Amba Liveaboard, Maldives
- from $ 180 / day
- 8.6 Fabulous
- 37 Verified Reviews 37 Verified Reviews
- Internet Free Nitrox Extra Flexible Booking
Highlights
Completely renovated in 2020/21, the Amba liveaboard offers a generous amount of space both indoors and outside. Catering to 20 guests on board, there are 10 cabins that feature individually controlled AC, fan and private bathroom with sink, shower and toilet. The upper deck has 2 premium cabins and 2 luxury cabins, and 6 more spacious standard cabins are located on the lower deck. The standard cabins are equipped with double and/or single beds, and all cabins. The luxury cabins are a bit bigger and have fantastic views of the Indian Ocean from its private sun/shade terrace.
Social areas aboard the Amba yacht include the main salon and dining room where 3 freshly prepared meals per day are served, along with afternoon snacks/cakes, drinking water and tea and coffee. The upper deck is home to the outdoor lounge which is the perfect place to relax in between diving, and the generous sundeck is partially covered with sun loungers.
During the week-long Maldives liveaboard cruise 2-3 dives per day are included with a night dive also being offered as one of the 3 dives, (excluding arrival and departure days). Cruising the North & South Male atolls, along with Felidhoo, Rasdhoo North & South Ari Atolls, divers can hope to see spectacular reefs, manta rays, reef sharks, stingrays, guitar rays, leopard sharks and a variety of critters to create unforgettable dives. The diving dhoni VARA accompanies Amba, offering ample space for gear storage, kitting up and fresh towels to use after diving. Nitrox certification is mandatory along with a dive certification to 30 meters. A detailed briefing in German and English is given before every dive.
Call us or book online today to reserve your space on Amba liveaboard Maldives.
The Amba liveaboard team is operating in accordance to the hygiene concept for safari ships from the Health Protection Agency (HPA) of the Maldivian government regarding COVID-19 precautions. Every guest must have a negative PCR test no older than 96 hours before the trip commencement date. A mobile PCR test team will be available on board on departure day for guests to provide a PCR test for onward travel, this will be charged extra locally.
Choose your departure date
Included: VAT, Fuel Surcharge, Port Fees, Airport Transfer, Drinking Water, Tea & Coffee, Welcome Cocktails, Full-Board Meal Plan (All meals), Snacks, Diving Package, Nitrox, Fishing, Beach Towels, Cabin Towels, Deck Towels.
Required Extras: Environment Tax (42-66 USD per trip).
Optional Extras: Travel Insurance, Gratuities (100-150 EUR per week), Hotel Transfer, Local Flights (330-360 EUR), Alcoholic Beverages, Soft drinks, Nitrox Course (199 EUR), Private Dive Guide (90 EUR per day), Rental Gear, Scuba Diving Courses (275 EUR), WiFi internet (15 EUR).
Book now, pay later: You can easily place your booking online. We will then hold the spaces for you and you can confirm with a payment later.
* Extra fees are shown per person.
Pay by bank transfer or online with Best Price Guaranteed
Boat features
Food & Drinks
If you have any specific dietary requirements whilst on-board your cruise, you can add this to your special requests on step 2 of the booking form. We advise limiting these requests to religious beliefs or food allergies.
Diving
The crew speaks English and German.
Gear Rental
There is diving gear available on this boat. Please provide your rental needs on the booking form. See below for further details on inclusions and pricing. Show prices.
Drawings & Vessel Layouts
Accommodation
Boat Specifications
- Year built 2004
- Year renovated 2021
- Length 34 meters
- Beam 10 meters
- Cruising speed 12 knots
- Engines Volvo Penta / Yanmar 430 HP
- Max guests 20
- Number of cabins 10
- Number of bathrooms 10
- Tenders 1 Dhoni
- Water capacity 5000 liters
- Fuel capacity 3000 liters
- Freshwater maker 6000 liters per day
Boat Navigation and Safety
Amba Liveaboard Reviews
- 8.6 Fabulous
- 37 Verified Reviews
- Vessel 8.2
- Crew 8.5
- Food 9.4
- Diving 8.3
- Value 8.5
- 8.0 Very good
- Adam W
![United States]()
United States
Nice boat, good food, meh diving
Dives at 7am are a little too early as the sun's not high enough to pierce much of the water. Some dive spots should be abandoned altogether as they were uninteresting or nearly completely bleached. Wasted a lot of time over barren areas. Overall 18 dives: 3 great; 5 good; 5 ok; 5 quite dull.
- Recommended for
- Good food, boat is in good shape (but rooms smell), nice sun and shade areas
- 8.0 Very good
- Jessica B
![United States]()
United States
Great value and no crowds
The cabins are very spacious, and even the en suite was much larger than most liveaboards. The crew is fantastic and goes out of their way to keep guests happy. The main salon is large and comfortable and there are several outdoor areas to lounge. Our only complaint was that the smoking section was the one and only covered deck, just behind the salon. Made it difficult to find a place to hang out away from the smoke when it rained. Diving in the far north was amazing. We didn't have great visibility, but the life was so prolific. And we never had to share a dive site with another boat. Would highly recommend this trip!
- Recommended for
- Uncrowded dive sites, fantastic marine life, good crew
- 8.0 Very good
- Gregory F
![United States]()
United States
Some good Some bad
The Manta dive was an awesome dive. The reefs were in very good shape for the most part and the amount of reef fish was mind boggeling!!
- Recommended for
- The crew on the dohni were very very good. 4 of the dives were good.
- 6.0 Review score
- ROBERT C
![United States]()
United States
adequate but not great
manta rays
- Recommended for
- convenience experienced dive masters predictable
- 8.8 Fabulous
- angela T
![United States]()
United States
Good Value for your money, very nice crew
The shared rooms and bathrooms are spacious compared to other liveaboards I've been on. The crew is very nice, polite, helpful and attentive. The smaller boat, from which we do the diving from, is also spacious and comfortable with bathroom, covered roof, and sundeck. Very good value for your money!
- Recommended for
- Crew, Food, Well Organized
- 8.8 Fabulous
- peter D
![Netherlands]()
Netherlands
very good service, relaxing and beautiful part of the maladives
we had a very nice stay on the boat. i tell all my friends to go over there and stay with you thanks ps Tamara did a fine job; could you ask her to send me the pictures she promised me
- Recommended for
- relax, space and the food
- 8.4 Very good
- Silke W
![Germany]()
Germany
Still nice boat with good staff and lonesome dive spots
Relaxing week with nice other divers.
- Recommended for
- Sharks, Mantas, Dolphins
- 8.8 Fabulous
- Philip H
![United Kingdom]()
United Kingdom
Boat better than the diving
The weather was against us but the Amba is well run by the crew, but the diving management was not what I have been accustomed to before in other Maldives trips.There doesn't seem to be a concept of duty of care for looking out for the less experienced divers which I believe verged on the unprofessional and this view was shared by the most of those diving on the boat. Diving is not the same as leading a group around a woodland walk, one of the dive leaders was far more professional than the other in their overall demeanor and attitude to caring for his diving group. The other didn't seem to care about the group he was leading and felt because he paired or put you in a threesome his job was done. It was up to you diving with the less experienced third diver not him nurturing and ensuring the person achieved a good dive by staying with them and helping in the difficult parts like the negative entries that are a part of diving in the Northern Atolls. I was not impressed and the fact that Liveaboard.com which he booked through weren't a bit more explicit about the difficulties of the diving conditions in this area. He had only carried out 40 dives in easy blue water conditions I think you need at least a 100 and in difficult conditions to be comfortable in the Northern Atolls. To sum up the boat and crew are good the diving management is half good the other half is not.
- Recommended for
- The Food, Facilities and Dohi
- 8.4 Very good
- Marina C
![Italy]()
Italy
Good experience to taste diving in Maldives
Amazing experience
- Recommended for
- The upper deck, the amazing places, the peace in the ocean
- 10 Exceptional
- Peter W
![Australia]()
Australia
A great dive trip in the beautiful northern Makdives
Great! The Amba is currently the only dive boat operating in the Northern Maldives so the dive sites were not crowded with boats and divers. Sleeping out of the roof deck was wonderful! Great cabins too! Excellent food!
- Recommended for
- The diving, the diving, the diving.... Everything was great but the diving is the most important
- 8.0 Very good
- christian H
![Switzerland]()
Switzerland
Enjoy diving far away from crowded spots
christmas Rock diving spot
- Recommended for
- Food onboard, diving spots, service
- 9.2 Superb
- Johan B
![South Africa]()
South Africa
The week on the Amba was the best diving I have done yet!!!
The crew was really good, especially the kitchen staff. They kept us well fed and didn't just serve the "normal" dive boat fare. We did 18 dives and each one was different from the next, ensuring that we experienced all that the North Maldives has to offer in one short week. Some advice - as the currents can be quite strong, remember to bring a reef hook along, although the boat and also provide.
- Recommended for
- Crew and guides / underwater life diversity / Food
- 8.0 Very good
- Pascal F
![France]()
France
a simple live aboard
quite trip well organized nice dive guide
- Recommended for
- Lot of room, friendly, quite
- 8.4 Very good
- John F
![United Kingdom]()
United Kingdom
Great diving in great company
The blue and yellow soft coral and the guitar sharks
- Recommended for
- The company, the diving and the crew
- 9.2 Superb
- jorge H
![Spain]()
Spain
Very good valeu for money
Excellent diving with guides like Alex, Dane and Zeezal nothing can go wrong. Very profesional. Nice. With lots of patience and empathy. The dives we did were always excellent and very well planed even when it was not their normal route. Great time with great people.
- Recommended for
- The crew, the diving and the group we got.
- 8.0 Very good
- YUEN FAI DICK W
![United Kingdom]()
United Kingdom
very often the only boat in the neighborhood
guitar shark, leopard shark, manta, octopus walking around
- Recommended for
- unique north itinerary, spacious room, sunrise/sunset
- 9.6 Exceptional
- STEFANO C
![Italy]()
Italy
Fantastic
Tutto molto bello, grazie
- Recommended for
- Posti bellissimi - Mante - Non troppa gente
- 9.6 Exceptional
- Arndt P
![Germany]()
Germany
super diving adventure in the north of the maledives
baby manta, baby silvertip, baby eagle ray, giant nurse shark
- Recommended for
- fishlife food and people
- 9.6 Exceptional
- Arndt P
![Germany]()
Germany
beautiful trip with perfect dives
many many sharks, rays and other stuff
- Recommended for
- fishlife food and weather
- 8.0 Very good
- Anne M
![France]()
France
Friendly crew and uncrowded dives
We had a good itinerary starting from Male and going to the northern atolls of the Maldives. The trip focused on manta cleaning stations and we were lucky to see them. We dove one channel (kandu) with an incoming current which had a great fish life. The maldivian guide Shaheel is very experienced and very friendly, he knows all the dive sites inside out. The couple managing the boat is super friendly and makes a great addition to a very nice boat. The Northen atolls may not have recovered yet from the bleaching episodes of the last few years but it is getting better in some parts. No doubt this uncrowded part of the Maldives will flourish again soon with vibrant colours. The fish life is overall good. Kuredu has an amazing dive site with dozens of huge turtles. Some channels attract lots of sharks. Always good to dive in the Maldives ! The boat crew and dhoni crew are all great and the whole operation runs very smoothly.
- Recommended for
- Manta cleaning stations; dive guides and crew; food
- 10 Exceptional
- Ivo J
![Czech Republic]()
Czech Republic
A great experience
The crew know what they're doing and how to give their guests the best possible trip. Heaps of manta, sting and eagle rays, nurse sharks and heaps of reef shark , was pity no guitar shark and whale shark.It was fun to dive in strong currents. Lucky we had reefhooks with us. Can’t say anything negative about this trip. It was amazing!!!!!
- Recommended for
- guides, chefs, dive boat crew
- 6.8 Review score
- Cara W
![New Zealand]()
New Zealand
Bad luck with weather, boat breaking and everyone speaking German apart from me
- good dives
- Recommended for
- - good dive guides, good staff and food
- 10 Exceptional
- Connor W
![Canada]()
Canada
The crew, the guides, the boat, the food, everything was amazing! 10/10
Diving and all the laughs and good times onboard.
- Recommended for
- The entire trip was perfect!
- 8.8 Fabulous
- Vladimir K
![Russia]()
Russia
Excellent !
Attention and Care !!!!!
- Recommended for
- Crew, Friendiness
- 8.4 Very good
- Miklos H
![Hungary]()
Hungary
Good value for money
The dives on North Ari atoll
- Recommended for
- Awesome diving, professional but laidback atmosphere, customer centric attitude
- 7.2 Good
- Jörg S
![Germany]()
Germany
Boat is ok, crew very friendly.
Swimming with nurse sharks; manta ray very close an other sharks also.
- Recommended for
- Manta ray, a lot of sharks.
- 8.4 Very good
- Thomas B
![Germany]()
Germany
Great atmosphere on the boat despite what happened
Khudarah Thila, Mayaa Thila, huge schools of fish
- Recommended for
- Good diving, nice people,
- 10 Exceptional
- Markus B
![Germany]()
Germany
Great Trip
Mantas!
- Recommended for
- The crew, the diving and the ship
- 9.2 Superb
- Arkadiusz D
![Poland]()
Poland
Good diving for decent price.
We had mantas at night diving and at some cleaning stations (10 at the same time at the peak moment) unfortunately no whale shark. Last dive of this trip, which happened only because the previous day diving was postponed due to bad weather, was the best dive of this safari with very strong current and plenty of sharks.
- Recommended for
- Cabin, food, crew
- 8.8 Fabulous
- Roald V
![Netherlands]()
Netherlands
Nice to be able to go on vacation.
From what I hoped to see whilst diving it didn't completly life up to what I had hoped. But thats nature. The crew and the boat was good and nice and friendly, and some really stood out whilst others could be more friendly. I was happy that there were a few not German speakers on a German boat, otherwise it would have been a pain. I would recommend this boat.
- Recommended for
- Some of the crew, some dives and the room I had
- 9.2 Superb
- Yannick B
![France]()
France
Amba is more than value for money
We dove into some of the tops dive sites in the world. Crew, dive guides and management were friendly and reactive during these 10 days. Just wished the vegetarian option meant more than sides, veggies and eggs but I’m used to it now on liveaboards.
- Recommended for
- Marine life, crew and dive guides friendliness, organization
