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Everyone knows that The Maldives is both a paradise as well as a stickler for privacy. Yes, its islands have insanely beautiful views, snow-white beaches, and azure oceans. But it also speaks of remoteness from the outside world because most of its tourism attraction is from its exclusive resorts that are, unfortunately, not accessible to everyone.

Are there other options to visit the Maldives?

When talking about resorts, many more affordable resorts have been opening since 2008, offering packages and deals to attract more holiday goers. The more exclusive and expensive resorts have also begun to offer more so-called “affordable” deals or discounts to attract more middle-income tourists.

However, being in the resort holiday goer is limited only to that single resort and single island.

There is another option to visit local islands wherein the local populace have opened local businesses to tourists. In most of these islands, the local tourism businesses include a jetty, guest houses, cafes, restaurants, exclusive tourism beaches, and diving centers.

Again, though more affordable, you will need to book several times for ferries or you are at the mercy ferry schedules to cross from island to island. Accommodations may be cheap, but nothing even approaching the best cheap hotel at Male, the Maldivian capital.

Or you can choose perhaps the best option of all, a Liveaboard Cruise, with choices ranging from diving to snorkeling to surfing.

Liveaboard Cruises

The concept of the Liveaboard is simple. A Liveaboard boat, usually a large cruise yacht normally more than 120 feet and more than 30 feet wide takes tourists on a week-long trip to several atolls and islands usually inaccessible to normal resort tourists. There are several choices to the types of Liveaboard cruises, the most common ones being scuba diving, surfing, or snorkeling. It is called “Liveaboard” because the guests stay and eat aboard the yacht for the duration of the itinerary.

State-of-the-art Vessels

Liveaboard yachts are state-of-the-art sea vessels that offer maximum comfort for the cruise. These yachts normally accommodate around two dozen guests with cabin suites fitted with comfortable beds, hot showers, bathrooms, TV, and other amenities. The vessel is fully air-conditioned.

The liveaboard boat crew and staff all speak English because of the country’s high literacy rate. They are also the most accommodating and well-trained people you will ever get to meet.

All meals served are in buffet style and there is a mini-bar that serves bottled water, soda, juice, and some alcohol.

But the best part of any Liveaboard cruise is the islands and atolls you get to visit. For divers and snorkelers, the chance to see a huge variety of marine life up close makes the cruise more than worth it. For those after more above-water activities, the islands and atolls, views, the water, is always breath-taking, something you will never get to see or experience anywhere else in the world.

Kinds of Activity when going on a Liveaboard Adventure that will take you around the best spots in the Maldives

Scuba Diving – You get to visit the number of best diving area in the Maldives

Surfing –  Get to surf around the Maldives with waves that  make it more adventurous and daring

Fishing  – Even though with strick compliance authorized fishing charter | liveaboards will take you to the area where fishing is allowed and get a huge chance to catch  Marlin, Sailfish, Yellowfin Tuna, Wahoo.

Island Retreat – You can do much more activities in a local Island where you can do snorkeling, yoga, paddle boarding, barbecue, beach volleyball.

For a more exciting holiday in The Maldives, choose to go Liveaboard for the most unforgettable holiday of your life.

 

Liveaboards are simply holidays spent on a cruising or diving yacht that is equipped to spend a week or less at sea while touring several islands or atolls. The common Liveaboard package is for diving, but there could be others such as Surfing Liveaboard or simple Island Hopping Liveaboard.

Liveaboard accommodations are at par with 3- or 4-star hotel accommodations, are staffed with world-class personnel, including the chefs and food servers that serve three meals a day, usually in buffet style.

Level Up the Scuba Certification

If you’re a serious diver and you want to earn more steps for scuba certification, a Liveaboard is a great option because most diving boats offer training or refresher programs through organisations like PADI and SSI. Be sure to inquire about this before booking.

The Essentials are Usually All-Inclusive

Most Liveaboards are usually all-inclusive. Liveaboard Diving packages include the stay on the boat with an itinerary, meals, water, snacks, and use of diving equipment if you didn’t bring your own. No extra money or time needs to be spent getting to the diving sites because the boat goes to the sites.

Check Out the Itinerary

An important aspect to consider is the location of the dive sites. In the Maldives, the best dive locations you will always hear are South Male Atoll, Vaavu Atoll, Meemu Atoll, and Fuvahmulah. If you see these locations, the itinerary is worth it. Also, the Maldives is mostly about marine life, so enquire about underwater photography. Also, enquire if a night dive or two is included.

Be sure to also check out the length of the itinerary. A 7- or 8-day is usually long enough, and you get to dive three or four times a day, including a night dive or two.

Budget

Be prepared to spend because if you’re looking for cheap options, you can rule out the big diving yachts and cushy accommodations. Remember that Liveaboards are not cheap because they offer world-class amenities to make your holiday a great experience. These amenities will include the airport pickup and transfer to the port.

The Season

The time of year is a serious consideration. All diving boats run year-round. However, some dive locations may be affected by the weather or season, and this includes diving visibility. During the peak seasons, trips can be filled up quickly so be sure to book your trip far in advance.

Surfing is defined as an activity as a hobby or sport riding on top of the wave while standing or lying on a special board.  We list the different kind of surfing activity you can do while having a vacation, to give it more fun and exciting.

Surf – The most common activity in surfing category, where surfer lay on the board to the point where surfer gets the wave break, paddles and gain motion to stand up and surf along with the moving wave.

Windsurf – A combined activity with surfing and sailing, where such activity will take within the ocean and lakes. Sailing

 

Kite Surfing – A wind-powered surfing which is also a combined concept of wakeboarding, snowboarding, windsurfing, paragliding, and skateboarding and sailing into one extreme sport.

SUP – Stand up Paddle idea came originally from Hawaii, what makes this activity different is that the surfer sits on the board until waves come. Stand up paddle boarders stands on their boards use as a paddle and board.

Kneeboarding – A surf style board with fin(s) is also done in waves at the beach. With a tow-sport kneeboard, riders kneel on their heels on the board and secure themselves to the deck with an adjustable Velcro strap over their thighs.

Bodyboarding – also referred to as Boogie boarding a water sport in which the surfer rides a bodyboard on the crest, face, and curl of a wave carrying the surfer towards the shore.

Surf Ski – A surf ski is a long, narrow and lightweight craft similar to a kayak but with an open “sit-on-top” (SOT) cockpit and a self-bailer to eliminate water instead of the enclosed kayak-style cockpit which can be sealed against the elements with a spray skirt or tuliq. Surf skis are primarily designed for speed, including fast runs on the open seas, and have a powerful, pedal-operated rudder to control the boat while surfing on wavefronts.

 

Bodysurfing  – is the art and sport of riding a wave without the assistance of any buoyant device such as a surfboard or bodyboard. Bodysurfers often equip themselves with a pair of swim fins that aid propulsion and help the bodysurfer catch, ride and kick out of waves. Some bodysurfers also use a ‘hand plane’, which helps get your chest out of the water to reduce drag.

 

 

Ref: Wikipedia

 

Southern Surf Atolls in Maldives or Huvadhoo and Addu Atolls with the few surfers in this area is considered as the most challenging and farthest surf spots in the Maldives. The best way to get there is to hire a Surfing Liveaboard in Maldives, Below are the listing spot and what to expect in the area

Huvadhoo Atoll

Airports

• Length: 3 – 5 Ft
• Level: Intermediate – All
• Type: Reef
• Swell SW | Wind NE

Antiques

• Length: 5 – 7 Ft
• Level: Intermediate – Professional
• Type: Reef
• Swell SE | Wind NNW

Beacons – powerful waves in the Maldives

• Length: 4 – 7 Ft
• Level: Intermediate – Professional
• Type: Reef
• Swell SW | Wind NNE

Blue Bowls

• Length: 5 – 8 Ft
• Level: Intermediate – Professional
• Type: Reef
• Swell SE | Wind NNW

Castaways

• Length: 2 – 10 Ft
• Level: All
• Type: Reef
• Swell SW | Wind NNE

KH

• Length: 5 – 7 Ft
• Level: Intermediate – Professional
• Type: Reef
• Swell SE | Wind NNW

Koodhoo

• Length: 5 – 7 Ft
• Level: Intermediate – Professional
• Type: Reef
• Swell SE | Wind WNW

Love Charms

• Length: 5 – 7 Ft
• Level: Intermediate – Professional
• Type: Reef
• Swell SE | Wind NNW

Tiger Stripes – powerful waves in the Maldives

• Length: 4 – 7 Ft
• Level: Intermediate – Professional
• Type: Reef
• Swell SE | Wind NNW

Two Ways

• Length: 5 – 7 Ft
• Level: All
• Type: Reef
• Swell SE | Wind NNW

Viligili

• Length: 5 – 7 Ft
• Level: Intermediate – Professional
• Type: Reef
• Swell SE | Wind WNW

 

Addu Atoll

Air Equator

• Length: 5 – 8 Ft
• Level: Intermediate – Professional
• Type: Reef
• Swell SE | Wind SE

Approach Lights

• Length: 2 – 10 Ft
• Level: All
• Type: Reef
• Swell SE | Wind NNW

Gaukendi Bridge

• Length: 5 – 8 Ft
• Level: Intermediate – Professional
• Type: Reef
• Swell SE | Wind WW

Kanda Muli

• Length: 5 – 8 Ft
• Level: Intermediate – Professional
• Type: Reef
• Swell SE | Wind SW

Kottey

• Length: 2 – 3 Ft
• Level: All
• Type: Reef
• Swell SE | Wind S

Madihera

• Length: 5 – 8 Ft
• Level: Intermediate – Professional
• Type: Reef
• Swell SE | Wind NNE

 Shangri-la

• Length: 5 – 8 Ft
• Level: Intermediate – Professional
• Type: Reef
• Swell E | Wind NNE

Thundi Beach

• Length: 5 – 8 Ft
• Level: Intermediate – Professional
• Type: Reef
• Swell ES | Wind S

Zubair

• Length: 5 – 8 Ft
• Level: All
• Type: Reef
• Swell ES | Wind SW

 

 

Auctioned or latest edition, we listed the most expensive surfboard found online.

$1.3 million – The Rampant

The board was created by New Zealand-based surfboard designer Roy Stuart a 3.2m long, made with timber from Paulownia – a tree native to Asia, And has a gold lion painted on with a red resin outline

 

 

 

 

$183,000 – Aureus

The board was created in a small studio in North Devon in England. it is considered to be the this intricately created. the board consists of a plating that is rampant throughout the fiberglass. made up with 24K gold manufactured by Ellie Miller

 

 

$100,000 Captain Kilgore’s Board

This Surfboard used in the filming of 1979’s cult film Apocalypse Now. At the Pacific Coast Vintage made by Reynolds “Renny” Yater.

 

 

$97,684.21 – Two surfboards Devon artist Damien Hirst

• A red-painted board went for £38,000
• The second green board sold for £21,000 to an anonymous
• The sale of those, together with the Hirst boards, fetched a total of $97,684.21 USD

Made by Beachbeat in St Agnes,  they are now believed to be one of the most expensive surfboards in the world, it is likely they may not be splashed with sea water.

 

$75,000. – The Silver Bullet.

Marc Newson is a London based Australian designer and Dick Brewer the undisputed king of surfboard shaping since time began, and McNamara the collaboration makes a board with a perfect glide that could handle a 60-foot backdoor section at Jaws. Lord knows how all three got together, the board now is the most functional, futuristic and freaky ever produced.

 

$42, 000  -John Kelly Surfboard

Kelly was 9 yrs old when he got his first surfboard, a 7-foot redwood planked shaped by David Kahanamoku, Duke’s brother. From Catherine Toth of the Honolulu Advertiser by reshaping the underside of a friend’s redwood plank to give it a rounded hull, this “hot curl” design is credited with the development of big wave.

 

$40,000 Greg Noll’s Iconic Pipe Board

Greg “Da Bull” Noll in the 1950s and ‘60s, one of the biggest names in surfboard manufacturing. His boards are some of the most sought after in the surfing world, with one of his original balsa guns being sold to a US collector for $US40,000 in 2008.

However, it is the board he holds in perhaps surfing’s most iconic photo on the beach taken by John Severson at Pipe that most collectors, historians, and fiberglass freaks covet the most.

 

 

$32,400 – 1949 Pete Peterson California Point Break Board

know to be the first fiberglass board maker Pete Peterson. This surfboard was one of the first it has a hollow plastic mold, with a redwood stringer and sealed with fiberglass tape that can come in any length and width the person would like. The weight of the surfboard varies on the size of the board.

 

$30,000 Lightning Bolt board shaped by Gerry Lopez

“These surfboards were the state of the art back in the 1970s when Jack Shipley and I started Lightning Bolt Unlimited, Surf Co. Inc. The pintail shapes were designed specifically for riding the tube at the Pipeline, something that had not been done with a lot of success before that time. The sleek look of the shapes, as well as the unique individual color work of the glass jobs, had tremendous appeal to surfers visiting Hawaii from all over the US and other parts of the world. We sold a lot of these racy pintails because they looked great all lined up in the racks of our shop. Many of them ended up at beaches on the East Coast of America, Australia, England, Japan and other places where they really were unsuited for the local waves. They did, however, still look good on any beach anywhere.” By GERRY LOPEZ

 

$24,000 – 1934 Pacific Systems Homes ‘Swastika’ model

Introduced the Swastika model surfboard by Pacific System Homes in 1930s, it is the first commercially produced surfboard line, so-named for the swastika design that marked each board. this board symbolizes harmony and good luck in various cultures around the world, the swastika disappeared from Pacific System Homes surfboards with the rise of Nazi Germany, and the company changed the name to Waikiki Surf-Boards in 1938.

 

 $24,000 – Pat Curren/Yater ‘gun’ from 1963

 

 

 

 

$20,000 Greg Noll ‘Da Cat’ model from 1963

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

With its natural turquoise blue ocean along with the sparkling white sand,  colorful coral reefs, lined sand bar, and blue lagoons, Maldives has been a paradise for scuba divers, snorkelers, and the perfect destination for surfers during Mid-February until November.

Since the Maldives located along the Indian Ocean, its 26 Atolls warm water and the sunny weather average around 27°C  all year round is the best surfing condition.

To get the full benefit of the surfing spots around the Maldives is to go on the best Liveaboard.

We list down the places to catch your wave:

Central Atolls
ATOLL	BREAK NAME	TYPE		SIZE	SKILL LEVEL
Thaa Atoll	Adonis	Reef-coral		3-4ft	All surfers
Thaa Atoll	Bowling Alley			3-10 ft	Intermediate
Thaa Atoll	Finimmas	Reef-coral		3-4ft	Intermediate
Laamu Atoll	Machine	Reef-coral		2-6ft	Intermediate
Thaa Atoll	Malik’s			3-10 ft	Intermediate
Meemu Atoll	Muli’s right	Reef-coral		2-3ft	All surfers
Meemu Atoll	Muli	Reef-coral		2-3ft	Intermediate
Dhaalu Atoll	Vodi			3-4ft	Intermediate
Laamu Atoll	Yin Tang	Reef-coral		3-4ft	Advanced
Thaa Atoll	Bedhuge	Reef-coral		2-4ft	All surfers
NORTHERN ATOLLS
ATOLL	BREAK NAME		TYPE	SIZE	SKILL LEVEL
North Male Atoll	Chicken’s		Reef-coral	1-2ft	Intermediate
North Male Atoll	Cokes (thulusdhoo island)		Reef-coral	1-2ft	All surfers
North Male Atoll	Cokes		Reef-coral	1-2ft	Intermediate
North Male Atoll	Honky’s		Reef-coral	2ft	All surfers
North Male Atoll	Jailbreak’s		Reef-coral	1-2ft	Intermediate
North Male Atoll	Sultan’s		Reef-coral	2ft	Intermediate
SOUTHERN ATOLLS
ATOLL	BREAK NAME		TYPE	SIZE	SKILL LEVEL
Huvadhoo	Antiques		Reef-coral	3-5ft	All surfers
Huvadhoo	Beacons		Reef-coral	3-5ft	Intermediate
Huvadhoo	Castaways		Reef	3-5ft	All surfers
Huvadhoo	Love Charms		Reef-rocky	3-5ft	All surfers
Huvadhoo	Tiger Stripes		Reef-rocky	3-5ft	Intermediate
Huvadhoo	Two Ways		Reef-coral	3-5ft	All surfers
Huvadhoo	Viligili		Reef-coral	3-5ft	All surfers
Addu Atoll	Shangri – La		Reef-coral	4-6ft	All surfers

 

Surfing is more enjoyable when catching the big wave in some secluded part in the Maldives that’s why hardcore surfer would definitely hire a Liveaboard and a local surfer guide to get the best experience in their life.

 

 

 

Are you Australian planning to visit the Maldives? Here are Things you should know:

 Flights to the Maldives from Australia are operated by:

• Singapore Airlines
• Garuda Indonesia
• Cathay Pacific
• China Southern
• Etihad
• Emirates
• Qatar

All flights from Australia involve at least one connection since there are no direct flights to the Maldives. Singapore is the most popular stopover point.

Flights from Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane take more than 14 hours while flights from Perth take 11 hours and 30 minutes.

For the cheapest or reasonable ticket prices, book flights to the Maldives between May and November. Book the Sunday flights; Saturday flights are the most expensive. Likewise, choose midday flights; morning flights are expensive.

Once in the Maldives, apply for a 30-day visa, present the following:

• Valid passport at least 6 Months from the date of entry.
• Valid return ticket
• Prepare enough funds for your expenses during your stay.
• And a confirmed hotel booking.

Source: http://bit.ly/2Qq38VR

 

Things to do in Maldives:

• Beaches – Tap your sunscreen and get out in the sun get a splash of crystal clear water, and white powdered white sands you might get a glimpse of fishes while walking along the shore.

• Dolphin Watching – Maldives is the home of whales and 23 species dolphins even the rarest whale in the world can be spotted.

• Fishing – Have a great catch of Marlin, Tuna, Sailfish, Barracuda, and Wahoo. There is prohibited area in Maldives that limits you to do the activity get information from a licensed operator that can take you to enjoy the fishing spots in the country.

• Scuba Diving – We all know that sandy beaches and blue crystal water, the excellent reef that provides the abundance of marine life no wonder why the Maldives is the perfect place to dive.

• Surfing – To catch the best waves in Maldives depends to which atoll you wish to visit. Still, all year round your surfing escape comes with the best Maldivian view.

• Water Sports – Most Resorts in Maldives organize aqua sports activities and provide facilities such as water skiing, kiteboarding, and banana boats

• Male’ City – Visit Male’ City and check out museum’s, souvenir shopping, foods, and Religious Mosque will give you a tour of history about their country.

Source: http://bit.ly/2XecyWY

http://bit.ly/30LKBYK

Where to Stay in the Maldives 

Resorts and Hotels – Maldives is known for its well-structured and state of the art villas and hotels this accommodation Ideal for tourist that goes for a full luxury lifestyle.

 

Liveaboard – Best for travelers who is more into the adventure activities such as scuba diving, snorkeling, fishing and surfing with the luxury accommodation in a boat.

Guest House – Perfect for travelers on a budget a Bed of Breakfast kind of accommodation they offer similar activities that the first class resort has

 

 

 

The Author

Adventure Maldives gives you the best and experienced Liveaboard industry can offer it can show travelers a different and unique experience:

• Surf Cruise – Liveaboard surfing cruise with snorkeling and fishing
• Scuba Escape – Liveaboard scuba diving cruise through Central Atolls
• Snorkeling Quest – Liveaboard snorkeling cruise with fishing
• Fishing Escape – Liveaboard fishing cruise with snorkeling

No matter how you picture your ultimate Indian Ocean holiday – in the Maldives, where else? – you can never really picture it out the way you imagined it. That’s how beautiful the Maldives and its islands are. Whether you want to just quietly contemplate the clear turquoise waters, go diving with unique marine life, sip coffee on the pearly white beach, or even explore inland on a safari, here are just some of the few choices for a Maldives’ holiday.

Foodie Holiday

You can enjoy culinary delights from around the world or specializing in Maldivian dishes at any exclusive or open resort or hotel on any island of your choice. You can still find the best a la carte restaurants for some of the tastiest dishes in Malé City or its surrounding islands. You will even find really good Japanese delicacies, fresh seafood grills, and Mediterranean cuisine. The market area in Malé City also offers the best Maldivian specialties.

Diving Holiday

If you’re into diving, instead of diving in just one spot on an exclusive island, why not experience the best diving spots in the Maldives by taking a Liveaboard Diving Boat cruise? Adventure Maldives offers its Scuba Escape liveaboard diving package with an itinerary for 8 days and 7 nights aboard a Maldives Boat Club vessel.

Spa and Yoga Retreat Holiday

If you love spa or yoga retreats, try Island Revive by Adventure Maldives. A unique Maldives holiday where you get to explore a beautiful uninhabited island while having daily yoga sessions at sunrise and sunset. You also get to choose to either have spa sessions or go fishing. There is also a night UV snorkelling session in a pristine reef.

Couples (or Honeymoon) Holiday

If it is privacy and intimacy you need, there are lots of couple’s hideaways to choose from in the Maldives. Each exclusive resort or beach offers its own package, always with a peaceful and secluded setting, with its own “no shoes barefoot policy.” You can have romantic strolls on beautiful sandbanks or dine under the stars and over sea waters.

If you are the type of traveller who loves to explore even on holiday, have unique experiences, but still retain being laid back, then the Maldives is the best place for you to spend a holiday, or perhaps plan for a future Valentine’s getaway trip. All you need is to search this archipelago republic on the internet and be mesmerized by wonderful views, its sunrises and sunsets, the clear waters, amazing islands, pearly white beaches, and the wide variety of marine life thriving in the waters of the Indian Ocean.

What we would usually advice is to either stay in a hotel, a resort, take an exclusive island tour, or get a liveaboard diving cruise (the latter two is readily available in package form at Adventure Maldives). You can still experience island hopping by yourself, sort of like backpacking, in order to experience the exclusive beaches, markets, and cafes along the way. However, the transportation service in the Maldives is not standardized nor government controlled. The ferry system implemented 6 years ago is still somewhat unreliable. We would advice simply exploring Malé and its neighbouring beaches.

You will experience a unique blend of Maldivian culture that is part Sinhalese, part Indian, and part African, and its people so friendly that you won’t be worried about the country being Muslim. The local delicacies are even more unique with tastes coming from Vietnam, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and India.

For a small country the majority of its citizens is well educated and speaks passable to fluent English. Its people are well skilled for the tourism industry, coupled with great talent from its painters, artists, poets, musicians, and the like.

When you do have your holiday in the Maldives, you will realize that all those aerial photos that you’ve seen on the internet will never do justice to the country’s real beauty. There’s something unique about looking out the airplane window and seeing all those little islands lined up in a perfectly blue and clear ocean, free of any pollution. The view will be so breathtaking it will have you reaching for your camera or phone.

Here’s a bonus. When you land at the international airport it seems that you’re landing in the middle of the ocean since all you’ll see is the blue ocean on either side of the plane. And once you leave the plane, you’ll be surprised by the pleasant weather and clear smell, or the lack of any smell in the air, since the whole country is pollution-free.