Maayafushi, North Ari Atoll, Maldives

[Anna1972]

Does anyone know anything about the dive center on Maayafushi Island Resort in the Maldives? And what is the diving like in the North Ari Atoll? I might go there in Jan-Feb but it depends on the diving.. The other alternative is the Banggai or Togian Islands on Sulawesi.

Any suggestions or recommendations?

Thanks,
Anna

 

[Sylvie]

Anna1972 once bubbled...
Does anyone know anything about the dive center on Maayafushi Island Resort in the Maldives? And what is the diving like in the North Ari Atoll? I might go there in Jan-Feb but it depends on the diving.. The other alternative is the Banggai or Togian Islands on Sulawesi.

Any suggestions or recommendations?

Thanks,
Anna

Dear Anna

I don't personally know the dive centre on Maayafushi Island Resort, because I haven't stayed there. However, it looked fine when I sailed past it. Nevertheless, I can recommend the resort or rather area simply because of its proximity to my favourite dive site in the world - Maayafushi Tila in the Central/Northern part of Ari Atoll. It's absolutely gorgeous. The corals are magnificent and there are so many fish that you don't know where to look. The site is famous for the sharks, but I personally find the corals around the "nose" and the variety of fish more interesting. I also like the fact that the top of the tila (pinnacle) is at aprox 5m depth so you can hang out there and see a lot (i.e. Octopus, turtles, small fish & of course sharks) during your safety stop.

I've taken two dive holidays in the area and loved it. I went in Oct/Nov because of my schedule, but February is the high season, so the diving must be good. The sky is clearer at that time of year, so the corals should be lit up really well. I’m not sure about the underwater visibility though.

I haven't been diving in Sulawesi (closest was Bali), so I can't judge. In any case, I would recommend Maldives. I love it there. I just returned from a dive trip in the Southern Egypt and it doesn’t compare. The under water topography was at times very beautiful, but there were hardly any fish! Well, nothing compared to what you see in the Maldives anyway.

If you’re not sure about the diving operation on Maayafushi Island Resort, I can recommend Sub Aqua on Ellaidhou. They offer very professional top notch service, and the island has a great house reef too. The only thing I didn’t like is that we returned to the resort for lunch between dive trips. I much prefer eating on board or on another island.

I have another week off in early January and wish I could return there myself, but a week is too short.

Have fun planning your vacation

Sylvie