Move with the waters along the reef walls (faru in Dhivehi), enjoy spectacular views of sea inhabitants, breath in, breath out. Sometimes sightings can include potato groupers, mantas and even hammerhead sharks. The stunningly beautiful tropical islands of the Maldives are strung like pearls across the Indian Ocean Equator and surrounded by world-class diving. The Maldives is known for its beautiful islands and white sandy beaches. Maldivians are known for their inventiveness and intricate craftsmanship, which can be seen in handicrafts such as lacquer works, mat weaving, coir rope making and calligraphy. You will explore the very same dive sites as guests staying in 4 and 5 star resorts. At Fotteyo Kandu the narrow canyons and caves of Kandu Vaavu are covered in soft corals, and attract sharks, eagle rays and tuna in great numbers. Diving Resorts in Maldives: Find 80242 traveller reviews, candid photos, and the top ranked Diving Resorts in Maldives on Tripadvisor. From 8 to 10 years old *DISCOVER SCUBA DIVING USD 120. If you’re looking for a cheap scuba dive holiday in Maldives, the best way to scuba dive Maldives on a budget is to stay on a local island in a guesthouse or small hotel that specialises in scuba diving, with accommodation starting from USD$50 per night. Floating Resort by Scubaspa is a new and unique concept combining exceptional spa experiences with unforgettable scuba diving. Most of the population uses desalinated water while rural areas may use rainwater. ), over 1,100 islands; twice the size of Washington, DC. Dhivehi is the spoken language throughout the Maldives. Mantas circle the cleaning stations of Fushivaru Thila, while whale sharks are frequent visitors to Ari and Thaa atolls. Includes Student Kit and Certification Up to 12 meters *OPEN WATER DIVER USD 749. The international access code for the Maldives is +960. Or check out the following scuba diving in Maldives price package. Due to the differences in taste, most people prefer to use bottled water which is readily available for purchase. This course is only available during 7 Nights Holidays. Most famous one is currents. Scuba diving in the Maldives means diving at one of the worlds best scuba diving destinations, because of the white sand beaches, coral reefs, clear warm waters, dive sites and a thriving and vibrant marine life. Though drift dives are quite common, some sites may require divers to hold a position in a current. The vast South Ari Atoll is considered to have some of the best diving in the Maldives and has long attracted discerning liveaboard divers. An adapter with different pins is best. Tidal water exchanges create brisk currents in the kandus, and the narrower the channel, the stronger the flow. In years past, this involved holding on to rocks on the sea floor, but most operators now employ reef hooks. In Thoddoo, there are some nice walls up to 30-40 meters deep. Recommended by 97% travelers! Maldives diving enthusiasts will delight at her extensive range of itineraries, sailing all around the stunning atolls in the north and in the south. Sparkling deserted white beaches, turquoise lagoons, clear warm waters and coral reefs teeming with abundant varieties of marine flora and fauna welcome you to the most impressive diving imaginable. This Maldives consists of 26 chains of islands made from corals and reefs called atolls. The Republic of Maldives is a tropical island nation, consisting of 1,190 islands grouped in 26 ring-shaped atolls. Two distinct seasons dictate diving conditions in the Maldives - the dry northeast monsoon and the wet southwest monsoon. Recommended by 97% travelers! Best thilas are located near Ukulhas island (Maaya Thila, Maa thila). Within each atoll's ring of islands, numerous rock pinnacles rise from the sea bottom almost to the surface. Why not combine your diving adventure with some diving training? Tethering devices known as reef hooks are often used, but divers should also make the effort to streamline their dive gear and to weight properly, as overweighting will require excessive BC inflation, resulting in the more current-catching surface area. Dive resorts in the Maldives are an excellent option for budding and experienced underwater photographers due to the sheer beauty and varied colours of the marine-life. km. These formations are essentially islands that did not quite make it to the surface, and they are known as thilas. Payments in hotels can be made in most hard currencies (particularly US Dollars) in cash or major credit cards. Here you can find an overview from the most common diving packages. Islands of emerald green palms and white sandy beaches are surrounded by turquoise lagoons and reefs teeming with life. English was introduced as the medium of instruction in most schools in the 1960s, while Dhivehi is still the language used for the overall administration. The walls of thilas are often carved into canyons and caverns that create hiding places for reef dwellers such as octopus, moray eels and scorpion fish. Scuba Travel Ventures provides exotic scuba diving vacations, dive trips and vacation packages to the best scuba diving locations in the Maldives. Having India, Sri Lanka and some of the coral islands at a distance, the country has the best mixture of cultures and languages. Jump in, adjust your buoyancy, and... just relax. MORE. Diving in Maldives has some cool features. from 400 USD. Here you'll find large schools of tropical, colorful fish, larger marine life and healthy coral. North channel (north to Veligandu resort) is where you can see mantas almost every day. Feel free to contact us and enjoy divers' discounts! The atoll is regularly mentioned as a pinnacle of diving in the Maldives, and with one look underwater you will see why. At some sites where currents flow around an underwater headland, the plan may call for divers to anchor themselves in place to watch the passing show. It is these current-washed passages that provide some of the most thrilling dives, as this is where big animals gather. Most major island resorts, local and souvenir shops will accept American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa. Euro-Divers Maldives offer scuba diving activities in some of the best scuba diving resorts in Maldives as well as water sport activities at selected resorts. A surface marker buoy and reel that can be deployed from depth should be standard equipment for any drift dive. Plan your dive trip to paradise with our scuba diving vacations packages Maldives. We offer: • Underwater excursion (30-40 min) • Professional guiding • Equipment rental • Discount for further activities . Imagine a luxury diving holiday in the Maldives on one of more than a thousand palm fringed islands. This is no ordinary island. I have been diving in Bermuda for $145 per dive and the visibility was 2 meters, waste of money! Reef hooks can often be rented, but it can be more cost-effective to buy and bring your own. In fact, we started it operations more than 40 years ago near Male, the capital. Madivaru channel near Rasdhoo island is the place to see hammerhead sharks. There are a number of dive resorts scattered across the archipelagos of the Maldives. Image Source. We offer PADI, CMAS, IANTD courses up to Instructor's levels. Packages include diving equipment, professional diving instructor and much more. Come and try scuba diving with us! Not like in many other places where diving might be slightly cheaper, but there is hardly anything to see. Whether you’re traveling solo, with family and friends, or with a club or large group.Dive Paradise offers a broad selection of diving and accommodations packages — choices for every taste and budget. The Maldives located in the south-west of India is an archipelago nation meaning has been spread over a sea in multiple small islands famous for scuba diving in Maldives. The outgoing code is 00 followed by the relevant country code (e.g. The republic of Maldives is a chain of 1,190 islands in the Indian Ocean, located southwest of India and Sri Lanka. It is also known as an exotic dive destination. Yes, yes, and yes. Maldives has everything to prove it: clear warm water all year around, perfect visibility (20-40 m), and fantastic marine life. The broad channel at Olhugiri Kandu delivers a thrilling drift with white tip sharks and eagle rays, with nearby walls adding Napoleon wrasse and fast-moving tuna that hunt the vast schools of baitfish. The region's third distinct feature are the numerous coral-covered pinnacles that rise from the depths, serving as both habitats for reef creatures and gathering points for blue-water fish. So we hope for another brilliant season of manta diving in Thoddoo! However we understand that many look for an affordable tour package which gives them an adventure, as well as great diving experience during their holiday. And this resort is an excellent base to visit some of the best sites. Usually between 1 – 30 metres deep, these reefs generally offer the easiest diving in the Maldives. Tourism has brought the modern world to the Maldives, but these changes are seen primarily at resorts, and in the capital city of Male, where shops and homes envelop every inch of the island with a vibrant pulse. Dive Paradise offers a broad selection of diving and accommodations packages — choices for every taste and budget. 1. A valid passport, that must have at least one blank page for entry stamp is required for entry into the Maldives. Unique luxury spa and diving experiences in the Maldives. The Rufiyaa is divided into 100 Laari or cents. The northeast monsoon runs from January to April bringing still, sunny days, while the southwest monsoon, from May to November, has cloudy skies, strong winds and bigger swells. Scuba Diving Maldives. The vertical faces hold resident schooling fish such as blue striped snappers, big eyed jack and fusiliers, and attract passing tuna, eagle rays sharks and manta rays. While diving with dolphins, sharks, stingreys, grab some extra certifications. Currents around thilas can range from mild to strong, and dive plans are formulated to match conditions. It's your chance to discover greatest dive sites in Maldives around Thoddoo, Rasdhoo and Ukulhas islands. They're abundant with extensive coral reefs and magnificent fish life. Read more about us . And remember the most important for this price you get world class diving! This is where you will find fan corals with macro life such as moray eels, nudibranchs, frogfish, leaf fish and glassfish. Our packages include accommodation and breakfast in Equatorial Divers Lodge and scuba diving with Aquaventure Dive Center. Skin suits for lagoon dives, 3mm on drifts, and some may want a 5mm when diving in currents. (115 sq. So too is a tradition of hospitality, forged through centuries of interaction with maritime visitors. Ten days scuba diving in the Maldives squeezed into 9 minutes of video. A traditional performance that is often staged for visitors is the Bodu Beru, where sarong-garbed dancers sway to rhythmic drumbeats and chants. Includes DAN Insurance *SCUBA DIVER USD 440. Many dives are performed as drifts, allowing participants to go with the flow rather than fight the current. More and more mantas are visiting Thoddoo cleaning stations. The Maldives also boasts a rich culture of music and dance, with influences drawn from three continents, but made their own. Maldives Rufiyaa comes in different denominations of notes and coins. Check with your doctor and the Centers for Disease Control on recommended vaccinations for travel to Maldives at Traveler's Health CDC. The notes come in denominations of 10, 20, 50, 100, 500 and 1,000 while the coins are available in denominations of 10, 25 and 50 Larees or 1 and 2 Rufiyaa. Our Scuba Diving Adventure Maldives will bring you to the Best of Southern Atolls Maldives and the Best of Maldives itinerary for 7- 10 Nights Trip. Channels that cut between islands move tidal flow to and from lagoons. Great news! Day or night, Maaya Thila ranks among the best dive sites in the Maldives. The standard socket is the U.K. style with three pins, but there are some variations. It has a mix of English, Hindi and Arabic words. Gray reef sharks gather at Lhaviyani Atoll to bask in the currents of the Kuredu Express. The Maldives is a nation of coral reefs. Her wooden hull has been specifically designed to optimize sailing through the waters of the Maldives, while her interior has been fitted out to heighten comfort and relaxation for guests aboard. If you wish to complete PADI Open Water Course you are required to choose Scuba & Spa Package. Scuba diving is done at a leisurely drift pace as the Indian Monsoon Current sweeps along the island chains, moving nutrients and divers along. See Caradonna Central America Destinations, See Caradonna Animal Interactions Adventure, See Caradonna Cultural Activities Adventure, See Caradonna Digital Guides Digital Guides. LEARN DIVING IN THODDOO. What about cavern diving, wreck diving, night diving? Typically sand bottomed and less than 60 feet deep, lagoons offer relaxed diving on coral formations. * Not included in any Dive Packages *BUBBLEMAKER USD 120. Divers can choose between luxury liveaboard boats and idyllic resorts on small islands, many with rooms that perch directly over the water. 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