In August 2010, "two boat loads" of us cruised the Maldives aboard MV Orion, a brand new luxury liveaboard dive vessel, and we had an amazing time!
Manta Rays, Eagle Rays, Whale Sharks, Hammerhead Sharks, schools of Giant Trevally, and the best fish life of any reef we've been to!
If you want an incredible trip, MV Orion in the Maldives is a once in a lifetime experience!
In 2010, join us for one of the underwater worlds most amazing spectacles, on one of the worlds ultimate liveaboard dive vessels!!
Hanifaru in The Maldives with MV Orion!
There are many places people dream of visiting in their diving lives, and one of those places is usually the Maldives!
This Island country in the middle of the Indian Ocean is a mecca for scuba divers from all over the world. This double chain of 26 atolls features 1,192 islets, of which only two hundred islands are inhabited.
Apart from the obviously fabulous Maldives diving, each year one of the most amazing events that diving worldwide has to offer occurs. In the remote north of the Maldives is the Baa Atoll, and a tiny island called Hanifaru. Pronounced "Honey-far-roo".
From May to November, the lunar tide pushes against the Indian Ocean south western monsoon current, which creates a suction effect that pulls plankton from deep water up to the surface at Hanifaru Bay. Meanwhile, close to the surface, the plankton dives away from daylight and gets trapped amid the current. In just a few short hours, a massive concentration of plankton builds up and as the water turns cloudy with plankton, the huge manta rays and the gigantic whale sharks take advantage of this sensational feeding opportunity. And divers and snorkelers from around the world take advantage of this unique natural phenomenon!
Click here to see what we are hoping to see in the Maldives!
Click here for another video on the Discovery Channel documentary made last year!
Our base for this expedition is M.V. Orion. The newest, most luxurious liveaboard dive vessel in the Maldives, maybe the world!
Teak decks, Jacuuzi's and superb service are the norm on this very "unusual" liveaboard dive vessel! Click here for more info on the M.V.Orion.
Contact Malcolm on 09 444 7698, or email us now!
Highlights
We will be leaving Saturday 31st July, returning Wednesday 11th of August, and we have 9 days on board the boat with 3-4 dives per day!
The trip includes all Airfares, Accommodation, Transfers, all Food, 3-4 dives per day, cylinder and weight hire, basically EVERYTHING except your bar bill and airport taxes in the Maldives (and Nitrox if you want it!)
We have charted the whole boat, so we are specifically going to Hanifaru in the Baa Atoll for the Manta and Whale Shark feeding!
Cost is NZD$7300 (NZD$7500 if by credit card).
Not a cheap trip, but considering where we are going, and what we are doing, Very good value!
This is a once in a lifetime trip, join us!
Full Itinerary
Date of departure: Saturday 31 July 2010
FLIGHT DETAILS
AUCKLAND to SINGAPORE - CHANGI on Singapore Airlines Flight SQ286
Departing Saturday 31 Jul 2010 at 12:05 pm Arriving at 6:55 pm
Economy Class Seating
Meals Served: Meal
SINGAPORE - CHANGI to MALE on Singapore Airlines Flight SQ452 (Boeing 777-200)
Departing Saturday 31 Jul 2010 at 8:35 pm Arriving at 10:00 pm
Economy Class Seating
Meals Served: Meal
MALE to SINGAPORE - CHANGI on Singapore Airlines Flight SQ451 (Boeing 777-200)
Departing Tuesday 10 Aug 2010 at 11:15 pm Arriving Wednesday 11 Aug 2010 at 7:00 am
Economy Class Seating
Meals Served: Meal
SINGAPORE - CHANGI to AUCKLAND on Singapore Airlines Flight SQ281 (Boeing 777-200)
Departing Wednesday 11 Aug 2010 at 8:45 am Arriving at 10:25 pm
Economy Class Seating
Meals Served: Meal
Economy Class Travel on Singapore Airlines including all ticketable taxes and fuel surcharges
ACCOMMODATION DETAILS
Hulhule Island Hotel
Maldives
Share Twin Room
Accommodation for 1 night including arrival transfer and breakfast
In 31 Jul 2010 Out 1 Aug 2010
LIVEABOARD DETAILS
MV Orion
Share Twin Cabin
Accommodation for 9 Nights including:
- 3 to 4 dives per day with weights and tanks
- Services of qualified dive masters
- Return airport transfers
- All Meals
In 1 Aug 2010 Out 10 Aug 2010
DIVE FISH SNOW TRAVEL PACKAGE - Double/Share Twin
NZ$ 7300.00 per Adult Discounted for Cash / Cheque / Direct Credit Payment
NZ$ 7500.00 per Adult Credit Card Payment
Contact Malcolm on 09 444 7698, or email us now!
In 2009 we visited Vava'u in the Kingdom of Tonga!
We stayed at:
The Resort is nestled on the beachfront of the island of 'Utungake, just 90 minutes by air and road from Nuku'alofa, the nation's capital.
This superb boutique island resort offers the best of both worlds - the isolation of a real Pacific island, with top resort facilities that includes a classy restaurant and a friendly bar plus the convenience of being linked to the mainland by a causeway.
The staff are great, the owner lives there and really looks after you, and it's a defenitely the best place to stay in Vava'u!
Don't dive with anyone else! Professional, friendly, and the really fast boat gets you out diving or Whale Watching FAST!
But the highlight for everyone was swimming with Humpback Whales! Until you have been in the water with Humpbacks, you can't really understand the feelings you have being close to these beautiful creatures! We did two afternoons and one full day Whale Watching, and at one stage had 8 Humpbacks in the same bay with us! We spent 3 hours swimming with a mother and calf, and the baby came within 2 metres of us and even suckled from her mother 2 metres away! INCREDIBLE! :-)
We will have the DVD playing in the store November, so come in and check it out!
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In 2008, we experienced one of the ultimate land based dive destinations in the world!
We only had one Tropical Holiday planned for 2008, but 'What a Trip!" Layang Layang is in the South China Sea, 300km off the coast of Malaysian Borneo. It is a deep sea atoll rising up out of 2000m deep crystal clear ocean! An 80 room luxury resort, 10 dive boats, 300 dive tanks, and incredible drop offs, pristine reefs and huge palagic fish like Manta's, Whale Sharks, Giant Trevally, Barracuda and occasionally massive schools of Hammerhead sharks! This is a divers dream!
Watch a 10 minute video on the diving and resort by clicking here.
If you are interested in going on a trip to Layang Layang, contact Steve at Dive, Fish, Snow Travel on 09 479 2210 fo rdetails. It is one of the best dive sites in the world and we HIGHLY recommend it!
Malcolm swimming with one of the Manta Ray's we encountered from Layang Layang.
Trip reports from Winter 2007...
Vanuatu - June 2007
This trip was fantastic with everyone loving the diving and the deep dives on the President Coolidge, Million Dollar point and the surrounding reefs!
Niue - August 2007
Our second (and third) tropical trip this year was to Niue, where we found some of the clearest tropical waters in the world, rarely below 40m viz, and often up to 60m! We were lucky enough to have three Humpback Whales come through after a dive! A one month old baby, a medium size male and a huge female! It was an incredible experience to be in the water with gigantic creatures like this, and is something all of those with us will never forget.
General Info
21st May to 31st May 2011
Palau is one of the underwater wonders of the world with blue holes, huge caverns, spectacular walls and an immense variety of rare marine species easily accessible in clear water with visibility averaging 30m and sometimes exceeding 50 metres! We dived through Technicolor corals and World War II wrecks. Large pelagic predators, sharks, turtles, and dolphins, land locked marine lakes, accessible from the sea through tunnels, that are home to rare non-stinging jelly fish, anemones and soft corals. We saw giant gorgonian fans, eagle rays and even frenzied shark feedings! This really was one of the best diving experiences we've ever had and a great boat, crew, and some of the best food available in the world of liveaboards made it even better!
