When to Visit the Maldives, Bali or Phuket: A Month-by-Month Guide

Published 2026-10-03

The Maldives: official windows and the north–south rainfall difference

The Maldives Meteorological Service defines two distinct seasons, with two transitional months:

January, February and March — dry season. The northeast monsoon extends from January to March. The Meteorological Service gives average sunshine of 10–11 hours for these months, making this the relevant window for anyone prioritising the official dry season and the higher stated monthly sunshine average.
April — monsoon transition. April is not assigned to either main monsoon season. It also forms part of the warmest period, observed from March and April through to the onset of the southwest monsoon in mid-May. Across the year, average temperatures range from 25°C to 32°C in a warm, humid climate.
May — a boundary month. The southwest-monsoon wet season normally begins in mid-May. Treating the entire month as uniformly dry or wet would therefore obscure the boundary used by the official service.
June, July, August, September, October and November — wet season. The Meteorological Service says rain normally falls in showers that do not last long, with sunny periods between them. For the months outside January through March, it gives average sunlight of 7–9 hours.
December — monsoon transition. December is neither included in the January-to-March dry season nor in the mid-May-to-November wet season.

Atoll selection adds another decision. Annual rainfall increases from north to south: southern atolls receive about 2,218 mm annually, compared with 1,966 mm in central atolls and 1,779 mm in northern atolls. If lower annual rainfall is a priority, that comparison points toward northern atolls. It remains an annual regional comparison, not a promise that a particular day will be dry or that an individual resort has the same rainfall pattern as the wider atoll band.

The north–south distinction applies specifically to rainfall. The cited sunshine figures are Maldives-wide averages for the relevant months; the official page does not provide separate northern and southern sunshine totals. Accordingly, January through March is the dry-and-sun match, while March and April belong to the warmest period but retain the transitional status of April.

Phuket: combine the seasonal label with the Andaman storm window

The weather page of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Malaysia places Phuket, Krabi and the Phi Phi Islands on the Andaman or west coast. It provides broad seasonal labels, but its coast-specific statement is equally important: the southwest monsoon brings heavy storms from April to October. That interval should be applied specifically to Phuket’s Andaman setting rather than treated as a nationwide Thailand calendar.

November, December, January and February — “Winter.” This is the full range of the official winter category and falls outside the stated April-to-October Andaman storm interval.
March — “Summer.” It is the month within the Summer category that falls wholly before the listed heavy-storm interval. It is therefore the cleanest match when the official Summer label is desired without overlapping that stated storm period.
April — overlapping signals. April remains within the Summer category, while the Andaman storm range begins in April. The same page says rains begin sporadically around mid-April, so this is not a clean dry or wet month.
May and June — “Summer” and within the storm range. The broad label says Summer, but the coast-specific guidance places both months within the April-to-October southwest-monsoon period.
July, August, September and October — “Raining.” These four months also sit inside the coast-specific heavy-storm interval.

For a trip seeking to avoid the listed Andaman storm period, November through February matches the official winter category; March can be added when the Summer label is also important. An intentional wet-season trip falls within April through October, but that period should not be treated as uniform: April has the stated sporadic onset, while July through October carries the explicit “Raining” label.

The Tourism Authority describes the onset of the rains as traditionally the least popular season for travellers, while also saying that coastal weather remains quite nice. It nevertheless warns that streets flood during the rainy season and that temples and some businesses expect visitors to remove their shoes. Wet-season travel is consequently a conscious acceptance of the season’s conditions, not a generic rainy-day label.

Bali: choose the region and forecast, not a fixed month

BMKG’s official seasonal-prediction portal is the relevant source for annually updated regional forecasts of Indonesia’s rainy and dry seasons. Its November 2025 update to the 2025/2026 forecast said that the onset of Bali’s rainy season was predicted later than in the previous forecast, while its rainy-season peak was also expected later. These revisions show why fixed calendar months would misrepresent the official method: Bali’s seasonal judgment depends on the updated regional forecast for the relevant period.

Conditions within Bali can also differ sharply by district. On the single day captured in the BMKG Bali weather page:

Badung’s readout mixed clear, cloudy and light-rain conditions.
Bangli and Karangasem both reported light rain.
Jembrana and Buleleng reported hazy conditions.

That snapshot supports a practical rule rather than a permanent rainfall ranking: an inland or mountain itinerary needs a separate weather check from a southern-coast trip. A fixed month cannot substitute for the forecast for the intended district.

Indonesia’s official tourism portal provides a place-based way to choose the purpose of the trip:

Kuta Beach is described as drawing surfers with rolling waves and a lively atmosphere.
Sanur Beach offers a quieter setting and sunrise views.
Ubud is the inland cultural and artistic destination associated with terraced rice fields such as Tegalalang and traditional dance performances.
Menjangan Island in West Bali is characterised as a diver’s destination with vibrant coral reefs and crystal-clear waters.

These descriptions identify the setting to investigate, not a guaranteed weather outcome. For Bali, the defensible booking method is to choose the coast, inland culture or diving destination first, identify the relevant district, then consult the latest BMKG seasonal update and local weather forecast. No fixed Bali month recommendation is supported here.

Matching the season to the purpose

Official dry season and greater average sunshine — the Maldives in January, February or March. This conclusion depends on the Maldives Meteorological Service’s dry-season designation and its 10–11-hour sunshine average for those months, compared with 7–9 hours for the other months.
Warmest conditions — the Maldives in March and April, extending to mid-May in the official description. April remains transitional, and the wet season normally begins in mid-May, so the warmth window should not automatically be treated as a dry window.
Avoiding the listed Andaman heavy storms — Phuket in November through February. March is the additional match when the official Summer category matters, because it falls before the April-to-October storm interval.
Intentional wet-season travel — the Maldives from mid-May through November, or Phuket from April through October. These are different official descriptions: Maldives rainfall is characterised by showers and sunny gaps, while the Andaman coast has heavy storms from April to October and an explicit “Raining” label from July through October.
Bali — no evidence-based month verdict. The choice depends on the chosen part of the island, the latest annually updated BMKG regional forecast and the district-level weather outlook.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do the Maldives’ 10–11 and 7–9 hour sunshine figures guarantee sunshine on a particular day?
No. The Meteorological Service presents them as monthly averages: 10–11 hours for January through March and 7–9 hours for the other months. They help compare official seasonal windows rather than promise conditions on a specific date.

Can the Maldives’ 1,779 mm, 1,966 mm and 2,218 mm rainfall figures select an exact week?
No. Those are annual averages for northern, central and southern atolls, respectively. They support a north-to-south comparison, but the source does not present them as monthly totals or exact travel-date forecasts.

Does TAT’s “Winter” label for Phuket mean cold or dry?
The label alone establishes neither. TAT gives November through February as the Winter category without attaching a temperature definition or dry-weather designation; the separate April-to-October heavy-storm statement is the coast-specific rainfall criterion.

Should the November 2025 BMKG update be reused for a later Bali trip?
No. It is an update to the 2025/2026 prediction. A later trip should be checked against BMKG’s seasonal prediction for its own period and the local forecast for the intended area.

Does the Bali weather snapshot prove that mountain districts are always wetter than the south coast?
No. It records different conditions across districts on one date, not permanent rainfall frequencies. Its defensible use is to justify checking the forecast district by district.

Official sources and check date

Official sources checked: 2026-10-03. Rates, taxes, visas, flights, transfers, seasonal conditions, current opening status and included entitlements are not stated here — confirm each directly with the official provider or the property at the time of booking.