Head to head

Krabi or Maldives?

Maldives, narrowly — 60 vs 55 across the year.

On timing Maldives just shades it — 60 vs 55, ahead 9 of 12 months to 2 — but the bigger fork is what you're after: Maldives for beaches, plus easy family travel; Krabi for beaches, plus hiking. Pick the trip, then time it — Maldives peaks February, Krabi February.

Month by month

When to go

Pick a month. The line shows each place's score across the year; the figures below are that month's averages.

Krabi Maldives

In October, Maldives is the better bet — 58 vs 49.

Score

High / low

32° / 23°

30° / 26°

Rain

275 mm

200 mm

Sunshine

8.8 h

7 h

Krabi: Continued heavy rain — beaches stripped by storms

Maldives: Monsoon tail — improving late, still cheap

At a glance

Side by side

Krabi Maldives

Timing & weather

Year-round score55/10060/100

Best monthFebruary (64)February (72)

Months it leadsJan and DecFeb–May and Jul–Nov

Cheapest monthsSep–NovMay–Jul and Sep–Oct

Driest monthJanuary (56mm)February (40mm)

Wettest monthNovember (315mm)June (230mm)

Hottest monthFebruary (33°C)March (31°C)

Best for

BeachesBoth are beach destinations — compare the months above for when each is warmest and driestEvenEven

Mountains & hikingKrabi is the stronger pick for mountains and hikingStronger—

Off-peak monthsKrabi has more shoulder and low-season months (9 vs 8), when rates and crowds easeStronger—

Practical

Main airportKrabi International Airport (KBV)Velana International Airport (Malé)

CurrencyTHB (Thai Baht)MVR (Maldivian Rufiyaa) — USD widely accepted at resorts

LanguageThaiDhivehi (English widely spoken in tourism)

Time zoneICT (UTC+7)MVT (UTC+5)

ClimateTropical monsoon (Köppen Am)Tropical monsoon (Köppen Am)

Visa60-day visa exemption for most Western nationalities (extended Jul 2024)Free 30-day visa on arrival for all nationalities (valid passport + onward ticket + confirmed booking)

SafetyLow risk — standard tropical precautions, scooter accidents are the main injury sourceVery low risk on resort islands. Note: alcohol is served only on resort islands; modest dress and local laws apply on inhabited/local islands and in Malé.

Named storms nearby nowNASA EONET, checked hourly. Not a forecast.None tracked within 1,000kmNone tracked within 1,000km

Your trip

Which should you pick?

PickKrabi

Pick Krabi if you want beaches, plus hiking — it leads in Jan and Dec and peaks in February (64).

Krabi full guide

PickMaldives

Pick Maldives if you want beaches, plus easy family travel — it leads in Feb–May and Jul–Nov and peaks in February (72).

Maldives full guide

Plan your trip

Hotels, flights and more

Switch between the two. Hotel prices are for a week in each destination's best month.

Book Krabi

$$ · First-time visitors, beach + restaurants

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Questions

Good to know

Is Krabi or Maldives better to visit?

Maldives edges it overall — 60 vs 55 on the Atlas Ranger Score, our 0–100 measure of weather, crowds, value, and timing across the year. The gap is modest and the lead flips by month — use the tool above to compare any specific month.

Which has better weather, Krabi or Maldives?

Maldives averages a higher weather score (51 vs 49). Weather is the biggest input to the score, but both have strong months and weak months; the month-by-month chart shows exactly when.

When is it cheapest to visit Krabi or Maldives?

Krabi is cheapest in Sep–Nov; Maldives is cheapest in May–Jul and Sep–Oct. Those are the low and shoulder months, when hotel rates and crowds ease — usually because the weather is less reliable, so check the month-by-month scores above before you book.

Can I visit both Krabi and Maldives in one trip?

Often yes — many travellers pair them. The smart move is to time each leg to its own best months. Check each destination's full guide (linked below) for the month-by-month detail, then sequence your trip so each stop lands in its strong window.