MALDIVES NEWS & SPECIAL DEPARTURES
Maldives News & Late Availability | Far North & Far South Atolls | Airline Offers | Island Offers |
MALDIVES NEWS & LATE AVAILABILITY....
BOOK ONBOARD OUR SEA QUEEN FULL MOON DEPARTURE IN APRIL AND SAVE UP TO £150 PER PERSON!
Emirates and Sri Lankan Airlines have launched some special offer fares to the Maldives with some great savings. We are delighted to combine the offers with a week on board the Sea Queen on a trip at the end of April that will coincide with the full moon - shark heaven!
SEA QUEEN Full Moon Special 7nts
24 Apr - 02 May 2010 Just £1545 per person, including flights from the UK.
Please add £79 per person for UK and Male departure taxes.
Flight deals are subject to availability at the time of booking.
BRITISH LOYALTY WRECK SPECIAL!
Calling all wreck divers! Come dive the 6000 tonne British Loyalty Wreck, sunk by Japanese torpedoes in WWII. Lying in 35m of tropical water in Addu Gan Atoll, south of the Equator, this unspoilt wreck is home to tonnes of fish, including some pretty big ones!! We will be diving the wreck by day and by night and the cruise will also visit the shark and manta points in the atoll. So a great week diving - you will not be disappointed.
SEA SPIRIT 'British Loyalty Wreck & Manta Special' 7nts:
10 Jul - 18 Jul 2010 £1995 per person.
Includes international flights from the UK, domestic flights from Male to Gan Atoll, transfers to liveaboard, full board accommodation with all meals and soft drinks.
Please add £79 per person for UK and Male departure taxes.
Take a look at our Far South & Far North Atolls section for more Far South dates and details.
Our boats offer exciting and varied itineraries exploring all the atolls and seeking out the very best diving throughout the year. Please see our schedules page for dates and prices and check out our trip reports from previous seasons to see what amazing diving you can expect.
TOTAL BAN ON SHARK FISHING IN THE MALDIVES IMPOSED!
The Ministry of Fisheries & Agriculture has imposed a total ban on all forms of fishing for any species of sharks in the Maldives. In a press release the ministry said that any kind of shark fishing has a negative impact on tourism and added that sharks play an important role in maintaining the underwater habitat, as they are at the highest level in the food chain. This is great news for our sharks and rays and for divers visiting the Maldives to see these beautiful creatures!
HANIFARU LAGOON ARTICLE!!
As many of you may know, our friend and leading underwater photographer Michael Aw joined us on board the Sea Queen last September on one of our popular Baa Atoll Manta Special trips to dive Hanifaru Lagoon. Michael captured some incredible manta and whaleshark activity and his new article has just come out in Asia's Ocean Geographic magazine. Click on the below link to view a pdf of the article:
'The Twister Of Mantas' by Michael Aw, Ocean Geographic Magazine.
We have been running Manta Special trips for many years now on board the Sea Queen and Sea Spirit and we can give you the best chances of seeing activity like this for yourself. Take a look at our schedules page for dates and prices of our 'Manta Specials' and check our trip reports from previous seasons to see what amazing diving you can expect. For more information and a map of Hanifaru Lagoon click here: Hanifaru Lagoon Dive Site
COME AND SEE US AT THE LONDON DIVE SHOW!
We will once again be exhibiting at the forthcoming London Dive Show on the last weekend of March. Our stand will be packed with information on the Maldives and other top dive destinations from around the world, so come and speak to us for expert advice and first-hand knowledge. And don't miss out on our daily presentations in the seminar rooms!
LIDs Dive Show 27-28 March 2010
Excel Centre - We are on Stand No.130
Check out our daily seminars;
'Maldives Manta Mania & Pioneering The Far South' (Maldives Scuba Tours)
'Hammerheads of Cocos & Galapagos' (Scuba Tours Worldwide)
2011 SAILING SCHEDULES COMING SOON!!
We are just putting together the final touches to our 2011 sailing schedules and are already taking advanced reservations so give our sales team a call find out the latest.
Why travel with Maldives Scuba Tours? Our liveaboards Sea Queen and Sea Spirit accomodate just 12 people giving you the optimum dive experience. Our Cruise Directors have 1000's of dives in the Maldives and we know where to go and when to go to get you the best encounters!
Want to see more..? Then check out this sensational video clip that was shot by our cruise directors on board the Sea Spirit:
Oman Air Flights to the Maldives: We have some very competitive rates for Oman Air flights to the Maldives with prices from as little as £370 plus £205 taxes. Oman Air flights have an excellent Business Class service too, with seats that lay completely flat and prices starting from just £1350 plus taxes! All flights to the Maldives are via a transit through Muscat and stop-overs are free! So if you fancy a combination Maldives + Oman holiday then give our sales team a call and we will be happy to give you some information and prices.
Increase in UK departure taxes announced by the CAA: The Civil Aviation Authority has confirmed that there will be an increase on UK departure taxes for travel made on or after the 01st November 2010. The taxes vary according to the destination but we have been advised that for Maldives travel it will mean an additional £25 tax in Economy Class and £50 for Business Class and First Class passengers. So for travellers on either Emirates or Sri Lankan Ailrines it will mean taxes as below:
£104 per person in Economy Class
£179 per person in Business or First Class.
Sri Lankan Airlines Economy Plus: Sri Lankan Airlines are offering passengers the chance to upgrade to Economy Plus seats on the A340 service. For an additional £80 per person each way passengers can enjoy a seat pitch of 35" in an exclusive, relaxed cabin. Economy Plus passengers also enjoy a fine dining menu with a choice of quality wines, and snacks and refreshments served throughout the flight. There are just 24 Economy Plus seats available on each flight so book early to avoid disappointment.
BA's non-stop service to Male: British Airways non-stop direct service from London Gatwick to Male is giving travellers even more flexibility with their itineraries. The three-times-per-week service departs Gatwick on Sundays, Tuesdays and Fridays, returning on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. Give our sales team a call for more information.
Many of the resort islands have released special offers so please call us for the latest updates. Here are just a few of the current incentives:-
Medhufushi:- Incredible discount of almost 50% on accommodation packages between 01 May and 31 October PLUS free upgrade to Half Board!!
Vilamendhoo:- Free upgrade to All Inclusive for stays between 25 March - 11 April.
Bandos:- Summer Early Booking Discount - book by 31 March (valid 01 May - 31 Oct 2010).
Thulhagiri:- Free nights - stay 7 pay 6 / stay 14 pay 12 (valid 01 Jun - 21 Jul 2010).
Filitheyo:- Free nights - stay 7 pay 6 / stay 14 pay 12 (valid 05 May - 31 Jul 2010).
Angaga:- Free nights - stay 7 pay 6 / stay 14 pay 12 (valid 01 Jun - 21 Jul 2010).
Komandoo:- Free upgrade to Standard All Inclusive when you upgrade to Full Board (valid 28 Apr - 2 Dec 2010).
Meedhupparu:- Free upgrade to All Inclusive (valid now until 30 Apr 2010).
Mirihi:- Water Villas – Book B&B and get free upgrade to half board / or Book half board and get free upgrade to full board. (Early Bird offer book by 28 Feb, valid for stays between 29 May - 31 Aug 2010).
20% discount on all dive packages (valid for stays between 06 Jun - 17 Jul 2010)
All offers are subject to confirmation & availability at time of booking.
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Check this page regularly for any upcoming specials we are running and our sailing schedules for details of all our trips. There will be lots of good diving to be enjoyed with every trip you choose and we look forward to seeing you all on board !
Happy Diving,
Rob Bryning.
