Best time to travel to the Maldives

Like other tropical island destinations, the Maldives is hot and humid all year round. For some people, it may feel unpleasant at first but it only takes a short while to acclimatise to the humidity. Once you get used to it, there's nothing that can stop you from enjoying your time in the Maldives. Although the Maldives is hot all year round, the temperature rarely goes above the average unlike other seaside locations.

With the Maldives being a sprawling nation of over 1000 islands, it covers a major portion of the Indian ocean. It also doesn't have tall mountains or massive skyscrapers, so there's nothing blocking the cool breeze that floats through the nation steadily through the year. Surfing season with its amazing waves is at its peak around March to October, thanks to the offshore winds during that period.

Rainfall is at its peak in this part of the world towards the end of the year, between September to December. However, being the big nation that it is, different atolls experience varying amounts of rainfall depending on the monsoon season at the time. If you are visiting the northern atolls, bring your rain gear between May and November, and for the southern atolls, between November and March.

If you hate the wet season, then the best time to travel to the Maldives is probably outside the monsoon season at the atoll you plan to stay at. However, keep in mind that the wet season here is not continuous heavy downpours; even in the rainy season, rainfall is light and there are still sunny days to enjoy yourself at the beach.

The best time to visit is during the dry season which is from November to April. That being said, the Maldives does see sporadic rainfall even during these months. However, since it doesn't rain very heavily and for extended periods of time, there's pretty much nothing to stop you from sunbathing or snorkelling. If it does rain, it's best to get out of the water and wait for it to pass. With these months being peak tourist season for the archipelago, expect to bump into more travellers on your scuba diving or snorkelling excursions.

November is the end of the wet season with plenty of sunny days and some short showers in the afternoons. In December, the Maldives is sunny and dry, making it the popular place for an island Christmas and New Year holiday. December to February are the driest months with February being the driest of all. April is also a gorgeous month to visit the Maldives, though since it's the last of the dry months, it brings increased humidity and rainfall beginning from the middle of the month.

The low season in the Maldives is between May and October. Although the archipelago experiences increased rainfall, it generally only pours for short periods at a time. It's still warm during these months, but with increased humidity, it can be less comfortable during the drier months, at least until you acclimatise yourself to it.

Being the low season, there are fewer visitors at the resorts, so you can have a more peaceful time while sunbathing and going on the various excursions. That being said, this time is popular with surfers since the area gets bigger waves. In May and June, Maldivians observe the Muslim holy month of Ramadan where they fast during the day, so there may be some restrictions on the local islands.

Being a mostly dry archipelago with sporadic, short thunderstorms even during the wet months, the Maldives is a good place to visit all year. If you visit during the low season, you can enjoy off-peak rates and still get to enjoy what this country has to offer as long as your itinerary isn't packed with a lot of water sports and outdoor activities. Now that you know the best time to visit the Maldives, you can start planning your dream holiday!