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Where is the country of Maldives located? Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, is an archipelagic state located in Southern Asia. If you are talking about dream destinations, then you can certainly count the Maldives among them. This tropical destination is high on the wish lists of lovers of snow-white palm beaches, with the clearest sea imaginable. Spread over hundreds of islands, luxurious hotel resorts have been built, where the guests lack nothing at all. The emphasis is mainly on enjoyment in every possible way. Think delicious food, relaxing spa treatments and an overwhelming underwater world. It is not for nothing that the Maldives are so loved. Due to the price tag often associated with a Maldives vacation, many people save this destination for a special moment, such as a honeymoon or an anniversary.

The more than 1,100 islands of the Maldives have a tropical climate, with little variation in maximum and minimum temperatures. It is always pleasantly warm during the day, with temperatures around 30 degrees; at night it cools down to about 25 degrees.

Because they are all islands in a tropical environment, the relative humidity is high. The ever-present trade winds provide some cooling. Without that wind, the perceived temperature would be a bit higher than it is now. Winds can be quite strong in the fall, which is part of the transition from the wet season to the dry season.

Dry season

The best time to travel to the Maldives is the dry season. This can fluctuate slightly per place within the Maldives, but in general the dry season runs from mid-December to mid-April. At the same time, this is the ideal time for diving and therefore also the peak tourist season of the Maldives. Prices of hotel rooms and airline tickets are often a bit higher in this period than in other periods. December is especially popular. Around Christmas, a holiday to the Maldives will cost you a small fortune, especially in the most luxurious hotels.

wet season

The wet season is from late April to early December. On average, there is about 200 mm of rain per month. Despite the rain, the sun still shines during this monsoon period. If you travel to the Maldives during the wet season, you will have to take into account an increased chance of precipitation. In addition, there is a significant chance that there will be days that will be quite wet. In the Maldives you are lucky that there are hardly any days that are completely gray. The sun often shows itself between showers.

seawater

The sea, beaches and underwater world are the main attractions of the Maldives. The wonderful seawater temperatures also contribute to this. With fairly constant temperatures around 28 degrees, it is wonderful to swim, snorkel or dive in the Maldives. Unfortunately, climate change is increasingly visible within the underwater world of the Maldives. As the average sea temperature has increased in recent years, significant damage has been done to the coral. Coral thrives best in temperatures of 26 to 27 degrees. Once the seawater warms further, the coral can bleach and eventually die. This directly affects other ocean animals, for which the coral is an important habitat.

solar power

Due to its location around the equator, the solar power is always very high (highest UV index). Unprotected sunbathing or swimming will quickly lead to sunburn for most. Applying a good sunscreen with a very high protection factor regularly is a must, even in cloudy weather. If you go snorkelling, it might be best to wear an old T-shirt as protection against the sun. A more expensive but better option is to put on special protective clothing for underwater.

Climate figures

The figures below are based on long-term average climate statistics. The temperatures are displayed in degrees Celsius (°C).

Best time to visit the Maldives

Do you want to know when is the best time to travel to the Maldives? You can determine the best time to travel to a destination based on the weather and climate. In addition, there are other factors that are not directly related to the weather and that can influence the best travel periods for a travel destination. Think, for example, of holidays or festive periods, which makes traveling more interesting or not, because daily life comes to a standstill as a result. The Republic of the Maldives is an archipelago located in the Indian Ocean. The nearly 1200 islands spread over 26 atolls are a so-called dream destination. The tropical islands with beautiful white sandy beaches, swaying green palm trees and a bright blue sea stimulate the fantasies of those looking for a relaxing beach holiday. The Maldives is a top destination, especially in the ‘honeymoon’ or ‘romantic beach holidays’ segments. In absolute numbers, there are enough destinations that receive more visitors per year, but relatively speaking, tourism is strongly present and is now the main source of income for the Maldives. If you travel to the Maldives, you will have to deal with a tropical monsoon climate. Characteristic of the weather in the Maldives are the pleasant temperatures throughout the year, the almost always present trade winds and the monsoon period in which reasonable amounts of rain can fall. On the southernmost islands there is more rainfall than on the islands that are located in the center or in the north of the Maldives. There is actually no more than a monsoon period, but there is quite a bit of rainfall throughout the year.

Best months

The best time to travel to the Maldives is from January to mid-April. This is the driest period. There can still be a rain shower, but the chance of a longer period with quite a lot of precipitation is small in the first 3.5 months of the calendar year. This makes the Maldives a good winter sun destination. The afternoon temperatures are then around 30-32 degrees Celsius, at night it hardly cools down and the sea temperature is very pleasant with 28-29 degrees.

Cyclones

Tropical cyclones occur in the Indian Ocean from mid-April to mid-December. They can move towards (part of) the Maldives. Heavy rainfall, strong winds and high waves can then occur. Fortunately, this doesn’t happen too often. The southern atolls are less prone to hurricanes because they are close to the equator. Hurricanes rarely move toward the equator.