What to see, what to do Maldives?
The 10 good reasons to go Maldives
Love
Intimate destination par excellence, many couples on their honeymoon come here.
Luxury
Here, luxury reaches new heights of creativity and funny ideas
The beach
Nowhere else will you find such white and soft sand
Lazing around
Let yourself be lulled by the indolent rhythm of life on a local or tourist island.
A shade of blue
The incredible clarity of the Maldivian waters offers a hypnotic palette of blues.
Diving
Colorful corals and marine variety make the Maldives a diver's paradise
The tropics
With its stable and warm climate, you can swim all year round in the Maldives.
The spa
There is no hotel in the Maldives that does not have its own spa and delicious treatments.
The manta ray
A diver's dream, the manta ray is easy to spot in the Maldives, even in PMT.
The sun
The sun shines (almost) every day and you will come back with a perfect complexion
What to visit Maldives?
Interview: My Maldives
With Astrid Latapie, author of the guide
Astrid is a tourism journalist who has been travelling the roads of South Asia for the past ten years. It is quite natural that her steps led her to the Maldives, to take advantage of a few days of rest after months of intense travels in India. Love at first sight was immediate. How to resist the hypnotic beauty of the archipelago and the kindness of its inhabitants?
See the video of the interviewGood to know to visit Maldives
Timetable
Stores are generally open between 9am and 7pm. Some open earlier, or once the owner is awake, others close later. The only valid rule is that all shops are closed on Fridays between noon and two. Even resort restaurants adapt their opening hours to allow their Muslim employees to attend the mosque.
To be booked
On island hotels, group activities such as diving, sunset cruises and angling must be booked in advance. The number of places on the boats is generally limited.
Budget & Tips
The Maldives is one of the world's most expensive destinations. Since the 1990s, the country has made a 180° turn towards luxury tourism. As a result, you'll need to pay at least US$250 for a night in mid-season, and US$800 in high season. The only way to reduce your budget is to visit a local island. Overnight stays generally cost around US$90 for a double room with breakfast. But beware of transfer costs. The further away the island is from Malé, the more expensive the transfer will be.
Main events
Ramadan is the daily rhythm of Maldivian life for 28 days every year. For a month, they do not eat or drink during daylight hours. The end of Ramadan is celebrated with the Eid festival, which adds a special mood to the end of the fast, even in the island hotels.
Smokers
Maldivians are big smokers. In theory, smoking is forbidden inside restaurants, but as they are usually open to the four winds, the men smoke. On island hotels, smoking is generally prohibited in restaurants and rooms. More and more island-resorts are providing smoking areas and banning smoking everywhere else.
What's very local
Despite the humid climate and the presence of the sea, Maldivians wear decent clothes in their villages. Women cover their bodies (and often their heads) and men always wear a T-shirt. Shorts are forbidden in mosques, and women must be covered from head to toe.
