Maldives · Indian Ocean
Water so clear it barely looks real, and an island with room to be quiet in. Our Maldives tour packages from India are built around the two of you, not a checklist.
Why Maldives, the IKOU way
Most people who come to us about the Maldives are picturing one thing: an overwater villa, the two of you, and water so clear it barely looks real. We build the whole trip around it, working out which atoll and which kind of stay fits what you are picturing, so the outside world stops creeping back in. See how we work in Discover IKOU.
“We don't sell trips. We travel with you.”
Let's go together.
Maldives, the IKOU way
No plan beyond the next swim, if that is what you came for.
Where you'll go
The airport and capital.
Ferry, bridge or speedboat.
105 islands, 20+ resorts, west.
Seaplane, about 30 min.
A UNESCO biosphere, 75 islands.
Seaplane, 20 to 60 min.
The IKOU route
Not every place needs to be rushed.
Same ocean.
Different moods.
A more meaningful way
to see it.
Map: derivative of Maldives Natural Atolls.svg by haflaa (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0).
01
Gateway · Nearest islands
The 1656 Hukuru Miskiy Friday Mosque, the Islamic Centre's golden dome, and Maafushi, a local island reachable by ferry.
The airport and capital, ferry or speedboat
Explore this part
02
Seaplane atoll · Reef days
105 islands and 20+ resorts west of Male: whale sharks off South Ari, Rasdhoo's diving, and Thoddoo, a farming island.
Seaplane, about 30 minutes
Explore this part03
Seaplane atoll · UNESCO biosphere
A UNESCO biosphere reserve of 75 islands: Hanifaru Bay's manta gatherings, Thulhaadhoo's lacquerwork, and Eydhafushi, the local capital.
Seaplane, 20 to 60 minutes
Explore this partA journey through different moods
A sample journey
Land at Velana. Seaplanes fly by day only, so late arrivals wait for morning.
About 30 minutes in the air. Settle in and do nothing on purpose.
Snorkel the reef, then a boat day in South Ari. Sightings are never guaranteed.
A boat to Rasdhoo or Thoddoo, or stay exactly where you are.
One last swim, then a morning seaplane to Malé ahead of your flight.
A sample to show the rhythm, not a fixed package. Every IKOU journey is shaped around you.
Good to know
No visa is needed in advance. Indian passport holders, like almost every nationality, are given a free visa on arrival, usually for 30 days. Carry a passport valid for at least a month beyond your stay, a return or onward ticket and proof of where you are staying, and complete the online Maldives Traveller Declaration before you fly. Rules change, so check the Maldives Immigration website before you go.
Roughly December to April is the dry season, with the calmest seas and the clearest water for snorkelling and diving. The wetter southwest monsoon runs from about May to November, with more rain, wind and waves, though it still has plenty of sunny days.
Resorts are reached from Velana International Airport by speedboat (15 to 90 minutes, running around the clock) or by seaplane (about 20 to 60 minutes, daylight hours only). Distant atolls use a domestic flight and a short boat ride. If your flight lands after about 3 pm, a seaplane resort usually means a night near the airport first, so we plan around your arrival time.
Most resorts take up a whole island of their own. Since 2009 visitors can also stay in guesthouses on local, inhabited islands, which are usually much cheaper and closer to everyday life. There, alcohol is not available and dress is modest, with swimwear kept to a designated beach.
Try mas huni at breakfast: flaked smoked tuna with fresh grated coconut, onion, chilli and lime, scooped up with warm roshi flatbread. Resorts serve it on request, and on a local island it is the everyday morning meal. For lunch on a local island, garudhiya is the national dish, a clear tuna broth eaten with rice, lime and chilli.
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