When planning our honeymoon in the Maldives, the hardest part for me was choosing which atoll I wanted to scuba dive. We ended up choosing to stay at Four Seasons Maldives, which has two resorts in the Maldives and a luxury liveaboard dive boat that travels back and forth between the two resorts. Four Seasons made it possible for us to stay at and dive two different atolls; North Malé Atoll & Baa Atoll.
We started our trip with two nights at Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Kuda Huraa located in the North Malé Atoll. Then three nights on the Four Seasons Explorer scuba diving North Malé Atoll and on to Baa Atoll. And finally two nights at Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru in Baa Atoll.
Kuda Huraa
At Kuda Huraa we stayed in a sunset overwater bungalow with an infinity pool. My favorite things at Kuda Huraa were the infinity pool, the noodle bar at breakfast and a specialty drink called the Passion Collins. Kuda is well known for surfing and their amazing spa on its own island.
Landaa Giraavaru
At Landaa Giraavaru we stayed in a sunrise overwater bungalow. My favorite things about Landaa Giraavaru were the Manta On Call program, custom fruit plates and anti-gravity yoga classes. Landaa is known for its scuba diving and over the top bungalows. Landaa is the slightly larger of the two resorts, at Kuda you can walk everywhere and at Landaa they give you bikes to get around.
What I learned
What I learned during the trip is that Baa atoll & South Ari Atoll are the best for whale sharks and North Male Atoll is the best for surfing & the closest to the airport. Baa atoll is best for manta rays, which is where the famous Hanifaru Bay is located. Because of Hanifaru Bays popularity you are no longer able to dive in it and snorkelers must have a permit. Also, the crew on the Four Seasons Explorer said their 4 night trip is the favorite.
When to go
The time of year you visit is also very important. We went in May/June, which is the start of rainy season, but also the start of Manta Ray season. I chose to forgo guaranteed sunshine for the chance to swim/dive with Mantas. While we were there it ended up being quite windy, which put a damper on our Four Seasons Explorer liveaboard trip. We ended up not being able to make the pass from North Malé Atoll to Baa Atoll, instead we took a seaplane. This meant that we were not able to dive Baa Atoll, but we signed up for the Manta on Call Program in hopes that we could snorkel with Mantas. Unfortunately, the phone never rang and weather was not on our side. If I were to do this trip all over again, I would schedule it for July. Better luck next time!
All in all, the Maldives are absolutely gorgeous. The people are super friendly and the food is amazing. Definitely worth the trip, whether it be for relaxing, surfing, or scuba diving. If you would like to honeymoon in the Maldives, shoot me an email at jamie@tropecotravel.com today!
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