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Male

Travel Guide Asia Maldives Republic Male

Introduction

Male

Male is the capital and largest city of the Maldives Republic with about 90,000 people living in the city. It is located at the southern edge of North Male Kaafu Atoll and the island on which Male is situated is full with high rise buildings, a harbour and many other facilities you would expect in a city of this size. There simply is no more space to build here. As a result the 2004 Christmas tsunami meant that two thirds of the city was under water. Most travellers hardly spend any time in this city as they move onwards to one of the many beautiful islands and atolls the country has to offer. But if you want to experience some of the islamic culture the country has to offer a few days in Male will suffice.

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Neighbourhoods

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Sights and Activities

Muleeaage (Former Presidential Palace) - Located in the capital this is a beautiful colonial palace.
A walk around Male is an interesting experience in itself, with the narrow cobblestoned roads and tiny, vertically expanding houses.

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Events and Festivals

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Weather

Male is hot and humid year round but the winds bring some relief. Temperatures are around 30 °C during the day and still above 20 °C at night. February to April are the driest months and from May to January onwards there is almost always a chance of some rain showers. The wettest months are from July to October when hurricanes can hit the island and city.

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Getting There

By Plane

Malé International Airport (MLE) is the main airport with direct flights from Rome, Milan, Prague, Düsseldorf, Amsterdam, Paris, Moscow, Dubai, London, Munich, Manchester, Zürich and Frankfurt among others. In Asia there are connections from Colombo, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Shanghai. All these destinations are operated by foreign airlines. As of 2008, Island Aviation Services was the only Maldives based airlines to fly internationally with only one destination, Thiruvanathapuram in India.

By Train

By Car

By Bus

By Boat

From the airport island, there is a frequent airport ferry to take you to Male. It costs about 10-25 rufiyah depending on the time that you take the ferry.

Beautiful blue

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Getting Around

By Car

Increasingly, the richer Male residents are beginning to purchase cars. However, with hardly any place to use them, it is simply a sign of vanity more than practical usage.

By Public Transport

Male has taxis. To go to anywhere on the island will cost you 20 rufiyah, which is around US$2. With baggage in your taxi, there will be an additional 5 rufiyah per baggage item. Further, hiring a taxi for an hour to go around the island is around 70 rufiyah. All taxi drivers can speak some level of english so communication is not a problem and they have fixed prices so there is no need to haggle over prices or worry about safety. However, unless you have baggage you need to transport to the airport ferry terminal or your place of accommodation or you have sore feet, taxis are not really of use or advised for this tiny place.

By Foot

Walking is the best way of getting around tiny Male and experiencing the local atmosphere and to stop and observe interesting spots at your own leisure.

By Bike

The next best way to get around Male, besides walking, is using a bicycle. Environmentally friendly and healthy for you, it is the most advisable mode of transport around the island.

A road in Male

There are increasing numbers of motorbikes on the road but with hardly any place to park, all motorbikes are parked on the road themselves due to which there is more congestion.

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Eat

Seagull cafe is a lovely little cosy cafe serving nice breakfasts of pancakes, waffles, toasts as well as the Maldivian roshi and mashuni. The upstairs part of the cafe is lovelier with comfortable seating and a tree going right through the middle of the cafe. The cafe also serves lunch and dinner.
Holiday Inn rooftop cafe is a lovely place for enjoying the sunset and the evening breeze while sipping a fruit juice or mocktail.
Sea Breeze cafe above the Hulumale ferry terminal is ok for a brief lunch meeting.

There are several supermarkets in Male - S.T.O, Fantasy etc. which have packaged food from all around the world. If you are in the mood for cooking yourself, shopping at these supermarkets can be fun.

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Drink

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Sleep

Property	Address	Type	Popularity
Adaaran Club Rannalhi	South Malé Atoll (Kaafu), Mald	guesthouse	-
Adaaran Prestige Ocean Villas Resort	North Male' Atoll	guesthouse	-
Cokes Surf Camp	North Male Atoll	HOSTEL	-
Hulhumale Inn	Nirolhumagu plot 10487	GUESTHOUSE	-
Sunshine Hotel - Hulhumale	Dhigga Magu	HOTEL	-
UI Inn	Lot 10572, Halaveli Magu	HOTEL	100