The visa is free and takes thirty seconds, but the seaplane terminal on the other side of Velana International is where the Maldives actually gets you. That airport sits on its own island, Hulhulé, which tells you something about a country that can't even put its arrivals hall on the same patch of land as the capital. June is the bargain month at $180 from the cheapest routes, while December and January punish latecomers with fares up to 70% higher. It's a trip that asks for patience at immigration and generosity with the budget, and rewards both with water you'll think about for years.
