Have you always wanted to experience the awesome diving in the Maldives? Or maybe you’ve already been and are longing to go back for more? Well the good news is that now it’s even easier to get there.

With direct and convenient flights from more and more countries, you can step on board a plane at home and step off in this legendary, remote Indian atoll paradise. You just have to say ‘Yes I will’!

From Europe:
Air Berlin now offers several direct flights daily from London Stanstead in the UK, Munich and Dusseldorf in Germany and Zurich in Switzerland. In addition, British Airways fly direct from London Heathrow 3 times a week on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays, Edelweiss fly direct from Zurich on Mondays and Fridays, and Austrian Airlines fly daily from Vienna.

If you are looking for a more economical flight deal you might want to try these budget airlines:
TuiFLY have direct flights from several airports in Germany; Munich on Mondays and Dusseldorf and Frankfurt on Saturdays.
Thomsom fly direct from London Gatwick on Sundays.

You can also conveniently fly from Madrid, Paris, Rome and Scandinavia via Doha or Dubai with Qatar Airlines and Emirates, or from most major European airports via Sri Lanka with Sri Lankan Airlines. There are also daily flights from Rome with Air Italy.

From the Middle East:
There are several daily direct flights with Qatar, Emirates and Etihad airlines. Getting to the Maldives from the Middle East is a breeze. Many routes connect through the Middle East which makes the Maldives easy to get to from just about anywhere.

From Asia:
There are direct flights from Kuala Lumpur with Malaysia Airlines, Bangkok with Bangkok Airways and Singapore with Singapore Airlines. From Tokyo you can fly via Kuala Lumpur with Malaysia airlines or Doha with Qatar Air. From Beijing and Hong Kong there are flights via the Middle East with Emirates and Qatar. You can also fly from Hong Kong via Kuala Lumpur with Malaysia Airlines.

From elsewhere:
If you live Down Under you only need to make one short stop before touching down in paradise. There are inexpensive daily flights with Malaysia Airlines via Kuala Lumpur from Sydney and Melbourne, and via Dubai with Emirates from Auckland.

From the United States and Russia, there are regular daily flights from New York, LA and Moscow via Dubai with Emirates. It’s that easy!

For sunshine, azure waters and a magical underwater environment, then treat yourself to a sumptuous liveaboard cruise to the world-renowned atolls of the Maldives.

And with all these direct and convenient flights into Male to choose from, it is easier than ever to travel straight to the Maldives’ top diving locations!

Here at Dive The World we always bring you the best offers and discounts to make your diving vacation as affordable as possible. Check out our Blog here for some great liveaboard diving offers:

• Maldives – Special Offers and Last Minute Deals

So what are you waiting for? Book now and you will soon be enjoying your dive the Maldives vacation! Contact Dive The World to find out more about the best Maldives diving opportunities on +66 (0)83 505 7794 or send us an email.

Note: Dive The World does not sell flights. Please refer to the operators’ websites.

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Here at Dive The World we are delighted to announce the launching of our new Maldives Liveaboard MY Sharifa. Now you can experience amazing Maldives diving onboard a superior quality dive boat at a very affordable price.

This italian owned and operated boat runs trips to some of the best dive sites in the Maldives including Ari Atoll, South Male and North Male with additional trips futher north and further south. Accommodating up to 18 divers the spacious MY Shafira has 4 decks with plenty of space to relax between dives and an air-conditionaed saloon equipped with an entertainment system, movie library and book library. All the stylishly decorated cabins have at least one double bed, portholes and an en-suite bathroom.

The diving takes place from the dhoni tender where your equipment and the air compressors are housed. With 3 dhoni staff in attendance you can be assured that your dive preparations will be effortless.

When not diving you can look forward to delicious meals. Dishes served include International, Maldivian, Italian and Mexican and are freshly prepared on the boat each day.

Read more information on the MY Sharifa Maldives Liveaboard including details of the boat, specifications, trips and prices.

Dive The World offers the following trips for you:

Maldives Liveaboard MY Sharifa – Maldives Safari

8 Days 7 Nights 18 Dives
30 July – 29 Oct 2011 (Saturday to Saturday)
Standard: US$ 1,337 per person
Whole Boat Charter: US$ 20,625 per week (8 cabins, max 18 passengers)

29 Oct – 17 Dec 2011 (Saturday to Saturday)
20 – 27 Dec 2011 (Tuesday to Tuesday)
14 – 28 Apr 2012 (Saturday to Saturday)
Standard: US$ 1,414 per person
Whole Boat Charter: US$ 21,910 per week (8 cabins, max 18 passengers)

28 Apr – 26 May 2012 (Saturday to Saturday)
Standard: US$ 1,363 per person
Whole Boat Charter: US$ 21,025 per week (8 cabins, max 18 passengers)

27 Dec 2011 – 10 Jan 2012 (Tuesday – Tuesday)
14 Jan – 14 Apr 2012 (Saturday to Saturday)
Standard: US$ 1,703 per person
Whole Boat Charter: US$ 25,765 per week (8 cabins, max 18 passengers)

Includes: Cabin accommodation with air-conditioning, breakfast, lunch, dinner, biscuits, snacks, tea, coffee, drinking water with meals and 1 bottle per person per day, dives, tanks, weights and weightbelts, experienced English-speaking divemaster(s), trips to the local islands, Maldivian bed tax and GST, return transfers to the boat from Male Airport.

Excludes: Scuba equipment, torches, dive insurance (mandatory and can be purchased on board), soft drinks, alcoholic drinks.

If you want to experience the amazing delights of diving in the Maldives while enjoying quality liveaboard facilities and plenty of space then book your dive safari on the MY Sharifa Maldives Liveaboard right away! Contact Dive The World on +66 (0)83 505 7794 or send us an email.

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After all the recent diving press about the possible closure of Hanifaru Bay in the Maldives we are delighted to confirm that according to new regulations the bay will NOT close.

Hanifaru Bay at Baa Atoll has become a well-known northern Maldives diving destination for its congregations of manta rays and whale sharks. As a result, UNESCO declared the whole area a World Biosphere Reserve on 28th June 2011.

With increasing tourism to the Maldives a need has arisen to regulate the amount of visitors and boats to Hanifaru. This is to minimise the potentially negative impact on the manta rays and whale sharks that visit annually between May and December to feed on the plankton blooms. New regulations under the “Hanifaru Management Plan”, as outlined by the Baa Atoll Conservation Program come into effect from January 2012.

The change that most affects Maldives diving cruises is that diving here is no longer allowed. Instead the bay will become a snorkelling area only and a small jetty is to be built to accommodate this. You will be ferried into the bay from your Maldives Liveaboard in an official ‘taxi boat’ and a maximum of 80 visitors will be allowed at a time. Your permit will be obtained by the liveaboard operator ahead of your trip, please check with us for details.

Diving is still permitted on the outer area of Hanifaru Bay and the rest of Baa Atoll. As it is in this area that divers have recently seen numerous manta rays and several whales sharks, you will still get the opportunity to dive with these amazing species of marine megafauna.

Are you dreaming of manta ray and whale shark encounters while diving the Maldives? Then contact Dive The World right away for more details about our Maldives liveaboard cruises. Call us on +66 (0)83 505 7794 or Send us an email.

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Nothing quite beats meeting a whale shark on your dive. The authorities in the Maldives have realised how fragile the future of these mesmerising creatures are. 3 Marine Park Areas ‘MPAs’ have been declared which aim to protect whale sharks and their habitat.

We decided to research the effectiveness of these sanctuaries and see how viable they appear. Read our article to see what we discovered:

• Diving With Whale Sharks in the Maldives MPAs
  

A number of well thought out guidelines are being imposed: fishing and boating are now restricted and diving activities are subject to strict controls. Save our Seas has donated a patrol boat to monitor the Baa Atoll reserve.

But is this enough? Have a look at our article on the Maldives MPAs and let us know what you think.

Or better yet, go on a Maldives liveaboard safari to see for yourself! Contact Dive The World to find out more on +66 (0)83 505 7794 or you could send us an email.

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How high do you rate Maldives diving in the Seven Wonders of Nature? A recent push by the Maldives Tourism Promotion Board “MTPB” during tourism week raised the Maldives from 8th to 3rd spot.

The voting is still continuing and results will be tallied in June 2011.
You can vote for the Maldives
Call: +0044 203 347 0901
Key in: 7718 after the voice prompt.
Wait for the recorded ‘Thank you for voting‘ and your vote will be registered.

Although only 10% of votes from the nominee country will be accepted, the MTPB remain positive saying, “The secret of such a huge success is the hard work by MTPB, Airports Ref Association, Ref Recreation, and Tour Guides Association“.

Results of the Seven Wonders of Nature will be released on 11 Nov 2011 by the Swiss overseeing committee.

Do you want to dive the 3rd Wonder of Nature? Contact Dive The World for more information on our Maldives liveaboards on +66 (0)83 505 7794 or you could send us an email.

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Is diving in the Maldives a favourite holiday choice for you? You may be interested to hear that the Maldivian bed tax has been scrapped and replaced with a 3.5% tourism tax.

Mamduh Waheed, Deputy Tourism Minister said this move is aimed at incentivising the tourism industry to increase capacity and promote expansion. Whereas the bed tax was a flat US$ 8 per night, the 3.5% tourism tax will be a truer reflection of the guest’s expenditure as well as the income generated for the resort or liveaboard.

The difference to you, will not be that noticeable. Let’s put the figures into perspective. For a 7 night cruise on a medium budget Maldives liveaboard priced at US 1,663, the bed tax of US$ 56, will be replaced with 3.5% tourism tax of US$ 58 – that’s only US$ 2 more.

And when you take advantage of our special offers in the Maldives, you could be saving up to $13 on the tax alone!

The Tourism Goods and Services Tax Bill was ratified by President Mohamed Nasheed on 8 September 2010. The act will come into affect from January 2010 and apply to the following services and items sold to tourists:

1. Room rates charged by resorts, hotels, picnic islands, and guest houses
2. Room and bed rates charged by tourist vessels
3. Prices of all goods and services, in addition to those included in numbers 1 and 2 above, sold to tourists from resorts, hotels, guest houses, picnic islands, tourist vessels
4. Prices and charges of goods and services sold to tourists from diving schools, shops, spas, and water sports facilities in tourist resorts, hotels, guest houses and tourist vessels
5. Travel planner charges
6. Domestic transportation fares for tourists

So if you can see yourself amidst a flurry of manta rays while diving South Baa Atoll, why not consider taking a luxurious cruise on one of our Maldives liveaboards? Contact Dive The World for more information on +66 (0)83 505 7794 or you could send us an email.

Note: All prices quoted are per diver sharing and subject to currency fluctuations. Special offers apply to new bookings only.

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Can you see yourself being at the centre of a whirlpool of activity as manta rays and  whale sharks go into a feeding frenzy? Then Maldives liveaboard diving amid the plankton blooms around South Baa Atoll in Hanifaru lagoon is the way to go. You can see for yourself in this video courtesy of Save our Seas.

Feeding Frenzy – Manta Rays of the Maldives

In an effort to conserve the proliferation of marine life in the area, Maldives’ Environmental Minister declared Hanifaru a Marine Protected Area on World Oceans Day, 8 June 2009. Fishing and boating are now restricted and diving activities are subject to strict controls. To assist with enforcing these measures Save our Seas has donated a patrol boat to police the reserve.

Do you want to be in the thick of this exciting phenomena yourself? Then consider taking a luxurious speciality cruise on Maldives Aggressor to encounter whale sharks or hover while scores of manta rays congregate over your head? Find out more about these special trips here:

• Maldives Aggressor Manta Cruises

Contact Dive The World to find out more on +66 (0)83 505 7794 or you could send us an email.

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We all rave about diving in the Maldives, but if you want to hear why it features so prominently in many divers’ logbooks read Sheldon Hey’s new trip report on Island Safari 2. He had a whale of a time, literally! Spotting all of the big 3 in 1 week was definitely the highlight of his trip. So, read on to find out whether the boat and itinerary would be your idea of a great Maldives diving holiday.

Read the day by day account to hear how diving Ari Atoll seems to ensure big fish sightings. On day 2, Sheldon tells of his experiences with whale sharks, day 4 yielded up to 10 manta rays at a cleaning station and day 5 they dived with over 10 hammerhead sharks.

This no-holds review will better prepare you for the reality of a liveaboard holiday on Island Safari 2. Find out more about the meals, the staff, the diving procedures and facilities as well as the overall experience.

Read the full trip report here:

• Island Safari Diving with the Big 3 of Ari Atoll

Ready to book your diving holiday in the Maldives? Contact Dive The World to reserve your spot aboard Island Safari 2. Call us on +66 (0)83 505 7794, or you could send us an email.

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Are you dreaming of diving the Maldives in luxurious style? Introducing the MY Sachika liveaboard at prices that will inspire you to plan your holiday right away!

Italian owned MY Sachika tours extensively throughout the Maldives, with an itinerary that focuses on the South Male, Ari Atoll and North Male.

Between dives you can take some quiet time in your en-suite cabin, while sipping a cold drink from your personal minibar. Or catch up with friends and family on the Wi-Fi in the large air conditioned saloon.

After your next dive you could wander over to the jacuzzi that seats up to 5 of your best buddies, then have an invigorating session of racing around underwater on their 2 Seadoo scooters.

What a hard life! So take a load off with a stress relieving massage. Who could ask for more? Well we add to that a dive dhoni with 120m² dive platform and 3 dhoni staff making your diving pure pleasure without the hassle.

Have you decided to get yourself a luxurious Maldives diving holiday? Contact Dive The World to find out more about the MY Sachika liveaboard on +66 (0)83 505 7794, or you could send us an email.

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