Malé

Malé needs a day as a logistical base before transferring to a private island resort, since the capital itself has little tourist appeal. December-April is the dry season. It's inexpensive in itself, though Maldivian resorts are among the most expensive in the world. It's one of the most densely populated capitals on the planet, packed onto an island of just 5.8 km², and functions almost exclusively as the air and sea gateway to the country's real tourism product: the atolls of luxury over-water resorts.