Maldives Videos

I've finally got round to editing the video I took on a trip to Makunudu Resort in North Male Atoll last year. I've posted the results on YouTube.

The Resort

Boat Diving

House Reef

Night Dive

Shark Point

Richard

So when is the best time of the year to do the Maldives? I know those Manta trains are not year round. Are there some spots to absolutely not miss and those to avoid? Any ship or resort recommendations?

Steve

Steve,

I think it's normally stated that the Maldives have two distinct seasons; dry season (northeast monsoon) and wet season (southwest monsoon), with the former extending from January to March and the latter from mid-May to November. For the best weather I believe february and March are the best bets, however you can dive there year round if you pick your area depending on the prevailing monsoon. Our trip was in November which is a transitional period but the weather was fine with just the odd storm in the evenings.

The famous Hanifru Lagoon gets its Manta aggregations in August and September but there are many places to see them in smaller numbers (10's rather 100's) and we've never failed to see them whatever time of year we have visited.

There are hundreds of resorts to choose from catering to different levels of budget but I think the best option is to go on a liveaboard. We've always used Maldives Scuba Tours and have never been disappointed.

Richard

Thanks for the info. Sometimes the best weather does not necessarily mean the best diving which is what most of us are concerned with. The best time for the Cocos, for example, is during their rainy season. For a first visit, I will need to decide I guess.

Steve

I've just got back from 10 days in the Maldives. We dived North Male and South Ari from MV Amphibiya. We had a few storms earlier on, but the majority of the weather was excellent. Water temp was 28-30 degrees C and vis depended a bit on the tides, but generally great. Had a few Mantas at Manta Point and got a swim with a Whale Shark in South Ari. Our dive guide had a trip in the more northern atolls before we got there and he said water temp up there was 26 deg C.

I hope this helps as it's a bit hard to find out what is the best time for the Maldives. I don't think any time is a bad time when you're in a tropical paradise!!!