South Route 11 Nights
Liveaboard in the South of Maldives
Itinerary
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Day 1 Hulhumalé
Dune staff will pick you up at Malé International Airport and bring you to to the main boat. Enjoy a drink while listening to our Cruise Director welcome briefing. Dinner will be served in the evening and you will spend your first night at Hulhumalé marina.
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Day 2 North Malé Atoll > South Malé Atoll > Vaavu Atoll
The trip will start by discovering the dazzling long reefs in North Malé Atoll. Corals are abundant here, giving home to plenty of reef fish and macro species. After the day, we will cruise to Vaavu Atoll for an unmissable night dive. There’s nothing as exciting as watching nurse sharks, sting rays, and jacks in their feeding frenzy.
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Day 3 Vaavu Atoll > Meemu Atoll
The excellent pristine channels of Meemu offer steep walls and overhangs coated with healthy hard and soft corals. You will have a chance of looking for hammerhead sharks and to observe grey reef sharks, white tip reef sharks, eagle rays, napoleon wrasses, and hawksbill turtles.
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Day 4 Meemu Atoll > Thaa Atoll
Travelling deeper to the south, you will discover a variety of impressive sites with submerged pinnacles, channels, corals gardens, overhangs, and swim throughs. You will also encounter white tip reef sharks, eagle rays, tunas, schools of jacks...
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Day 5 Thaa Atoll > Daalu Atoll
Cruising to the seldom visited atolls of the west, you will enjoy pristine waters and great visibility. With a bit of luck, you may come across green sea turtles and even spinner dolphins. You will find more grey reef sharks, napoleon wrasses, and various schools of reef fish in the channels.
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Day 6 Daalu Atoll > Faafu Atoll > South Ari Atoll
In the outer reefs of Faafu Atoll, explore the channels to see grey reef sharks, white tip reef sharks, schools of jacks, bigeye trevallies, and barracudas. Moving north to South Ari Atoll, you will dive on beautiful pinnacles and observe bigger marine life. Dive into this aquarium offered by mother nature, finally meeting the stars of the trip.
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Day 7 South Ari Atoll
In the marine protected areas, our first stars, the mighty whale sharks regularly show up. Our crew will search for their presence and allow you a chance to snorkel or even scuba dive with them. Lucky or not, there are also many thilas and some wrecks in South Ari Atoll. Grey reef sharks, napoleon wrasse, moray eels, scorpionfish are definitely to be found here. Exploring Maldives is also setting foot in paradise. Our crew will lead a visit to the nearby local island just before dinner.
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Day 8 South Ari Atoll > North Ari Atoll
Cruising never stops, moving up to North Ari Atoll while taking a last chance to get a close look at whale sharks. In the north, channels are wider and the ocean is deeper. We will meet some more stars here. The currents attract many grey reef sharks, white tip reef sharks and even other large pelagic fish. When night falls, you will be invited ashore again and indulge yourself in the barbecue dinner prepared by our crew on a nearby desert island.
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Day 9 North Ari Atoll
Multiple manta cleaning stations, extraordinary thilas and wreck with rich marine life are the highlights of this area of Ari Atoll. You will also find eagle rays, hawksbill turtles, napoleon wrasse, school of blue-stripe snapper, batfish, and fusiliers here. The day will end with a manta night dive. Admire the enormous manta rays feeding right in front your torch.
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Day 10 North Ari Atoll > Rasdhoo Atoll
The combination of pelagic life and remarkable underwater landscapes in North Ari Atoll is irresistible. You may also dive on the beautiful reefs in Rasdhoo Atoll, observe the magnificent manta rays and experience a fascinating encounter with hammerhead. Drift among schools of fish while still keeping an eye on your preferred pelagic stars.
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Day 11 Malé Nord
In North Malé Atoll you will find stunning long reefs, small caves, colourful corals with prolific marine and reef life once again. Take a closer look at the squirrelfish, bannerfish, oriental sweetlips, frogfish, and nudibranchs. In the afternoon you will come back to Hulhumale marina to spend your last night on board.
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Day 12 Hulhumalé
The trip is arriving at the end. Our crew will arrange your transfer to the airport according to your flight schedule once you have had your breakfast on board. We are also glad to help you plan for the day if you have a late flight. Various options are available ranging from snorkeling excursions and accommodation bookings.
Time to come back home with fantastic memories!
Dates & prices
Departures for French-speaking groups:
No departure for now
Departures for English-speaking groups:
No departure for now
Departures for Chinese-speaking groups:
No departure for now
Trip code: 116
Included
- Transfers from the airport to the boat and to and from the marina.
- Double shared cabin accommodation.
- 2 to 4 on-board guides (a dive master and instructors) accredited by government authorities.
- 12 liter aluminum cylinders + DIN/Int, and diving weights.
- 8 to 10 professional and experienced crew members on-board
- Three meals a day.
- Sheets and blanket (depending on the boat).
- Bath towels are changed at least once during the trip, depending on the duration of the cruise.
- One evening dedicated to celebrating birthdays, newlyweds or dive anniversaries.
- The selected sea route will take into consideration the passengers' wishes.
- A map to note down the route taken.
- Soft drinks during the meal (Coke and Sprite) (on Theia boat only)
- Nitrox - package and fillings per unit. Nitrox is a service offered by Dune and can’t be subject of a refund in the eventuality the compressor is malfunctioning (on Theia boat only)
- Maldivian Government Tourist Tax.
- Green Tax (on Theia boat only)
Please note:
- The dive package will be adjusted according to the number of days in case of a staggered departure and arrival.
- If the diver does not take part in all the proposed dives for whatever reason - weather, air, or personal reasons, no refund will be made by DUNE France or DUNE Maldives.
- According to logistical possibilities or passenger wishes, it may be possible to make more dives than those proposed in the planned package. Optional additional dives cost extra.
11-night cruises (12 days on board)
- 12 days of cruise with full board, including unlimited tea, coffee and water.
- 11 nights on board in a shared twin cabin - single cabins cost extra.
- Package includes 24 dives spread from Sunday to the following Monday, along with a night dive.
Not included
- International flights to and from Malé.
- The supplement for a superior or sea view cabin.
- The supplement for a single cabin.
- Cancellation and repatriation insurance.
- Soft drinks such as Coke, Sprite, etc. outside meals.
- Drinks such as beer, wine, etc., see the bar prices in the annex.
- Transfers by speed boat, airplane or seaplane depending on special routes or unscheduled arrivals and departures. (If a passenger wants to take a particular international flight, any extra cost related to the latter will be at the customer's expense). Training, optional dives, rentals and on-board services
- Tips for the crew, recommended at $12 per person per day spent on board, could be given at the end of the stay before leaving.
Notes
Recommendations and diving legislation in the Maldives
Terms and conditions
Cancellation Policy
- Cancellations from 60 to 31 days before the date of the boat's departure: 30% of the total cost of the cruise.
- Cancellations from 30 to 15 days before the date of the boat's departure: 50% of the total cost of the cruise.
- Cancellations 14 days before the date of the boat's departure: 100% of the total cost of the cruise.
- Cancellations from 90 to 61 days before the date of the boat's departure: 30% of the total cost of the cruise.
- Cancellations from 60 to 31 days before the date of the boat's departure: 50% of the total cost of the cruise.
- Cancellations 30 days before the date of the boat's departure: 100% of the total cost of the cruise.
- Boats from 16 to 20 seats: Minimum of 12 participants
- Boats from 20 to 22 seats: Minimum of 14 participants
- Boat with 22 places and more: Minimum of 16 participants
Payment - Reimbursement - Litigation
- A minimum 30% deposit must be paid by the customer in order to confirm his reservation.
- The balance is due 30 days prior to departure for an individual booking and 60 days before departure for groups and charters.
- On-board payments must be made in cash or check (except tips). · Failure to follow a route does not result in compensation or reimbursement of taxes.
- Failure to follow the program does not result in compensation (e.g.: not completing 15 dives due to poor weather or insufficient diving level...)
- Changes made to the boat or selected marinas do not give rise to compensation.
- A possible Nitrox malfunction does not give rise to compensation.
- Customers are individually responsible for all their personal effects. Damage to personal belongings due to negligence or omission shall not give rise to any claim against Dune.
- No refunds will be provided if a customer fails to make all the proposed dives, either on his own accord or due to a temporary restriction from the dive instructor in charge of the boat.
- Flight delays: DUNE France and DUNE Maldives cannot be responsible for flight delays. DUNE does not provide meals or extra nights caused by delays or schedule advances made by charters or scheduled airlines.
Cruise Cancellations and Force Majeure
Practical info
Staff
Level
Food
Accommodation
Transportation
Airport pick up
Transfers
- Those arriving before 15h00 on Saturday morning should book an "Early Check-In" at $45 per person. If the boat is available upon arrival on Saturday morning, they can be transferred earlier (until 11.00 am) from the airport to the boat. The rate covers the costs of the half-day on board, lunch and private transfer.
- On the way back and depending on return flight schedules, guests can book a “Late Checkout” at $45 per person. If the boat is available upon departure on Saturday afternoon, guests can be transferred later (until 14.00pm) from the boat to the airport. The rate covers the costs of the half-day on board, lunch and private transfer.
- Depending on return flight schedules, guests should also reserve a "Day-Use". Two options are available:
- Snorkeling Trip with Dune Maldives’ team, including the lunch and the transfer to the airport at the end of the day (price : 60 USD). Subject to availability.
- Guest house : access to a room and hotel services. Lunch not included and transfer to the airport included. Charge will be paid directly on place. Price starting from 60 USD. Subject to availability.
Tips
Vital equipment
- A dive computer.
- A surface marker buoy, SMB.
- An emergency sound or visual signaling system.
Helpful equipment
- A torch or flashlight.
- A second emergency torch.
- A reef hook.
- A weight belt or weight pockets.
Passport
- A passport with a minimum of six months validity after the return date is mandatory and must be shown when passing through customs.
- The full name of each passenger.
- The passport number.
- The diver's level and his number of dives.
- Details of flight arrivals and departures.
- A passport photocopy for booking domestic flights.
- Any special instructions involving reserving cabins, courses, Nitrox, or the rental of diving equipment...