Emperor Explorer

BEST OF MALDIVES

This is the Best of the Maldives - and it delivers exactly that. This is where you dive the best and most famous dive sites of the Maldives in a week of wonderful liveaboard diving across Male and Ari atolls. For this itinerary, you should be comfortable with drift dives. Currents can be strong. All your diving is made from dhonis or zodiacs to give precise entry and exits points. Experienced divers can dive in a buddy pair unguided.

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• Rasdhoo Atoll: Hammerhead Dive, Beautiful Reef with Pelagics
• North Ari Atoll: Grey Reef Sharks, Maaya Thila Night Dive, Multiple Manta Cleaning Stations
• South Ari Atoll: Whale Sharks, Beautiful Pinnacles
• South Male Atoll: Grey Reef Sharks, Eagle Rays, Other Pelagics, Beautiful Macro Wreck.
• Vaavu Atoll: Action packed night dive with Nurse Sharks and others.
• North Male Atoll: Beautiful Pinnacles.

Northern Hi-Lights (July - October)

10 day trips - Male to Male

This itinerary combines some of the best and most famous dives sites from our Best of Maldives and Hanifaru & North itineraries, creating a trip with highlights from what is generally referred to as the 'Northern Atolls' and it delivers exactly that.

A diverse marine mix of reef animals, stony and soft corals, abundant macro life, marine turtles, manta rays and whale sharks awaits where you can get up close at the cleaning stations without disturbing the locals.

Some of the best channels for diving with Maldives reef sharks can be found in North Male. Often the best chances for whale shark and manta encounters can be found in Ari Atoll, such as at one of the best-known dive sites, Maaya Thila. For hammerheads, it's a visit to Rasdhoo Atoll in North Ari.

Although diving is not permitted in the UNESCO World Heritage site of Hanifaru Bay, we are allowed to go in and snorkel with these gentle giants in the lagoon. After a manta has enjoyed its feed it needs to get cleaned, so we take you to known manta cleaning stations in both North Male and Baa Atoll. Hopefully, these will give you sightings all week long. Of course, sightings can't be guaranteed but diving at this time means your chances are high.

You don't need a minimum number of dives but you should be comfortable with drift dives as currents can be unpredictable and strong. If you are an Open Water Diver, some dives are below 18m therefore we recommend having advanced experience or taking your PADI Advanced Open Water course on board to maximise your enjoyment of the trip.