Best Resort in the Maldives to see Mantas and Whale Sharks. Best time to visit

[theshusters]

My husband and I are taking my daughter to the Maldives after she takes her 3rd year medical boards. We don't want to do a LOB. I was looking at Reethi Beach Resort but the reviews are bad. Where would you stay?

This may be her last dive vacation for a while so we want to make it good.

It looks like Baa Atoll and South Ari Atoll are best to see Whale Sharks and Mantas.

Which resort/dive operator/location would you recommend? Don't want to go super high end but not entirely on a budget.

Also which months would you recommend that we visit? Or alternatively, which months would you not visit?

Thanks for any suggestions. We've never dove anywhere else except in the Caribbean and Hawaii, so this is a BIG trip for us.

 

[JustSurfaceInterval]

Have a look at Dhigurah and the Boutique Beach, if you can cope with no alcohol (no pork) for the duration of your stay. You will get the genuine Maldives experience and a very high likelyhood to see whale sharks and Mantas (i won't say 100% that would be bragging, but...)
Mid January to end of May would be the months i would focue on.

 

[theshusters]

Thank you @JustSurfaceInterval!
I have read that best diving is between January -April, but I have also read that best chance of seeing a Manta is between May - Dec. Can you still see them January - April?

Thanks for any other advice you can provide.

Don't mind at all about no pork/alcohol. lol

 

[JustSurfaceInterval]

@theshusters Well, maybe the stats says May - Dec. We were there in January and saw a few on different days.

 

[Pulmcc]

Just got back from Maldives, stayed at LUX South Ari Atoll and did 12 dives over 5 days with Euro-Divers. Went to a two manta cleaning stations one day, and searching for whale sharks on 2 different days. Unfortunately, saw came up empty each time. South Ari Atoll is the best place for viewing whale sharks but it is still nature and we can only hope we get lucky. Our favorite diving honestly was a Thila dive but that requires deep water certification so if you have it, I would definitely dive at some thila's because you will be surrounded by fish.

 

[geo88]

Just got back from Maldives last month diving with Fehi Velaa Dive based at Dhonfanu Island. It is a local island with guest house. '
Only drawback is no alcohol and bikini beach for the girls on the island. The good part is pretty affordable, friendly guide, we are the only foreigners on the island and the island itself is only 5-10 min boat ride from Hanifaru Bay.

We went to Hanifaru on only 1 day out of my 5 diving days there. The other 4 days we did not go due to no manta inside Hanifaru bay. It is like a lottery. You can be there for a week and see no manta inside Hanifaru Bay.

However, the only day we went Hanifaru Bay, the experience is truly epic for me with 30+ Manta doing the famous cyclone feeding and a guest appearance whale shark.

On other days we dive around Dhonfanu which have a couple of Manta cleaning station. Fish life is super healthy.
We also managed to snorkel with whale shark at night when it visited one of the Liveonboard parked nearby.

Below is the video of that trip.

 

[Parlem]

Amazing!

 

[kimster812]

My husband and I are taking my daughter to the Maldives after she takes her 3rd year medical boards. We don't want to do a LOB. I was looking at Reethi Beach Resort but the reviews are bad. Where would you stay?

This may be her last dive vacation for a while so we want to make it good.

It looks like Baa Atoll and South Ari Atoll are best to see Whale Sharks and Mantas.

Which resort/dive operator/location would you recommend? Don't want to go super high end but not entirely on a budget.

Also which months would you recommend that we visit? Or alternatively, which months would you not visit?

Thanks for any suggestions. We've never dove anywhere else except in the Caribbean and Hawaii, so this is a BIG trip for us.

Just seeing your post. I've taken groups during Halhangu season (May-Nov). We are headed back next month. We do a combo land based and liveaboard for the best marine life possible encounters (I know you said no LOB, but the LOBs make it a LOT easier to move around the Maldives for the best encounters). We stay on the island of Dharavandhoo. Happy to connect, feel free to send me a DM and I can share more, etc. -Kim

 

[jgardaz]

Just seeing your post. I've taken groups during Halhangu season (May-Nov). We are headed back next month. We do a combo land based and liveaboard for the best marine life possible encounters (I know you said no LOB, but the LOBs make it a LOT easier to move around the Maldives for the best encounters). We stay on the island of Dharavandhoo. Happy to connect, feel free to send me a DM and I can share more, etc. -Kim

I've been looking for a liveaboard that is available from Jan 4-10, 2025, for 4 adults. Everything I've come across does not fit those dates. We'll be coming from a wedding in India (mutual friend of the 4 of us) so our dates are pretty rigid. Is this something you can do or do you know of liveaboards that have flexibility in their dates? Thanks for any information you can provide!

 

[kimster812]

I've been looking for a liveaboard that is available from Jan 4-10, 2025, for 4 adults. Everything I've come across does not fit those dates. We'll be coming from a wedding in India (mutual friend of the 4 of us) so our dates are pretty rigid. Is this something you can do or do you know of liveaboards that have flexibility in their dates? Thanks for any information you can provide!

Hi! Soooo sorry, I am just seeing this! That's a tough one, I'm seeing a lot of departures on the 5th and the trips are always a week. You might be better off going to a local island for diving if you can't do a week. Let me know if you found something already though!