Luxury Diving Holidays In The Maldives

Planet Dive specialise in luxury diving holidays to the Maldives. With over 160 resorts to choose from in the Maldives, it can be very difficult to understand which is the best island for your specific holiday requirements and budget. We offer carefully selected resorts, that we have personally inspected, and offer the best quality and value for money in their class.

We can suggest specific islands depending on the type of Maldives holiday you are after, be that hotels with excellent kids clubs and activities for families, with a good range of diving sites close to the resort so are never away for too long, or romantic holiday experiences for couples and honeymooners. For the pure dive enthusiast, we can suggest a resort in the best location for the time you are travelling with the best diving facilities.

Our Maldives dive holiday experts are also on hand to assist you with booking the best scuba diving liveaboards. A dive liveaboard will always give you access to the best dive sites, however with a wide variety of diving vessels to choose from in the Maldives, we always recommend you speak to a Maldives dive expert to find the best diving holiday for you.

The Diving In The Maldives

The relative isolation of the Maldives, far from any landmass, has led to a fabulous variety of marine species. Seasonal oceanic currents have forged channels from the open ocean into the atolls. These channels concentrate plankton rich waters into and out of the atolls, which in turn support an incredibly rich marine ecosystem. Once inside the atoll, reefs, sandbars, islands and lagoons have evolved over millennia forming the habitat and nurseries for many of the reef's inhabitants.

The best diving sites are around these channels or on underwater pinnacles, known as thilas, which attract large schools of fish, as well as other large marine species. The dive channels on both the east and west of the island are seasonal but the thilas offer great diving throughout the year.

The Diving In The Maldives Far North

Following an internal flight north from Male you reach Hanimaadhoo, the most northerly airport in the Maldives. From here the travelling diver can reach a handful of resort islands or board one of the Maldives liveaboards based in this remote part of the Maldives to dive Haa Alifu Atoll and Haa Dhaalu Atoll.

Haa Alifu Atoll Diving: Haa Alifu has a special meaning for Maldivians as the birthplace of the nation's hero Muhammad Thakurufaanu, who freed the Maldives from its Portuguese rulers. The diving in Haa Alifu is varied with currents tending not to be as strong as they can be in the Maldives central atolls. Thila dives include Amba, Baarah and Muraadhoo where divers can look out for leopard sharks and occasional mantas. Dhonakulhi Channel is also a good place to spot mantas in the season. The 80m Maddhoo wreck is in a mere 20m of water.

Haa Dhaalu Atoll Diving: Directly south of Haa Alifu, the thila at Nellahidhoo is a good spot for reef sharks, white and black tips and grey reef sharks.

The Diving In The Maldives Northern Atolls

Below the far North Atolls lie the Shaviyani, Noonu, Raa, Lhaviyani, and Baa atolls as well as the smaller Goidhoo Atoll. These Maldivian northern atolls can be reached by liveaboards departing Male or via a short internal flight. Baa Atoll is renowned for the mantas of Hanifaru Bay and Lhaviyani - a long time favourite due to its well established and popular Kuredu island resort. The other northern atolls are only just being discovered by travelling divers.

Raa Atoll Diving: A large atoll to the north of Baa. The Raa Atoll has only recently been opened to tourism and so still rarely dived. A lot of the diving here is on pinnacles with shallow giris and the deeper thilas.

Shaviyani Atoll Diving: A big draw for Shaviyani Atoll is that it is relatively unknown and the sites are protected by their remoteness and the lack of divers in the area.

Noonu Atoll Diving: While it is possible to access Noonu Atoll from Lhaviyani, it's rarely done thus leaving the sites for the enjoyment of divers from the handful of island resorts. Orimas thila is a shark cleaning station and you'll find many juveniles here.

Baa Atoll Diving: August through October sees the seasonal congregation of filter feeders in Baa Atoll, particularly mantas in Hanifaru Bay. This is, without a doubt, one of the top places in the world to see manta rays and whale sharks. It is the only place on the planet where you can swim with up to 200 manta rays and 20 whale sharks when the plankton blooms are at their fullest and trapped in Hanifaru Bay. This area attracts a great range of life from every corner of the surrounding ocean. This area is now a protected zone and diving is prohibited, but snorkelling with the mantas is still allowed. When mantas are in Hanifaru Bay there is a park fee of US$20 per person (subject to change) for 45 minutes of snorkelling, paid directly to the park rangers.

Lhaviyani Atoll Diving: Relatively remote and with fewer visitors the Lhaviyani Atoll has a number of spectacular and pristine dive sites. The resort of Kuredu boasts over 45 local dive sites, amongst them two are particularly noteworthy. The two wrecks of the Shipyard have become artificial reefs adorned with marine life. Here the prevailing current enables divers to visit both steel wrecks is one dive. At the Kuredhoo Express, eagle rays and various species of reef shark are regularly sighted. But watch out this drift dive is not for the faint hearted, its name says it all.

The Diving In The Maldives Central Atolls

The Maldives' central atolls contain the country's capital Male and Ibrahim Nasir International Airport on neighbouring Hulhule Island. It was here that Maldives diving began with the first of the Maldives resorts. This region includes North Male and South Male Atolls, Gaafaru Atoll, Felidhue Atoll (aka Vaavu Atoll), Rasdhoo and North Ari and South Ari Atolls.

North Male Atoll Diving: The Maldives’ principle atoll has much to attract all levels of driver. The outer reefs to the west shelve steeply to 300 metres and to the east 2000 metres. In the atoll’s north-west region the outer reefs at Madivaru offer plenty of good diving for all levels of diver throughout the year. Those with more experience will enjoy Madi Thila where the outgoing currents attract mantas between January and March. In contrast, the incoming currents at Kani Corner create ideal conditions for schooling jacks and dog-toothed tuna. A little further south is Manta Point, best dived during the south westerlies. If that’s not enough there’s also the wreck of the Maldives Victory. Located close to the airport island, and sitting upright in 35 m of water, this intact wreck is often swept by strong currents and is for advanced divers only.

South Male Atoll Diving: The diving in South Male Atoll is largely on the eastern edge with its 6 kandus (channels). Embudhoo Kandu, with its grey reef sharks, and Guraidhoo Kandu are two of the big names of Maldives diving. Lesser known sites include Kandooma thila - a coral head just off Kandooma Island standing in 40 metres of water. The current here brings hunting jacks, barracuda and reef sharks. The small Kuda Giri Wreck lies upright on the seabed, at between 30 and 15 metres, just off the small Giri and when flooded with light is a lovely dive with loads of marine life both above and within the wreck.

Ari Atoll Diving: The northern Ari Atoll possesses four of the Maldives’ most famous signature dives - Maaya Thila, renowned for white tips; Fish Head for grey reef sharks; Rasdhoo for schooling hammerheads and the Halaveli wreck for stingrays. Southern Ari is better known for its exhilarating drift dives in the kandus and around the numerous thilas. Large pelagics can be seen throughout the year moving location with the seasons. Mandivaru is famed as a manta cleaning station whilst diving outside Dhidhdoo during the south westerlies probably offers divers their best chance of a whale shark experience. The novice or less adventurous diver shouldn’t be put off, Ari has something for everyone.

Vaavu Atoll Diving: Across a reasonably short, approximately 14km wide channel, Vaavu is considered part of the central atolls. It is regularly visited by the Maldives' liveaboard safari boats for its numerous long and deep channels along the Atoll's eastern edge and the popular night dive at Alimatha.

The Diving In The Maldives Southern Atolls

South of the Maldives' central atolls the Maldives' south encompasses the Meemu Atoll, North and South Nilandhe Atolls (aka Faafu Atoll and Dhaalu Atoll) as well as the even more remote Thaa and Laamu Atoll. Until recently, these remote atolls were reserved for those diving on liveaboards. However, they are now being explored by a few day divers with the development of a handful of very high-class Maldives resorts.

Faafu Atoll Diving: Faafu Atoll has many good channels on the eastern edge where you will find barracuda, napoleon and reef sharks. The widest and deepest of all the channels is Filitheyo Kandu and this is the only protected marine reserve in Faafu Atoll. Faafu also has a couple of good sized wrecks and its own Manta Point. In the entire atoll there is just one resort, Filitheyo Island Resort, in the north-east corner.

Dhaalu Atoll Diving: There are 45 islands in the Dhaalu Atoll, but only 2 resorts, both in the northeast corner. Diving in the Dhaalu Atoll includes channels and deep water. Dhallu also has a marine protected area at Fushi Kandu with a number of thilas across the channel - be sure to look outside these for passing sharks and eagle rays.

Meemu Atoll Diving: The long eastern edge of the Meemu Atoll offers plenty of wall diving and one large kandu, with loads of great dives. Inside the atoll are giris and thilas. Whale shark season in Meemu Atoll is May-December. An early morning dive at Hakuraa Express may even reward you with a manta and even the occasional hammerhead.

Thaa Atoll Diving: Thaa Atoll still has plenty of dive sites not yet fully investigated. Until recently Thaa Atoll was the preserve of the liveaboard boats passing through on their way to, or from, the Maldives deep south. Diving here includes giris and thilas, channels, coral gardens, outer walls and overhangs. You'll be diving with rays and sharks, various fish species, schooling tuna, barracuda and a whole array of reef fish.

Laamu Atoll Diving: The shape and remoteness of the Laamu Atoll combine to make it unique. Good coral formations and few divers help to ensure that the reefs remain in excellent condition. Laamu has its own Manta Point at Hithadhoo Corner with mantas possible virtually all year around. Deep drop-offs form Laamu Atoll's outer walls. It also boasts some excellent channel dives like Fushi Kandu offering good drifts and the chance of seeing larger species of fish and sharks.

The Diving In The Maldives Deep South

Either side of the Equatorial channel (Addu Kandu) lie the most southerly of the Maldives' atolls. On the northern side is the larger Huvadhoo Atoll while to the south are tiny Foammulah Atoll and Addu Atoll (aka Seenu Atoll). Diving in the Maldives deep south is about as remote as you'll find anywhere in the world.

Huvadhoo Atoll Diving: Maldives liveaboards visit Huvadhoo between January and March attracted by the shark action. Hammerheads, silky sharks, tiger sharks and reef sharks including grey reef sharks. A large atoll, Huvadhoo has it all - channel, diving and well as pinnacles.

Addu Atoll Diving: Addu, or Seenu, atoll contains the island of Gan, formerly a Royal Air Force Station, and is the location of the wreck of the British Loyalty. Scuttled in 1946, after being damaged by torpedo earlier in the war, British Loyalty now sits in 33 metres of water. With access by air and one international standard resort and a handful of guesthouses, there are few other divers in this relatively small atoll.