Solo travel · Maldives
Solo travel in Maldives
How to enjoy Maldives at your own pace.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Alexey Potov - Noblige, CC BY-SA 2.5
Quick answer
Solo travellers usually skip the expensive resorts and base themselves on local islands, where guesthouses run group excursions and dive centres make it easy to meet others. Liveaboards are another sociable option for divers. Many solo travellers base themselves in Hulhumalé.
Key facts
- Base
- Hulhumalé
- Getting around
- Boat
- Emergency number
- 119 (police), 102 (ambulance)
- Language
- Dhivehi and English
Solo travel tips
- Stay on local islands such as Maafushi, Thoddoo or Dhigurah to keep costs down and join group trips.
- Book a liveaboard as a single diver; many boats offer shared cabins without a single supplement.
- Dress modestly on local islands and use only designated bikini beaches for swimwear.
- Snorkel and swim with a buddy or guide; currents in channels can be strong.
- Carry US dollars in small notes; card acceptance on local islands is patchy.
Where to stay
$$ · Best for budget, solo travellers and families
Hulhumalé
Built on reclaimed land beside the airport, Hulhumalé has a long, palm-lined public beach, wide streets and many small hotels and guesthouses. It is the most practical place to spend a night before or after a seaplane transfer, which only runs in daylight.
- Good
- Minutes from the airport; Public beach and cafés; Good-value hotels
- Watch out
- Modern and somewhat soulless; Modest dress required away from the hotel
- Nearby
- Velana International Airport, Malé
Great on your own
Experience · Velana International Airport
Seaplane flight over the atolls
Ask for a window seat on the right or left depending on the route, and pack a small day bag, as luggage limits on seaplanes are strict.
- Time needed
- 20–60 minutes
- Cost
- Expensive
- Iconic
- Views
- Photo spot
- Kids
Religious site · Malé
Old Friday Mosque (Hukuru Miskiy)
Dress modestly and ask the caretaker or a guide whether you may look inside; visits are not possible during prayer times.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
Museum · Malé
National Museum and Sultan Park
Visit in the heat of the day when the air-conditioned galleries offer a break from Malé's sun.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Art
Historic site · Addu Atoll
Addu Atoll and the British Loyalty wreck
Rent a bicycle to ride the causeways between Gan, Feydhoo, Maradhoo and Hithadhoo.
- Time needed
- Full day
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Off the beaten path
- Active
Meeting people
- Afternoon tea in a Malé hotaa — Join locals at a tea shop around 4pm for sweet tea and a plate of gulha, bajiya and masroshi; you pay for what you eat from the plate.
- Maldivian night at a resort — Many resorts hold a weekly buffet of Maldivian dishes such as garudhiya, mas riha and fihunu mas, often with bodu beru drumming.
Sensible precautions
Currents in reef channels (kandu) can be strong: snorkel with a buddy or guide and follow resort advice on where to swim. The equatorial sun burns quickly, and coral cuts heal slowly, so wear a rash vest and reef shoes.
- Emergency number
- 119 (police), 102 (ambulance)
- Staying connected
- Dhiraagu and Ooredoo sell tourist SIM cards at the airport; 4G covers most inhabited and resort islands, and resorts provide Wi-Fi.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Maldives good for solo travellers?
Solo travellers usually skip the expensive resorts and base themselves on local islands, where guesthouses run group excursions and dive centres make it easy to meet others. Liveaboards are another sociable option for divers.
+Where should solo travellers stay in Maldives?
Hulhumalé: Reclaimed island next to the airport with a long public beach and transit hotels.