We have just come back from 2 weeks in the Maldives. One at a resort and one on a liveaboard. The question is would we do it again and the answer comes back never! I'm not sure where you would be coming from in the states, but prepare for about 40 to 60 hours of travel just to get there. We stayed at Helengeli Resort on the northern section the Male atoll which overall was a lovely place but we were only able to do 2 dives a day based on the dive schedule, and though they had shore diving, it could be very tricky because the currents could sometimes be fierce. Also, the diving was very expensive compared to Lembeh/Bunaken. The starting charge is $474 for what they call "no-limit" diving. This only covered the shore diving, then it was another $25 for the boat. So, a liveaboard is more the way to go. It is also important to check the itinerary for the boat. The boat we were on--"DreamCatcher II" never moved more than 20 km for Male. We were forced into this as it was the only one that we could get on that met our schedule. One other VERY Important detail, is that the fish life closer in to Male has been decimated compared to Helengeli area, There must be about 25 to 50 different liveaboard boats that we saw in the yacht harbor as we were taken from the airport to the boat. If you decide to go to the Maldives, just remember that it is expensive. Another important detail is that the currents there are very wonky and can be very strong. There are incoming and outgoing currents and the divemasters check before you get in the water. The only thing is that if you want to see at least 2 to 3 white tip reef sharks on every dive, this would be the place. We were there in prime Manta season and spent 33 hours in the water and never saw one, so if you're going to see the big stuff, you may be disappointed.
We have also been to Bunaken and Lembeh Straits twice. For my money, I would go back there in a heartbeat! The fish life is spectacular! In Lembeh you will probably see things that you will not see anywhere else in the world with regularity. The dive guides are truly amazing at finding the smallest of things to see. The corals in Bunaken are about the best in the world. Also, this is a personal note,we have found the Indonesian people to be some of the loveliest people ever. Everyone is always smiling and seems happy, which is something we couldn't say about the Maldivians. Tasik Ria is a lovely place to stay, but the boat rides to Bunaken take about an hour, but they do 3 dives the day they go up there with lunch served on the boat. When we were there, they alternated with dives that were more local. So, they did try to mix it up a bit. At Lembeh Straits, we've stayed at Kunkungan Bay Resort (KBR)and Lembeh Resort. Both are very well run with excellent food and beautiful accomodations.
Hope this answers your question. If you need more info, let me know....
