Dive Review of Explorer Ventures, Maldives /Bandos Island in
Maldives/Central itinerary

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Explorer Ventures, Maldives /Bandos Island : "Classic SW monsoon season 10 day trip, 30+ dives", Nov, 2019, by Lee Little Haponski , TX, US ( Reviewer 5 reports with 4 Helpful votes). Report 11281 has 2 Helpful votes.
Photos Submitted with this Report Click on an image to see an enlarged version and captions
Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Accommodations		Food
Service and Attitude		Environmental Sensitivity
Dive Operation		Shore Diving	N/A
Snorkeling	N/A
Overall Rating
Value for $$
Beginners
Advanced
Comments	After diving most of the Pacific Ocean’s tropical regions over the last 30+ years, I finally made it to the Indian Ocean. Getting there was relatively easy - direct and often nonstop flights are available from many Asian and European hubs. Be prepared to lug your carryon luggage up and down metal stairs since the MLE airport has no jetways. For USA passports, the visa is free and issued on arrival via a simple landing card form. Incoming luggage (checked and carryon) is X-ray searched for contraband, including any liquor purchased from your departure’s duty free shop. Our group (DivingDivas) assembled over the course of 3 days at the nearby Bandos Island Resort, via a ½ hour boat transfer, prearranged. We snorkeled the house reef (4 stars for a house reef) but did not book any scuba at the resort. A single boat dive would have cost about $100 and required a skills assessment checkout that might have cost an additional $50. Significant construction projects on both sides of the resort look to be nearing completion but the noise was notable from the beaches. Our package included the buffet breakfast which was extensive. We were free to order lunch and dinner from a variety of restaurants scattered around the resort or eat at the the buffet. Drinking water is provided in the rooms but incurs a charge at the restaurants and bars. It’s a tourist island so wine, beer and liquors are available at prices comparable to bars in the USA. A small selection of soft drinks, wine and beer is stocked in the rooms’ minibar. After acclimating to the tropical weather and time zone at the resort, we were ready to dive right in from our live aboard. However, the transfer took one full day and involved returning to the airport and switching to the dive boat’s dhoni and then to the Emperor Explorer, our home base for the next 10 days. One of 2 Explorer Ventures boats, this one had been recently overhauled. LiveAboard.com has accurate photos. It features 13 cabins on 3 levels: 8 doubles below (no bunks), 2 on the main level (king plus twin) at the bow end and 3 (kings) above. A nice wide stair with bamboo flooring and metal handrails made moving between the main level and down below relatively easy. The stairs to the upper deck, with an outdoor, covered lounge + bar and the 3 cabins, were a bit narrow but features a sturdy handrail too. An additional sun deck, no covering, is accessed via exterior stairways on either side. A crew of 16 mans the boat and dhoni. All diving takes place from the dhoni and involves a 4 step ladder from the starboard side of the boat. Deckhands are always in position to assist with the transfers. During repositioning, the dhoni moves separately so take any cameras, lights or computers that you want to recharge or access between dives back to the boat. Wetsuits and diveskins are left hanging on the dhoni, underwear/swimsuits can be hung in your cabin’s shower (bring your own hooks) or on outside drying racks, weather permitting. Diving: the 10 day itinerary provides 8 days with 4 dives and a 9th day with 2 morning dives. The transfer day is divefree, coming and going. Viz was poor due to the plankton which the mantas and whale sharks like... The big pelagius were probably around but don’t get close enough to see in 25-30 foot range except at the cleaning/feeding stations. Certain tropical fish were out in force and generally unconcerned about the divers. Hard corals are healthy, some soft corals where they’re protected from the currents. A few crown-of-thorns, minimal urchins, very few shells except oysters and clams. Emperor has several signature dives that are unique. One they call chicken island (north Male/Kukulku) has the largest (size and quantity) of moray eels I’ve ever seen on one dive accentuated with dozens of sandy stingrays flying all-around. Then the day 2 night dive featured a plankton attracting light setup that resulted in 4 or 5 mantas spending 45 minutes cruising right in front of, over and around a circle of divers kneeling in the sandy bottom (similar but much better than the popular night manta dives off Kona, HI). We did the afternoon and evening dives on day #7 in the Vaavu atoll, in a channel full of nurse sharks. Current was ripping, so we hooked in and watched the sharks cruising back and forth. Though they were more active at night, we had numerous “close encounters”, initialed by the sharks, during the afternoon when there were fewer divers. Mantas were found at several known spots and we snorkeled with one smallish whale shark in the reserve. Schedule: The brief is mandatory for doing the dive. Exact times vary depending on the itinerary, it’s posted on a white board the night before and announced 10 minutes prior. First dive has a 6:30am brief, 7am departure. 10 or 10:30 brief for dive #2. After lunch at noon, a 2pm or 2:30 brief for #3 and a 5:30 brief for night/evening dives. Dinner is served after dive #4. Food: all meals are buffet style, snacks, coffee and tea are always available. I gave the food a 3 star rating due to the menus becoming rather monotonous over 10 days. However, there was always a selection of Asian dishes, western inspired meats (no pork products in this Muslim country) and vegetables, fruits and often baked pastries and desserts. I grew rather fond of the tuna hash (Mas Huni) at breakfast when topped with fried eggs. Extras: Almost everything is included in the base price. I rented a ScubaPro BCD and Reg. (I’m too lazy to maintain and haul my own) and paid a 10% tip in cash. Extra soft drinks and alcohol, t-shirts and WiFi comprised most guest’s additional costs. Overall, I’m happy I went but will return to the Pacific for most of my diving over the next few years.
Reporter and Travel
Dive Experience	Over 1000 dives
Where else diving	Pacific: Philippines, Palau, Indonesia, GBR, Costa Rica, Fiji, Caribbean: Roatan, Belize, BVI, Keys,
Closest Airport	Male	Getting There	Via major airline hubs, SIN, HKG, DEL, DXB, FRA, CDG,
Dive Conditions
Weather	sunny, windy, rainy	Seas	calm, currents
Water Temp	83-87°F / 28-31°C	Wetsuit Thickness	1
Water Visibility	25-30 Ft/ 8-9 M
Dive Policy
Dive own profile	no
Enforced diving restrictions	Max: 30m, 60 minutes Guided unless preapproved for independent
Liveaboard?	yes	Nitrox Available?	yes
What I Saw
Sharks	Lots	Mantas	Squadrons
Dolphins	Schools	Whale Sharks	1 or 2
Turtles	> 2	Whales	None
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):
Corals		Tropical Fish
Small Critters		Large Fish
Large Pelagics
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):
Subject Matter		Boat Facilities
Overall rating for UWP's		Shore Facilities	N/A
UW Photo Comments	I didn’t take a camera but those who did were happy with the setup and assistance.

Report currently has 2 Helpful votes

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Dive Review of Explorer Ventures, Maldives /Bandos Island in Maldives/Central itinerary

Explorer Ventures, Maldives /Bandos Island : "Classic SW monsoon season 10 day trip, 30+ dives", Nov, 2019,

Photos Submitted with this Report

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Overall Rating

Reporter and Travel

Dive Conditions

Dive Policy

What I Saw

Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best):

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Dive Review of Explorer Ventures, Maldives /Bandos Island in
Maldives/Central itinerary