Question Getting to the Maldives from the US

[mattfish]

Hey y'all! I have a trip to the Maldives coming up in September, and I'm trying to figure out actually getting there.

If you've been to the Maldives from the United States, how did you travel? Specifically, how did you book your flights, and did you do any layovers along the way?

Currently I'm looking at Qatar Airlines: ATL (Atlanta) -> DOH (Doha) -> MLE (Male). Layover in Doha is either 9 hours or 15 hours. I'm doing a week of diving with Scubaspa Ying and they pick us up in Male, so no further travel in the Maldives is required.

Thanks in advance!

 

[rongoodman]

I'm curious to see how your query works out. I had booked a trip on the Aggressor boat a couple of years ago but when I went to book the flights and saw how long it was going to take I cancelled the trip.

 

[PamelaH]

I'm curious to see how your query works out. I had booked a trip on the Aggressor boat a couple of years ago but when I went to book the flights and saw how long it was going to take I cancelled the trip.

Traveling to the other side of the world is a long trip but let me assure you, it is totally worth it. Also curious to see the responses here since the Maldives bubbled up to the top of my list after going to Palau and meeting a few people who had been to the Maldives. The ATL-DOH-Male route sounds perfect. They have an in airport hotel in Doha so you can catch a nap and a shower on the way. I'd opt for 9 hours since I have no desire to explore Doha.

 

[mattfish]

That's great info about the hotel in the Doha airport @PamelaH! Thanks!

I have one flight option that would give me a 15h overnight layover, which would be more than enough for a couple meals and several hours sleep. There's also a 9h layover option which I need to think about. That may still be enough for a couple meals and a nap.

 

[Damselfish]

We did Boston-Male on Emirates with a longish like 8 hr stopover in Dubai. One guy in our group went exploring the city, most of us hung out in the massive airport to shop and people watch. The McShawarma was pretty good.

 

[Para Goon]

The route you mention is pretty darn good; one-stop flights are ideal. The nine-hour layover allows some margin for delays, which is already minimized for your route. We usually use airline miles and get screwed with an extra stop like Newark on this trip. My wife and I arrived in Male yesterday and boarded our Liveaboard today.

 

[Para Goon]

I'm curious to see how your query works out. I had booked a trip on the Aggressor boat a couple of years ago but when I went to book the flights and saw how long it was going to take I cancelled the trip.

@rongoodman, I empathize with that! Our first trip here in 2017 wasn't too bad, we had a single stop in Istanbul. The second trip in 2021 was hell with two stops. I timed our return trip, and it took over 50 hours to get home. We had a 20-hour layover in Frankfort on the return trip. This trip was two stops with the first stop in Newark. After hearing about the ongoing delays there, we changed our first leg to the earliest flight last Thursday which added another 6 hours to our travel time...The total travel time (i.e., home to the hotel in Male) was 34 hours.

 

[boqurant]

Sept will still be roasting in the Gulf, but I’d still suggest staying night in Doha / Dubai / Abu Dhabi (whatever connection suits best) to make the trip easier and see some stuff

 

[MarkA]

Sept will still be roasting in the Gulf, but I’d still suggest staying night in Doha / Dubai / Abu Dhabi (whatever connection suits best) to make the trip easier and see some stuff

Istanbul may also be an option if deciding to see stuff.