A tiny island, densely crowded with motorbikes, bustling business people, stern-faced policemen, hawkers and crisply uniformed school children, Male’ (mar-lay) is the modern, mercantile face of the Maldives that few people take the time to see. Overlooked by brightly colored tall thin buildings and surrounded by incongruously turquoise water all around, this is the centre of the Maldives, the engine driving its economic progress and the forum for the country’s (stifled) political debate.Far smaller than the neighboring airport island of Hulhumale’ – where long-haul flights land on a runway that dwarfs the main avenues of the capital – Male’ nevertheless feels like an important place, where the economic, political and cultural leaders of the republic congregate, where nearly all the country’s massive number of exports arrive and where more than a few experts and travelers find themselves from time to time. That said, Male’ is interesting to visit mainly for a taste of Maldivian life more than for its inherent wealth of things to see and do. Independent travelers (or FITs as they are known locally) will find that this is a place they see a lot of – it’s also one of the few places where palm trees and sandy beaches aren’t on the menu.

Male’ is pleasant and pleasingly quirky – its alcohol-free bars and restaurants jostle with its incredible array of shops and lively markets (imagine that in this tiny space all imports into the country are administered and sold) and the general hubbub of a capital is very much present. This is a chance to get a real feel for the Maldives, what makes its people tick and to meet Maldivians on an equal footing.

Climate
Sunny weather, with frequent monsoon dominates the climate in Male Maldives. As the capital city of Maldives, Male lies on the equator outside the infamous cyclonal belt in the vicinity of Bay of Bengal. Instead of hot weather, which should have been the general climate in Male Maldives; a pleasant weather with pleasant downpour controls the climate of Male. Temperature in Male fluctuates between a minimum 23C to a maximum 32C in the day. The cool sea breeze blows with the warmth from the sun almost throughout the day. Male, which extends latitudinal from almost 1S of the Equator to fractionally over 7N, also lies scattered along and on either side of the 73E longitudinal lines. Climate in Male Maldives is tropical and humid with the average annual temperature as 26.7C. The average annual precipitation is 1525 mm, most of which falls during May to November.

When to Go
The climate of Maldives is tropical – hot, humid and dry. The islands get rain from July to August due to southwest monsoon and from November to March due to northeast monsoon. December to April is the best time to visit Maldives.

Getting There
The-Maldives is easily accessible through air from major cities throughout the world. Male, the capital of Maldives has the International airport. There are regular flights from Maldives to Colombo, Thiruvananthapuram, Dubai and Kualalampur. Male airport is only 1 Km away from the main city and can be reached by boats or seaplanes.