Here at Planet Dive Holidays our team has seen it all. We’ve travelled to the best dive hotels, explored remote beaches and left our footprints on many a sandy beach, we’ve swum alongside turtles, manta rays, sharks and whalesharks. We’ve even seen a rare and elusive mermaid (or dugong as they are more commonly known). That is why we feel we’re qualified to introduce you to what we consider to be the three best luxury dive destinations for 2018. 

Dive The Maldives

The Maldives is, and always will be, one of our all-time favourite luxury dive destinations. With over 1,200 islands and just as many all-inclusive resorts, as well as a whole host of liveaboard options, the Maldives offers a great range of experiences to suit any dive holiday requirement. Whether you are looking for an all-inclusive experience for the family, an exclusive spa and diving experience for your honeymoon or a diving cruise tailored to discovering more about freediving or underwater photography, you will find it all in the Maldives. Our team has personally visited a vast number of the liveaboards and resorts in the Maldives and is able to give you expert advice on the right place for your holiday.

With a commitment to protecting the natural environment, many of the hotels, and even some of the liveaboards, offer a marine biolgy programme that really allows for a special diving experience. The many diverse reefs are also home to a rich variety of species and the Maldives is a favourite if you want to see the big hitters like sharks (including hammerheads), manta rays and whalesharks. With weather patterns changing, the Maldives is also becoming a year-round diving destination with these species being seen for longer and more frequently. This means that even in the low season you can enjoy great diving in the Maldives at unbelievable value for money.

Dive Mauritius

Mauritius is a fantastic holiday destination, not just for its amazing diving but also because of its luxury hotels, which provide an amazing experience for couples and families alike. We work with a professional centre in the north of the island that offers a personalised experience and is just fantastic for those learning to dive or novices in the sport. The island of Mauritius provides that ideal island escape we all long for and with great value for money in the offseason, it is a lot more affordable than you might think!

Most of the resorts we work with also offer an inclusive programme that includes all meals, a whole range of activities from SUPing and sailing to golf, tennis, kayaking and snorkelling, and amazing kids clubs to keep the entire family entertained. This means that once you’ve booked and paid for your holiday, you don’t have to worry about a thing while on the island, allowing you to kick back and relax totally, without penny-counting ruining your hard-earned vacation. 

Dive Mozambique

Our CEO recently spent a couple of weeks exploring both the northern and southern dive spots and luxury resorts in Mozambique. This destination offers a truly remote, Robinson Crusoe style holiday and is perfect for those who really want to get away from the crowds. Here amazing luxury hotels are set adrift in the ocean on remote islands, surrounded by colourful coral reefs and idyllic sandbanks. When you’re not out diving or simply enjoying the peace and quiet with a good book in the hammock, you can also kitesurf, fish, surf, canoe, kayak, windsurf, go dhow sailing or horseriding. You might even decide to combine your beach holiday to Mozambique with an amazing luxury safari experience.

As far as the diving is concerned, Mozambique is a favourite with underwater photographers and lovers of the little things. Dolphins and turtles are frequently seen around the islands and during whale season you can enjoy close up encounters with these majestic giants of the see. In Southern Mozambique you may even be lucky enough to enjoy a rare encounter with a dugong as our CEO did in the below video!