South Route 14 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 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 the 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 > Laamu Atoll
Travelling deeper towards South, discover a an impressive topography of 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 Laamu Atoll > North Gaafu Atoll
Laamu Atoll offers drift dives and deep channels that attract sharks, rays, jacks, and tunas. Moreover you will dive in caves and swim throughs along colorful drop-off walls. The pristine central lagoon is also home to large schools of parrotfish, butterflyfish as well as turtles and triggerfishes.
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Day 6 North Gaafu Atoll > South Gaafu Atoll
The largest atoll in the Maldives is made of vibrant reefs and untouched lagoons. Stingrays, turtles and a variety of sharks including black tip reef sharks, white tip reef sharks, and nurse sharks are frequent visitors here. Occasionally you will also find hammerhead sharks and tiger sharks hunting.
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Day 7 South Gaafu Atoll > Fuvamulah Atoll
At the most southern point of the trip, you will discover an impressive topography counting sloping reefs, drop-off walls and deep channels. There are only few named dive sites here as this part of Maldives is still relatively unknown. Get a chance to see spinner dolphins, manta rays, thresher sharks, and tiger sharks ...
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Day 8 Fuvamulah Atoll > Gaafu Atoll
Back from the deep South, we will make a few more dives in the splendid region of Gaafu. Besides the stunning underwater landscape, the untouched dive sites will also offer chances of meeting the spectacular thresher sharks, hammerhead sharks, eagle rays, napoleon wrasses, and schools of reef fish.
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Day 9 Gaafu Atoll > Laamu Atoll
After night crossing, we generally arrive in Laamu at dawn, ready to dive colorful sloping reefs which often offer nice surprising encounters.
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Day 10 Laamu Atoll > Thaa Atoll
When back in Thaa Atoll, the boat will moor in a location well known for the nocturnal encounters with the whale shark; during the day divers explore the rich channels of this atoll.
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Day 11 Thaa Atoll > Meemu Atoll
Dive again in this pristine atoll to explore different sites and take a chance for another manta session while having a look for ghost pipe fish! The scenery is astonishing: white and shiny sandbanks and gorgeous untouched islands.
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Day 12 Meemu Atoll > Vaavu Atoll
Stop in Fotteyo, one of the most famous and rich dive sites of the Maldives with its stunning and colorful caves and swim throughs where we dive again the next morning in the blue to look for hammerhead sharks.
Enjoy the amazing sunset and scenery from the sandbank. -
Day 13 Vaavu Atoll > South Malé Atoll
Back in Guraidhoo, visit the fisherman island and dive two of the mythic and unmissable channels of this atoll.
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Day 14 South Malé Atoll > North Malé Atoll
We are back at the starting point but the adventure is not finished yet! Take a chance to dive among stingrays, giant morays and even sight the majestic guitar shark. Time to wash the equipment, then to enjoy the sunset while the crew prepares a special dinner for your last night onboard.
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Day 15 Hulhumalé
The trip is arriving at the end. Our crew will arrange the 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 and booking for accommodations.
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: 51
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.
14-night cruises (15 days on board)
- 15 days of cruise with full board, including unlimited tea, coffee and water.
- 14 nights on board in a shared twin cabin - single cabins cost extra.
- Package includes 31 dives spread from Sunday to Friday of the second week, 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...