When it comes to diving, the Maldives is such a diverse country. From north to south each of the atolls has its own characteristics and highlights. If you are planning on exploring this piece of heaven from a local island and indulging in some ravishing diving, then you’d love the idea of going to Vaavu atoll. It is only 1.5 hours from Male by speed boat, which makes it an easy getaway. In this post we share with you the best dive sites of Vaavu together with some tips on staying on a local Maldivian island, all through the eyes of an expat and a local insider. Enjoy!   Submerging…

For almost everyone returning or planning a trip to Cozumel diving is the magnet that pulls them to this lush Mexican island. Cozumel is undoubtedly the best place to dive in the Riviera Maya and we also have the best dive center for you. The island is part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, which is the second largest in the world. Endless visibility, massive coral blocks stacked on top of each other, creating a maze of swim-throughs, dramatic walls and different species of sea turtles, nurse sharks and rays as you drift along some of the healthiest and most beautiful coral reefs in the world. Some of the best scuba…

There is one area in the Indian Ocean where you can dive with up to 10 species of sharks. When taking the Maldives Deep South route you can encounter tiger sharks, hammerheads, thresher sharks, whale sharks, silvertip, zebra, tawny nurse sharks, grey reef, white tip reef and black tip reef sharks. In the southern atolls you can also spot different species of rays: reef and oceanic mantas, spotted eagle rays, marbled stingrays, and the rare guitarfish (often mistaken for a shark)! You might see the infrequent oceanic sunfish (mola mola) around too! The Maldives Deep South comprises of the 3 southernmost atolls – Addu, Fuvahmulah and Huvadhoo. Due of its relatively…

Azure sky, turquoise water, white sand beaches and lush green palm trees – this must be paradise. Hundreds of islands bunched in 26 atolls, their emerald lagoons dotting the Indian Ocean like chains of pearls. This absolutely dreamy holiday destination can only get better when you submerge in the ultramarine waters. Many people visit the Maldives to swim with the giants – whale sharks and mantas, but for divers this is a mecca for shark diving. Why? Because of the unique location of this archipelagic nation. Situated right on the equator and literally in the middle of nowhere, the atolls are the tips of huge underwater mountains which are constantly…

So you’re going on a liveaboard! Have you ever been so excited about a holiday that you forgot to take the obvious? Or stressing out at work to finish all your deliverables before you go on vacation that packing is the last thing on your mind? Or maybe this is your first scuba safari and you are wondering what to pack for a liveaboard dive trip? I am a master in packing and I have still managed to go on an exotic holiday to a remote island without my sunglasses or to realise on the day of departure that I don’t have the cable to charge my camera. And usually…

Happy Hour at Hanifaru Bay! “A shrimp cocktail for all the mantas, please.” Hanifaru bay is the biggest manta feeding hotspot in the world. However, the underwater bay is actually quite small. While the uninhibited island Hanifaru, like many other islands in the Maldives, is just a tiny sand patch. The grandness comes from the number of reef manta rays (Mobula alfredi) that show up just in time for plankton happy hour and have a lavish feast together with some fellow filter-feeding whale sharks. The site is a protected marine park and the whole Baa Atoll, where Hanifaru bay lies, has been declared a UNESCO biosphere reserve. This remote atoll…