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Aerial view over Malé's rooftops toward the sea, with cargo ships offshore

Guides

Step-by-step guides to Malé City: itineraries, transport, day trips and practical information.

All guides

A shaded waterfront waiting area and a blue ferry at Hulhumalé ferry terminal

What Weekends are Like in Malé City, the Capital of the Maldives

How locals spend weekends in Malé City: coffee cafés, sai hotaa, parks, live music, beach BBQs, Dhivehi films, fishing trips and nearby islands.

Yumnu Adnan ·
Signboard above a hotaa in Hulhumalé Phase 2

What is a Maldivian Hotaa?

A hotaa is a Maldivian teahouse serving hedhika: gulha, bajiya, masroshi and kavaabu, with tea. What to order, the Dhivehi words to know, and what it costs.

Ibrahim Faarih ·
Aerial view of Hulhumalé's long beach and housing blocks, with Malé on the horizon

Install These Apps If You Are in Malé

Avas app for taxis, Foodies for delivery, Odiapp for speedboats to other islands. The apps that actually work for visitors in Malé, checked in 2026.

Ibrahim Faarih ·
The white and blue Munnaaru minaret in Malé with motorbikes passing on the street, the roof of Hukuru Miskiy beside it and the gold dome of the Islamic Centre in the distance

What to Do with 3 Hours in Malé

A self-guided walking tour of Malé's historic core: the old mosques, the palace quarter, the souvenir street and the markets.

Ibrahim Faarih ·
Aerial view of Malé from the sea, high-rise buildings covering the whole island

Practical Information for Visiting Malé City

Visa and IMUGA, SIM cards, cash versus cards, taxi and ferry fares, Friday hours and the local rules for visiting Malé City, checked in 2026.

Ibrahim Faarih ·