How they compare
Pick by who is travelling and how much diving you want.
| Liveaboard | Resort | |
|---|---|---|
| Dives | Three to four a day, including night dives | Boat trips from the island to sites within 30–40 minutes |
| Sites | Several atolls in one trip, following the animals | The reefs near your island |
| Price | High upfront; accommodation, meals, snacks and most diving included | Lower base price; food and diving are add-ons |
| Best for | Serious divers and photographers | Non-divers, families, learners and beach time |
A liveaboard follows the animals
The Maldives has 26 atolls and over 1,000 coral islands. At a resort you are limited to the sites within a 30–40 minute boat ride of your island. A liveaboard moves with the weather and the marine life and can cross several atolls in a week. If mantas are gathering two atolls over, the boat goes there.
That is why a liveaboard is the best bet for whale sharks and mantas in the same week. Boats follow the seasonal movements, switching between the eastern and western sides of the atolls with the monsoon. In one trip you might dive South Ari for whale sharks and then Vaavu Atoll for night dives with nurse sharks.
A resort in Baa Atoll puts you close to Hanifaru Bay in manta season (snorkel only, as scuba is not allowed in the bay), but you then see only what passes through that corridor. The best time to dive the Maldives shows which months suit which animals.
Life on a boat revolves around the water. You wake, have a light snack and are in for the first dive before most resort guests have ordered breakfast. You dive from a dhoni, a smaller support boat that carries the tanks and gear, so you jump in and are picked up wherever you surface. Meals are buffet-style on deck, and you relax in shared lounges between dives.
Ready to look at boats?
What each one costs
At first glance a resort looks cheaper, because the nightly rate is lower. Add individual boat trips, equipment rental and three meals a day at island prices, and the numbers shift. A liveaboard bundles your accommodation, meals, snacks and most of your diving into one price, so for a serious diver the cost per dive is lower on a boat. Green taxes and fuel surcharges apply to both.
The Maldives is not a place to go for the cheapest boat. Our Maldives liveaboards guide covers premium boat prices and when the deals appear.
Who should choose a resort
A resort wins on land-based comfort. A liveaboard can feel isolating for a partner who does not dive, while a resort has spas, several restaurants and a beach, and lets you skip a day of diving without feeling you have wasted your ticket. Choose one if you are:
- a couple where only one person dives
- a family with young children
- a diver who wants luxury accommodation and privacy
- prone to severe seasickness
Resorts also suit learners. House reefs are often shallower, and calm lagoons are good for the first sessions of a course. Liveaboards often ask for 30–50 logged dives, and Advanced Open Water is recommended for many of the channel dives.
The decision
If you want a trip like Raja Ampat, where the focus is the ocean, take the boat. If you want a romantic getaway that happens to include two dives a morning, take the villa. Only a liveaboard wakes you in a new atoll every morning.
You can also do both: a week on a boat, then a few days on a resort island. For the atolls and the animals, see diving in the Maldives. Packing a first dive computer? See choosing your first dive computer.
Questions
Is a liveaboard or a resort better for diving in the Maldives?
For diving, a liveaboard: three to four dives a day, several atolls in one trip, and the freedom to follow the mantas and whale sharks. A resort is better if you are travelling with a non-diver, learning to dive or want time on a beach between dives.
Is a Maldives liveaboard more expensive than a resort?
The upfront price is higher, but it includes accommodation, meals, snacks and most of the diving, so the cost per dive is lower for a serious diver. A resort's lower nightly rate grows once you add boat trips, equipment rental and meals at island prices.
Can a beginner dive from a Maldives liveaboard?
Liveaboards often ask for 30–50 logged dives, and Advanced Open Water is recommended for many channel dives. Resorts suit beginners better: the house reefs are often shallower and the lagoons are calm.
How many dives do you get on a Maldives liveaboard?
Three to four a day, including night dives, which adds up to 18–22 dives over a week.