Backpack and Snorkel Travel Guide for Male - Maldives Purple Travel Guide
Malé is the capital of the Maldives. We provide a self-guided walking tour and detailed information of the best things to see in Malé and we show lots of photos so you know what you can expect.
Here at Backpack and Snorkel Travel Guides, we typically promote self-guided walking tours.
But we realize that not everybody likes to walk by themselves in a foreign city. So, just in case that you rather go with ab guide: NO PROBLEM! Please see the tours below.
Table of contents
General information about Male
Male is the capital, and most populous city of the Maldives. It is located in the North Malé Atoll or Kaafu Atoll.
The population of its administrative area consisting of a central island, an airport island, and four other islands is about 212,000. Malé Central Island has a size of about 2 square miles (6 km2) of which almost the entire area is used for buildings and roads. 133,000 people live on this small island, causing Male to be among the top 25 cities in the world with the highest population density.
Because most people live in tall residential buildings and ride motorcycles where they need to go, air pollution can be problematic in Male. Thousands of motorcycles, and lots of cars often cause serious congestion and motorcycles that are parked everywhere narrow roads down to one-way lanes and blocked-off sidewalks often force you to share the road with motorcycles and cars.
Where to stay in Male
For many travelers, the airport on Male’s Hulhulé island is the only thing they will see of the capital city. Some travelers will be forced to stay a night in Male, because their international flight does not line up with transportation to their hotel or resort somewhere else in the country. Only the bravest and most adventurous travelers will intentionally stay in Male with the goal to explore all three sides of the Maldives: the local islands, the resorts, and the capital city of Male.
Travelers who are only overnighting, because their international flight and domestic speedboat or flight don’t align and do not intend to explore Male, are likely best advised to stay away from the chaos in Male and stay on the airport island Hulhulé.
Adventurous travelers who want to immerse themselves into the busy life in Male will find it easy to find a hotel in the capital city.
Since the island is small 1.2 miles x 0.9 miles (2 km x 1.4 km), the location is not all that important.
If you plan to take a taxi from the airport into town, you can stay anywhere.
Should you plan to take the inexpensive Airport Ferry (20 MVR per person per trip), our advice is, however, to stay near the Airport ferry pier in the north eastern part of Male, as the heat, high humidity and air pollution make walking with luggage difficult.
1 = Male Velana International Airport (MLE)
2 = International Terminal
3 = Male-Airport Ferry Pier
4 = Summer Beach Maldives Hotel
The following map shows you what is available for your trip in Malé and Hulhulé:
Summer Beach Maldives Hotel in Malé (book)
For a more immersive experience, we decided to use the airport ferry from the airport to Male and decided to stay within 10min walking distance of the ferry pier.
We chose the Summer Beach Maldives Hotel, as it provides excellent value: it is a very good hotel in a wonderful location near the eastern artificial beach for a competitive price.
As in other hotels in the Maldives, we were welcomed in the airconditioned lobby with a welcome drink. The room, with a king bed, was beautifully furnished, and the bathroom was beautifully designed and has a shower with good water pressure.
The views from our room of the ocean, the eastern artificial beach, and the iconic Sinamale Bridge (China-Maldives Friendship Bridge) were fantastic, wifi was fast and reliable, and the hotel personnel was very friendly and helpful.
Our room rate included breakfast and a shared taxi ride to the airport.
The breakfast buffet was on the top floor of the building and came with beautiful views. It was plentiful and tasty.
Long story short: I highly recommend this hotel and would definitely stay here again.
Self-Guided Walking Tour of Male
The following self-guided walking tour can be done in 3 hours, but our recommendation is to take it slow and enjoy the sights. Make sure to bring enough water, a hat, and sun lotion with you, and please obey the dress code recommendations for tourists.
Since we stayed at the Summer Beach Maldives Hotel, we will start and end the tour at this hotel, but you can start the tour anywhere.
1 = Artificial Beach (Henveiru Beach)
2 = King Salman Mosque
3 = Rehendhi Maizaan
4 = Sala Thai Restaurant
5 = Masjid Al-Sultan Mohamed Imaadhudheen
6 = Muliaage with Medhu Ziyaaraiy
7 = Hukuru Miskiiy (Old Friday Mosque)
8 = Rasrani Bageecha (former Sultan Park)
9 = Victory Monument
A = Grand Friday Mosque, Islamic Centre
B = Lemongrass Fifth Restaurant
C = Republic Square (Jumhooree Maidhaan)
D = Male Local Market
E = Fish Market
F = Supreme Court of the Maldives (Theemugé)
G = Gadi Buru (Clock Tower)
H = Rasfannu Artificial Beach
I = Tsunami Monument
J = Masjidhul Ai-Sulthan Muhammad Ibn Abdullah
K = Majeedhee Magu Road
Artificial Beach (Henveiru Beach)
Start your self-guided walking tour of Male at the eastern Artificial Beach, which is the most scenic of the beaches in Male. As the name implies, it is an artificial beach which was created to give locals and tourists a place to relax from the busy life in Male.
This is not a bikini beach! Please observe the dress code recommendations for tourists. Even though you may see some tourists ignore the dress code and not getting in trouble as Maldivians are tolerant people, please respect the local culture and stay clothed from at least shortly above the knees to the neck, short sleeves permitted.
Most of the time, there will only be a few locals who take a bath, but on Fridays the beach and water is typically packed.
King Salman Mosque in Male
King Salman Mosque is named after King Salman from Saudi Arabia, which helped fund its construction from 2018-2022. With a capacity of 10,000 worshippers, it is the largest mosque in the Maldives.
The mosque is located near the ocean and flanked by five minarets which represent the five pillars of Islam. Its beautiful non-traditional blue dome is said to resemble a Bedouin desert tent.
We will just walk by this mosque and enter two other mosques later on the tour.
Rehendhi Maizaan in Male
This park is one of the few opportunities inside the city to sit down and relax. This colorful park has beautiful murals, some seats and it is shaded by trees.
There will, however, be traffic noise as the park is located on a busy street.
Sala Thai Restaurant in Male
This Thai restaurant has become a favorite for foreign visitors. It has a large selection of authentic Thai dishes. The restaurant imports its ingredients from small sustainably operated farms in Thailand and the food quality is high and the taste is good. Prices are on the high side, too.
We have visited other restaurants in Male, including Thai restaurants, which were significantly cheaper and we were never disappointed.
Masjid Al-Sultan Mohamed Imaadhudheen in Male
Pass by this mosque with its golden roofed minaret and beautifully decorated entrance.
We will and enter two other mosques later on the tour.
Muliaage with Medhu Ziyaaraiy in Male
Muliaage is the official residence of the President of the Maldives and therefore closed to the public.
Originally the site of Mulee'ge, the private residence of the mother of Sultan Dhon Bandaarain (1759–66), the site was redeveloped in 1914 by Sultan Muhammad Shamsuddeen III for his son and heir Prince Hassan Izzuddin as Muliaage (=new house of Muli).
The site was always a residence as the Royal Palace was situated nearby in what is now Rasrani Bageecha (former Sultan Park).
In 1953, after the monarchy was briefly abandoned, Muliaage became the Presidential Palace. After the monarchy was reestablished, the site served as the Prime Minister's Office and, from 1960-1964, as the residence and office of the British Government Political Agent.
In 1968, Muliaage was once again declared as the Presidential Palace and most of the buildings were demolished.
Medhu Ziyaaraiy (=Central Tomb) houses the tomb of Moroccan scholar Abu al-Barakat Yusuf al-Barbari, who is believed to have introduced Islam to the Maldives in 1153. It was part of the original Muliaage building, but is now a separate building in the compound.
Hukuru Miskiiy (Old Friday Mosque) in Male
Hukuru Miskiiy was built from 1656-1658 over an earlier mosque from 1153, the year the Maldives converted to Islam, which in term was built over an even older ancient temple that faced the setting sun, rather than west towards Mecca.
Hukuru Miskiiy is the oldest and most ornate mosque in Maldives and one of the finest coral stone buildings of the world and it is in continuous use since its construction.
The mosque has intricate carvings throughout with inscriptions in Quranic script.
The large, round blue-and-white minaret was built in 1675 and resembles a wedding cake with a wide base similar to a ship's funnel.
Surrounding the minaret is a graveyard containing carved coral tombstones. Tombstones of women have rounded tops while tombstones of men have pointed tops. Inscriptions for royalty are gilded and intricately decorated mausoleums are for their family members.
You can visit this mosque, but everyone’s knees must be covered and women must cover their head. If you are not appropriately covered, then personnel will provide you with scarves.
Please be advised that you will not be admitted during prayer times, so make sure to arrive at least 30min before any of the prayer times.
Inside the mosque you will notice lines on the prayer rooms that do not completely align with the orientation of the temple. The reason for that is that the temple is oriented west, but Muslims pray towards Mecca, which is slightly off the axis of the temple.
Rasrani Bageecha (former Sultan Park) in Male
Built on the grounds of the former Royal Palace, Rasrani Bageecha (former Sultan Park) is probably the most beautiful park in Male and an oasis of relaxation in the busy city.
While much of the Royal Palace was demolished, one part survived, and was rebuilt to become the National Museum.
The park is only about 320 ft (97 m) x 520 ft (160 m) in size and it contains different areas, like a pond, a swing area, rose gardens, an amphitheater, a treehouse climb, etc.
In the past, people were reportedly charged admission to enter the park. When we were there, the guard station was empty and everybody got in for free.
Victory Monument in Male
This monument commemorates the failed coup d'état in 1988 of supporters of the ex-president, in which the Indian military saved the Maldivian government.
The hole symbolizes the hole the assailants blasted into the south-western corner of the walls surrounding the Maldivian Defense Forces headquarters in order to storm it, but were repelled by Maldivian soldiers.
The shield in the Maldivian colors behind the hole symbolizes the resistance of the Maldivian soldiers.
Masjid Al-Sultan Muhammad Thakurufaanu Al-Auzam Mosque (Grand Friday Mosque, Islamic Centre) in Male
With its iconic golden dome, the Islamic Centre is a landmark in Male.
Opened in 1984, it was built with the help of Brunei, Egypt, Kuwait, Malaysia, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates.
The mosque is named after Sultan Muhammad Thakurufaanu al-Auzam, who ruled over the Maldives from 1573 – 1585. He is most famous for defeating the Portuguese, and regaining independence for the country.
Besides the mosque, the building also houses the Ministry of Islamic Affairs, a library, and a conference hall.
The mosque has space for about 5,000 people on the carpeted area, but there is extra space that allows more than 10,000 to pray here.
You can visit this mosque, but everyone’s knees must be covered and women must cover their head.
There does not appear to be an official desk where you can get a tour. We just walked around and were then approached by a guard. When asked if we could visit the mosque, the guard was happy to give us a tour. Photography is allowed.
Please be advised that you must take off your shoes when you walk up any of the stairs leading up into the building.
Please be advised that you will not be admitted during prayer times, so make sure to arrive at least 30min before any of the prayer times.
Lemongrass Fifth Restaurant in Male
If you come here around breakfast, lunch, or dinner time and like Thai and Indian food, then you may want to consider this restaurant.
In this restaurant, the ground floor dining room is air-conditioned and the upper floor is a covered patio.
They serve a buffet for breakfast and a-la carte the rest of the day.
We liked the food and the selection and think that the food is appropriately priced.
Republic Square (Jumhooree Maidhaan) in Male
Republic Square is located in a prominent spot on Male’s north side: near a busy speedboat and ferry jetty, the beautiful Police Headquarters building and the Islamic Centre.
Over the square flies the largest Maldives flag in the country, and some trees provide shade to people who sit here and relax.
The square is usually occupied by hundreds of pigeons as some people feed them.
Male Local Market in Male
This relatively small market is mostly visited by locals. Housed in a green building, this is not a big open building, but rather has four east-west facing corridors, which are not connected, where you can find individual vendors. The first two corridors have vendors who sell fresh fruits and vegetables, the third corridor has sellers of preserved fish and the northernmost corridor has food stalls where you can buy hot meals.
Fish Market in Male
Located in a blue building across the street from the Male Local Market, the fish market is a busy place where freshly caught fish constantly arrives and restaurant owners, and locals buy whatever suits their palate.
Supreme Court of the Maldives (Theemugé) in Male
The building that now houses the Supreme Court of the Maldives, was the Theemugé Presidential Palace from 1992 until 2008.
Theemuge is named after the Theemuge dynasty (1141 to 1388), which was likely the first family to rule Maldives.
The building is not open to the public, but you can peek through the gates to see its grandeur.
Since its construction in 1992, Theemuge has only been open to the public on one day - the day after the presidential palace was moved back to Muliaage in 2009.
Gadi Buru (Clock Tower) in Male
The original Gadi Buru tower was built in 1990 to celebrate the 25th Independence Day of the Maldives.
It was renovated several times and destroyed in 2017. In 2023 it was rebuilt to look like the original tower.
Rasfannu Artificial Beach in Male
Like its cousin Henveiru Beach on the eastern side of Male, Rasfannu Artificial Beach is a scenic artificial beach which was created to give locals and tourists a place to relax from the busy life in Male.
It is not a bikini beach! Please observe the dress code recommendations for tourists. Even though you may see some tourists ignore the dress code and not getting in trouble as Maldivians are tolerant people, please respect the local culture and stay clothed from at least shortly above the knees to the neck, short sleeves permitted.
Most of the time, there will only be a few locals who take a bath, but on Fridays the beach and water is typically packed.
Tsunami Monument in Male
The Tsunami Monument is dedicated to the more than 230,000 people in 14 countries people who lost their lives in the tsunami that was caused by a 9.1-magnitude earthquake off the coast of Sumatra. In the Maldives, at least 82 people were killed, 24 reported missing and presumed dead, and about $460 million of damage (nearly 62% of the GDP) were caused. All but 9 Maldivian islands reported flooding and damage and Malé reported that two-thirds of the city was flooded.
Masjidhul Ai-Sulthan Muhammad Ibn Abdullah in Male
This is another mosque with a golden dome and a beautiful minaret.
Since you have been at two other mosques, just pass by this building.
Majeedhee Magu Road in Male
Majeedhee Magu Road is a main east-west thoroughfare road in central Male. It connects Rasfannu Artificial Beach in the west with Henveiru Beach in the east, and it is Male’s major shopping street. This is the perfect place to buy some last-minute souvenirs or relax in some of the cafes and watch people go about their daily business.
As this is a major road, you will notice traffic noise and air pollution.
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