New Years Eve in the Maldives

Many of us want to spend New Year’s holidays in warm regions: homemade winter salads want to be exchanged for tasty and useful food, and ski resorts are monotonous and expensive. The Maldives offers great opportunities for winter celebrations in almost tropical settings. Of course, the price of rest in this period increases by 10%, if not 50%, but the received pleasure pays for all the expenses of tourists. However, there are also ways to save money: some travelers for the exotic wilderness choose not inhabited islands, but picturesque islets with locals. In either case, you will be provided with dozens of scenarios of a busy program that will allow you to spend an unforgettable new year in the Maldives.

The table of contents

New Year's Eve in the Maldives

New Year’s decor

The Maldives is as far from the eastern or Scandinavian traditions of comfort as possible, so you won’t find feng shui or hygge in these parts. Traditional European New Year decorations are installed in all major hotels and even guest houses (as well as restaurants) to the pleasure of tourists. Of course, it is not a question of snowmen, which simply have nothing to model from, but guests and inhabitants of islands are quite satisfied with fluffy and decorated Christmas trees. They can be noticed in the foyer of the main tourist attractions. By the way, not only conifers trees can be dressed up, but also any other plants (both living and artificial), as the illumination looks very beautiful at night on the shore. Especially when it comes to palm trees drowning in colored garlands. In addition, in December, the main character of winter is Santa Claus in a red cap, he is sure to appear in hotels. However, he also reminds Poseidon, because his feet are covered in flippers. Among the popular heroes worth noting is the team of elves and the Snow Maiden. The whole company, in fact, bypasses villas and bungalows. More precisely, they travel by electric cars — an ecological alternative to sleigh with reindeer. Some hotels go even further and offer Santa Claus to take a ride on hydro-sanders between the atolls to please visitors to the beaches and tourists on boat trips.
The small islands of the Maldives offer year-round natural decor. Here, there is the minimum of entertainment and, in general, the hand of a man has not spoiled the local landscapes. If it is not too important for you to have a Christmas tree near you and you want to celebrate the New Year almost as a savage, not in European traditions, choose this option. Minimalism is combined with a relaxed atmosphere.

New Year's decor

New Year’s hotels program

With cheerful Santa Claus, ready to fall into a long swim, tourists have direct road to the beach. Animators of hotels try to work outdoors, offering all festive day long various New Year’s contests and dances to holidaymakers. In general, the event will resemble a beach party. If you stay at a family-type hotel (or a large international hotel chain), you will be offered individual children’s animators. The leaders in the costumes of fairy tale characters will occupy the child all day and evening, and then Santa Claus will congratulate you on the occasion of the holiday and give you a gift. Reading poems, singing songs and demonstrating other talents for the sake of the biggest bag of sweets to children is also not forbidden.
An important part of the New Year’s celebration for a self-respecting hotel is a gala dinner. It can also be arranged in an open-air venue near the oceanfront or in a separate room. Dress code and face control are minimal, so you don’t have to wear ties or evening dresses. The meal depends directly on the level of the hotel, but almost always you are guaranteed champagne, sweet rice. The same is true of the evening’s entertainment program: you can enjoy dance and fire shows, magicians and acrobats, and the final fireworks party. You can’t do without the tradition of symbolic burning of the passing year. Hotels with 4-5 stars are often visited by world-class artists for New Year’s Eve, from jazz performers to the Du Soleil Circus team.
Guest houses and private apartments have a modest atmosphere. Meanwhile, on New Year’s Eve nobody will be stingy on a banquet for tourists, therefore original drinks and dishes with seafood, fruit plates and exotic dances with drums will be more than enough. However, be prepared for the fact that strong alcohol on the islands is not easy to get if you do not have access (and a large budget) to the hotel bar.
If the special program of hotels seems boring to you and too similar to the Russian celebration, refuse to have a seat at the hotel and go in for sports. In mid-winter, the Maldives boasts a warm and peaceful ocean, so you can ski, snorkeling, fish and simply swim. A yacht or boat tour of natural attractions and observations of local flora and fauna (from dive safaris to demonstration feeding of dangerous animals) may be the original end of the year.
For lazy tourists, each hotel has a massage room and spa, where you can sign up on December 30 and 31 (or even better, January 1, to regain strength after fun). It is also possible to organize a secluded walk around the capital of the republic — Male, to buy New Year’s gifts. Tasty dinner at the restaurant, beautiful pictures on the background of oceanic landscapes, health-improving and cosmetic procedures, as well as exciting excursions — in the Maldives there is a festive activity for every holidaymaker.

New Year's hotels program

Maldives New Year’s Eve Weather

The country’s archipelago is located in the Indian Ocean, between Madagascar and Indian subcontinent. The weather’s features of this area are primarily due to different winds, in particular, monsoons, which prevent precipitation from November to March. Dry and sunny island — what could be more attractive when the homeland is surrounded by heavy frosts or is wallowed in slush?
The Maldives is ideal for New Year’s Eve celebrations, although the long archipelago has some climatic differences in its regions. There is little rainfall here, which makes the humidity level lower, so it is slightly easier for tourists (especially children and pensioners) to cope with the acclimatization during this period.
In the middle of winter the air temperature is +30 degrees (and only 3 degrees lower at night). Water in the ocean warms up no worse due to the abundance of lagoons — the same +27-28. At the beginning of January winds can appear, as well as light rains for 3-4 days (and at night). Very seldom water indicators decrease to +26, and air — to +22. In general, it is more windy in the north and rainy in the south. Nevertheless, there are still a lot of sunny days, although the sunset is fast and early — at 18:00. Such conditions, by the way, limit the opportunities for surfers in the Maldives in winter, but allow divers and snorkelers to explore the depths of the ocean in the New Year without restrictions.

How do Maldivians celebrate New Year’s Eve?

Sounds amazing, but it’s almost impossible. The fact is that most of the Aborigines in this area are Muslims, so this holiday is not important for them (as opposed to religious celebrations). However, this does not affect the overall atmosphere: Maldivians understand that European travelers pay great attention to the winter holidays. In this regard, every owner of even the smallest tourism business in the Maldives (for example, the owner of a hotel) will celebrate New Year’s Eve and maintain a festive mood at a decent level.
Do not be afraid to organize a winter holiday in the Maldives because of the difference in mentality and culture. New Year’s Eve is a great opportunity to talk to the locals, but more importantly, it’s an opportunity to spend your free time with family or friends on islands of stunning beauty. While your friends a few thousand kilometers away will freeze and play with the snow, you’ll enjoy a combination of tropical exoticism and a cozy holiday flavor. Dance around the tree, take a picture with Santa Claus and run to the oceanfront for the coming year. The Maldives will gladly help you make your celebration unforgettable. Remember that where New Year’s Eve is celebrated, it’s where you spend it, so don’t deny yourself paradise!

Maldives New Year's Eve Weather

New Year’s Eve in the Maldives

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