Indulge Maldives shares with you our best tips and factors to consider when researching how to plan a transit stay in the Maldives. Travellers may wish to consider a short-term transit stay in Maldives, before arriving at their final island destination.
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WHY TRANSIT IN MALDIVES?
You may be required to stay in transit overnight if your international flight arrives in Maldives late at night, or if you require a seaplane transfer, but you arrive in Maldives after the final seaplane flight schedule of the day (4pm). You may also prefer to stay overnight at a hotel close to Malé Airport after your international flight should you wish to freshen up and have a good night’s sleep before setting off to your resort or local island the following morning. When departing Maldives, depending on your international flight time, it may be best to stay close to the airport the night before your international flight, before returning home or to your ongoing destination.
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FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN PLANNING A TRANSIT IN MALDIVES
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- Consider your budget for the required number of nights in transit
- Expected time of arrival to hotel & duration of stay – is it a short overnight stay just to sleep before travelling onto your intended holiday island or you may wish to make the transit an experience within itself, with a comfortable extensive hotel stay.
- Are you travelling alone, with children, with a group or for business?
- Do you feel more comfortable having someone greet you on arrival at the airport?
- Do you need to stay close to airport overnight for an early morning flight?
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WHICH ISLAND TO TRANSIT IN MALDIVES –TRANSIT IN MALÉ VS HULHUMALE?
Transiting in the Maldives, means spending a night in either in a hotel in Malé City or staying in a smaller boutique guesthouse on Hulhumale Island, before transferring to a local island or private resort island. Of the two islands, Hulhumale is more tourist friendly with beachfront accommodation, that is far more affordable than transit accommodation in Malé. Malé is the Captial City island & is home to a handful of larger hotels, however the island is far more congested & can be difficult to navigate / arrange public transport such as taxis. Hulhumale is far more tourist friendly, however Malé offers tourists the bonus of sight-seeing within the historical district.
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WHERE TO STAY – TRANSIT HOTELS IN MALDIVES
1. TRANSIT ON HULHUMALE ISLAND
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Hulhumale is the second largest city in Maldives, a reclaimed island located in the south of North Malé Atoll, Maldives. Amid a serene feel, it promises a beautiful stretch of white sand beach, cafes, water sports and dive centres. Some Hulhumale hotels can arrange airport pick up however in many cases, there may not be someone to greet you on arrival and you may need to make own way to your hotel. The beach front hotels of Hulhumale are located on are designed for short stay budget-savy travellers. We recommend staying at Island Beach House Hotel for $60-200 per night – best for couples, friends and budget travellers.
Being attached to the airport island, Hulhumale is reached via 15 minute taxi ride from Male’s Velana International Airport, costing $4 & the taxi driver will drop you directly at your hotel. The alternative option is to take the Red Bus which goes right into Hulhumalé and generally stops one road behind the beachfront/main tourist accommodation area. Best to have your hotel location saved on Google Maps or ask the bus driver for directions.
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2. MALÉ CITY
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Malé is the capital city island & is the most populated city in the Republic of Maldives. Malé accommodation is more expensive compared to Hulhumale Island, however one advantage is there are larger dining restaurants available including Shellbeans, Gloria Jeans’ Coffee & Burger King.
Indulge Maldives recommends choosing a hotel with a hotel airport representative who will greet you on arrival and will drive you to Malé. This will save you queuing in line for taxis. Note, in Malé the streets can be difficult to navigate, with uneven pavement, making it challenging to get around the tiny streets. Taxis are often full and Malé is not as tourist friendly as Hulhumale.
There are a handful of larger hotels. Indulge Maldives recommends Hotel Jen at $200++ per night offering an inviting, rooftop pool, overlooking Malé International Airport. The hotel is best for couples, not is not recommended for families with children.
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3. CROSSROADS MALDIVES
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The Marina @ CROSSROADS Maldives, a brand new multi-resort island complex, the first of its kind in Maldives, opened September, 2019. It is located within Emboodhoo Lagoon and is the first integrated resort destination in the Maldives. An airport representative will greet you on arrival at the airport and will assist with your 15 minute speedboat transfer from the airport. Home to Hard Rock Hotel & SAii Lagoon, starting from $250++ per night travellers will discover a rich combination of world-class entertainment, shopping facilities, boutique stores, fine dining restaurants, bars and leisure activities. Guests are able to enjoy exclusive brand offerings and amenities. Hard Rock Hotel Maldives boasts 178 spacious family-friendly guestrooms. The Hard Rock Café, Maldives is located just steps from the hotel where guests can treat their taste buds. Recommended for families, couples, solo travellers and group travel.
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4. HULHULE ISLAND (HIH)
Hulhule Island Hotel (HIH) is located on the international airport island and is the the closest transit hotel to the airport, as it was the original hotel transit option for travellers. Hulhule Island Hotel starts at $150++ per night & is set on the oceanfront, offering an outdoor pool, sports bar, conference hall & is 700m / a 5 minute drive from Velana International Airport and 5km by ferry from Malé. Recommended for families and couples.
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Read our Maldives Accommodation Guide post here.
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TRANSFERS
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When you arrive in the Maldives, you must have already have pre-arranged your Maldives island transfers to whisk you away to your intended holiday island. When you book your Maldives holiday with Indulge Maldives, we take care of all of your Maldives airport transfers for you – No need for you to worry. To ensure smooth Maldives resort transfers, Indulge Maldives will inform your chosen resort of your international flight arrival time into Maldives. This will prevent delays – the last thing you want is to spend a night in transit if you have not pre-arranged your Maldives island transfers.
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Enquire with Indulge Maldives today for the best Maldives transit hotels & prices, or if you require further assistance when planning a transit stay in Maldives.
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