The intercontinental gateway to the Maldives

Male (pronounced – Mal-eh) is but one tiny dot in the Indian Ocean. Most likely, you’ll be headed for one of the myriad other coral islands and islets of this world class aquatic archipelago dubbed the ‘last paradise on Earth’. But stay awhile and you’ll discover a town that’s an intriguing and compact place to hang out, a jumble of architectural styles teeming with life.

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Must see:
With around 80,000 people crammed into its tiny form, the island is almost entirely urbanised. In fact, it’s so small (just 1km by 1.7km) that one of the easiest things to do on arrival is to discover it on foot by taking the short walk from coast to coast. You can hire a bike or a moped if you prefer, but you might want to stop and check out the markets.

Must eat at:
Head for the fish market and Maarukeytu Hota for freshly caught fish of the day with the people who’ve just caught it! It’s cheap, cheerful and a million miles from the island resorts.

Must be there for:
Maldivian Independence Day on 26th July sees the town transformed with the help of floats and processions, and, in the evening official parades, drills and marches in the Republic Square.

Well-travelled tips:
· The best way to see the Maldives is from the air – and there are no shortage of seaplanes and helicopters able to give you a visual tour of just some of the 1190 coral islands making up the atoll chains.
· Independent travel is difficult, especially to the outlying atolls, where a permit is needed. Male itself offers a good snapshot of life in the Maldives.

Visa:
British citizens do not require an advance visa to enter the Maldives. A free 30 day visa is granted on arrival to all tourist visitors.#

Duty free shopping:
As the Maldives are outside of Europe, you can benefit from duty free prices on certain items purchased when travelling to Male through our terminals. More information.