Best Time To Visit The Maldives

From sunset cruises to local island visits and desert-island picnics, there are lots of activities that you can arrange once you’ve arrived at your chosen island.

Diving in the Maldives

These idyllic coral islands rank amongst the best dive destinations in the world. When conditions are good, the underwater visibility is at the highest level – sometimes exceeding 50 metres – and the warm water temperatures year-round make diving in the Maldives a pleasure. The North Malé Atoll is home to the Lion’s Head and Wattaru Kandu dive sites, both of which are frequented by reef sharks. Wattaru Kandu is also home to stingrays and garden eels whilst Lankanfinokhu, or Manta Point as it’s known locally, is a great place to see manta rays being cleaned by local colonies of cleaner fish.

In the South Malé Atoll, Hukrueli is another place to see rays and cleaner fish, and Maaya Thila, a protected marine area, is home to white-tip sharks, turtles, zebra morays and the elusive guitar shark. Hanifaru lagoon in the Baa Atoll is one of the best places to see whale sharks and manta rays – June to September being the best time as this is during the monsoon season and equinox when the lagoon is filled with plankton.

The Scuba Diver course provides pre-entry level certification in three days and on completion you can then upgrade to an Open Water Diver qualification by taking the additional five day course. Our Ten Dives and Six Consecutive Days diving allow qualified divers to make the most of their time in these beautiful islands. Courses are available at Kurumba Maldives, Dhigali Maldives, Velidhu and Meeru.

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Best time to visit Maldives

Temperatures in the Maldives stay at a wonderfully warm 25-30°Cyear-round and only drop a few degrees at night. There’s an average of 8 hours of sunshine every day and the water temperature barely falls below 25°C. There are distinct wet (south-west monsoon) and dry (north-east monsoon) seasons; peak season for the Maldives is between December and April when the climate is drier, it’s less windy and the weather is hotter. Most travellers see this as the best time to go, but there are other factors to consider when choosing the time of year to travel here – like when to see specific marine life and when you’ll find the best value offers. Each island in the archipelago has its own microclimate, but there are general patterns that occur throughout the year.

Nov - May

January
86 mm
February
43 mm
March
59 mm
April
121 mm
May
234 mm
June
140 mm
July
148 mm
August
154 mm
September
185 mm
October
203 mm
November
226 mm
December
219 mm

The Maldives in January
The Maldives’ weather in January is hot, with low humidity and plenty of sunshine. There may be some rain, but at this time of year it passes very quickly. It’s a great month to visit the Maldives and booking in advance is advised. There’s also great visibility for diving and snorkelling.

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The Maldives in February
February is an excellent time to travel to the Maldives. It’s the Maldives’ driest month, with less than 70mm of monthly rainfall, average maximum temperatures of 30°C and around 10 hours of sunshine each day. Visibility for diving and snorkelling is excellent.

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The Maldives in March
In March, temperatures in the Maldives rise to an average maximum of 31°C – great for long days on the beach. Possible short bursts of rain offer relief from the hot temperatures. Visibility for diving and snorkelling is excellent and March also sees the start of the surfing season in the Maldives.

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The Maldives in April
April is another wonderfully hot month in the Maldives. This is the end of the Maldives’ official dry season and there are often showers mid-month. It’s also a little more humid. Water visibility for diving and snorkelling is still very good.

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The Maldives in May
May is hot, with average maximum temperatures of 31°C, but is the start of the Maldives’ official wet season and comes with risks of storms and possible whole days of rain. Diving visibility is slightly reduced due to the plankton in the water.

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The Maldives in June
June is another month in the Maldives with a high chance of rainfall. It’s a good time to take advantage of the best value offers if you’re willing to spend as much time enjoying your resort’s facilities as on the beach. Diving visibility is slightly reduced due to the plankton in the water, however there’s a huge advantage for divers as manta rays and whale sharks come to feed on the plankton.

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The Maldives in July
The Maldives’ weather in July is hot and humid, with short heavy downpours. This is another time to check for great value offers and is particularly good for surfers. Water visibility for diving is slightly reduced due to the plankton in the water, but the big draw underwater is the presence of manta rays and whale sharks. 26July is Independence Day and you may see small parades and public celebrations on resort islands.

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The Maldives in August
August in the Maldives is hot and humid, with an average 7 hours of sunshine each day and short heavy downpours. Diving visibility is slightly reduced due to the plankton in the water, but enticing offers mean this is still a popular time to visit.

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The Maldives in September
September is one of the Maldives’ wettest months. It sees average maximum temperatures of 30°C, and there’s still an average 7 hours of sunshine each day. Diving visibility is slightly reduced due to the plankton in the water, but there are great opportunities to spot whale sharks and manta rays feeding on the plankton.

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The Maldives in October
October is the Maldives’ wettest month, with high humidity and with possible whole days of rain. It’s a good time to take advantage of the best value offers if you’re willing to spend as much time enjoying your resort’s facilities as on the beach. October is the last month of the Maldives’ surfing season and the last month of the year for good sightings of whale sharks and manta rays.

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The Maldives in November
In November, temperatures in the Maldives are an average maximum of 30°C. The official wet season is finishing and although there are showers, the rain passes quickly.

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The Maldives in December
The climate for the Maldives in December is largely hot and dry, though mid-month showers are likely. It’s an excellent choice for some winter sun. Christmas and New Year are particularly popular and may include minimum stays.

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A note on Ramadam
The exact date of the holy month of Ramadan (known as Ramazan in the Maldives) changes each year. Guests visiting Maldives’ resorts during the holy month are unlikely to notice anything different to any other month – meals and alcohol are served as usual. If you’re visiting a local island, there will be some restrictions that you’ll understandably be asked to respect.

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