Maldives

The Maldives is a stunning archipelago,  consisting of 1,192  islands grouped into 26 coral atolls, with no single island rising more than 1.8 metres above sea level. The atolls act as a barrier to the Indian Ocean currents that flow through the channels, creating a concentrated mix of rich, nutrient water that support a staggering amount of marine life. The Maldives offers unforgetable diving,  ranging from shallow white sand lagoons to exhilarating drifts over pristine reefs thriving with fish life and pelagics.

The Maldives has two seasons that affect the movements of marine life. From November through to May the winds come from the northeast, with currents flowing from the east to west.  Reef sharks gather in large numbers in the clear water channel entrances on the eastern side of the atolls, while mantas and whale sharks are drawn to the plankton rich west. During this time of year the skies are blue and the lack of wind means the seas are generally calm. 

From June to November, during the southwest monsoon, the currents move easterly through the channels, offering some of the best sightings of mantas and whale sharks. The wind picks up a little during this time, and the seas can get slightly rougher, but the country receives plenty of sun all year round.  Average air temperature throughout the year are close to 30 degrees, with water temperatures around 28 degrees.

The Maldives is best explored by liveaboard, which allows for a larger variety of diving, but you  can still enjoy great diving from one of the 150+ island resorts.  With so much choice, we can’t possible list them all here, so below are just a few of our most popular. Let us know if there are other islands or liveaboards you are interested in; chances are, we will have all details on file in our office.

How to get there

Getting to the Maldives is pretty straightforward with many quality carriers stopping once en-route to Male. The most popular airlines tend to be Emirates, Qatar and Etihad who each have a short transit and arrive into your destination at a sensible hour. There are direct flights with British Airways from November to March from Gatwick, but only 3 days per week. The flight time is around 11 hours to Male from London.

Stay a bit longer

The Maldives is a great place to combine liveaboard and island stays with a huge variety of options out there we can tailor make your dream dive holiday. Having been to many of the resorts we can also best advise which ones would be best suited to you.

If you fancy combining the Maldives with a different experience altogether then we have some excellent itineraries that can include a visit to Sri Lanka either before or after your stay. Sri Lanka is a stunning country, rich in history and culture. We can put together a tailor-made tour itinerary, with private transport and guide, to explore the highlights of this wonderful island.

Since Emirates are one of the most popular airlines used for the Maldives,  a stopover in Dubai is well worth doing. Dubai is a vibrant and opulent city, rising from the desert.  You can find everything here: ostentatious 7 Star hotels, huge shopping malls, even an indoor ski slope. The more active amongst you can head out on adventure activities in the desert dunes.

Whatever you may fancy adding on to your Maldives trip we will be happy to guide you and to assist with your travel needs.