If you’re buying a vacation home in the Maldives, one of the most important considerations is how you’ll get to and from it as well as how you’ll move around the atoll you live in. Most visitors arrive at Velana International Airport in the central Maldives (and sometimes Gan International in the south) but after arrival you’ll need to decide which way to navigate this water world.
This is where the geography of the Maldives becomes very important. The Maldives territory is 99% water, covering an area of 34,749 square miles in total. The landmass is only 115 square miles and that land area is calculated by adding up all of the 1,200 tiny islands scattered around the archipelago. These islands are part of a double chain of atolls that slice through the equator in a north to south orientation, 540 miles long from end to end. That should give you a good idea of how geographically disparate the islands are.
Which means two things. 1) You definitely don’t need a car! Most islands are an average of half a mile long anyway. And 2) Getting around in the Maldives is very different to how you get around most other countries. But that doesn’t mean it’s complicated. There are a number of options to choose from. This post takes a look at the best ways to get around the Maldives. Our advisors are also on hand to recommend the best routes to get you quickly and efficiently to and from your vacation villa.
Since our vacation homes are located outside of Male’ Atoll (where Velana International is based), you’re probably going to need to take a scenic seaplane or domestic flight to reach it. Seaplanes are one the most popular ways of traveling longer distances across several atolls within the Maldives. A seaplane can deliver you in style to your island home within 20 minutes or less.
If you’re taking a seaplane, the Maldives is the largest seaplane operator in the world so there are dozens of daily flights. You have two main options. You can book a scheduled seaplane flight with Trans Maldivian Airways or Manta Air. These can be booked online or by phone and the schedules are confirmed the evening before your journey. Scheduled seaplane flights operate between the seaplane terminal at Velana and resorts, so you’ll also have to book a speedboat transfer onwards from the resort. (More on speedboat charters below).
The second option is to charter your own seaplane to take you right to your island home. The great thing about seaplanes is they don’t need runways so they can land just about anywhere! Seaplane tickets can cost between $300 to $600 (depending on the distance you need to cover), although private charters can cost more. Seaplanes can only operate during daylight hours in the Maldives (roughly 6am to 6pm year-round).
One of the main advantages of domestic flights is they operate day and night in the Maldives. They also cover a wider geographical area than seaplanes can so if you’re heading to the far north or far south, a domestic flight is the best option. The Maldives has a sizable network of domestic airports, many of which are located close to our holiday villa islands.You can then take a public ferry or private speedboat charter from the domestic airport island to your island. The major domestic airlines are Manta, Maldivian and FlyMe.
If you’re taking a private jet, you can also request to land at many of the domestic airports.
Boats are an extremely important way of getting around the Maldives – particularly for shorter journeys within the same atoll but you’ll often need to use them to complete a journey after taking a seaplane or domestic flight. This is most likely to be the option you choose to get from the seaplane drop-off or domestic airport to your island. A number of companies offer private speedboat bookings such as GetMyBoat and Arriva. We can advise you when you buy a holiday home with Atoll Homes of the best way to reach it according to your requirements.
You can also charter private vessels in the Maldives of all kinds of sizes – from Turkish gulets and small speedboats for cruising locally to mega-yachts capable of inter-atoll and international travel. Whether you’re already a skipper or if you require a full crew, the Maldives is well set up for sailing and nautical adventures. We can even recommend the best islands for your holiday home that also have good moorings if you like to have a boat on hand all the time.
Public ferries, known as ‘dhonis’, only cost a few dollars per trip. They’re not like the glitzy public ferries you’ll find in places like the Riviera Maya – expect wooden or plastic chairs, no restrooms and no food and drinks served on board. But they are great for hopping between neighboring islands and also give you a good taste of local life. You can often sit on the roof for the ultimate views.
A limited number of scheduled public speedboat services operate between inhabited islands (such as the once daily public speedboat to Dhigurah and a service linking Male’ with the airport). This could always change though because scheduled boat services are continually expanding in the Maldives.
As we mentioned at the start of this post, you won’t need your own car in the Maldives. There are three very practical reasons for this. The first is that most islands are very small (an average of half a mile long or so), which renders cars redundant. The second is that on many of the remote islands, the streets are unpaved and instead are lined with sand. And the third is that cars are levied with a 100% import duty in the Maldives. So let’s take a look at your options.
Most people rely upon bicycles to get around the larger islands. Bikes are clean and green but their tyres are also perfect for island terrain of sandy streets and jungle walking tracks. Everywhere is flat so you won’t ever have any laborious uphill struggles, or even need to change gears! An alternative is a scooter (like a Vespa) or an electric bike.
On resort islands, golf buggies are common. While they’re much rarer on our vacation home islands, there’s nothing to prevent you from buying one from a supplier such as The Club (which will even deliver it right to your island).
The only exception to the rule is Male’ and the neighboring islands. This is the one area where you can find taxis in the Maldives, although scooters reign supreme here. But at 2.2 square miles, you’re unlikely to ever really need a taxi in Male’ unless you want to duck out of the heat or a shower, or are transporting large items with you.
Since our vacation homes are located outside of Male’ Atoll (where Velana International is based), you’re probably going to need to take a scenic seaplane or domestic flight to reach it. Seaplanes are one the most popular ways of traveling longer distances across several atolls within the Maldives. A seaplane can deliver you in style to your island home within 20 minutes or less.
If you’re taking a seaplane, the Maldives is the largest seaplane operator in the world so there are dozens of daily flights. You have two main options. You can book a scheduled seaplane flight with Trans Maldivian Airways or Manta Air. These can be booked online or by phone and the schedules are confirmed the evening before your journey. Scheduled seaplane flights operate between the seaplane terminal at Velana and resorts, so you’ll also have to book a speedboat transfer onwards from the resort. (More on speedboat charters below).
The second option is to charter your own seaplane to take you right to your island home. The great thing about seaplanes is they don’t need runways so they can land just about anywhere! Seaplane tickets can cost between $300 to $600 (depending on the distance you need to cover), although private charters can cost more. Seaplanes can only operate during daylight hours in the Maldives (roughly 6am to 6pm year-round).
One of the main advantages of domestic flights is they operate day and night in the Maldives. They also cover a wider geographical area than seaplanes can so if you’re heading to the far north or far south, a domestic flight is the best option. The Maldives has a sizable network of domestic airports, many of which are located close to our holiday villa islands.You can then take a public ferry or private speedboat charter from the domestic airport island to your island. The major domestic airlines are Manta, Maldivian and FlyMe.
If you’re taking a private jet, you can also request to land at many of the domestic airports.
Boats are an extremely important way of getting around the Maldives – particularly for shorter journeys within the same atoll but you’ll often need to use them to complete a journey after taking a seaplane or domestic flight. This is most likely to be the option you choose to get from the seaplane drop-off or domestic airport to your island. A number of companies offer private speedboat bookings such as GetMyBoat and Arriva. We can advise you when you buy a holiday home with Atoll Homes of the best way to reach it according to your requirements.
You can also charter private vessels in the Maldives of all kinds of sizes – from Turkish gulets and small speedboats for cruising locally to mega-yachts capable of inter-atoll and international travel. Whether you’re already a skipper or if you require a full crew, the Maldives is well set up for sailing and nautical adventures. We can even recommend the best islands for your holiday home that also have good moorings if you like to have a boat on hand all the time.
Public ferries, known as ‘dhonis’, only cost a few dollars per trip. They’re not like the glitzy public ferries you’ll find in places like the Riviera Maya – expect wooden or plastic chairs, no restrooms and no food and drinks served on board. But they are great for hopping between neighboring islands and also give you a good taste of local life. You can often sit on the roof for the ultimate views.
A limited number of scheduled public speedboat services operate between inhabited islands (such as the once daily public speedboat to Dhigurah and a service linking Male’ with the airport). This could always change though because scheduled boat services are continually expanding in the Maldives.
As we mentioned at the start of this post, you won’t need your own car in the Maldives. There are three very practical reasons for this. The first is that most islands are very small (an average of half a mile long or so), which renders cars redundant. The second is that on many of the remote islands, the streets are unpaved and instead are lined with sand. And the third is that cars are levied with a 100% import duty in the Maldives. So let’s take a look at your options.
Most people rely upon bicycles to get around the larger islands. Bikes are clean and green but their tyres are also perfect for island terrain of sandy streets and jungle walking tracks. Everywhere is flat so you won’t ever have any laborious uphill struggles, or even need to change gears! An alternative is a scooter (like a Vespa) or an electric bike.
On resort islands, golf buggies are common. While they’re much rarer on our vacation home islands, there’s nothing to prevent you from buying one from a supplier such as The Club (which will even deliver it right to your island).
The only exception to the rule is Male’ and the neighboring islands. This is the one area where you can find taxis in the Maldives, although scooters reign supreme here. But at 2.2 square miles, you’re unlikely to ever really need a taxi in Male’ unless you want to duck out of the heat or a shower, or are transporting large items with you.
Once you understand the geography of the Maldives, you can make an informed choice. Or Atoll Homes has a network of partners that will work diligently on finding the right transport solution for you. Drop us a line today.
Meerubahuruge Aage (2F), Henveiru, Male, Maldives 20077
150 Spear St. San Francisco, CA 94105, USA
