The Climate and Best Time to Visit
There are 2 monsoon seasons which dominate the climate here - the northeast monsoon (dry) and the southwest monsoon (wet). Due to its equatorial location, the Maldives do not experience major cyclones.
Generally speaking the drier months of the year are between November and April (March and April being the hottest months). The wetter season, runs from May to early November. June, July and August often see the most rain, although most of the rain is experienced in the southern atolls.
Air temperatures are consistent and range between 24 and 33°C. You should pack appropriate clothing such as light cotton garments and sandals and otherwise as you normally would for visiting somewhere in the tropics.
It is possible to dive the Maldives throughout the year, with warm water temperatures being fairly constant throughout the year at 26-29°C (except in the far south which can be a couple of degrees cooler). However, the recommended season for confirmed liveaboard cruise departures is from November to May. This is when the seas are calmest and the skies are most often blue, with peak visibility. Outside of this period the winds and more frequent rains can cause ocean swells and it may be more difficult to find a confirmed departure.
The larger marine creatures of the Maldives are not seasonal visitors: you can see hammerheads, mantas, whale sharks, reef sharks, turtles and Napoleon wrasse all year round.
Liveaboard Ports of Departure and How to Get There
Male International Airport on Hulhule Island, 10 minutes by boat from the capital city Male, is where most arrivals first set foot on Maldivian soil. It is well connected and easy to get to. The islands are 4 hours flight from Singapore, around 13 hours from London, and 3 hours from Dubai. Colombo, the capital city of Sri Lanka, is some 45 minutes flight away. There is an Airport Development Charge for all passengers above 2 years of age departing from Male airport, collected at the check-in counters.
The major airlines that fly there from the UK include Air Emirates, Sri Lankan Airlines, Qatar Air and Thomson. Air Italy, Air Europe, Eurofly and Lauda Air all connect Italy with the Maldives. Condor and LTU fly from Germany. Other European airlines include Edelweiss (Switzerland), Iberoworld Airlines (Spain) and Aeroflot (Russia).
The main Asian airlines provide flights into Male from various destinations, so check Air Asia, Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Qatar Airways and Emirates for details. Divers from China can fly via Singapore or Kuala Lumpur, or direct from Macau with Viva Macau. Indian visitors can fly direct with Air Sahara or Indian Airlines.
If coming from the U.S. of A, it is most convenient to fly via Singapore and take the 4 hour flight from there. There are also regular flights from New York and Los Angeles via Dubai with Air Emirates.
Departure ports are detailed for each trip in the 'Departures & Prices' section in each of our Maldives liveaboard boat pages. They will also be sent to you during the inquiry and booking process. In some cases a boat may only depart the area the day after the trip begins. This means you can arrive quite late on the first day and still board before they set sail the following morning.
We recommend you consider insurance to cover diving and travel activities, including trip cancellation. See our insurance programme for a competitive price:

Tourist Visas
No prior visa arrangements are required to enter the Republic of Maldives. A 30 days Entry Permit will be granted to visitors on arrival at designated ports of entry, based on the immigration requirements. For further details and up to date information, visit the Department of Immigration and Emigration website.
Places to Stay
If you plan on staying in the Maldives before or after your liveaboard diving safari, you can find a wide range of accommodation options at hotelscombined.com, our affiliated hotel reservation specialists. Browse their website, use their on-line chat to raise your queries, and when you're ready simply use your credit card to make your booking:

All bookings are supported up by their 'Low Price Guarantee' to ensure you get top-dollar value for money.
Note: if you have a few hours to kill in Male before or after your liveaboard charter, then you may wish to book a day room at a hotel in Male or on Hulhule Island (where the airport is located). You can shower, store your luggage, and be free to explore the area.
Visitor Health
The Maldives has no serious problems with diseases. The resorts and liveaboards are self sufficient in terms of water and electricity. In some cases the water is drinkable though not wonderful tasting, and many of the boats will charge for bottled water on top of a 'one bottle a day' allowance.
Diving or sun-related injuries account for most of the health problems encountered by tourists. To keep safe avoid overheating, drink lots of water, get into the shade and dive within your limits.
Many resorts have their own doctor or nurse and most are within reasonably easy reach of a decompression chamber. There are several hospitals in Male and Hulhumale, including the government-owned Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGM) and the privately-owned Abduarahman Don Kaleyfan Hospital (ADK). ADK accepts some insurance plans, but IGM does not. As always medical insurance and or diving insurance is strongly recommended. Try to avoid a med-evac because the Maldive Islands are a long way from anywhere.
As for vaccinations and other health precautions, we recommend you consult your local doctor when planning your Maldives diving trip.
Tourist Security and Safety
Crime rates are very low and there are not many causes for feelings of insecurity among visitors to the Maldives. Unlike many other destinations, tourists generally stay in their resorts or on their liveaboards so opportunities for criminals are restricted. There are a number of reasons why the Maldive crime rate is low. One is that being a Muslim country, social ills like alcohol and drug dependence are low. Another is that tourism is such a major economic factor that maintaining its image of a safe paradise is of great importance.
Aside from taking the usual precautions with your belongings and valuable items, you are unlikely to encounter any potential security issues and the only place where there really exists any such possibility is in Male at night. Even then, being street-smart by staying in well-lit areas and not flashing your new Tag-Heuer around should be enough to avoid trouble.