Emperor Leo, Maldives

Name: Best of Maldives (Male - Male)
Start: 2027-01-23
End: 2027-01-30
Location: Maldives

9.1 Superb

Nitrox available
Free Nitrox
Jacuzzi / Hot Tub
En-Suite bathrooms
Aircon Cabins
Non-Diver (Snorkeler) Friendly
Warm Water Showers

from $ 326 / day Check dates

“I already did a lot of liveaboards but this one was the best when it comes to service! ”
Steve M, Belgium

Highlights

All port, fuel, and park fees are included
Modern layout with double or twin cabins
Itineraries include The Best of the Maldives, South Central Atolls, and Deep South & Southern Sharks

The Emperor Leo liveaboard offers good value liveaboard diving year-round in the Maldives. She caters to 24 guests in 12 en-suite, air-conditioned cabins. There are eight double or twin cabins on the lower deck, three double or twin cabins on the upper deck, and one large executive suite. On the main deck is the large indoor salon with an entertainment area, bar, and dining room, which leads out to the front deck where the hot tub is. On the upper deck is an outdoor terrace to enjoy a cocktail and watch the sunset, and the upper deck has comfortable loungers for sunbathing in between dives.

The Emperor Leo dive itineraries explore some of the best dive sites in the Maldives. The ever-popular ‘Best of Maldives’ itinerary goes to the iconic sites of North Male, South Male, and Ari Atoll, where divers can enjoy channels, drifts, pinnacles, and the chance to meet mantas, whale sharks, and a wide variety of marine life. Diving takes place from the diving dhoni, giving ample room for getting ready and gear storage. Nitrox is free for certified divers.

Trips aboard Emperor liveaboards include all port and park fees, free Nitrox, and even complimentary wine, while you will never be charged extra for itinerary or fuel surcharges. What you see is what you pay.

Book online today to dive into the Maldives aboard Emperor Leo.

Choose your departure date

Date

Itinerary

Price

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14 Nov

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 3,000

Select Cabin available

21 Nov

8 Days / 7 Nights

Male Shared Cabin. Last space for men only.

$ 3,000

Select Cabin only 1 space left

28 Nov

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 3,000

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05 Dec

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 3,000

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12 Dec

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 3,000

FULL

19 Dec

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 3,111

Select Cabin available

26 Dec

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 3,111

Select Cabin available

02 Jan

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 3,111

Select Cabin available

09 Jan

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 3,167

Select Cabin available

16 Jan

8 Days / 7 Nights

Male Shared Cabin. Last space for men only.

$ 3,167

Select Cabin only 1 space left

23 Jan

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 3,167

Select Cabin available

30 Jan

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 3,167

Select Cabin available

Included: VAT, Environment Tax, Port Fees, Airport Transfer, Drinking Water, Tea & Coffee, Wine with Dinner, Beach BBQ, Full-Board Meal Plan (All meals), Snacks, Diving Package, Nitrox, Land Excursions, Snorkel Gear, Cabin Towels, Deck Towels.

Optional Extras: Gratuities ($150), Alcoholic Beverages ($5), Soft drinks ($3), Nitrox Course ($284), Rental Gear, Scuba Diving Courses ($101-466), WiFi internet ($31).

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

Jacuzzi / Hot Tub
En-Suite bathrooms
Aircon Cabins
Non-Diver (Snorkeler) Friendly
Warm Water Showers
Air Conditioned saloon
Camera Station
Paid Internet
Charging stations
Indoor Saloon
Library
Audio & video entertainment
Available for Charter
Daily housekeeping

Food & Drinks

Free Wine w/Dinner
Beer available
Wine Available
Full-board Option
Fine Wines Selection
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

Nitrox available
Free Nitrox
DIN Adaptors
Rebreather Support
Tenders for diving

Languages Spoken

The crew speaks English, French, and Spanish.

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: 2009

Year renovated: 2012

Length: 35m

Beam: 9.4m

Top speed: 12 knots

Cruising speed: 10 knots

Engines: 500 HP Mitsubishi

Max guests: 24

Number of cabins: 12

Number of bathrooms: 12

Tenders: Large diving dhoni fully equipped with compressors tanks & oxygen kits

Freshwater maker: 12000 liters per day

Boat navigation and safety

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

Emperor Leo Reviews

9.1 Superb

Vessel

8.7
Crew

8.9
Food

9.7
Diving

9.3
Value

8.9

10 Exceptional
Sean Percival Y
Spain

Amazing first liveaboard experience
It’s been an amazing week onboard the Emperor Leo. The crew were absolutely amazing and so were the dive guides. The boat itself is huge and very spacious. Would love to repeat this trip in the future!
Recommended for
Crew friendliness and service. Boat and cabin comfort. Food onboard.
15 Jul, 2026

10 Exceptional
Melody W
Singapore

Magical dive trip in Maldives!
Manta rays that come close to the surface at the back of the boat to play, sharks everywhere and great boat!
Recommended for
The food, the people and the amazingly attentive dive crew
25 Oct, 2018

10 Exceptional
Lucas M
Germany

The crew and the dive team were very professional and the diving was beautiful.
The highlight was having lights on the back of the boat and the mantas came to feed on the plankton. As soon as there were mantas, we jumped in the water and had an amazing dive.
Recommended for
Crew from the boat, channel diving, mantas behind the boat.
05 Aug, 2022

9.6 Exceptional
Nico W
Germany

Great experience
The liveaboard was amazing. The only thing was that we expected a bit more dives as liveaboard.com stated around 20-21 dives and we had 17. But the boat the crew the guides everything was super professional, kind and the food was amazing
Recommended for
Dive sites. Crew and guides. The group of guests.
19 Feb, 2025

10 Exceptional
Ana F
Mexico

Fantastic
The manager was fantastic, the entire screw made us feel super welcome, swimming with the whale shark was magical and the mantas were majestic! Absolutely fantastic food and the party with Maldivian music in the island was one of the best experiences. We are already planning the next one with emperor Leo again
Recommended for
The staff was brilliant, the dives were magical and the food was gorgeous
20 Jun, 2023

8.8 Fabulous
Mikkel S
Denmark

End of Season Maldives Trip
Very large boat, lots of space onboard. Friendly crew and good setup for diving (gear handling and so forth)
Recommended for
Friendly Crew. Space onboard. Diving.
23 Jul, 2026

10 Exceptional
James E
United States

Amazing
The week was an amazing adventure with awesome guides and other adventurers on the trip.
Recommended for
Great guides. Great food. Great diving spots.
09 Jun, 2025

10 Exceptional
Anuniti Anil A
India

One of the best diving experiences
We had an amazing one week with Emperor Leo. The dive guides were fantastic, the crew was friendly and the cabins were comfortable- making the whole experience memorable. We saw everything from mantas, eagle rays, dolphins, whale shark, a variety of reef sharks, etc.
Recommended for
Crew, Great diving, Food
20 Jun, 2023

9.2 Superb
Sandy N
Singapore

Possibly the best liveaboard I ever did
Diving with nurse sharks at the jetty, dive site Maaya Thila, and watching manta feed at Maaya Lagoon. Dive briefings conducted by dive manager Jules were particularly enjoyable.
Recommended for
1. Dive guide: always ensuring our safety underwater. 2. Dive sites: good variety of big and small stuff, and schools of fish. 3. Dive boat and crew: clean, good sized cabins, nice food
29 Jun, 2024

10 Exceptional
Maxim Y
Bulgaria

Great!
Great, and Tina and Oli are really comitted..
Recommended for
The whale sharks, the mantas and other sharks
27 Oct, 2015

156 reviews

9.1 Superb
156 Verified Reviews

Sort reviews by:

8.8 Fabulous
Dale W
Canada

Everything we expected it to be.
The diving was very good; especially the first shark dive, the first manta dive and the sunset dive. The beach BBQ was nice - unfortunately we were rained out half way through dinner, but it was still fun and a nice break from the boat. It was a very relaxed atmosphere on the boat which was just what we were looking for this trip.
Recommended for
1. Easy to get to from Bangkok (direct flight) 2. Location (what's not to like about the Maldives?) 3. A well organized itinerary and a very good crew that were available to attend to our every request.
03 Apr, 2019

9.6 Exceptional
Stacy T
United States

Great diving
Everything!
Recommended for
Friendly/helpful crew, delish food, great dive sites
22 May, 2022

10 Exceptional
Andrea K
Germany

Unbelievably great trip
All around perfect week with lots of great dives, delicious food, beautiful sunsets on the beach. Crew was very accommodating.
Recommended for
Swimming with nurse sharks, dives, very tasty food
28 Jun, 2024

Translated from German

9.6 Exceptional
Ayush W
Australia

Great Live Aboard Diving Experience
I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and variety of food that was offered each meal. The Boat and Diving staff are just absolutely amazing. Great diving and dive spots, amazing shark encounters. Great experience for new/mid level divers with the infamous Maldivian currents.
Recommended for
People, Food, Diving & Sea Life
03 Jan, 2022

9.2 Superb
Karoline W
Austria

Great liveaboard, anytime again
Dive guides great, whole crew super friendly, food sensational, rooms simple but clean, bathroom rather in need of renovation
Recommended for
Great reefs, manta rays, reef sharks, whale sharks,
22 Apr, 2023

9.2 Superb
Grace C
United States

Excellently organized and fun liveaboard
Great crew and surprisingly delicious and varied food (though some of it tended to run out...not sure if that was the boat's fault or some of the guests on board...). Overall great experience, saw mind-blowing dive sites and safety was very important to the boat manager and guides. Would definitely recommend this liveaboard to others.
Recommended for
Dive sites, food, comfort
02 Apr, 2021

8.0 Very good
Jörn P
Germany

We had amazing dives with everything you could wish for and the crew took care of everything on board so that we had a holiday that we will certainly not forget.
To the dives you can only say: sharks, sharks, sharks, manta rays, whale sharks, turtles etc. what more could you want. Drift diving to a simple relaxation dive. The small groups in the water due to the high number of guides - really great. Thank youThanks to the rest of the crew - rarely had such great people. Nobody had to starve, the food was of very good quality and there was something for everyone. What they have come up with here, e.g. for New Year's Eve, the captain's dinner, the barbecue on the beach. Here there was one highlight after the other - similar to underwater. We will definitely be back!!!!!
Recommended for
1. The crew - everyone was more than nice and made us have a dream vacation - from the service, cook to the captain. 2. Rarely had such good food incl. shortlist for the breakfast eggs. 3. The dives were a dream, not only that a total of 4 guides were available, no we had all the big fish that was possible.
14 Jan, 2020

8.0 Very good
Bettina M
Germany

Expectations met
Met our expectations exactly. Highly recommended, especially for beginners.
Recommended for
Support for beginners, Flexible adaptation to weather conditions, Good organization
01 Jul, 2024

9.6 Exceptional
Jeff C
United States

One of, if not the best, dive trips I've taken.
I arrived at the Male airport around 730 AM and waited for the ride to the Leo, as expected. There was a short boat ride to the Leo from the airport. During the trip to the Leo, we were instructed to remove our SCUBA equipment from our luggage and set it up. Upon arrival to the Leo, we were given liquid refreshments along with a short briefing followed by paperwork / documentation verification and cabin assignments. Every evening we were provided times for the next morning's wake-up call, briefing, and departure times to start the dive. Along with this, the information was provided in writing on a white board in the galley/common room. The process and procedures for the briefings and times are well coordinated and thought out. The dive site briefings were as thorough as could be and included options based on water current conditions and directions. The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. They did a very good job at watching the divers and making sure everyone had the best experience possible, to include matching divers based on air consumption rates and certification levels. The boat crew was phenomenal to say the least. They have the process down to a science and never missed a beat. The meals were delicious and well prepared. The boat, including our cabins, was kept clean. Any maintenance issues that popped up were handled immediately. Now for the actual diving. I was not expecting the currents in Maldives and it took some getting used to. Also, I had some weight issues, as the salinity in the Maldives is a lot less than any place I had previously been. Once I got lined out, I was good to go. For most of the dives, visibility was pretty good, 10 to 20 meters on the low side. Pelagics on every dive, with loads of reef and nurse sharks, several whale sharks and manta rays. One of the best dives of my life was at a site called Fish Head. It's a dive with nurse sharks. There were 20 to 25 of them on one dive and they acted like a cross between dolphins and puppies. The closest thing I can say as a negative is there could have been a couple of additional dives. There was only one night dive during the week. Safety is always a top priority. Reminders about No Deco limits are given before every dive. Most of the dives are between 20 and 30 meters. Everyone dives on nitrox and is required to have reef hooks and dive computers. Divers sign or initial a nitrox log before the dive and provides dive depth, time, and pressure remaining at the end of the dive as a means of accountability. So all divers are logged in and out of the water. I have been in the Caribbean, Persian Gulf, Mediterranean and Red Seas. This trip is one of the best experiences I have had in over 300 dives. It is well worth going and I look forward to going again.
Recommended for
The three best things about the trip were the staff/crew, the accommodations, and the aquatic life.
12 Jun, 2019

9.2 Superb
Christian S
Germany

Highly recommended due to excellent dive crew
We didn’t want to leave this liveaboard because the dive sites and especially the dive guides made this trip very special. The briefings were amazing. Never before did we get such detailed descriptions of the dive sites and so much additional information on the marine life there. We really had a great time. Especially the Manta night dive was an outstanding experience. We can highly recommend staying at Emperor Leo.
Recommended for
Manta Night Dive - Outstanding Diveguides - Really informative and funny briefings
18 Dec, 2023

8.4 Very good
park I
South Korea

Awesome
Before i go, i'd like to see manta and whale shark. I thought if i can see them, my trip is succesful. Finally, i saw everything i want, and the sea life is really fantastic.
Recommended for
Food, sea life, friendly people
03 Jan, 2017

10 Exceptional
Patricia N
Canada

Top notch operation
Whale sharks and manta rays. Hook diving to watch the sharks is always interesting.
Recommended for
loved the roominess on this boat. By having a seperate dive dhoani there is a lot more space on our live aboard. The dives were quite varied which made it interesting. The crew were awesome
27 Feb, 2020

9.2 Superb
Kevin M
Austria

Great experience
Definitely the manta ray night dive
Recommended for
Dive, eat, sleep (and repeat)
26 Jun, 2023

9.6 Exceptional
Anne G
United States

Wonderful experience diving!
The dive masters did a great job at finding us good dive sites and plans for the conditions. Maldives is known for crystal clear water, which isn't what we had, but we were able to get some incredible dives in anyway. The guides did a great job managing a group with varying skills, languages, interests, and attitudes. We saw manta rays, sharks, many turtles, fish, and so much more. An unforgettable trip! The crew made a good effort to make Christmas and New Years special while we were on the boat. Thank you Leo crew!
Recommended for
Great food, guides, and comfortable bed.
24 Jan, 2017

10 Exceptional
Anthony M
United Kingdom

Truly amazing above and below the water
Truly amazing from start to finish. We seen 7 species of sharks including the infamous whale shark. We had manta cleaning stations, 4 giant mantas on our first dive, donut couldn’t have started any better. The whole trip kept delivering and there is not one thing we would change. The crewe and the guides were fantastic. Food was also amazing and plentiful. I would recommend this trip to everybody. 100% satisfied zone more.. we had been so lucky. Big thank you to Stina our guide must of all, for the incredible guidance. A must do for every diver
Recommended for
Underwater life, the staff and the people we met
03 Dec, 2017

9.6 Exceptional
Andrew D
Australia

Superb
Absolutely superb trip. A clean,comfortable and well maintained boat. Varied and tasty food. Friendly, obliging and discreet crew. 17 interesting and differing dives including an extraordinary night dive with mantas. Rented scuba gear in flawless condition. Exceeded our expectations. Well done and thank you all.
Recommended for
Dive variety, fish life, dive guide
16 Jul, 2019

10 Exceptional
Dieter S
Austria

Great boat and a fantastic tour
From the beginning to the end of the diving trip you felt comfortable. A lot of information and high safety standards.
Recommended for
Very high quality standard on board. Top crew. Top dive guides.
16 Oct, 2026

10 Exceptional
Robert M
Sweden

openwater
i think we saw everything we could wish for on the dives and the service, food was incredible on the boat. also i was quite rusty in diving not been dived since 2019 but the crews professional helped me so i manage all 17 dives.
Recommended for
whaleshark swim, manta swim, the crew,
07 Jan, 2024

8.8 Fabulous
Sylvia H
Germany

dive-eat-sleep-repeat
It's been an amazing trip... rooms big and comfy, delicious food, friendly and helpful staff, bar and sun deck to relax and chat. All dive masters were friendly and did a great job showing us amazing diving spots. They even managed to arrange spontaneously everything so I could get my advanced open water course. The two night dives with sharks and rays and even mantas were two of my highlights. Having a BBQ at a local island and walk along the beach was a nice break from being on the boat. In the other evenings I also enjoyed sitting in the bar area to chat to everyone or lying on the sun deck to watch the stars.
Recommended for
great group, friendly and helpful staff, amazing food
04 Dec, 2018

9.2 Superb
Steve M
Belgium

Very nice and helpful crew, delicious meals and amazing dives!
I already did a lot of liveaboards but this one was the best when it comes to service! At the end of the trip they did even take care to clean our diving equipment and hang it out to dry.
Recommended for
Service from staff and instructors. Delicious food. Atmosphere.
12 May, 2025