Listen to the article
The Maldives offers its visitors a very fundamental choice when it comes to travel. Upon arrival, you can possibly jet-off to a luxurious resort island and spend your days being pampered on a lavish property. Otherwise, there is the option to stay on an inhabited island and immerse yourself in the local lifestyle.
Liveaboards walk the thin line between both these choices. Ranging from the comfortable to the ultra-exclusive, safari boats are cheaper than a resort accommodation. They feature every convenience you require for a relaxing break and present unique possibilities unavailable when staying on land.
Moreover, a liveaboard personifies freedom, giving you the independence to be out and about, discovering parts of the Maldives that very few people get to admire.
Choosing a safari boat in the Maldives, be it for a day or a week, is about indulging in an unparalleled lifestyle, where you get to set out on a new and exciting adventure every morning.
Perfect for everyone
We begin by breaking a myth about liveaboards. Voyages in the Maldivian waters are not limited to a particular type of tourist. Safari boats cater to solo travelers, couples, and families with children and accommodate different budgets based on onboard facilities and the trip’s duration.
There are single cabins and possibilities to share a room for scuba diving fans planning on a liveaboard stay. On the other hand, couples can book suites with jacuzzis while luxuriating in intimate outings such as candlelit dinners and desert island day trips.
For families, a liveaboard is an excellent prospect to spend quality time with each other. Safari boats in the Maldives organize happenings that parents and children can enjoy separately, from spa sessions and wine tastings for adults to movie nights and dance parties for teens.
Offbeat travel in the Maldives
With the constantly changing scenery, shades of blue all around, and the glorious sun shining bright, a holiday on a liveaboard is packed with countless Instagrammable moments. Indisputably an exotic escapade to remember, it is also an excuse to go offbeat in the Maldives.
When traveling on a safari boat, you have uninterrupted access to Maldives’ hidden spots, islands that remain off the tourist track, and experiences that leave you in a state of permanent wonderment. Itineraries for a week-long cruise typically include excursions to inhabited islands where you can interact with the locals, buy handcrafted Maldivian souvenirs, learn about Maldivian heritage, and appreciate the appeal of calling an island your home.
The offbeat excitement doesn’t just end there. Your cruise will include special events like picnics on sandbanks, visits to islands where only a handful of people have ever set foot, and snorkeling trips to otherwise hard-to-reach places deep in the Indian ocean.
Plenty of activities
At first thought, it might seem there is not much to do when living on a boat. It is partly true because you can spend all your days lounging on the sundeck, listening to music, eating fresh seafood, reading a book, and enjoying the cool sea breeze without ever setting foot into the water. But remember, the ocean around you is brimming with opportunities, and to miss out on them, is a mistake you do not want to make.
Diving and snorkeling aside, guests on a liveaboard have chances aplenty to participate in onboard and on-water activities. Depending on what your boat is carrying, you can go paddleboarding, jet skiing, or canoeing. Otherwise, simply walk off the plank and take a thrilling jump into the crystal-clear waters below.
While on the safari boat itself, you can take yoga classes, learn to cook traditional Maldivian foods or sleep under the stars after a crash-course in astronomy. Children can play videogames in the entertainment center, take educational lessons with marine biologists, or partake in quizzes, arts, and crafts organized by the staff. With so many choices, there never is a dull moment on a liveaboard.
Must-do for divers
Yes, a liveaboard is a perfect escape for couples and families and even non-swimmers. However, it is a must for divers visiting the Maldives who want to explore distant sites typically not reachable through standard tours.
Among the advantages for divers on a liveaboard is the likelihood to partake in multiple dives during the day. Most liveaboards have two or three daily dives, giving enthusiasts enough time to explore the underwater surroundings, resulting in greater chances of observing spectacular marine life such as manta rays and whale sharks.
Furthermore, safari boats have a separate diving dhoni with all necessary equipment that divers need not bring from home. The dhoni can also visit diving sites, where a bigger boat cannot anchor. Moreover, a dhoni creates a peaceful environment, away from a liveaboard’s continually running motors, thus attracting more aquatic animals around it.
“No news, no shoes”
In the middle of the ocean, having left behind civilization and its quandaries for a brief moment, a safari boat holiday personifies Maldives’ theme of “no news, no shoes.” Supporting the allure of being in the “middle of nowhere” is the jovial ambiance on the boat that is an intrinsic part of a liveaboard adventure.
Living in close proximity with a few like-minded people, the atmosphere on a safari boat is always friendly and well-mannered. While the staff is preparing food and organizing activities, guests get to mingle over breakfast and dinner, share stories from their homelands, learn from each other, and form bonds that wouldn’t be possible in a resort setting.
The safari boat eventually becomes a familiar element where people from all walks of life get to encounter a spectacle in unison, that of Maldives’ hidden beauty, experienced by only a few lucky souls who dare to be different.
