Amba Liveaboard, Maldives

from US$ 169 / day
8.5 Fabulous
17 Verified Reviews 17 Verified Reviews
Internet Nitrox available

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The Amba yacht is one of the only Maldives liveaboards to be stationed in the northern atolls, away from crowds. Completely renovated in 2016, the Amba liveaboard offers a generous amount of space both indoors and outside. The upper deck has 2 standard cabins and 2 luxury cabins, and 7 more spacious standard cabins are located on the lower deck. The standard cabins are equipped with double and/or single beds, and all cabins feature individually controlled AC, fan and private bathroom with sink, shower and toilet. The luxury cabins are a bit bigger and have fantastic views of the Indian Ocean from its private sun/shade terrace.

In the main salon/dining room, 3 freshly prepared meals per day are served, along with afternoon snacks/cakes, drinking water and tea and coffee. There is also a multimedia area with TV, DVD, Hifi, board games and a library. The shadow 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 deck chairs and large sunbathing lawn.

During the week-long Maldives liveaboard cruise 2-3 dives per day plus 1-night dive are offered, (excluding arrival and departure days). Cruising the far northern area of Haa Alifu and Haa Dhaalu Atoll, and also offering regular special tours to Baa & Raa atoll, 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 accompanies Amba, offering ample space for gear storage, kitting up and fresh towels to use after diving. Nitrox is available for those certified and highly recommended. Rebreather divers are welcome, and sofnolime and oxygen can be provided with prior notice. A detailed briefing in German and English is given before every dive.

Call us or book online today to reserve your space.

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2020

2021

2022

Included: VAT, Fuel Surcharge, Port Fees, Airport Transfer, Drinking Water, Tea & Coffee, Welcome Cocktails, Full-Board Meal Plan (All meals), Snacks, Diving Package, 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 (59-105 EUR per trip), Nitrox Course (150 EUR), Private Dive Guide (30 EUR per activity), Rental Gear, Scuba Diving Courses (245 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

Camera Station
Daily housekeeping
Audio & video entertainment
Library
Aircon Cabins
Sun Deck
Indoor Saloon
Non-Diver (Snorkeler) Friendly
Warm Water Showers
Camera room with table and charging point
Custom built for diving
Charging stations
En-Suite bathrooms
Paid Internet
Non-Smoking Rooms
Outside Showers
Seaview Cabins
Rooms with Balcony
Separate Rinse for u/w Camera
Dedicated Local & International Crew
Leisure Deck
Bar

Food & Drinks

Western Food
Local Food
Vegetarian Options
Buffet style
Beer available
Snacks All Day
Fine Wines Selection
Set Menu Dinner
Fine Cuisine
Welcome Cocktails

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

DIN Adaptors
Nitrox available
Rebreather Support
Rinse Hoses
Dive deck
Tenders for diving
Sidemount Diving
Shaded Diving Area

The crew speaks English, German, and Italian.

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

Standard Lower Deck
Standard Upper Deck
Suite Cabin

Boat Specifications

Year built 2004
Year renovated 2016
Length 33 meters
Beam 10 meters
Cruising speed 12 knots
Engines Volvo Penta 430 PS
Max guests 22
Number of cabins 11
Number of bathrooms 11
Tenders 1 Dhoni
Water capacity 5000 liters
Fuel capacity 3000 liters
Freshwater maker 6000 liters per day

Boat Navigation and Safety

Radar
Depth Sounder
GPS
Radio VHF/DSC/SSB
Emergency Rafts
Life Vests
Fire Alarm & Fire Extinguishers
Oxygen
First Aid Kits
Fishfinder
Satellite & mobile phones
Bilge pump alarm
Search light
Crew trained in first aid

Amba Liveaboard Reviews

8.5 Fabulous
17 Verified Reviews

Vessel
8.6
Crew
8.7
Food
9.2
Diving
7.9
Value
8.4

9.6 Exceptional
STEFANO C
Italy

Fantastic

Tutto molto bello, grazie

Recommended for: Posti bellissimi - Mante - Non troppa gente

8.0 Very good
YUEN FAI DICK W
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

9.2 Superb
jorge H
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.

8.4 Very good
John F
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

8.0 Very good
chee chyuan C
Malaysia

a simple live aboard

quite trip well organized nice dive guide

Recommended for: Lot of room, friendly, quite

8.0 Very good
Gregory F
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.

8.0 Very good
Jessica B
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

9.2 Superb
Johan B
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
Adam W
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
christian H
Switzerland

Enjoy diving far away from crowded spots

christmas Rock diving spot

Recommended for: Food onboard, diving spots, service

8.8 Fabulous
Philip H
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