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Where are they? The Maldives is a chain of
some 1200 island atolls cast, as all the travel brochures
will tell you “ like a string of pearls across the neck of
the Indian Ocean”. Only some 200 of the islands are inhabited
by the native population and a further 80 or so by the now
increasingly ubiquitous Resort Islands. The rest are largely
uninhabited. Male (pronounced Maalay) the island capital is
crammed with approaching half the nations 250,000 population,
and that’s a lot of people in somewhere considerably smaller
than London’s Hyde Park!
Roughly 420 miles to the south west of Sri Lanka the islands
stretch north to south for some 600 miles from the Ihavandhippolhu
atoll in the north to the formerly British held island of
Gan situated just over the equator in the southern hemisphere.
Or for the purist 4:00 North 73:00 East. Time Zone + 5 and
a half hours GMT
How to get there
Most visitors arrive either by charter or
scheduled airline as part of a package. Transfers from Hulule
airport, itself an island, to the resorts is by, dhoni, speedboat,
light aircraft or seaplane. The cost of these transfers is
built into the overall package deal.
Independent travellers have a number of options, the easiest
and cheapest being the daily flights from Colombo in Sri Lanka
or Cochin or Mumbai (Bombay) in India.
Independent travellers carrying their own dive gear should
read the section on independent travel below.
Accommodation
(Essential Reading- See “The Resorts
– Downsides & Upsides” below)
There are approximately 200 resort Islands
in the Maldives almost all have dive centres. 99% of visitors
arrive with pre booked accommodation. Descriptions of the
resorts will be found in your travel brochure or if you are
booking a specialist dive holiday your dive agent should be
able to give you details.
Here is a short list of individual resort websites.
Visit
Maldives Resorts This is the official Government Site.
Lots of other useful information here.
Maldive
Island Resorts
Maldive
Island Resort Hotels
Hello
Maldives Holidays
Resort
Island Holidays at Maldive Scuba Tours
There are a number of Live-Aboards and Safari
Dive Tours as an alternative to land based accommodation.
Heres a selection.
ScubaSnacks
LiveAboards
Maldive
Islands LiveAboards
The Manthiri
is a new LiveAboard that has Nitrox available on trips.
Also check out this list of Travel
Agents and Tour Operators specialising in Maldives travel
The Resorts
The Down Side
If you are planning your first visit to the Maldives
there are number of points you should consider before waving
the plastic at the tour operator.
Almost all of the 200 or so “tourist zone”
islands with accommodation are operated as a single resort.
Many are owned by large foreign corporations and hotel groups
and are run along the same lines as a single hotel, albeit
one fringed with palms and surrounded by a deep blue sea!
Not an inconsiderable number of visitors to
the Maldives have a garden at home somewhat larger than their
chosen Maldivian Island. With the exception of the capital
Male, most islands can be circumnavigated even by the near
terminally unfit in less than 10 minutes. If you are going
to spend your days diving this should not be a problem. If
however you are travelling with children or a none diver this
should be a definite consideration. Some Islands close to
Male run a daily courtesy boat to the capital but for many
the fascination of Male will be exhausted within half a day.
Activities on the resort islands are usually restricted to
water sports, tennis and volleyball. One or two of the more
exclusive resorts offer spa and health club facilities. Nightlife
is almost entirely restricted to the resort bar and can become
a little tedious being with the same group of people for 2
weeks.
Almost all resort islands have a dive centre,
which on the whole offer above average to outstanding facilities.
Few if any of the resorts are exclusively for divers and divers
may find themselves a minority group amongst the honeymooners
and sun worshippers. For many this is fine, but those seeking
a kindred diving soul or the bonhomie of a dedicated dive
resort may find themselves at a loss.
Last of the down sides! About 70 of the resort
islands lie within a 10 mile radius of Male encompassing the
south of North Male Atoll and the north of South Male Atoll.
Whilst there are numerous places to dive within this area
there is an increasing problem of overcrowding in some of
the more popular dive spots. It is now not unusual to see
4 or 5 dive boats queuing up in a popular site waiting to
disgorge another 20 divers. It is not uncommon to be in the
company of more than 100 divers within a 50 to 150-metre area.
In addition many non-diving boat trippers come to snorkel
around these popular spots. Add to this the odd tourist fishing
dhoni anchoring in the middle and dropping 25 lines overboard.
Believe me, I’ve been underneath them all! Its not of course
like that everywhere, but if you want seclusion away from
over dived sites with name tagged fish choose your resort
carefully.
In conclusion a dive trip to the Maldives,
especially if it’s your first, needs very careful planning
and research if you are to avoid some of the potential pitfalls.
The Upsides
Just about every resort has a professional diving
operation, many operated by European or American companies.
Most are accredited to PADI and other recognised
bodies such as CMAS or SSI. Without exception, and backed
up with regular government checks all dive centres maintain
very high standards. There are a number of re compression
units in the islands including one on Bandos attached to a
dive health clinic with a trained hyperbaric consultant in
attendance. Euro Divers
operate 9 top rate dive centres throughout the islands whilst
Pro Divers
operate in three resorts
Dive centres run courses for beginners and intermediates along
with a full range of trips designed to suit all levels of
proficiency. The equipment is generally of a high standard
and safety is taken very seriously.
Many resorts have an inner reef lagoon or a house reef teeming
with fish and corals making an ideal venue for that early
morning snorkel or for novices to build up a little confidence.
For most visitors to the Maldives the quality of accommodation
and services in the resorts is pretty much a European home
from home. Rooms are spacious, airy well equipped and are
generally all en suite. Multi channel satellite TV is widespread.
Most resorts now have desalinated water for both drinking
and bathing, but check with your tour operator before you
go. Food with the exception of fish and coconuts is imported
and on the whole of a fairly high standard. Outside the tourist
zone islands alcohol is forbidden, it is illegal even to carry
a beer on the boat! All alcohol is imported so be prepared
for high prices. There is a Coca Cola plant on the islands
producing the only Coke in the world made from desalinated
water.
Nightlife very much centres around either entertaining yourself
or the resort bars. Most resorts have a choice of bars and
usually provide some sort of entertainment. By midnight many
resorts are silent and sleeping.
Independent Travel to the Maldives
Whilst it is possible to travel independently
around the Maldives it is not made easy for you and can be
incredibly expensive especially if you a carrying a lot of
diving gear. Travel by dhoni, the local sail powered boat
transport is an experience in itself, quite cheap but very
slow. Inter island flying is in small planes which are expensive
enough just for the flight, typically £200.00 round trip ($300)
for a 200 mile flight, baggage allowances on these flights
can be as low as 10kg with hefty penalties or even refused
boarding for excess baggage. Seaplanes operate out of Male
but are even more expensive than the internal airline. You
will also need to have accommodation pre-booked before you
arrive, otherwise immigration officials will direct you to
one of several agents lurking enthusiastically in the arrival
hall background who will try and sell you accommodation on
one of the resort islands. As the airport is on an island
a mile or two away from Male, with no hotels you will have
2 choices; get back on the plane or book a room!
In addition, it is government policy not to
allow tourists to visit any of the islands not designated
as “resort” islands. Whilst technically it is possible to
visit some of them it is forbidden to spend the night on them,
and on the whole this rule is fairly strictly enforced.
But there is a way of achieving some independence.
A number of companies now offer “Safari tours”; these tours
typically visit a small number of islands within the designated
tourist zones but often well away from the “resort” islands.
Safari tours now operate as dive package tours or they can
be chartered independently. An added bonus to safari tours
is you can overnight on some of the otherwise inaccessible
islands.
In general travel outside the “tourist zones”
of North and South Male atoll is not encouraged. As a result
many of the nation’s best dive sites are out of bounds to
all but the locals whose interest in all manners submarine
generally begins and ends on whether what’s down there is
edible!
Quick facts for divers
Water visibility and weather
Extremely high visibility up to 60m in places particularly
during the Maldives Iruvai (dry) season between January and
March. But even in the rainy season visibility up to 40m is
not unusual. The weather is warm year round, but monsoons
from May to October can make it feel cooler. Night diving
in the Maldives is superb.
Water temperature
81-85F Year round.
Conditions
Variable. At Best: Jan. April. – Monsoon: May –
July. - Good Currents: August November. Some of the best drift
driving in the world, good deep valley’s and pinnacles. Some
excellent caves. A few wrecks. There is a 30m-dive limit nationally,
often ignored, but some resorts have their own even lower
limits. Check before you book.
Experience level
All. Especially for beginners.
Natural attractions and marine life
Coral bleaching in the 1970-80’s caused considerable
damage to many hard corals, but there are now signs of recovery.
Marine
life starts the second you put your toe in the water,
making the Maldives a perfect place for absolute novices and
snorkellers. Expect to see soldierfish, lionfish, parrotfish
and rabbitfish. Snapper, huge groupers, morays (particularly
at night) and hawksbill turtles will be found along the walls.
Of the big stuff grey and white tip reef sharks are common.
Bull sharks, hammerheads and occasionally tiger sharks can
be seen. Mantas and whale sharks are not uncommon. The Maldives
waters also have an amazing diversity of seaweeds, sea fans
and shellfish.
Photography
Perfect above and below water. Plankton levels can
be high in the early part of the year. Film and accessories
freely available and at reasonable prices.
Wrecks
There are a few, (see Star Dives) the wreck of the
Maldives Victory, a freighter, close to the airport (Hulule)
is the most popular but not the best.
Medical facilities
Generally good, the resort islands usually have
adequate facilities for most minor ailments. If you suffer
from a condition of an acute nature you should consider staying
in one of the resorts close to the capital Male. Fast speedboats
are available for emergencies, as are seaplanes and light
aircraft. Check your insurance before you go to see if these
emergencies are covered. Male has a couple of private hospitals
with European standard facilities. Bandos has a first-rate
dive clinic and first aid centre with a Decompression Chamber.
Communications
Excellent from resorts. Mobile/cell phones suffer
haphazard signals and cannot be relied on. Many dive centres
have diver to base/boat radio. Fax and Internet connection
at most resorts.
Money
If, like most travellers to the Maldives you will
have taken an all-inclusive deal, including all food and in
many cases a fixed number of dives. Beyond this you will only
need money for incidentals such as drinks, extra dives and
equipment and souvenir shopping. Drinks, all imported, can
be pricey, expect to pay up to $4-5 dollars for a beer, and
$50+ for a decent bottle of wine. Credit cards and a small
amount of cash ($US) will see you through.
Fish Feeding
Don’t do it! Fish feeding has become a real nuisance
in the Maldives. In some popular spots fish such as Groupers
and Moray Eels that once kept a safe distance from divers
have now become voracious predators the second a human form
appears. In the pursuit of a few feeding frenzy close up pictures
many fish subsequently swim off and die usually because someone
has fed them last nights left over chicken bones. Its bad
for the fish and its bad for future divers.
Star Dives
Lhaviyani Atoll – Kuredu - The Shipyard.
Good wreck dives are few and far between in the Maldives.
There are plenty of wrecks but most of them are inaccessible
or lie outside the “tourist zone”. The Shipyard is in a channel
between Felivaru and Gaaverifaru islands and consists of two
Japanese fish processing vessels lying about 35m apart in
30m of water. The larger vessel rises up towards the surface.
Sunk in the early 80’s the boats are now encrusted in soft
corals. You will see plenty of large pelagics and if you venture
on to the decks you will probably encounter a number of nurse
sharks. Take care if trying to enter the boats; the area is
rife with scorpionfish. Pro
Divers on Kuredu run regular dives to The Shipyard and
many other good
sites around Llhaviyani. Skill level: Medium
South Male Atoll - Guraidhoo Kandu South.
A fairly complex structure of two longish channels with a
huge reef in the centre at about 20m. Expect strong currents
but don’t let that put you off, this is a dive for most skill
levels. A huge variety of fish can be seen here including
Eagle Rays, Mantas, Tuna, Jacks, Reef Sharks and Turtles.
Also some pretty big Napoleon Wrasse.
Other Good Spots
Rainbow Tila
Location: South of Girifushi Island
Depth: 10-30m-drift dive.
Vaahdoo Caves
Location: North End of South Male Atoll
Depth: 10-30m-drift dive. Some fantastic
overhangs.
Banana Reef
Location: Inside Kuda Kalhi – Male Atoll.
Depth: 3 – 30m. Diving: Varied.
This should be a Star Dive. One of the first dive sites to
be discovered in the Maldives in the early 70’s. Can be quite
busy with people from the nearby Club Med Island and suffers
over diving because of its near proximity to Male. That said
it is still worth visiting to see some of the spectacular,
caves, deep gullies and very steep overhangs. Lots of sharks,
barracuda and black snapper.
In Conclusion
The Maldives is without doubt one of the finest
and increasingly accessible dive venues in the world. You
will find just about any type of diving here, making it a
great choice for couples or groups of mixed proficiency. Don’t
forget though most of the islands are very small and if your
partner is a non-diver it could become a little tedious. Nightlife
is very restricted and its not ideal choice for children.
(Sitting in the sun…tedious?) The key to a perfect vacation
here is lots of pre planning and research. If you arrive on
island you don’t like- tough, it will be difficult and expensive
to move to another once you arrive.
Have you been to Maldives and know about some more great highlights worth a mention? Add details for other visitors to read about.
Add a Maldives highlight > >.
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