Maldives in winter: weather, prices, tips for choosing a hotel and vacation

The Maldives in winter is a great opportunity to take a break from the cold weather and spend Christmas and New Year's holidays or celebrate Valentine's Day on a pearly white beach bordered by the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean.

The climate in the Maldives in winter is characterized by predominantly dry weather and moderate humidity. The air temperature here all year round stays in the range of 25-30 degrees, and the water temperature usually does not drop below 26 degrees. Given such favorable temperature conditions, the holiday season for holidays in the Maldives never ends. However, it is during the winter months and the beginning of spring (December - the first week of April) in the Maldives that the high tourist season falls.

1. Weather in the Maldives in winter

From December to March, the dry northeastern Iruvai monsoon reigns in the Maldives. The weather during this period becomes drier, less windy, the amount of precipitation decreases, and the ocean waters retain excellent visibility for diving and snorkelling.

While the dry monsoon in December is not yet strong enough to prevent heavy rainfall, but usually short-lived, in January and February it fully comes into its own, making these months one of the clearest and driest months of the year. At the same time, the number of days when there is a probability of precipitation does not exceed 5 throughout the month. Therefore, weather conditions will in no way prevent you from enjoying your ideal vacation to the fullest.

In the winter months, the weather is characterized by approximately the same temperature indicators. Therefore, in the Maldives, the temperature in winter, as a rule, is kept in the range:

• 28-30 degrees in the daytime;
• 26-27 degrees at night;
• the average water temperature is 28-29 degrees.
  
  

2. Prices

Since tours to the Maldives in winter are very popular, prices for them may increase in comparison with the summer period by 30-50%.

Resorts prices

The approximate price for three days of rest in January with early booking is:

• Around USD 200 for a room with breakfast at affordable guesthouses such as Maclura Residence located in the Baa Atoll area. Additional taxes and fees are paid.
• About US $ 450 for a room with breakfast at the Kaani Palm Beach 4 * hotel, located in the South Male Atoll area. Taxes and fees are included in the price.
• About US $ 5400 for a beach bungalow with a pool and meals at the famous Four Seasons Kuda Huraa 5 * resort, located in the North Male Atoll area.

Four Seasons Kuda Huraa

Restaurant prices

Maldivian resorts provide various types of food: from bed and breakfast to all inclusive. Most of the tourists vacationing on the resort islands opt for half board, full board or all inclusive, since there is practically no alternative to restaurants on such islands (there are no grocery stores and inexpensive eateries).

Island resorts can offer fine food and drinks at an appropriate price level.

So, for example, the tasting menu in the restaurant of the resort hotel Baros Maldives 5 * costs 205 US dollars per person (including wine tasting). At the same time, the cost of a bowl of soup in the same restaurant will cost visitors USD 31-36.

Location: North Male Atoll.

How to get there: 25 minutes from the airport by speedboat.

Baros Maldives

The legendary Hard Rock Cafe offers its visitors the following prices for some items from its menu:

• large cheeseburger - $ 22;
• Caesar salad with chicken breast - US $ 17;
• cheesecake - $ 12;
• a bottle of beer $ 7-9;
• a glass of juice or a cup of coffee - $ 5.

A special children's menu has been developed for younger guests.

Location: Hard Rock Maldives, Emboodhoo Lagoon, South Male Atoll.

How to get there: 15-20 minutes by boat from the airport.

As for the capital of Male, as well as the inhabited islands, there are a sufficient number of cafes and restaurants offering food for every taste and budget: from budget eateries intended mainly for local residents to more expensive cafes and restaurants aimed primarily at tourists. ...

Approximate food prices here are:

• pizza - $ 7.5-10;
• soup - $ 2.5-4.5;
• juice - about $ 2.

Hard Rock Maldives

Entertainment prices

Entertainment prices in the Maldives depend on the location of the hotel. Here are the approximate prices for excursions starting from Male and the nearby island of Hulhumale, per person:

• Sunset Dolphin Cruise - US $ 95;
• walking tour of Male for the whole day - $ 80;
• a trip to the islands of South Male - $ 225;
• snorkeling tour with a visit to 3 fascinating places to explore the underwater world - from $ 99.

Город Мале | Asad Photo Maldives

3. What to do in the Maldives in winter

To make your vacation rich and varied, in addition to sunbathing and splashing in the ocean waters, you can:

• plunge into the beauty of the underwater world with the help of a professional dive center instructors;
• try your hand at one of the active sports offered by the hotels;
• go on one of the exciting excursions;
• get acquainted with the sights of the Maldives capital.

If you have the time and are also inclined to active rest and adventure seeking, there is an opportunity to combine a trip to the Maldives and a winter vacation in neighboring Sri Lanka. Such a combined voyage will allow you to get to know the cultures of two countries at once and, for sure, will remain in the memory of travelers for a long time.

Diving

If you believe unofficial statistics, more than 60% of visitors to the Maldives participate in some form of diving, and 80% in snorkeling.

In addition, this is not surprising, because the diving season in the Maldives lasts all year round. However, the winter months are most popular with diving enthusiasts. Dry and stable weather, no winds, sunny skies and calm seas provide excellent underwater visibility and attract many divers from all over the world.

Diving in the Maldives | Lily Beach Resort & Spa

Sport

Snorkeling, water skiing, parasailing, windsurfing, wakeboarding, banana boating, SAP, canoeing, first-class catamarans, beach volleyball, tennis, fitness are just a few of the activities you can do during your stay in the Maldives. The winds, which intensify at the end of February, create good surfing opportunities.

Tours

Maldivian hotels offer their guests numerous excursions, including:

• morning and night fishing with immediate tasting of the fish you caught;
• a glass-bottom boat excursion, which will be a good alternative for those who, for various reasons, are not attracted to snorkeling, as well as for families with children;
• Sunset Dolphin Cruise to observe these cute and intelligent animals in their natural habitat;
• a trip to the islands, which will provide an opportunity to get to know the locals and their way of life;
• swimming with sharks, where you can get to know the most unpredictable inhabitants of the ocean and take unique photos;
• seaplane excursions that will allow you to capture the beauty of the Maldives from a bird's eye view.

Fans of a more extreme pastime can take an exciting dive to a depth of 45 meters on the only passenger submarine in Southeast Asia, the Whale Submarine, or go on an exciting private excursion on the most innovative submarine in the world, the Super Falcon 3S.

Seaplane in the Maldives | Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru

4. Maldives in winter with children

From a financial point of view, wintering in the Maldives is not as attractive as, for example, in Thailand, Bali or Sri Lanka, and therefore is not very popular among tourists.

At the same time, all conditions have been created in the Maldives for a carefree and safe holiday for guests of various ages, including the smallest tourists.

Going to the Maldives in winter with children, in addition to acclimatization and temperature changes, you need to take into account the duration of the flight and take care of how to entertain the child on board. Some of these concerns are taken over by airlines, prudently offering young passengers a variety of entertainment: from coloring pages, toys and special menus to flying nanny services that entertain the little ones during the flight.

Traveling "from winter to summer", it is better, if possible, to give preference to a longer rest in order to give the body an additional opportunity to adapt to new weather conditions.

When collecting luggage, it is necessary to put in it:

• sunscreen with maximum SPF and sunburn cream;
• well thought out first aid kit;
• diapers, including for the pool, wet wipes and other baby skin care products;
• baby food, familiar to your baby.

When choosing a hotel for families with children, you should pay attention to its distance from the airport. The location of the hotel near the airport will allow you to avoid an additional flight on a seaplane and, accordingly, additional loads on the child's fragile body.

In addition, before traveling, you should familiarize yourself with the hotel's policy towards guests with children. For example, resorts may have restrictions on the placement of families with small children in water villas, as this is directly related to the safety of babies.

If you want to visit the Ithaa underwater restaurant, please note that according to the restaurant's policy, children are allowed to visit it only at lunchtime.

If your child is over 3 years old, it is better to opt for resorts where there is a kids club. Funny animation will not let the little guests get bored, and parents will get such valuable free time to fully enjoy a tropical vacation.

There are hotels in the Maldives that specialize in accommodating families with children. For example, the hotel Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru 5 * provides families with babies:

• strollers and playpens;
• baby monitors, bottle warmers and bathtubs;
• diapers, swim diapers and wipes;
• babysitting service for children from 1 year old (extra charge).

For guests aged 4 to 12 years, there are special children's entertainment programs. In addition to fun games, solving exciting puzzles and tasks with animators, children can:

• take part in a coral conservation project with marine biologists by attaching coral fragments to specially designed coral carcasses;
• visit a fish laboratory and a turtle rehabilitation center;
• learn to snorkel in the coral garden and interact with sea cucumbers, starfish and crustaceans.

Moreover, the smallest islanders will certainly delight the Maldivian sand. Indeed, unlike ordinary quartz sand, it consists of ground coral particles and does not heat up in the sun, so kids are comfortable playing on it even in the hottest weather.

Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru

5. Holidays and events

Valentine's Day

As the Maldives has traditionally been considered a favorite destination for couples and honeymooners, resorts place great emphasis on celebrating Valentine's Day and work hard to make the day a memorable one.

Lovers are offered romantic dinners in a picturesque setting under the twinkling stars of the Maldivian sky, accompanied by light live music.

You can also surprise your soul mate with a bouquet of flowers, invite her to a special wine and chocolate tasting or to the spa, where special offers for couples are available during the holiday period. During this time, the staff will carefully decorate your room with festive decorations, candles and rose petals.

And for lovers of a more active lifestyle, fun beach parties are offered on the occasion of the holiday.

Christmas and New Year

Since the Republic of Maldives is a Muslim state, the atmosphere here during the Christmas holidays is somewhat different from the traditional one. If in Male and on the inhabited islands, festive moods are quite modest, then on the resort islands this holiday will definitely not go unnoticed. Many resorts offer holiday parties, dinners and other recreational activities for their guests.

As for the New Year, it is celebrated cheerfully and on a grand scale both on the common islands and on the resort islands. Beach parties and gala dinners, beach barbecues, live entertainment, massive fireworks, DJ performances and dancing await guests.

Komandoo Island Resort & Spa

Chinese New Year

Some resorts also celebrate the Chinese New Year. Celebrations include introducing guests to traditional Chinese cuisine, local music bands and various performances.

6. Where to stay in the Maldives in winter

Choosing a resort is key when planning your perfect vacation.
When choosing a resort in the Maldives, in addition to financial possibilities, it is necessary to take into account a number of factors, including

• remoteness from the airport;
• convenience in terms of accommodation with children for family travelers;
• the possibility of privacy for travelers who prefer a calm and romantic vacation;
• the presence of a house reef, the availability of locations for diving or surfing;
• the presence of a spa and more.

Especially for our readers, we have developed the most interesting selection of hotels that will help you make the right choice, taking into account your personal preferences:

• The best hotels for families with children in the Maldives
• 14 best spa hotels in the Maldives
• 12 Best Water Villas in the Maldives
• 12 best 5 * hotels in the Maldives
• 9 best 4 * hotels in Maldives
• Maldives for two: which island to choose

Kurumba Maldives

7. Advantages and disadvantages of resting in the Maldives in winter

The undoubted advantages of resting in the Maldives in winter include:

• stable dry and calm weather;
• long daylight hours;
• excellent visibility for diving;
• the opportunity to move from winter to summer, spend unforgettable New Year's holidays and surprise your friends with bright photos and videos from your vacation.

Of the minuses of the winter Maldives, it is worth highlighting:

• increased prices;
• a large number of tourists (although on the resort islands, as a rule, you can find a place for a secluded vacation even in high season);
• the need to book accommodation, dive safaris and the most popular excursions several months in advance.