Male, Maldives

Male itself is a small, densely packed capital island, but almost nobody stays there — it's the arrival point before a speedboat or seaplane transfer to one of the country's resort atolls. The airport, on its own reclaimed island, is built almost entirely around that transfer.

Top attractions

• •A seaplane or speedboat transfer to a resort atoll — often a highlight of the trip itself for the aerial reef views
• •Snorkeling or diving among the coral reefs surrounding almost any resort island
• •Male's Old Friday Mosque, if spending time on the main island
• •A sandbank or uninhabited island excursion, offered by most resorts
• •Dolphin-watching cruises, common at sunset

Practical tips

• •Velana International Airport (MLE) sits on its own island — resort transfers are by speedboat (shorter distances) or seaplane (longer, daylight-only), arranged directly with your resort.
• •Book seaplane transfers as early as possible, since they only operate during daylight hours and can be a scheduling bottleneck around late flight arrivals.
• •Alcohol is generally restricted to resort islands only, not available on Male or other inhabited local islands.

Frequently asked questions