Mia Toose
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The world's most luxurious liveaboard dive boats - CNN.com
Excerpt from the article:
Carpe Vita Explorer (Maldives)
Perhaps the most unique aspect of the 125-foot Carpe Vita is its 60-foot dive tender called a dhoni.
It keeps divers dry and comfy going to and from the mothership to dive sites. Many liveaboards have support boats to access sites with tricky anchorages, but this one ups the game with a full bath and hot shower.
It also houses all of the dive gear and compressor systems. That way, the Carpe Vita can focus on cushy lounges, hot tubs and large cabins.
The ship has two VIP suites on the upper deck with showers and a full-size bathtub, a rare find on liveaboards.
The ship carries a maximum of 20 and offers both seven-day and 10-day itineraries depending on the season.
What to see
In addition to postcard-perfect beaches, there's one thing guaranteed in the Maldives: manta rays.
During the May-to-October monsoon season, the massive rays descend in huge numbers.
Divers who are calm and patient will get a show that sometimes lasts half an hour or more.
In general, diving here is divided into three distinctive experiences: inside the atolls, outside the atolls and riding strong currents through coral passes to mingle with huge congregations of fish.
Familiar species like grouper and snapper are everywhere along with a favorite headliner, the bizarre but friendly giant Napoleon wrasse.
Bonus
Depending on who's counting, the Maldives has more than 1,000 palm-fringed islands and a couple of dozen coral atolls scattered across 500 miles of equatorial Indian Ocean south of Sri Lanka.
Cameras can be pointed almost anywhere to snap the quintessential white-beach, turquoise-water photo -- perfect for Instagram or Snapchat.
Carpe Vita; +1 307 235 0683
Author: Fred Garth is a 30-year journalist and editor of adventure travel magazines. He's served as editor of Fathoms, Scuba Times and Skin Diver magazines. He's currently editor in chief of Guy Harvey Magazine.
Excerpt from the article:
Carpe Vita Explorer (Maldives)
Perhaps the most unique aspect of the 125-foot Carpe Vita is its 60-foot dive tender called a dhoni.
It keeps divers dry and comfy going to and from the mothership to dive sites. Many liveaboards have support boats to access sites with tricky anchorages, but this one ups the game with a full bath and hot shower.
It also houses all of the dive gear and compressor systems. That way, the Carpe Vita can focus on cushy lounges, hot tubs and large cabins.
The ship has two VIP suites on the upper deck with showers and a full-size bathtub, a rare find on liveaboards.
The ship carries a maximum of 20 and offers both seven-day and 10-day itineraries depending on the season.
What to see
In addition to postcard-perfect beaches, there's one thing guaranteed in the Maldives: manta rays.
During the May-to-October monsoon season, the massive rays descend in huge numbers.
Divers who are calm and patient will get a show that sometimes lasts half an hour or more.
In general, diving here is divided into three distinctive experiences: inside the atolls, outside the atolls and riding strong currents through coral passes to mingle with huge congregations of fish.
Familiar species like grouper and snapper are everywhere along with a favorite headliner, the bizarre but friendly giant Napoleon wrasse.
Bonus
Depending on who's counting, the Maldives has more than 1,000 palm-fringed islands and a couple of dozen coral atolls scattered across 500 miles of equatorial Indian Ocean south of Sri Lanka.
Cameras can be pointed almost anywhere to snap the quintessential white-beach, turquoise-water photo -- perfect for Instagram or Snapchat.
Carpe Vita; +1 307 235 0683
Author: Fred Garth is a 30-year journalist and editor of adventure travel magazines. He's served as editor of Fathoms, Scuba Times and Skin Diver magazines. He's currently editor in chief of Guy Harvey Magazine.
