Travel Tips

Where is Maldives? This is perhaps the very first question that might come to your mind when planning your next holidays, if you have no idea about this tiny island nation and its rich natural beauty. Maldives can be the perfect choice for your holidays, because it has everything that a tourist requires for ideal holidays.

The white powdery sands, warm blue sea with it’s underwater realm, tiny coral islands and with excellent tourism facilities make the Maldives your dream destination. But before visiting Maldives you should know where are the Maldives and where is Maldives located? One glance at the atlas will answer your question – Where is Maldive? Right on the Equator, you will find Maldives is situated in the southwest of Sri Lanka, Maldives stretches 823 km from North to South and 130 km from east to west in the Indian Ocean. Only 202 islands are inhabited and only 87 islands have resorts in them. Male is the capital city where 2/3 of the populations of Maldives reside. See the map of the Maldives above.

Luxury liveaboards, budget guesthouse stays and luxury resort experiences are now available for your accommodation requirements in the Maldives.

Maldives is well known for an idyllic island getaway destination and is continuing to grow its popularity. We know there are many reasons why we should travel to the Maldives, individual traveller has his own list of wishes and priorities. Here are some of few good reasons to travel to the Maldives.

1. The Maldives Beaches
Travel to Maldives will offer you the best possibility to experience some of the most stunning beaches of the world. The Maldives comprises of 1190 islands, each surrounded by perfect white sandy beaches, swaying palm trees and magnificent turquoise blue sea. All travel in the Maldives is accomplished either by boat or plane, both mode of transportation will offer you the luxury of engaging in the amazing beach views. When you’re not dazzling about the islands, unwind these stunning Maldivian beaches or enjoy the view of the Maldives beaches either from your hotel room, swimming pool or scuba diving liveaboard.

2. The Maldives Scuba dive travel
Maldives scuba dive travel is widely considered to be some of the best dive travel in the world. The Maldives is renown for scuba diving destination over years therefore, we find all dive crews and boat captains to be extremely experienced and knowledgeable about Maldives scuba dive travel and Maldives Weather. There are many Maldives travel books and Maldives travel websites that will offer us a good idea of what to expect from your Maldives scuba dive travel experience before you leave home and that will help you find the best deals and learn about the best time to visit Maldives. Just to give you a quick overview of what to expect from Maldives scuba dive travel, here are a few hints. The best Maldives scuba dive travel experiences, and one of the main reasons divers travel to Maldives is the liveaboard diving concept. A Maldives liveaboard trip means divers living aboard a cruising yacht for any length of stays (usually 1 – 2 weeks) and performing couple of dives a day from the liveaboards. When you’re not diving, you can be entertained by other aspects of Maldives travel, sunbathing, going to the beach, island hopping, fishing, snorkelling and generally chilling out. Maldives liveaboards come in a range of styles; There are Maldives liveaboards for all budget and personal preference, your choice of scuba diving liveaboard will be waiting here in the Maldives for you. Do you want to dive with Whale Sharks and Manta Rays in the Maldives? Certainly! yes. There are possibilities to simply dive or snorkel from a dive centre of a resorts of the Maldives if that is the right choice for you. Whatever you choose to discover the underwater world of the Maldives, one thing is likely that you won’t be let down! A quick glance in any Maldives travel books will tell you that the Maldives is home to an awesome collection of marine life, including varieties of sharks, turtles, ray species, eel, wrasse and tuna. The list is limitless. However,  the real celebrities of the Maldives scuba dive travel world are the whale sharks and the manta rays – are certainly the country’s biggest aquatic attractions.

3. Aerial Views from Maldives Air Travel
Perhaps the most amusing feature of travel to the Maldives is the spectacular views while travelling from the airport to your hotel by boat, cruising your Maldives liveaboard or maybe the aerial views from the sky of Maldives air travel services if you anticipate to travel by air. While researching your Maldives holiday on any Maldives travel blog, definitely you will find many aerial photos of the islands, taken during Maldives air travel, which are simply awesome holiday memories. Aerial views of the islands give an impression on how remote destinations are from each of the islands and how the color of the ocean contrasts perfectly with that of the land. the scene really is the quintessential image of the tropical landscape. Many stunning aerial video shots of the islands of the Maldives while approaching the Maldives are also found in the youtube.

4. Visiting secluded Islands of the Maldives
Going back to the idea of the quintessential island image is the lucky chance to visit some of the desert islands of the Maldives. Many of the islands are completely uninhabited, or perhaps inhabited only by very small villages of people, who are only to happy to show you around their pristine island and introduce you to their way of life. Villagers will treat you to dances, feasts and other shows of their individual culture and visits to these islands are a very common part of Maldives cruise travel.

5. Magnificent Maldives Marine Life
Maldives Marine Life is exactly what one would expect from a world-class diving destination, the marine life in the Maldives is always natural and are expected to see vibrant colored coral formations, shoals of reef-dwelling fish, large pelagic species such as the whale shark. The Maldives is one of the few places in the world where you can expect to peek a whale shark throughout the year, which means that travel to Maldives is possible 365 days a year. When it comes to planning travel in Maldives or to visit Maldives, there are thousands of resources to help you make the best decisions. Online you will find a selection of Maldives travel agents all offering a wide variety of travel deals to Maldives. It can be difficult finding the best travel agent to book a holiday to Maldives. Perhaps, the best tripadvisor is to ask around via social media, check out blogs on Maldives travel guides or ask fellow travellers of their own experiences and opinions. We believe one of the most challenging part is to consider the price of your Maldives dive safari, which can vary depending on the type of diving cruise ship you wish to embark. Together with the resorts of the Maldives and the liveaboard charters in the Maldives, there is an extensive range of accommodation available. One can expect to pay average daily rates from USD $150 to USD $300 or above per person per night, plus the cost of your flights. The price will noramlly include all scuba diving, meals and accommodation, alcoholic drinks can be purchased from the onboard bar. If you’re looking for a resort stays in the Maldives, the prices vary enormously – it would be unfair to put a price, but you can definitely find everything from mid-range hotels to ultimate luxury resorts in the Maldives. There are also many packages available, but then again these vary widely in terms of price.

Elysian Maldives is a travel agent offering Maldives scuba travel, Maldives surf travel and Maldives Honeymoon travel on liveaboards of the Maldives, resorts of the Maldives or in guest houses of the Maldives, we are updating interesting information about Maldives with our travel blog on maldives dive travel, Maldives surf travel, Maldives honeymoon travel and Maldives fishing travel too. We have written important information about scuba travel in the Maldives, surf travel in the Maldives, fishing travel in the Maldives. In our travel blog we tell you when is the best time to travel to Maldives depending on the theme and we are bringing up to date news of our special offers to Maldives and travel deals in Maldives.

Diving in the Maldives is fun and it is a unique experience. Each liveaboard ship is accompanied by a Dhoni, a separate diving vessel from which all dives are carried out. The dive gear and compressors are kept on the Dhoni for the entire safari, meaning that the guest don’t have to carry their gears back and forth between dives and there is no noise on the mother ship, which makes the dive experience extremely comfortable. An emergency case, GPS and oxygen are also on the Dhoni. Tanks, lead and belt are usually included in the package price. Should you wish to rent diving equipment, it is also possible to book it in advance. Diving is Guided Dives with PADI certified Instructors: There are PADI Courses: Most liveaboards we offer include 2-3 Dives per Day: Scuba Dive Equipment Rental is also available on board the ships.

Important Information for diving guest:

Please remember to bring along your logbook and diving certificate. A medical diving fitness check is recommended, but not compulsory. The first dive is always a check dive, which is compulsory for all divers. Dives are guided by an experienced PADI instructor and a dive master. Experienced divers can dive independently after the check dive. PADI courses can be held (maybe pre-book) Diving equipment is kept on the accompanying dive vessel (Dhoni) Oxygen, an emergency case and a mobile phone are available on the Dhoni in case of emergency. Compressors are stored on the Dhoni, meaning that there is no noise pollution for guests on the liveaboard while bottles are re-filled between dives. All divers must adhere to the Maldivian diving regulations: no decompression dives, always stay with your dive buddy, never dive deeper than 30m if you are a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver (or equivalent) and never dive deeper than 18m if you are a PADI Open Water Diver (or equivalent). The last dive will be offered 24hrs before the end of the cruise. The use of a diving computer is compulsory. English is the official language on board. Diving insurance policy can be also obtained on board some of the boats we offer otherwise we advice you to have necessary insurance before hand. During a 7-night cruise there are 17 dives, during a 14-night cruise there are 35 dives.

Route : Day one is the arrival plus relaxing day. Depending on your arrival time, the guest will have the chance for swimming and snorkeling, the rest of the day is pure relaxation after the flight. The diving schedule will start on the following day and continue until 24hours before check out.

Our aim is to show our guest the most beautiful dive spots in the Maldives. In order to do this, it is necessary to adapt our routes according to the season, available time and current weather reports. That is why our cruise ships do not follow fixed routes, but rather tailor each safari route to make the best possible dive trip. Please trust our experienced crew to choose the right route; every ship’s crew has years of experience in diving in the Maldives and they know how to make the most out of each cruise. At the start of each safari, a rough route will be confirmed, followed by daily briefings on what specific dive sites will be visited. Before each dive, the guest on board the cruise will be thoroughly briefed and shown a map of the dive site.

Required dive certification: The minimum requirement is a PADI Open Water Diver certificate or equivalent, which will allow our guest to dive to a maximum of 18m. This is the depth when a lot of the best dive sites begin to be really interesting, which is why we encourage our guests to obtain a PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certificate or equivalent before or during the cruise. This will allow you to dive a maximum of 30m and fully explore the Maldives’ best dive spots. Divers who have not dived for a while can do a PADI Scuba Review course to refresh their skills. The initial check dive does not only serve as an opportunity to check your gear, but also for the dive guides to assess everybody’s abilities. Should the dive guide or a guest feel that extra support is needed, special guided dives can be arranged at an extra cost. Scuba Dive Equipment Rental Prices can be provided on request. Book your Maldives dive trip with us in any of our handpicked cruises.

If your idea of surfing is uncrowded seas, Maldives is the place for you to surf. Surfing was introduced to the Maldives in the late 70s. In 1973 Tony Hinde an Australian surfer took a break from surfing in Sri Lanka and together with a friend set sail for the Africa. He was never to reach his destination. His ship seriously off course, was shipwrecked on the shore breaks of Male’. Tony discovered the thrill of surfing in the Maldives reef. He changed his name to Tony Hussein Hinde, married a local lady, opened his own surf agency and decided to stay for good. In the past locals did wave riding using wooden logs, wooden boards, etc in the islands of the Maldives.

We offer surfing cruises, giving the opportunity to try out some of the recently discovered surfs in the central atolls of the maldives further away from Male’ atoll. The recognized surf season in the Maldives is the Southwest Monsoon, from May to October.

The Maldives in recent years has attracted professional surfers. Maldives has hosted international surfing competitions and fund raising events branding the country as a world surfing destination as well.

Surfing areas and conditions

If you want to surf in the Maldives, the options are either to book yourself a reservation on a live-aboard surfing vacation on charter cruises (safari boats), in resorts – providing dhoni trips to surf points or stay at one of guest houses in Maldives rent out a local boat to the surf spots.

Cokes, is a very long right hander epic waves with an easy access from the island Thulusdhoo by boat trips and is reputed to be one of the best wave in the Maldives for right hander waves in North Male’ Atoll. There are few local guest houses and B&Bs available now to accommodate in Thulusdhoo Island.  About half a mile away you find the Chickens. Chickens is a regional classic left producing waves from 3 feet up to 10 feet. Sultans is a right hander with barrels totally epic waves. Lhohis’s is just off the reef break of Adaaran Select Hudhuranfushi Resort. The average size of reef breakers is 4-5 feet, rising to 8-10 feet during the surf monsoon. Surf monsoon is from late February to mid November, with the best waves coming in during March to May and then again in September till the end of November. Reef breakers are sometimes quite tricky to surf, the water is quite shallow on the surf and the coral beds sharp and protruding. Surfers are advised to bring all their equipment with them, as there are very few good surf equipments available. There are many undiscovered points in the central atolls of the Maldives as well as in Huvadhoo Atolls. Yin Yang in Laamu Atoll was a recent discovery first surfed by Callahan 1996 boat trip with Pat O’Connell and Satoshi Sekino, Yin Yang got epic during Oxbow seaplane trip in June 2004. Yin Yang is a long and typical outside typical reef corner right in a pass. Outside is a mellow wall, often cross shore, with safe rides in deep water. Then, the wave bends in the corner, mush out for a while, then wraps into one of the most critical sections in the Maldives. Inside section can be long and tubular, it can be fairly heavy too on pretty uneven reef, producing potential intimidating barrels on the first bend. Yin Yang Laamu Atoll produces waves up to 12 feet, an excellent spot for experienced surfers and is so uncrowded.

Here are some of popular surf points in the Maldives, Male’ Atoll:

Chickens
Villingilimathi Huraa (Kuda Villingili), Uninhabited island. Eastern reef of North Male’ Atoll.

Cokes
Thulusdhoo, Atoll Capital. Eastern reef of North Male’ Atoll.

Gurus
Male’, the capital. Eastern reef of Male’, Southern tip of North Male’ Atoll.

Honky’s
Thamburudhoo (Uninhabited Island), Eastern Reef of North Male’ Atoll.

Kate’s
Boduhuraa, Uninhabited Island near the Palm Tree Island Resort. Eastern Reef of South Male’ Atoll.

Lohis
Lohifushi Island Resort. Eastern reef of North Male’ Atoll.

Male’ Island Point
Full Moon Beach Resort, Furana Fushi Island, Eastern Reef of North Male’ Atoll.

Natives
Kandooma Resort, Eastern Reef of North Male’ Atoll.

Piddlies / Ninjas
Kanifinolhu Resort. Eastern Reef of North Male’ Atoll.

Quarters
Gulhigaathuhuraa, uninhabited island attached to Palm Tree Island Resort.

Riptides
Guraidhoo, Inhabited Island. Eastern Reef of South Male’ Atoll.

Sultans
Tari Village Resort (Kanu Huraa) . Eastern reef of North Male’ Atoll.

Tomb Stones
Thamburudhoo (Uninhabited Island), Adjacent to ‘Sultans’. Eastern Reef of North Male’ Atoll.

Twin Peaks
Miyaru Faru near the island of Gulhi, inhabited island, Eastern Reef of South Male’ Atoll.

Diving in the Maldives is one of those mesmerizing experiences that stays with you long after you’ve left the country’s pristine islands, swaying palm trees and crystal-clear waters behind. Maldives is one of the top destination of choice for divers from all over the world, this tiny Indian-Ocean Country is made up of more than a thousand tropical islands with coral reefs, spreading over some 900,000 square kilometers. Just beneath the water’s surface lie some of the world’s best dive sites; home to an incredible variety of marine species. With stable politics, white sandy beaches, a balmy climate and friendly people the country’s overwater charms are also second to none.

In other words, choosing the Maldives as a diving destination is a no-brainer. But choosing between land-based or liveaboard diving can leave even the most seasoned scuba diver confused. Here is our guide to what makes liveaboard diving in the Maldives a loving favorite of the international dive community.

1. Mobility: Since they are mobile, liveaboards offer a level of freedom and ease that is unmatched by other kinds of diving in the Maldives. Imagine arriving at Male International Airport and, instead of facing a long transfer, being able to personally welcomed by and swiftly taken to your boat, which is already anchoring nearby. Then, imagine spending your days being chauffeured between the best dive sites in the Maldives, enjoying top notch onboard services and cuisines, visiting local islands and watching the exotic scenery pass by as you relax on the sun-deck.

2. Easy Accessibility & Variety: Because of the unique geographical location, the Maldives are blessed with innumerable world-class dive sites, many of which are yet to be discovered. In terms of offering easy access to as many of the best diving sites in the Maldives as possible, liveaboard cruises are simply unbeatable: no long transfers, no bumpy speed boat rides. Whichever direction your route takes, at the end of the trip your logbook is sure to feature plenty of stunning, and in some cases legendary dive sites.

3. Large Fish: One of the main reasons the Maldives are so popular with divers is their abundance of large marine animals. Whales sharks, manta rays and various kinds of reef sharks are among the common fish of the Maldives. Close encounters with these giants of the ocean is a fascinating experience, unlike seeing an elephant or a lion in the wild for scuba diver, which is why liveaboard cruises also commonly called as “safaris”.

4. Adventure Holiday: Boat holidays in the Maldives offer a tempting sense of adventure. As the boat makes its way through the atolls, it often stops by local fishing villages, anchors near uninhabited islands and crosses channels between atolls. Scuba diving cruises allow you to discover several atolls, meet locals and discover authentic Maldivian culture in a relaxed casual way. With many liveaboards in the Maldives, you can spend time in between dives doing other exciting water sports such as water skiing, wakeboarding, jet skiing, fishing and canoeing.

5. Friendly Atmosphere: Whether you are a single traveler, on your honeymoon or traveling with a bunch of friends, liveaboard cruises offer a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere, flexible and social way to enjoy the best diving in the Maldives. Comfortable communal spaces offer plenty of opportunities to make new friends and swap diving experiences over dinner, while the spacious layout of the ships allows you to find your favorite spot to read a book or watch the sunset while sipping your favorite sundowner cocktail.

6. Affordability Pricing:  The Maldives is well known for its luxury hotels, resorts and high-end services, the luxury liveaboards offer a superb level of services and facilities as well and prices are well below those of an island holidays. And package prices for cheap diving holidays in the Maldives usually includes numerous extras such as airport transfers, dive transfers, meals plus snacks and select beverages, island visits, sports activities and so on.

7. Visiting Uninhabited Island: Most safari boats offer excursions in the Maldives include free visits to uninhabited islands and, with maldives weather permitting, the dinner is served on the beach. Having an island (almost) all to yourself is a memorable moment to treasure: once you land on the island and venture away from the shore, you might come across a variety of exotic birds such as white terns, flowers and butterflies. On a few islands, you can even find remains of old settlements and temples.

8. No Heavy Lifting: Diving from a liveaboard in the Maldives is easy. During the trip, there is no need to carry your diving equipment back and forth in between dives as all the diving equipments are stowed directly on the “Dive Dhoni” a refitted traditional Maldivian fishing boat, which acts as a floating dive base and the dhoni is accompanied by the mother ship.

9. Sleeping Under the Stars: For many divers, diving safari in the Maldives is never complete without spending at least one night on the deck. The stars over this part of the world are simply breathtaking and it is common to see several shooting stars before you fall in to sleep being gently rocked by the waves.

10. No Shoes, No News: This famous holiday slogan is often followed on dive safari boats in the Maldives. If you want to completely switch off and get away from it all, there is no better place for it than a Maldivian liveaboards.

Scuba diving equipment adapts you to the underwater world and makes you part of it. You do the diving, but your scuba gear makes it possible for you. Here are some of the names of those important scuba equipments.

Mask
Fins
Snorkel
BDC – Buoyancy Control Device
Regulator
Cylinder
Exposure suit
SPG – Submersible Pressure Gauge
Alternative air source
Compass
Dive computer
Whistle

Did you know?
Almost all liveaboard dive charters of the Maldives are equipped with a diving Dhoni which carries all the scuba diving equipments and making it so convenient for the divers.

The Napolean Wrasse locally known as “Maahulhunbu Landaa” can instantly be recognized by its size, color and shape. It is one of the largest reef fishes in the world. They can grow up to 230cm and weigh 190kg. Colors vary with age and sex. The growth of Napolean wrasse is extremely slow. At around six months of age, the juveniles will grow up to only 5-6 cm in total length. The fear of extinction of this species, lead to the ban on fishery and hence protecting it. They can be seen feasting on shellfish, other fish, sea stars, sea urchins and crabs. This species has been protected in the Maldives since 24th June 1995.

Join us in for a snorkeling or a diving trip to the Maldives onboard any of our boat charters to spot this amazing fish and there is more to indulge.

Although, the staff in resort islands speak multi-languages such as English, Italian, French, German, Japanese or chinese. It is not always the same that of  the hotels in Maldives if you stay in one of the local island guest houses of the Maldives. Most of the younger generation speaks and understands English language but not the majority of the senior natives. The native language is called dhivehi.  In this short series of topics I will be focusing on the local language. This, believe me, is an excellent ice breaker whether it is with the youth or the senior locals of the Maldives.

Greetings.

Hello - Assalaam Alaikum

How are you? - Haalu Kihineh?

Good - Rangalhu

I am going - Aharen   Dhanee

Hulhumale’ Beach Hotel is a local guest house located 20 minutes from the capital city of the Maldives, Male’ by regular ferries, Local Guest house in Hulhumale’ beach, Maldives is 10 minutes drive from airport by shuttle bus or taxis.

It all depends on how good the wave, surfer, surfing, tide conditions are and how much time that the boat needs to cruise to the surf break. But it usually goes like this:

Wake up, drink coffee and take look at the surf report around 05:30hrs.
Dhoni or Dinghy departs at around 06:00 to 08:30hrs.
Surf Session One – 08:30 to 09:30hrs.
Breakfast – 09:30 to 1300hrs.
Surf Session Two -  13:00 to 14:00hrs.
Lunch and coffee – 14:00 to 18:00hrs.
Surf Session Three – 18:00hrs
Tea -  19:30 to 20:00hrs.
Dinner and planning for the next day – 20:00hrs.
Board Games – Maldivian Hand line Fishing – DVDs can be enjoyed onboard all surf charters.

If the wave, surf condition is not good enough where the boat is anchored, then the boat cruises (30 minutes up to 6 hours, average is 2 hours per day) or visit villages for basic “shopping”, or play football and / or volley ball (16:00 to 18:00hrs) or you may snorkel and try some fishing too.

The above is an example schedule to give you an idea how it is done in Maldives liveaboards and it is optional. Your Maldives trip schedule will be discussed on arrival with the group together with a local surf guide.

Liveaboards such as Maavahi, Aldebaran or Mystique are excellent choices for surf charters in Maldives. Get a quote now.

Northern Heart of Maldives (North of Male’ & Ari Atoll)

DAY ONE (1)
Upon arrival to Male’ International Airport you will be met & greeted at the airport by our representative you will be assisted to embark to your chosen Safari Boat. Enjoy your welcome drink and take your time to discover your room and unpack. Relax in the restaurant before we come together for our Safety Briefing. After chilling out and setting in we anchor outside Kurumba. Now it’s time to get into the water for our Check Dive at KURUMBA HOUSE REEF or BACK FARU to get comfortable in the waters of Maldives. While we are cruising towards Himmafushi, you have time to explore the Boat.

DAY TWO (2)
You will wake up in the South East of North Male Atoll where we will be anchored at Himmafushi Island. We will conduct 3 dives for today. Our early morning dive is conducted at DEVILS CORNER or HP REEF, one of the best dive sites in the Maldives with coral blocks, caves and overhangs. After breakfast you have the choice between NASSIMO THILA with its scattered pinnacles going down to 30m or OKOBE THILA which comprises three large coral heads and where you can see Eagle Rays, Jacks and Napoleon Wrasses. During lunch we move to Rasfari on the West side of North Male Atoll where we stop at BODU HITHI THILA. Its many holes and crevices surprise you with colorful Sea Slugs, Flatworms, Cleaner Shrimps and Morays. Between December and April you can see groups of giant-winged Mantas coming for the cleaner stations.

DAY THREE (3)
After early morning tea & coffee our first dive is planned at RASFARI THILA, announced as one of the many marine protected areas in the Maldives. This outer reef is famous for good drift dive with large sloping walls, dropping down to 90m. Most likely you will see Gray Reef Sharks, Silver Tip and White Tip Reef Sharks as well as Eagle Rays in the current.We will be cruising about 3.5hrs to North Ari Atoll. Our dive spot MADIVARU CORNER, one of the dive site highlights in the Atoll, is located at the entrance of the Madivaru Channel. Beside spectacular overhangs between 25-30m that come before a breathtaking drop-off, you get impressed by the variety of species, such as Hammerhead Sharks, Dolphins, Dogtooth Tuna and Barracudas. For our last dive we move back to Rasdhoo to anchor at RASDHOO REEF/ HOLI FARU where the photographers amongst you have the chance to get active.

DAY FOUR (4)
Our absolute highlight is the early morning dive with Hammerhead Sharks at BIG BLUE. The second dive is planned at BATHALAA MAAGAA, a long, narrow reef about 20m width with 2 small caves at the Northern end. Explore the reef top, covered in a variety of Sponge Balls and Sea Anemones, housing Fusiliers, Sweetlips and Unicorn fish. Our next stop is BODU THILA or BATHALAA THILA, an outside reef falling down to 30m with small caves. Here you can find sleeping Nurse Sharks on the reef top or if you are lucky you will see the largest Stonefish “of the sea”. After cruising back to Ari Atoll we anchor at Maaya Fushi to go to MAAYA THILA, always a great spot for an action packed night dive. Octopus and Stonefish can be found on the top reef and deeper you experience the hunting White Tip Reef Sharks, while Moray Eels dare leaving their shelter and swimming freely.

DAY FIVE (5)
This day brings us to HAFSA THILA, a circular reef of 80m in diameter with plenty of overhangs and soft corals on the cliff faces. Let’s hope for a strong current to watch the great Barracudas, Clown Triggerfish and Grey Reef Sharks. Our second dive takes place at MAALHOS THILA, recommended for advanced divers, starting at a depth of 25m. Large hard coral heads on the reef top and a variety of great marine life want to be discovered. We head for DHONKALO THILA also known as Manta Ray Car Wash as it is one of the most famous dive sites for spotting Manta Rays. And the best thing is, these graceful giants are around all year.

DAY SIX (6)
Anchored in Himendhoo we have a big time ahead. SIRRU THILA is well known for its beautiful coral life and is an attraction for Pellatics. While the North Eastern side slopes down to 30m the Western side falls down steep. Fun to venture a wreck? FESDU WRECK is a 30m fishing boat, sunk at the Southwest coast of Fesdu Island ( W Retreat & Spa Maldives ) . Every inch is encrusted with beautiful Sponges, soft and hard corals and plays home to small fish such as Anthias, Batfish and Lionfish. On our third dive we take you to every diver’s favorite at FISH HEAD, one of the most prominent dive sites in Maldives. The fish life in this marine protected area is excellent and populates Grey Reef Sharks, White Tip Sharks, Napoleon Wrasse and many more. The night will take us to a desert Island for a traditional Beach BBQ to enjoy the typical island life.

DAY SEVEN (7)
In the early morning, while you were still dreaming, the boat moved back to Male’ Atoll. If you are lucky and your return flight is more than 24hrs ahead, you will join us for a last dive on this cruise. We either go for another dive at FISH HEAD or discover KANDHOLHUDHOO, a small reef where seldom seen Stonefish and Scorpion Fish are abundant. The perfect dive to complete your Safari. To discover as well the land site of the Maldives as well we take you for a roundtrip to the capital Male’. Explore the way of local living and go for some souvenir shopping to keep your memories from this island paradise.

DAY EIGHT (8)
After breakfast your crew will transfer you to Male’ International Airport.

The above Itinerary is just to give you an idea of the routes we follow and dive sites. The route will be discussed on your arrival, we will consider your preferences, weather and seasons to offer you an unforgettable diving experience.

Liveaboards such as Maavahi, Aldebaran or Mystique are excellent choices for diving charters in Maldives. Get a quote now.