The Maldives

10 Apr – 17 Apr 2027
Maldives
From £2,995pp

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Float above teeming coral reefs, glide alongside manta rays and - if the stars align - find yourself in the water with a whale shark.

Duration

7 Nights

Distance per day

1.5-4km

Water temperature

27-30°C

Max. group size

Ability level

All Abilities

Swim type

Open Water, Sea

Non-swimming Partners

Welcome - 10% Discount

Technique coaching

Included

If you love swimming in the open ocean, The Maldives is probably on your bucket list. If it’s not, it should be. With a relaxed atmosphere, year-round warm water and a exquisite marine life, this is a truly special open water swimming vacation.

This tour has been designed as a live-aboard to give us the best possible access to The Maldives incredible atolls. Your home for the week will be the spacious MV Emperor Voyager. All cabins are en-suite with air conditioning. Upper deck and main deck cabins have large windows giving amazing views to the ocean and islands beyond.

Highlights

Manta Rays

Swimming alongside huge graceful manta rays as they circle in squadrons to feed is an experience that is genuinely hard to put into words.

Special marine encounters

Glide over teeming coral reefs, float through schools of fish, mingle with manta rays, and maybe even whale sharks and dolphins.

Access to the best swim spots

This liveaboard trip truly offers a unique experience as you sleep out on the clear waters. The MV Emperor Voyager features a bar, outdoor dining area, and a large sundeck perfect for sunrise yoga or watching the sunset.

Island BBQ

Midway through the week, the Voyager moors off an uninhabited island and the crew lay on a BBQ dinner on the beach as the sun goes down over the Indian Ocean.

Itinerary

Day 1

Arrival

Transfers from the airport to the boat run at 12:00 and 16:00, and are free of charge. A light sandwich style snack will be provided for lunch on transfer day. If you are already in the Maldives you should make your way to the airport for the 16:00 transfer. The boat moors near Male and departs early on the morning after the check-in day.

Day 2

Anchors away and swimming the reef

In the morning, the Ships anchor will be lifted and Emperor Voyager will cruise south from North Male Atoll, crossing the short “Vadoo Kandu” channel down to Gulhi in South Male Atoll. After breakfast, we will start with an easy swim within and around a large lagoon reef. Whilst you kick back and enjoy lunch, Emperor Voyager will venture further South to Vaavu Atoll. In the afternoon we will attempt a lagoon-to-lagoon swim.
In the evening we will finish off the day watching the nurse sharks, stingrays and giant trevally under the famous Alimatha Resort Jetty.

Day 3

Venturing south to Fotteyo Kandu

In the morning, Emperor Voyager will venture further South into Vaavu Atoll to the famous Fotteyo Kandu. Today we will swim around one of the longest reefs in the Maldives, from Fotteyo Kandu, past the island of Fotteyo and around to Rakeedhoo.
After breakfast, we will swim from Fotteyo Kandu to Fotteyo Island. This reef is approximately 24 Nautical Miles (45 km) when navigated inside the Atoll, so we will motor over lunch to make up the ground. The afternoon swim is really up to you to challenge yourself, as Emperor Voyager, its dhingy and its dhoni will be following you ready for you to signal you are ready for a pick up at anytime. After dinner if you have energy left, feel free to join in with the crew for a spot of night fishing around Rakeedhoo.

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Accommodation

WIFI RESTAURANT Bar Air Con En Suite

Our home for the week will be the spacious MV Emperor Voyager. A 30m long boat, and with a capacity of 20 passengers. We take only 14 guests so you will have plenty of space to rest, relax and socialise. Voyager has a large sundeck; perfect for drying off, relaxing, or a spot of sunrise yoga. All cabins are fully en-suite with air conditioning.

Rooms

The base trip price is based on you sharing a twin or double cabin. If you are travelling solo we'll pair you with a same-sex roommate, or if you’d like a room to yourself, choose a sole use cabin when booking.

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What's included

Included

Accommodation on the liveaboard MV Emperor Voyager
Full swimming itinerary
One-to-one swim coaching and video analysis
All meals (breakfast, lunch and dinner)
Afternoon snacks
Unlimited drinking water, tea and coffee
Safety boats
Swim guides
Snorkelling equipment
Swim feeds and wet boat refreshments
Transfers to and from Male airport
Government taxes and bed tax
VAT
ABTOT Financial Protection

Not included

Flights to and from Male airport
On board extras
Purchase of any alcohol / soft drinks
Optional scuba dive (trial or qualified dive)
WiFi (approx. 30 USD for 5GB, buy on-board)
Single room supplement if you wish to take a cabin to yourself (see ACCOMMODATION tab for details)

Getting there

Getting to The Maldives

Trip begins Saturday afternoon 5pm

Fly to Male

Fly to Male airport (MLE). For help finding flight information and prices, you may wish to try a flight search engine such as Skyscanner or Kayak.

Guests arriving at Male Airport on the check-in day will be met by a representative, wearing an Emperor Maldives T-shirt and holding an Emperor Maldives sign. The meeting point is beside the Help Desk.

Information about Male Airport: If you do have to wait for one of the transfers on arrival then the airport is reasonably comfortable and has a shop for local SIM cards, a post office, money changer, and a few decent coffee shops / restaurants Inc. Thai Express, Burger King and a New Noodle. On departure you could use the airport hotel 24hr air-con coffee shop with Wi-Fi in the reception area.

Transfer to MV Emperor Voyager

- Male is one of the few airports where you wallk out of arrivals and board a boat! Boat transfers from the airport to our boat run at 12:00 and 16:00, and are free of charge. A light sandwich style snack will be provided for lunch on transfer day. If you are already in the Maldives you should make your way to the airport for the 16:00 transfer. The boat moors near Male and departs early on the morning after the check-in day.

Leaving on Saturday morning

Check out is at 07:00 on the last day of the cruise. Guests will be in the airport by 07:30. For guests continuing their holiday in the Maldives at a resort, hotel or another liveaboard, your on-going transfers need to be arranged by you from the airport. We will not be able to arrange direct transfers from the live-aboard to resorts.