What do warm waters, diverse marine life and beautiful reefs have in common? They are all manifestations of divers’ ultimate dream and coincidently, this fantasy exists in spades in Maldives.
With over 100 different resorts in Maldives offering world class diving services, the options are seemingly limitless and begging to be explored. To help navigate through the immaculate waters of the archipelago, we have devised a list of some of the best diving resorts in Maldives.
One of the most popular places amongst divers, Kuredu Island has been raved about for almost 2 decades. Diver after diver has been awed by the marine life here as well as the natural beauty and the resort itself does its best to cultivate this feeling. With over 380 rooms and a 2 km long island, Kuredo is on the larger side when it comes to resorts in Maldives and is as luxurious as they come.
Of course, when it comes to diving Kuredu delivers through and through. With one of the largest diving and snorkeling companies in Maldives, Prodivers, conducting your dives, earning a diving license, or just going for a discovery dive is an experience in itself. With two shipyard sites and the Madivar Kandu channel, the resort has no shortage of adventures during which one is likely to meet house grey sharks, dog-tooth tuna, and Napoleon wrasse along the way.
A mere 50-minute speed boat ride from Male Airport, Helengeli is a beautiful island with a vibrant house reef which has been attracting divers for a few years. Offering 116 rustic and tropical villas, both overwater and beach, it might be hard to leave the spacious rooms with their private pools but leave you must! Oblu offers tonnes of activities and amazing food but you’re not here for that; you’re here for the diving!
With its own diving school offering certified PADI diving courses, Helengeli is a paradise for divers. Its surroundings have an array of mesmerizing dive sites along with a house reef that has been increasing in popularity due to its vivid colors and sprawling marine life.
Tucked away in the Rasdhoo Atoll, Kuramathi Resort is known for its sandy white beaches, fine dining, state of the art spa and of course, diving. As one of the best resorts in Maldives, Kuramathi certainly has set a high standard, one it meets with aplomb.
The island has all the latest diving facilities as well as Maldives’ biggest hyperbaric chamber, which has guests rolling back year after year. The dive center offers many different adventures, one being to the famous Hammerhead Point, where hammerhead sharks and manta rays are the main attraction amongst a highly varied marine life. It would be almost criminal to forget the Eco Center as well as in house marine biologist who can probably cater to every curiosity about the sea.
A highly exclusive and private resort, Gangehi might not be the biggest resort in Maldives but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in sheer class. Located in North Ari Atoll, here you will feel like the lone inhabitant of paradise as people are few and far between, given the resorts’ exclusive nature. This of course means that diving is far more productive as dive instructors are not overburdened and have time for one-on-one classes.
And what diving there is in Gangehi! Whether you’re a beginner or an expert, the PADI and SSI licensed instructors will take you across thilas, reefs ad channels where whale sharks, manta rays are in abundance due to an abundance of plankton. And, with breathtaking reefs, and channels, you won’t have to travel too far for an experience of a lifetime. Big-fish fanatics will be in their element during the northeast monsoon, as reef manta rays and whale sharks move in due to the blooms of plankton.
Staying on the theme of isolation, Cinnamon Velafushi is a small island resort in Maldives’ least populated atoll – Vaavu. This seclusion means that sea life and beaches are almost untouched by man, making Cinnamon Velafushi a favorite amongst travelers.
With majestic current carved channels and an array of big fish, Cinnamon is a fantastic place to visit for diving. Its location also makes it a natural diving spot as famous diving sites including Fotteyo Kandu, Alimatha Jetty and Miyaru Kandu are all quite nearby.