Why go aux Maldives?
The good reasons to go aux Maldives
A shade of blue
The incredible clarity of the Maldivian waters offers a hypnotic palette of blues.
The tropics
With its stable, warm climate, swimming in the Maldives is possible all year round.
Luxury
Here, luxury reaches new heights of creativity and funny ideas.
The beach
Nowhere else will you find such soft, white sand.
Lazing around
Let yourself be lulled by the indolent rhythm of life on a local or tourist island.
The spa
There is no hotel in the Maldives that does not have its own spa and delicious treatments.
Diving
Colorful corals and marine variety make the Maldives a diver's paradise.
Love
Intimate destination par excellence, many couples on their honeymoon come here.
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'll return with a perfect complexion.
Good to know when visiting les 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.
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Discover les Maldives
While the dazzling white beaches and multi-hued blue waters attract tourists in droves, it would be a shame to miss out on Maldivian culture. You can get a quick overview by spending half a day in Malé or a few hours on a local island close to your island-hotel. You'll get a much better idea if you choose to stay on the inhabited islands, and you'll soon realize that Maldivians love nothing more than to share their culture. Our pages offer you the chance to immerse yourself in the culture of the islanders, whose only source of income for many years was fishing. You'll learn that, before becoming an Islamic republic, the Maldives were at the crossroads of numerous maritime routes between Africa and South Asia, the Middle East and Southeast Asia, creating a crossbreeding that continues even in the cuisine and certain folk customs.
