Maldives - Dive Resort

[BellesMom]

Looking for recommendations for a resort that specializes in diving - not a liveaboard. The resorts I've looked at online look very posh and more of the relaxing, pampering kind. Thanks in advance for any opinions.

 

[EvaL]

Looking for recommendations for a resort that specializes in diving - not a liveaboard. The resorts I've looked at online look very posh and more of the relaxing, pampering kind. Thanks in advance for any opinions.

Hi BellesMom,
Most resorts in the Maldives qualify as 4 stars and up (some, like Four Seasons and Hilton are definitely 5 stars or even higher). If the prices are within your budget, I'd say go for it. I'm not sure what you are looking for, so this is my recollection from a trip a while ago:
I stayed at Full Moon Resort on North Male Atoll, which is about a 25 minute boat ride from Male airport, after a 3 hour flight from Singpore (on Singapore Airlines) in 2002. Full Moon is mid-priced (compared to other Maldivian resorts). There's only one resort on this island/atoll, like most resorts in the Maldives (for ecological sustainability reasons). Most of the guests were British or German, with a few Asians. There were at least 5 restaurants (including a Thai and Meditteranean, which I liked) and a spa and gym. We did the breakfast-only meal plan, so we could try all the restaurants at dinner (if you do the dinner meal plan, you can only dine at Full Moon restaurant for dinner). Breakfast buffet was good - with a while range of American and European selections, even Maldivian curry! We were usually so full from breakfast we skipped lunch. Maldivians are among the friendiest people I know, most eager to please. When we ran out of drinking water and called the front desk, it was delivered in 3 minutes (front desk was 200 yards away!). We asked a gardener about feeding fish in the lagoon and he brought us bread for the fish right away. Their website is http://www.fullmoonmaldives.com/
Diving is run by EuroDivers. Pretty good operation, most DMs are Europeans (1 Japanese) but somehow that dive op didn't do night dives (I vaguely recall DM mentioned Full Moon management fear shark attacks). Most dives are within a 20 minute boat ride from the resort. The fish life is good (lionfish, parrotfish and giant Napoleon Wrasse being most notable fishes) and the soft corals are pretty amazing. Most divers dive European style - only 2 tanks (in the morning) per day. I spent the rest of the day snorkeling in Full Moon's house reef, a sizeable lagoon that was almost as good as the dives, watching schools of juveile fish trying to get away from a hunting juvenile lemon shark, already mimicking what they will do as adults. The rest of my non-diving family went on the glassbottom boat trips to the reefs, used the gym, played tennis and got massages at the spa, so you don't have to be a non-diver to enjoy the Maldives. We stayed at a water-bungalow (modern-style, not in the style of thatched Polynesian ones like on Tahiti) and liked it as we could see schools of fish, even a stingray underneath the bungalows. Resorts on further atolls in the Maldives require an overnight stay in a hotel in Male and a floatplane trip next morning, which adds to the cost. On my next trip, I'd probably head to a further atoll such as Coco Palm.
I think you won't go wrong with any resort in the Maldives. The only one my Lonely Planet guidebook cautions is Bandos because it's the closest resort to Male and where most pilots and flight attendants stay and the nightly bar scene can get rowdy and noisy. Then again, some divers might like to let their hair down and party :11doh: .
Feel free to email me if you need more specific information.

 

[pelan-pelan]

Yes, you could go wrong with some resorts in the Maldives. We had major bad experience in Meerufenfushi, also experienced by others - but that was accommodation and hotel staff and we did not try the diving. (Dec 05)

Also - some resorts are not suited to diving - more for snorkeling, if you are not run down by the boarders and banana rides.

Many are super. There is lots of info on-line. My preference is Vakarufalhi because it is not over-crowded, the cottages are hidden under the trees but only feet from the sand and the lagoon. Unpretentious, no glitz but everything available. Staff are cheerful and efficient. Food is very good. Two entry points for shore dives. Dive operation is Pro-Divers - web-search will find them. Straightforward, well-organised, not over-crowded, cheerful and helpful. Yes, I would go back again (been twice already).

 

[Zippsy]

Have you looked at Bolifushi? It's been 11 years since I stayed there as I prefer LOBs in the Maldives but what it was then sounds like what you are looking for. Decent clean rooms, every meal a buffet of decent food, no spas, swimming pool or banana boats, only divers go there. They had a few boats that went out every day for either single dives at a time close by or you were out for the day doing 3 dives a bit further away. I'm not sure how much it's changed but I reckon that's what you are after. GTW, the two beach dives we did were okay but I think you need to get away from the islands for the best diving. Good luck.

Having written that, I just looked up the resort's website before hitting the Post Reply button (http://www.bolifushi.com/welcome.htm) and it looks like they have changed drastically. Forget it. It's not what you want.

 

[Zippsy]

but here's a website that gives info on many of the Maldives resorts. I'm not endorsing the website but it does have decent information on a long list of resorts there.

 

[EvaL]

Looking for recommendations for a resort that specializes in diving - not a liveaboard. The resorts I've looked at online look very posh and more of the relaxing, pampering kind. Thanks in advance for any opinions.

Pelan-pelan is right - not all Maldive resorts have good diving. You should check whether they offer diving and maybe google those resorts for diver reviews or post a question on scubaboard.
Here are a few more reservation websites that might give you more information about the resorts. Many flights arrive at night. If you don't want to have to spend the first night in Male because your resort is too far away and requires a seaplane ride (which fly in the morning), you might want to pick resorts in the North or South Male Atolls, which are much closer and only require a 10-30 min dhoni ride from Male.
http://www.mal-dives.com/
http://www.visitmaldives.com.mv/Where_to_stay/all-resorts.php
http://www.innermaldives.com/resorts.html

To see a map of the resorts' location:
http://www.mal-dives.com/mv/hotels/res_map.html

Happy diving!