TRANSPORTATIONS
The international airport is 2 km far from Male’ and is located on the Hulhule island. Once arrived to the international airport, there are three ways to reach the resorts: by internal flight, seaplane and boat.
Internal flights carry tourists to the farthest resorts (i.e. to the northernmost and southernmost Atolls) or to the departure points for liveaboards in the South.
Tourists in possession of a valid hotel reservation will find a member of the resort or tour operator staffs outside the airport, who will help them reach the resort. At arrival, a staff member withdraws the tourists’ air tickets to return them confirmed before their departure.
Resorts too far for a boat trip can be quickly reached by seaplane. There are two seaplane companies: Maldivian Air Taxi and Trans Maldivian Airways. At their arrival, tourists reach the meeting point of one of the two seaplane companies to check their reservation and label their luggage. Then they reach the water airport by a bus that drives around the runway. Once baggage joins the water airport too, tourists check it in and wait for departure; this generally happens some ten minutes later, but from time to time it can even take a couple of hours.
Closer resorts can be reached by speedboat or dhoni and prices are obviously cheaper; in these cases, tourists must reach the pier outside the airport and embark.
Tourists without a hotel reservation must to go the tourist information office at the airport. Dhonis are also used for transportation between the airport and Male’. In case you wish to visit Male’ before your departure, you can leave your luggage at the airport luggage deposit.