Maldives- some help please

[mantajohn]

i agree with escapedia - the link posted gives a really accurate view of Filitheyo.

We've been there 3 times and plan to return in February.

Great dive centre Maldives Diving Centers Werner Lau MALDIVES - EGYPT - BALI they have 3 or four boats every morning & again after lunch. They are colour coded by difficulty/current strength expected etc - which makes it very easy to pick/plan the dives that you want.

DM's take every trouble to give you a great dive experience. Last year, i took a 'strong currents' course - fantastic trip.

Resort is simple luxury as opposed to opulence. It has a great house reef for snorkeling - which is an essential for my non diving wife!

Previously we have tried:

Rangali - was fantastic 6 years ago. But, now, they've added many more rooms & taken the facilities even further up market.

Coco Palm - excellent luxury (inc choice of restaurants) but dive experience not so good. Only one dive boat & it normally went wherever the dive school neede to take its novices. So diving a bit repetitive.

i hope the above helps

John

 

[alchemist117]

We had 2 wonderful weeks on Vilamendhoo in Aug 2007. House reef still super, and we sighted a whale shark and mantas when out on the boats. What more can I say, except, we're going back this year!

 

[pelan-pelan]

Vakarufalhi - been a couple of times. Diving - two dive entries, on on either side of the island for house reef (no, you don't swim all the way round!). Professional and helpful dive centre. Interesting dive sites nearby. Snorkelling in the lagoon and under the jetty - you'd think that maybe there wasn't much to see - until you've just spend 3 hours with your head in the water.

Rooms and housekeeping are spotless and everything works OK. Food is very good. Island is quiet and definitely not crowded.

Do not, repeat not, go to Vakarufalhi for glitzy night-life, organised pool-games, screaming kids clubs, banana boat rides.

Would we go back - most definitely yes.

(Meeru (Meerufenfushi) - didn't dive there, only had an overnight, can't speak badly enough of it. So sorry for the two members of staff who were really trying to do their jobs.)

 

[tarzana]

i hope this is the right forum to present my query..

i will be going to the maldives in holiday time december 08 and would like to know the following please:

which is better to see the most you can in the maldives area-- liveaboard or a resort with land based diving?
which resort or liveaboard do you recommend?

thanks ahead of time for any suggestions
tarzana

 

[mantajohn]

Assuming that doing lots of good dives is the criteria, liveaboard wins hands down. Not only will you do 3 dives per day not 2, you will get a much wider choice of dive sites.

i would especially go for a liveaboard in December.

In november the Maldives wind/current direction reverses from south west to north east. This has a huge impact upon which sites are worth diving. ie a great Manta station can become completely deserted.

The turn of the seasons has become much less predictable. This year it was later into December. Even in January, we had some very unusual wind/current combinations. This unpredictability makes the flexibility of a liveaboard even more important.

For me its a simple choice: when on my own - liveaboard. When accompanied by non diving wife - alas resort!

hope this is helpful?

John

 

[shelski]

Hi, we are off to Reethi Beach shortly which comes highly recommended. Seems good value too and you can go B&B, half board or fully inclusive. Diving seems reasonably priced at $42 per dive which goes cheaper the more diving you do. Check out the dive school
» Sea Explorer  

 

[tarzana]

yes thank you everyone... good info for me in this forum. Am waiting for prices from several resorts and liveaboards...

Re liveaboards.. has anyone gone out on the Stingray, Baani Explorer or Baani Adventurer? Ideally for me it would be great to go out for 5 or maybe 6 days if i chose the liveaboard route so i can get to Sri Lanka for about the same number of days but as far as i could see with these and other liveaboards it is week long trip.
do the liveaboards generally dive both the northern and southern atolls?

Re Resorts: assuming that the Dec winds will change as normal, would it be better to stay at the Vakarufalhi Island Resort and see the South Ari Atoll or stay at the Filitheyo Island Resort and be at the Northern Atoll?

I assume that if one was staying at either resort that day dive prohibit the movement from one atoll to the other because of distance-- Is that correct?. Which is better diving?

again thanks everyone for sharing their comments and thank you scubaboard for existing!!!! you have helped me so much in connecting with the World of scuba divers!!!

tarzana

 

[razzerman]

Just came back from Half Moon resort in North Male atoll - good access to dive sites like Banana reef and Victory wreck but house reef was dead. Planning to go back again in October and after checking loads of resorts have settled for Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu - which may be what your looking for - good house reef, not for families, apparently its one of the most picturesque atolls and has access to more remote dive sites.

 

[tarzana]

Razzerman,

Believe it or not I have not made my reservation as yet for the maldives. have the air booked but not the hotel or the liveaboard. cant seem to get some friends to commit this far out. I would be happy on a mid priced liveaboard or a hotel that is not soo pricey.

I did look at the Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu and it looks a bit out of my league in price. one site said it was 600 US a day. wow.

will keep on looking for something that fits my taste and my friends' also.

thanks
tarzana