Jetset & Travel's guide to a great Maldives vacation. Everything you need to know before you go.

What You Need to Know Before Embarking on Your Luxury Maldives Adventure:

Travel time and routes to the Maldives from the USA

However long it takes you, it’s well worth the journey! Average travel time from the USA is about 30 hours one-way. You will have a connecting flight as no airlines fly direct from the USA to Male (the capital of Maldives). Here is what to expect:

From the USA, the most common origins to fly from are: Dallas, NYC, Atlanta, Miami, Los Angeles and San Francisco. The airlines which offer 1-stop flights to Male are: Qatar, Emirates, Cathay Pacific, Etihad, Turkish Airlines and Singapore airlines. It will take 15-18 hours from the USA to reach a connecting airport like Doha, Singapore and Dubai and Hong Kong. You will layover before taking another 4-5 hour flight from these cities to Male. Once in Male, you will likely take a short seaplane ride to your resort. You must land before 3pm as the seaplanes can’t fly at night. We will advise on this depending on the resort you are staying at. The majority of the Maldive’s resorts have seaplanes but a few like The Ritz-Carlton, Patina, and the One & Only can be accessed by speedboat.

Trip Length – How many nights should you stay in the Maldives?

If you are coming from the USA, we recommend staying at least 6 nights but ideally 6-10 nights. If you are only staying at one property, 6 nights will provide you enough time to do most everything you want. However, if you would like to stay at multiple properties, we recommend 8-10 nights, splitting it into 4-5 nights at each property to ensure you get the value.

Jetset & Travel can guide you on this depending on your budget, the type of trip you desire, and the activities you wish to do.

Time Zone and what is the time difference in the Maldives from the United States?

The majority of the Islands have their own time zone (an hour ahead of Male to guarantee the maximum number of daylight hours) Your phone will always be wrong so you need to change your phones clock. The islands closer to Male stay on their time zone. Maldives is 12 hours ahead of the United States in PST.

Pricing and expected costs for a Maldives vacation:

Full-Disclosure - If you are looking to stay at a luxury property in the Maldives, this is one of the most expensive trips you can take. However, you truly get what you pay for. Because each resort sits on a private island, they have to transport goods, food and staff to the property, making it pretty costly. Most resorts offer dining packages which you can purchase ahead of time – called Full-board and Half-board – more on that below.

The rate for 5-star hotels start around $1600 per night while the ultra-luxury resorts start around $3000 per night. You can find 4-star hotels depending on the season which range from $800-$1000 per night.

This price does not include your flights, meals or activities. Food is fairly expensive. For example, expect a dinner for two to cost around $350. If you would like to purchase food in advance, many of the resorts offer “Half-Board” which includes breakfast and dinner on-property (some restaurants and/or dishes may be excluded). You can also opt for “Full-Board” which includes breakfast, lunch and dinner. Some of the same restrictions may apply but more items are generally included in Full-board.

Tipping in the Maldives

It is customary in the Maldives for a 10% gratuity to be included on meals. Whether you want to add additional gratuity is at your discretion, but we recommend tipping an additional 5-10%, if you received great service. If not, feel free to leave as-is.

Most, if not all luxury resorts, have personal butlers for each guest. P.S. THIS IS AMAZING! We recommend tipping your butler $50 per day for two people. If you are visiting as a family, more would be expected. Depending on your child’s needs, $75 per day is recommended.

You should also tip housekeeping and the bellman about $10 a day.

Who is best for traveling to the Maldives?

Couples, families and adventure seekers. The Maldives is amazing for honeymoons and anniversaries because the location is so naturally romantic. Family trips are surprisingly easy here as well, as everything is self-contained on the island and most resosts have amazing kids clubs and nannies!

How to get around the Maldives if you decide on a split stay?

The Maldivian islands are very spread out so if you choose to stay at more than one property, you will need to take a boat or a seaplane. The hotels (and Jetset & Travel) will help you coordinate this. If you arrived by seaplane, you will likely have to fly back to Male to transfer which could take a full day, depending on your departure time.

What is the best time of year to visit the Maldives?

The Maldives are always warm as it sits on the equator and temperatures range from the low 70’s to high 80’s. It is one of those rare year-round destinations. If you want optimal weather, here is the seasonal breakdown:

November-May is the “dry season” and your chances for the best weather. This is the time of year with the highest nightly room rates as the dry season is also peak season.

May-October will likely be rainier, but it’s not consistently wet. The rain in that part of the world comes and goes very fast and the resorts dry up quickly. These hotels are built to accommodate rain with their enclosed golf-carts and plenty of rain activities. August & September are the two wettest months of the year in the Maldives.

Choosing the best type of room in the Maldives - Overwater Bungalow or Beach Villa?

If it’s your first time visiting the Maldive, and especially if you’re a couple, we recommend the famous overwater bungalow experience. You can jump right into the ocean! Some rooms have private pools and each bungalow is positioned in a way that promotes privacy. It’s also just really fun!

For those traveling as a family (especially with young children) or seeking a beachside stay, the beach villa is the way to go. Beach villas are a little safer for small kids as there is no risk of having a high deck out your back door. These villas also tend to be very private. They are landscaped very well and are positioned so you do not see or hear your neighbor… if there is one.

What is there to do in the Maldives?

Each resort sits on its’ own private island and provides a multitude of on-property activities. And since there is so much to see and do in and on the water, we recommend taking boat trips to see wildlife, snorkel and explore.

I had one hesitation about going to the Maldives for 2 weeks… will I get bored? Boy, was that misplaced! This isn’t your normal “relax on the beach” vacation (although you can do that too). Every day can be a different adventure with the amount of programming offered:

Snorkeling

Scuba

Dolphin Cruise

Sunset Cruise

Marine Biology Education

Gym/Fitness Classes

Wellness

Spa

Tennis lessons

Paddle/Ping Pong

Art installations

Cooking classes

Mixology Lessons

Wine tasting

Guest chefs

Guest wellness practitioners

Astronomers

Sustainability education

Your Maldives packing list:

Like any beach getaway, you will want to bring bathing suits, coverups, and flats. I brought nice dresses for dinner but I left the heels at home due to uneven ground. You can view my Outfit Inspo HERE and also my Quick Bearch resort makeup routine HERE from my most recent trip!

Why book The Maldives with Jetset & Travel?

There are so many resorts here and every single one is so different, it’s important that you’re matched with the right resort. Plus I have the ability to get you rates lower than the resort website at most places with extra added value perks (think- Included breakfast, Resort credits, upgrades and more!). It also helps that I know the right people to make sure you are taken care while at the resort and treated like the VIP that you are!