort islands. If you are on local islands with locals, then you need to cover your shoulders and knees and sunbathe on the "bikini beach" specially designated for tourists. Alcohol is prohibited in any form.
• During low season, prices for accommodation fall by up to 50%, and many resorts offer a free shuttle to the island: you just have to carefully study the reviews of hotel guests and make a decision.
• How much money do you need for a vacation in the Maldives? This is very individual, and depends on which island you are going to: a resort or a local one; how you will have fun; and, of course, on the type of food (restaurants in resorts are expensive).