Amba Liveaboard, Maldives

Name: Best of Central South Maldives: Ari - Vaavu - Meemu - Male Atolls (Male - Male)
Start: 2027-01-05
End: 2027-01-16
Location: Maldives

9.0 Superb

Free Nitrox
En-Suite bathrooms
Family Cabins
Aircon Cabins
Non-Diver (Snorkeler) Friendly
Warm Water Showers

from $ 229 / day Check dates

“This was my first live aboard experience and I couldn't have wished for a better one. ”
Sina S, Germany

Highlights

BAUER PureAir certified filling system
Nitrox fillings included
Enos diver location beacon onboard
Paradroque Safety Equipment

The AMBA is a 31-meter-long liveaboard that accommodates 20 guests in 10 cabins, each featuring a private bathroom and adjustable air conditioning. The German owner personally manages the vessel. The clientele is international, comprising English and German-speaking individuals. The ship offers 11-day, 10-night tours to the Ari, Vaavu, and Malé Atolls, featuring well-selected dive sites.

The AMBA specializes in two-week tours for divers with medium to advanced experience. The tours require a minimum of 30 logged dives and some experience with currents. Communal areas onboard the Amba include the main saloon and dining room, where three freshly prepared meals are served daily, along with afternoon snacks, cakes, drinking water, tea, juice, and coffee. The German and Maldivian chefs bake fresh bread daily in the morning for breakfast lovers, alongside a vast variety of international delicacies from Asia, complemented by global cuisine. Since the Owner is a chef himself, food is one of the top priorities, besides safety and stunning dives. The outdoor lounge on the upper deck is perfect for relaxing between dives, and the partially covered sun deck is furnished with sun loungers.

The AMBA navigates through all atolls of the Maldives, including the Deep South, Central Maldives, and northern Atolls, offering dive sites carefully selected to avoid crowded areas. The Amba stands out for its BAUER PureAir filling system, free Nitrox for every dive, and an extended, modern safety concept that ensures the highest safety standards. The 16-meter dive dhoni provides efficient dive operations featuring a freshwater shower and a western toilet, and smaller speedboats offer easy access to nearby islands. The experienced multilingual crew ensures all guests have a smooth and personalized diving and holiday experience.

Book your liveaboard trip aboard the AMBA today.

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Date

Itinerary

Price

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05 Sep

12 Days / 11 Nights

$ 3,004

FULL

18 Sep

12 Days / 11 Nights

$ 3,004

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01 Oct

12 Days / 11 Nights

$ 3,004

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14 Oct

12 Days / 11 Nights

$ 3,004

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27 Oct

12 Days / 11 Nights

$ 3,004

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09 Nov

12 Days / 11 Nights

$ 3,381

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22 Nov

12 Days / 11 Nights

$ 3,381

FULL

05 Dec

12 Days / 11 Nights

$ 3,381

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19 Dec

15 Days / 14 Nights

Christmas trip!

$ 4,303

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05 Jan

12 Days / 11 Nights

$ 3,381

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18 Jan

12 Days / 11 Nights

$ 3,381

Select Cabin only 2 spaces left

31 Jan

12 Days / 11 Nights

$ 3,884

Select Cabin available

Included: VAT, Airport Transfer, Drinking Water, Tea & Coffee, Welcome Cocktails, Full-Board Meal Plan (All meals), Snacks, Diving Package, Night Dives, Nitrox, Land Excursions, Beach Towels, Cabin Towels, Complimentary Toiletries, Deck Towels.

Required Extras: Environment Tax (12 EUR per night), Nitrox Course (220 EUR).

Optional Extras: Gratuities, Alcoholic Beverages, Soft drinks, Rental Gear, Snorkel Gear.

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.

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Boat features

En-Suite bathrooms
Family Cabins
Aircon Cabins
Non-Diver (Snorkeler) Friendly
Warm Water Showers
Air Conditioned saloon
Sun Deck
Camera Station
Rooms with Balcony
Nearly 1:1 Crew-to-Guest Ratio
Seaview Cabins
Naturalist Itineraries
Non-Smoking Rooms
Custom built for diving
Charging stations
Indoor Saloon
Library
Audio & video entertainment
Observation Deck
Fishing
Available for Charter
Local & International Crew
Separate Rinse for u/w Camera
Outside Showers
Leisure Deck
Daily housekeeping
Bar

Food & Drinks

Vegan Options
Vegetarian Options
Beer available
Wine Available
Welcome Cocktails
Snacks All Day
Buffet style
Western Food
Local Food

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

Free Nitrox
Shaded Diving Area
DIN Adaptors
Rinse Hoses
Dive deck
Tenders for diving
Sidemount Diving

Languages Spoken

The crew speaks English, German, and Italian.

Gear Rental

Equipment is available for rent on this boat. Please provide your rental needs on the booking form. If the rental gear is not included in the price, you will need to pay for it on board the boat. Show prices

Drawings & Vessel Layouts

Cabin Types

Boat Specifications

Year built: 2004

Year renovated: Annually

Length: 32 meters

Beam: 10 meters

Top speed: 13 knots

Cruising speed: 8.5 knots

Engines: Heavy Duty Yanmar 370 HP

Max guests: 20

Number of cabins: 10

Number of bathrooms: 10

Tenders: 2

Fuel capacity: 4000 liters

Freshwater maker: 6000 liters per day

Boat navigation and safety

Depth Sounder
GPS
Radio VHF/DSC/SSB
E.P.I.R.B. Distress System
Emergency Rafts
Life Vests
Fire Alarm & Fire Extinguishers
Oxygen
First Aid Kits
Fishfinder
Satellite & mobile phones
Bilge pump alarm
Search light
Engine room CCTV
Crew trained in first aid

Amba Liveaboard Reviews

9.0 Superb

Vessel

8.8
Crew

8.8
Food

9.7
Diving

8.8
Value

8.9

10 Exceptional
Robert L
United States

Amba, one of the best liveabaords in the Maldives!!
This was my first long liveabaord and it was such an amazing time. We were only a group of 10 out of 20 divers so it made for a more intimate and enjoyable experience. It also gave us our own cabins which was an added plus. The crew were amazing, friendly and attentive and the meals were all freshly prepared and bountiful! The dive sites were incrediable and we saw such incredible sea life, but due to weather conditions visibility wasn't great at times and we weren't able to do the night dives, but weather is out of everyone's control hahaha but the dive team did their best to make each dive memorable!!
Recommended for
The Dive Sites. Amazing crew. A small group of divers.
24 May, 2026

10 Exceptional
Jean-Marc T
France

Everything was very well organized. I recommend it without hesitation for beginner or not
From the beginning with the welcome, to the departure, between the dives, the rest times, the meals and the briefings, everything was perfect.All under the supervision of the boss who does not hesitate to get involved or help if necessary.I recommend this boat and crew for any diving course.
Recommended for
food. listening to the entire crew, the dive management and the skipper. organization and dives.
04 Mar, 2026

Translated from French

10 Exceptional
Peter W
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
15 Mar, 2016

10 Exceptional
ANURAG B
India

Best Liveaboard Ever
Really ine of the best Liveaboard there is...delivered everything they have promised...amazing crew...and they dont travel during the night so there is no engine sound at night...so if someone is at the lower deck you wont be affected by the engine sound...the crew kno what they are doing...and the dive masters has the best eye for the smallest of the fish and also for the largest of the fish..thank you Amba for a really azing trip..
Recommended for
Everything was really good...the crew were amazing..they were always there to help us with a smile
04 Aug, 2022

10 Exceptional
Craig D
United Kingdom

Excellent 10 day liveaboard experience on Amba
Itinerary picked as 2-3 rather than 4 dives per day and 10 night option. Guides superb from initial briefing through to maximising sightings potential on each dive. Saw mantas, sharks (white tip, black tip and nurse), turtles, octupus and various rays. Lots of tuna, jacks and large groupers as well as the small reef fish. Crew very helpful on Dhoni and the Amber liveaboard. Excellent food.
Recommended for
Dive itinary. Dive Guides and Crew. The boats (Liveaboard and Dhoni).
21 Jan, 2026

9.6 Exceptional
Michael H
Germany

Gigantic great diving safarai. Always happy to do it again.
I had an unforgettable trip with my son on the Amba. Everything was perfect here. The crew, the food and the diving we were also totally thrilled. A must for every diver. We would love to come back. See you
Recommended for
The fellow travelers. The boss of the boat. The diving areas.
29 Dec, 2025

Translated from German

8.8 Fabulous
Vincent G
France

Bonne experience
Good overall experience, boat and cabin very comfortable.Some dives could be better organized.
Recommended for
Comfort of the boat and the cabin (Upper Deck Cabin). Helpful and friendly crew. The north of the Maldives (fewer tourists).
19 Sep, 2024

Translated from French

10 Exceptional
Heimke M
Germany

Amazing dives with amazing crew
Diving 🐟Great Group 🦈 Mega Crew 🐙We had Hassan, a local dive guide, he was really super professional and really extremely funny and eager for his group, but also always an eye for the whole team.Stefan did a great job of leading the trip and has a mega team behind him.All around a great and highly recommended boat.Say thank you to Juan and Heimke
Recommended for
Amazing dive guide amazing Crew
14 Sep, 2024

Translated from German

8.4 Very good
Silke W
Germany

Still nice boat with good staff and lonesome dive spots
Relaxing week with nice other divers.
Recommended for
Sharks, Mantas, Dolphins
06 Nov, 2015

9.6 Exceptional
Matthias G
Germany

Just beautiful
Lasting positive memory of diving with nurse sharks, as well as sightings of manta rays and reef sharks.
Recommended for
Dive guides. Quality of food. friendliness of the Vrew.
09 Dec, 2025

Translated from German

90 reviews

9.0 Superb
90 Verified Reviews

Sort reviews by:

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.
17 Dec, 2019

9.2 Superb
Yannick B
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
05 Jan, 2022

10 Exceptional
Sina S
Germany

A wonderful liveaboard experience on Amba
This was my first live aboard experience and I couldn't have wished for a better one. From the first moment of booking I felt well taken care of. The crew gave us a warm welcome at the airport and everything was perfectly thought-through and organized. We were greeted on Amba with a refreshing towel and a welcome drink which was a great start. The check-in procedures were stress-free and we could move into our rooms very fast after arriving to relax. The room was exactly as described, very clean and had all the amenities. I especially liked that there was also a fan additionally to the air-con and plenty of space for all my belongings. Everything was in great condition, there was a beautiful sun-deck and a nice chill-out area in the shade, the dining-area / saloon was very comfortable. The food on Amba was really amazing, there were always plenty of options, lots of fruits and vegetables, and catering for guests with special dietary needs as well. My highlight was the freshly caught Wahoo that was served one evening! All the boat crew were super friendly, attentive and professional. Our dives were wonderful, we started with a check dive with Manta Rays, which was amazing and continued with lots of other beautiful dives. The whole dive crew was very professional - Ammo, Joe, Franz and Neo were great, as well as all the other staff on the dive dhoni - they made sure we had superb dives while focusing on safety of all divers as well. Neo was a fantastic guide for my group with a lot of knowledge and experience - especially considering his young age. I learnt a lot from him and really enjoyed my dives with him as a guide. The whole week was really wonderful - from start to end and I would immediately book a trip with Amba again. It's been my first liveaboard but thanks to this great experience definitely not my last!
Recommended for
Diving & Dive Guides. Crew Service & Friendliness. Value for money.
20 Nov, 2024

8.0 Very good
Antoine B
France

We'll be back!
Great trip on amba, the crew were very caring, the food very good and the choice of dive sites great
Recommended for
Knowledge of dive sites. Guide. Food.
25 Apr, 2025

10 Exceptional
Graeme L
New Zealand

A well designed, safe ship and excellent crew and company.
The whole trip was a "highlight!" We felt that the tour was responding to our wishes and seemed to always be on the lookout for a better alternative making subtle changes to achieve this.
Recommended for
Attention to quality food, helpful staff and great diving
23 Jan, 2023

8.0 Very good
Anne M
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
04 Mar, 2020

9.6 Exceptional
Anthony K
Canada

Amazing
Hello beautiful divers is the phrase you wake up to every single morning by Amba Liveaboard, this review is for anyone who's looking for awesome diving and very comfortable (family like) not luxurious Liveaboard. I'm gonna be very specific in my review, here you go: first of all the liveaboard new owner Fabian is one of the most modest, friendly and a very approachable person you could meet with his cruise director Stefan a very punctual and safety first person both of them form a pretty good team. the crew is a family like crew with a beautiful spirit helping every diver guest at their best. Concerning the dive guides: Hassan was one of the most funniest, very helpful and kind dive guide you could ever meet he's a freelancer on Amba but if you get the chance to meet him you'll be well pleased. Bina an SDI instructor well-qualified, very experienced and professional diver who looks out for every single person during the dive. Uwe a divemaster dive guide very reachable, friendly and has good music taste while chilling on the deck, looks out pretty well for his crew while diving. Sebastian a PADI instructor extremally attentive for his group and professional handling anything that could happen very approachable person too. the food is excellent since the cruise director Stefan is a chef you won't have to worry about the food it's always very good. the boat as i previously said is a very family like boat and if you're looking for a nice Diving vacation i would definitely recommend it since the new owner Fabian bought the boat i think Amba would become famous and would succeed a lot with this wonderful team. The diving experience is one of the most beautiful ones you could have. I would definitely be a guest at Amba again.
Recommended for
Diving
01 Jan, 2024

10 Exceptional
Pei Li Y
Singapore

Definitely the best I have been on so far
Love the manta night dive and Alimatha jetty dive. Sebastian is very attentive and helpful. Boat crews are very friendly and helpful. Stephen’s cooking is superb!!
Recommended for
Well organised, clean, well planned
01 Jan, 2024

10 Exceptional
Natasha H
Canada

Awesome experience
A definite highlight was the Manta night dive, the nurse shark dive, and the dive at shark tank.
Recommended for
Diving, food, company
28 Mar, 2024

10 Exceptional
Alexander G
Germany

Fantastic Crew, well organised and superb diving!
I had the pleasure of staying on this dive vessel for a week in Dec/Jan 23/24. From the first moment you stepped on board you got the impression that this boat is well managed. This is due to Stephan, the manager, and his fantastic crew. They were very attentive and always customer oriented. Guests were well looked after. Diving around the Centre Atols was amazing. Jalal with his 30+ years of diving experience lead the dive guide team supported by Amu and Neo which were my dive guides. They were both fantastic and fun to be around with. Everyone on board spoke English. Communication was excellent and the briefing was detailed and very thoroughly. Food: veg and non-veg food was available. With Stephan being a former Chef himself he paid a lot of attention on food quality and taste. Cabins: I was lucky to have had a cabin for myself due to some cancellations. They were functional and cleaned several times during the day. Overall the AMBA is under great management and a very good value for money with focus on everyones wellbeing which probably attracted the right and more experienced divers who value honest diving over luxury. I will definitely book again!
Recommended for
Management, Diving, Food
11 Jan, 2024

9.2 Superb
Nikolaus V
Austria

We will book this boat again
All the dives were beautiful
Recommended for
Nurse sharks, reef sharks, manta rays
08 Mar, 2023

10 Exceptional
Michaela S
Germany

From now on, there is only one liveaboard for me in the Maldives: the Amba!
There is one thing that sets the Amba apart from other safari vessels: the owner (himself an instructor and cook) lives and works on board himself - it makes a huge difference in pretty much everything. Stefan has put together a great team. The atmosphere on board is professional, friendly and familiar. To mention a few points: - Everything, starting with the journey, briefings, security, rental equipment, meals is perfectly organized- the crew is great: friendly, helpful, humorous and well trained- Food is fresh, healthy and varied, curries from our own production, homemade sourdough bread, fresh fish and many vegetarian alternatives - Stefan attaches great importance to the kitchen- a small cooking course for interested parties was spontaneously added between two dives- the cabins are huge, some of them already nicely renovated (and the older ones are still completely ok) and offer a lot of storage space, USB sockets, reading light and a shower with more water pressure than at home...- Great sun/shade deck with plenty of comfortable loungers- Stefan is in constant exchange with the guests and responds to all wishes if possible- the Doni is very spacious (the only disadvantage here is that the compressor is not on the Doni and you have to change the bottle after every dive)- Nitrox always constant at 31% - this saves the eternal switching of the computer- three guides on board, so group size at about 6 people (Thank you Shah - you're great!)- on the last day the Doni was damaged. As a result, a replacement Doni was organized overnight, so that we could still do the last dive!- a great, colorful selection of dive sites / we had some bad luck with the weather this time (wrong or no current, therefore poor visibility and few big fish), but the team did everything to offer us good dives anyway. - on our next Maldives liveaboard we will 100% sail with the Amba again (and I have already been on 4 other ships).- Thanks again Stefan and team, if you are reading this - you are very special!
Recommended for
Perfectly managed ship with a professional and service-oriented crew. spacious cabins with plenty of storage space. delicious, healthy and varied food.
17 Nov, 2025

10 Exceptional
David R
United Kingdom

AMBA April 2024
I don't want to be too positive otherwise this boat will become more popular than it already is. More seriously, this was a superb operation, end to end, starting with collection from the airport at the start to being dropped off at the end. Stefan and his team overcame some significant weather and engine related challenges on this trip and we still completed the full programme with some excellent diving days. I was well impressed with pretty much everything that the staff did for the divers. I can't speak highly enough of Stefan's customer focus and pragmatism. The AMBA is definitely my go to maldives liveaboard. Thank you
Recommended for
The dive sites, the crew, the food
06 May, 2024

8.4 Very good
Bent V
Denmark

Fabulous
"Almost every dive provided absolutely exceptional experiences. It was incredibly cozy to sit on the bottom and have nurse sharks come up to us. The dives with many mantas were deeply fascinating. The last dive, where we got close to bull sharks, tiger sharks, and plenty of stingrays, was an exciting but also somewhat scary experience. The numerous experiences we had bear witness to a crew with immense knowledge and experience in the area, who had both the courage and expertise to take us to these places. Several of the guests on board Amba had previously been to the Maldives but had never seen as many things as we did on this trip."
Recommended for
Great diving. Lots of sharks and Mantas. Great crew and company on board.
01 Mar, 2024

9.2 Superb
Silke K
Germany

Tolle Tauchgänge, viele Haie....es war ein Erlebnis!!!
Amazing dives
Recommended for
Tauchgänge, entspannte Gruppe, grosse Kabine
07 Aug, 2022

10 Exceptional
ying D
China

If you're looking to start your liveaboard trip in the Maldives, Amba is the best choice
It was great to arrange a dive site, especially the last shark dive site, which will be unforgettable for a lifetime
Recommended for
The dive sites selected in the itinerary are very distinctive, so that you will have different surprises every day of diving. However, you must have good diving skills to better enjoy the underwater world. For those who like to dive and have challenges, there are still some streams from several dive sites in this itinerary, which is very interesting. The safety on board is well done, and it is reflected in many small details. Steven will be like a big brother, constantly reminding you of the safety issues you overlooked. The food on board tasted good, after all, Steven was a chef 👨🏻 🍳 before. It's the taste I like anyway. Fresh chili peppers are served at every meal to boost the appetite. The cabins were tidy and well maintained, especially the beds, which were right for the hardness and softness. Can be a good rest.
09 Feb, 2024

Translated from Chinese

6.8 Review score
Cara W
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
21 Apr, 2021

10 Exceptional
Maximilian O
Australia

Amazing Trip
We had an amazing time in Amba. From the first day on board the crew looks after you and everyone on board is super welcoming and friendly. You could really tell that the dive guides knew what they were doing and had great knowledge on the Maldives and the individual dive sites. Overall we absolutely recommend this to anyone who would be visiting Maldives for a dive trip, well be back soon enough ourselves to do it all again. Massive shoutout to Ammu and Neo, they’re the best guides in the business.
Recommended for
Diving. Crew. Food.
12 Oct, 2024

10 Exceptional
marc L
France

Unforgettable stay, I was amazed
I would like to thank all the staff who work on the boat who did a great job, which made it an unforgettable stay.The dive sites were chosen according to the weather so that we could have a memorable time.The cleanliness on the boat is impeccable and the quality of the food is simple but really very good and efficient.I highly recommend a stay on AmbaThank you againMarc letourneur
Recommended for
Great dive site. Very professional Die Master. Safety on board the boat.
28 Apr, 2026

9.6 Exceptional
Ben P
United States

Fun diving with great staff! Goes by too fast
We had a wonderful time on the Amba. While you can't schedule the marine life, we had some great encounters with sharks, a manta, and numerous Maldivian reef fish. The crew was warm, inviting, and helpful. The dive staff was very knowledgeable and attentive before, during, and after the dives. The chef and kitchen staff are wonderful. The worst part of the trip is that it goes by too fast.
Recommended for
Great dives. Fun group. Amazing staff.
21 Jan, 2026