• Be aware that Budgets Need To Increase Considerably if you plan to combine a tour of Sri Lanka with a beach stay in The Maldives. In addition to increased airfares, resorts in the Maldives charge international rates for accommodation.

• Seaplane Transfers that are required to reach many island resorts also adds to the final cost of a Maldives holiday.

• You are on a small island, so its important to know who goes there and what facilities they offer. Options include large Family Resorts that are ideal for children, luxury ‘’Robinson Crusoe’’ type hideaways on remote atolls, resorts with Over Water Bungalows, specialist All Inclusive Island Resorts and Deluxe and World Class resorts offering some of the most up-market accommodation in the world!

• November – April: The islands enjoy the best weather with little rainfall. February to April is the hottest period and most resorts operate at capacity.

• Mid December – Mid January: Expect huge premiums and supplements, with a minimum of 7 night’s stay usually required.

• May – October: Monsoon and intermonsoon Low Season where some rain can be expected, but resorts have fewer people and much lower prices.

• Mid July - August: Summer holidays in Europe mean that rates go up and resorts become busy again.

•The Maldives is one of the world’s premier scuba diving destinations, because of the sheer abundance of marine life such as Whale Sharks, Manta Rays, Eagle Rays, Reef Sharks, Hammerhead Sharks and Moray Eels, as well as many smaller fish and coral species.

• Diving is good year-round, but life on the reef is more varied and visibility better on the western side of any atoll from May to November and on the eastern side from December to April.

• The one downside to diving in the Maldives is that it's quite expensive by Asian stan dards. However safety standards are usually very high, with well-maintained gear and strict adherence to protocol.

• Island Hopping to uninhabited islands near resorts can include romantic picnics or being left on a desert island on your own for a day!

• You can visit the capital city of Malé for shopping and sightseeing on a day trip.

• Village Tours to inhabited islands offers a glimpse into the life of fishing communities living on one of The Maldives’ magical islands

• Morning and Night Fishing expeditions are offered by most island resorts, for spectacular Swordfish, Sailfish, Marlin and Yellow-Fin Tuna.

• The flight from Colombo to The Maldives takes about 1 Hour.

• If flying back to LHR with Sri Lankan Airlines, some return flights from Colombo now stop at Male to pick up passengers on the way to London. Otherwise there are good connections back to Colombo for a direct flight to LHR.

• If flying back to regional UK Airports such as Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle and Glasgow, it is possible to fly from Male via transit at Dubai (Emirates) or Doha (Qatar).

• Seaplane Transfers from Hulule Airport are the only way to reach resorts that are located on the more remote atolls. NOTE: Seaplane Transfers only operate during daytime hours.

•Speedboat Transfers are arranged to resorts that are within easy reach of Hulule Airport.

• Those with evening and night time flights out of The Maldives can visit Male, the island’s capital. You can leave your luggage at the Airport Luggage Office and catch a 15 minute boat ferry to Male from Hulule Island.