Maldives Liveaboard Aug 31st to Sept 10th 2025 – Trip Report!
This trip is in the books! Here are some images from a very succesful trip. We’ll be back in a few years!
The boat was very roomy, with all the dive operation – tank fills and all, operating off a fully independent dive boat, everything on boat was about food and comfort. The food was extremely good, I can’t think of a liveaboard that I have been on that had better. Bathrooms were huge (and not smelly), and rooms very big and comfortable. It was a good choice and it is our new home in the Maldives. Of course, there are few considerations and some tips and tricks. We’ll book you a trip for you if you want help with it.
First video from the trip is here:
Kuda Gaa was a very good dive site – it had a pinnacle that was a very distinct manta feeding station. You could see mantas from all around the pinnacle. Here is a video time lapse.
At the end of the trip the Liveaboard made it an option to do a shark dive with a local operator. Sheila took advantage of that with a few other and they LOVED it. Here is a video.
Here is a Facebook post with some fish schools:
Here are some still shots of mantas (friend me if you want, I share trip pics from around the world).
Historical information:
the below is the original trip information. I like to keep these up to see how prices change, and how our tastes as a group evolve.
Maldives Liveaboard Aug 31st to Sept 10th 2025 and Sri Lanka Safari after
Maldives has always been on the list. Well, here it is. This is the best time of year to go to increase odds of whale sharks and mantas. Aditionally, we have upped the odds by asking for high currents. I had asked for Sept/Oct time frame, here is why these dates:
“There is only one trip that can fall into this period and that’s 31st August – 10th September, a 10- night trip as the new moon is the 7th September and we need a few days before that event.
Maldives diving is very different, it’s less about the physical dive sites but where the action and pelagics are at that time. Therefore, our Maldives itineraries are more of a guideline and not a guarantee that we will actually visit them. If we know or hear that the manta are not in a certain area but are in another, we’ll change course and head to where they are, for example, the Hanifaru migration, if the manta is not there, they are most likely in North Ari, so we’ll head there instead. We do try our best not to follow a strict itinerary but to try and present the best of what’s available at that time.”
Technically, the Itinerary that we have booked with the Emperor Serenity is “Best of the Maldives”. Here is a link to that itinerary.
Rasdhoo Atoll, North & South Ari Atolls, Vaavu Atoll, North & South Male Atolls
Update on Availability:
As of 2/16/25 we have one female share in a double/single bed cabin, 3 open double/single bed cabins on the lower deck and one double only room available.
Trip Logistics
Transfer to the boat is at noon or 4pm from the airport, which has a comfortable lounge to wait. Taxis are also available if you don’t make one of those transfers. The boat actually remains in port on Aug 31st and doesn’t depart until early am.
Departure time on the 10th is 7am, but earlier is possible as the boat is also in port on the evening of the 9th.
The Sri Lanka tour
Photo by Hanavihash
The Sri Lanka tour is no longer and “we are working on it trip” and now has a page of its own. You are welcome to connect it to this trip. Here is the link.
It is $1395 dbl occ and $1895 single occ.
Logistics: the liveaboard ends in Male on Sept 10th. Get a one way flight Male to Columbo, MLE to CMB for about $240. Get picked up at the airport to start the Sri Lanka tour.
If you are skipping that, just fly in and out of MLE for the liveaboard.
Pricing for 10 day liveaboard
Upper Deck Suites (2 available) $4180 per person
Upper Deck Cabin with 1 dbl and 1 single bed (1 available) $3845 per person
Main Deck Suites with 1 king and 1 single bed (2 available) $4080 per person
Lower Deck with Double and Single bed (5 available) $3575 per person
Lower Deck with Double bed (3 available) $3350 per person
One of the things I like about Emperor is the lack of “junk fees” that they put on the trip. Nitrox is included, and so are marine park fees. You just pay your bar bill and tips at the end of the trip. Note that bar bill will be high in Maldives, alcohol is expensive there!
Book this trip
Booking and payment are now handled by a WeTravel service. I recommend dodging the credit card fees by using your US checking account for NO FEE transactions! This is not made really clear while booking.