The Maldivian calendar

Twenty-seven seasons of light.

The Maldivian year is not four seasons but twenty-seven nakaiy — short spells of roughly thirteen days, each named for the star that rises with it, grouped under two monsoons. Fishermen still plan by them. I do too: they tell me which way the wind will push the clouds at sunset and whether the lagoon will be glass or chop. Find the nakaiy you are travelling in to see what the islands looked like that week in other years.

Iruvai — the dry north-east monsoon.

Late November to early April. Clear skies, still water, the peak season.

Mula28 November – 10 DecemberClear evenings return. Sunset sessions are reliable again and the lagoon flattens to glass.5 shootsFurahalha11 December – 23 DecemberSharp, dry air and long golden hours. Peak season for a reason.2 shootsUthurahalha24 December – 5 JanuaryBig skies and crisp horizons. Expect a breeze on the beach at sunset.3 shootsHuvan6 January – 18 JanuaryVivid, saturated colour in the water. Morning sessions are the calmest.2 shootsDhinasha19 January – 31 JanuaryThe clearest water of the year — the season for over-water and drone frames.Hiyaviha1 February – 13 FebruaryMirror-still lagoons at dawn. Sandbank sessions need no wind check.2 shootsFurabadhuruva14 February – 26 FebruaryHot, clear, and very bright at noon — golden hour is the whole session.2 shootsFasbadhuruva27 February – 11 MarchBlazing light and no cloud. Sunsets go from gold to deep coral.4 shootsReyva12 March – 7 AprilWarm light with the first dramatic clouds — the best sunsets of the dry season.10 shoots

Hulhangu — the wet south-west monsoon.

April to late November. Clouds, short showers, and the best sunsets of the year.

Assidha8 April – 20 AprilClouds arrive for drama; showers pass in twenty minutes and leave the sand rinsed.2 shootsBurunu21 April – 3 MayStorm light. Great skies, and a plan B indoors is wise.4 shootsKethi4 May – 16 MaySoft, overcast mornings that flatter skin. Rainbows are not rare.3 shootsRoanu17 May – 29 MayMoody, cinematic weather. Wind-blown fabric and dramatic light.1 shootMiyaheli30 May – 11 JuneThe season for a sheltered lagoon side and low, gentle light.4 shootsAdha12 June – 24 JuneBetween squalls the light is extraordinary — fast, saturated, brief.2 shootsFunoas25 June – 7 JulyBig cloudscapes, pastel sunsets. Vertical frames with all that sky.2 shootsFus8 July – 20 JulyEven, soft light most of the day — a good season for families with small children.4 shootsAhuliha21 July – 2 AugustClear, dramatic sunsets return more evenings than not.Maa3 August – 15 AugustBright and breezy. Wind in hair, spray on the reef edge.2 shootsFura16 August – 28 AugustThe water clears again. Snorkel and sandbank sessions come back.2 shootsUthura29 August – 10 SeptemberSoft, warm evenings after brief showers — the sand glows.Atha11 September – 23 SeptemberUnpredictable and beautiful. Keep the session flexible by an hour.5 shootsHitha24 September – 6 OctoberPainterly skies. Overcast days make for the softest portraits.2 shootsHey7 October – 19 OctoberBook the morning. Afternoon storms clear into vivid sunsets.5 shootsViha20 October – 1 NovemberWarm, humid light with tall clouds — the sky does half the work.2 shootsNora2 November – 14 NovemberClear stretches grow longer. Good odds for a dry sunset.2 shootsDosa15 November – 27 NovemberThe lagoon calms and the light sharpens toward Iruvai.3 shoots

Tell me your dates.

Send me your resort and the days you're here. I'll come back within six hours with two or three options and hold the date for five days.

Check your date

I reply personally — 07:00–22:00 Maldives time.