Amba

The tour price includes the following services per person:

• Accommodation in a half-double cabin with shower and toilet
• Full board, instant coffee, water, tea, juice, snacks, and cake in the afternoon
• Check-in on the day of arrival starting at 2:00 p.m.
• Check-out (a light breakfast snack will be served)
  • Option 1 at 6:30 a.m. (arrival at the airport at 7:00 a.m.)
  • Option 2 at 8:30 a.m. (arrival at the airport at 9:00 a.m.)
  • Later check-out options are not available
• Daily room cleaning, towels, and hand soap
• Two to three dives per day, plus one night dive per trip if possible; 11-liter tank, weights, guide, reef hook, and buoy
  • No diving on the day of arrival or departure
• Transfer
  • From Male or Huvadhoo Airport to the Deep South vessel—Male or Huvadhoo Airport to the Deep South (shared transfer; earliest pickup at 12:00 PM, latest pickup at 4:00 PM)
• All port, fuel, and mooring fees included (except Hanifaru Bay fees)
• Free beach BBQs whenever the weather permits
• Free Wi-Fi on board (limited data and speed) with optional upgrades (Starlink and local providers available for payment by credit card)
• Dhoni
• Free nitrox
  • If the nitrox system is unavailable for technical reasons, there is no entitlement to compensation
• ENOS for free
  • If the ENOS system is unavailable for technical reasons, there is no entitlement to a refund

The following services per person are not included in the tour price:

• Surcharge for a luxury suite on the upper deck/standard cabin for single occupancy and an extra bed for a third person
• Surcharge for a double cabin for single occupancy: 65% of the safari price
• Eco tax (tourist tax): 12 USD per day, payable at the time of booking
  • (since the exchange rate in the Maldives from dollars to euros or vice versa is very unfavorable, for the sake of simplicity we charge 12 EUR to those paying in euros)
• Fuel surcharge for northern tours: 100 EUR
• Reef tax for northern tours (Hanifaru Bay): 30 USD – 50 USD per day (fees may vary)
• Tiger Zoo fees: 50 USD per dive (fees may vary)
• 15-liter tanks: 12 USD per dive day (must be pre-registered)
• One-way transfer to/from the airport: 25 EUR per trip
• Domestic flight (one-way): Price upon request
• Nitrox courses (including PADI certification) are also available on board, but must be requested at the time of booking
• Private guide available upon request
  • (This can only be booked in advance for the entire trip and must also be paid for on non-diving days)
• Rental equipment (must be requested at the time of booking)
• Alcohol, freshly brewed coffee or Nespresso, soft drinks, shakes, and ice cream
  • If you bring your own alcohol, we charge a corkage fee of 60 EUR per bottle
• Flight to/from Male
• On board, cash payments are only accepted in undamaged $10, $20, $50, or $100 bills. (Euros can no longer be accepted or will be exchanged at local rates) Credit card payments are accepted for a 4% surcharge
• All extras, stays at the day hotel, Nitrox fills, and rental equipment must be paid for on board!
• Tips (10 USD per night is recommended) and fees can only be paid in cash.
  • If guests do not have cash, we must ask them to withdraw MVR from an ATM (Rufia) and then exchange it for U.S. dollars the day before disembarkation. The exchange rate is unfavorable, and we strongly recommend bringing cash for this purpose.

Cabins:

The AMBA offers comfortable cabins on the lower and upper decks. The lower deck features six spacious standard cabins with twin beds, three of which have convertible double beds. In addition, there is a cabin in the bow with a king-size double bed, which can also be booked as a single cabin.

On the upper deck, there are two exclusive 12 m² luxury suites with a double bed, a single bed, panoramic windows overlooking the Indian Ocean, a private bathroom, air conditioning, a fan, and a private, secluded sun and shade terrace. These can only be booked for two people or as single cabins. There are also three additional double-bed cabins available, which can be booked individually but are smaller and do not have their own terrace.

All cabins feature large showers, individually controlled air conditioning, smoke detectors, and plenty of towels. Amenities include high-quality mattresses (replaced annually), hotel-quality linens, washable mattress protectors, cooling summer duvets, fresh pillows (replaced every 2 months), and a variety of hand and bath towels. Shower gel, shampoo, and conditioner are included. Daily towel changes (cabin & Dhoani), morning room service, and professional cleaning and disinfection of all beds and linens before each tour ensure hygiene and comfort. All bedding and bath linens are cleaned and disinfected by a professional cleaning service before each tour.

Meals:

The AMBA offers plenty of space and serves three freshly prepared international meals daily in the air-conditioned salon. Sweet and savory snacks are available in the afternoon. The experienced kitchen crew, led by a German chef, prepares Western, Asian, Maldivian, and Indian specialties using fresh ingredients. Freshly caught fish is served in a variety of dishes depending on the catch.

Vegetarians and vegans will also find plenty to enjoy: Vegetarian dishes are prepared without animal ingredients, while ensuring a balanced protein intake. Drinking water, tea, instant coffee, fresh milk, vegan milk, and tropical juices are included. Alcoholic beverages, specialty coffees, and soft drinks are available all day at moderate prices. Gluten-free options are available upon request. 

Main Deck Lounge:

The air-conditioned salon (25 °C) seats 20 guests at two large tables and also serves as a briefing room. Each guest has their own compartment with a European-style outlet for storing and charging equipment. Charging batteries in the cabins is not possible and is not permitted. This area offers plenty of space to relax and is also equipped with a TV and CD/DVD player, a shipboard shop, board games, a library, and a bar with a refrigerated counter.

Shaded Deck:

The Shade Deck offers a spacious outdoor area with pleasant shade. Fans, proximity to the kiosk with refreshments, and beach towels provided ensure additional comfort.

Sun Deck:

With numerous individual lounging areas, the sun deck offers plenty of space for all guests. While sun lovers enjoy direct sunlight, comfortable outdoor mattresses and loungers are available in the shaded area.

Diving:

Dives in the Maldives are limited to a maximum depth of 30 meters. Decompression dives are prohibited. Diving during a liveaboard trip is more challenging (e.g., currents) than house reef diving; therefore, each participant must have completed at least 30 dives, Nitrox certification, and a deep dive certification up to 30 m; for the Deep South, a minimum of 200 dives is required. Guests must be able to handle moderate to strong currents, negative and rapid descents, and must be able to use an SMB properly. All dives take place in groups of 6 to 8 guests per dive guide. Guests no longer need to change their tanks on the dhoni. Additional crew members have been hired to handle this task for guests from now on.   

The routes are weather-dependent and may change at short notice!

Important Information:

• Diving accident insurance and evacuation insurance are mandatory

Diving with Nitrox:

To ensure the highest possible safety for guests during their underwater adventures, all dives are offered exclusively with Nitrox.
If you do not hold a certification, you can, of course, take a Nitrox course on board in accordance with PADI, SSI, and RAID guidelines. You do not need to register for the courses in advance. A medical certificate from your primary care physician confirming your full fitness to participate in a diving course must be presented at check-in.

Minimum requirements for participating in diving excursions:

Every diving guest must have at least 30 dives. Advanced/Nitrox certification and a deep-diving certification up to 30 meters are mandatory. The crew is fully aware of the differences among training organizations and will adjust their decisions accordingly (PADI, SSI, CMAS, etc.). Anyone who is not certified at check-in must take a course on board.

In addition to a mask, snorkel, and regulator with an alternative air supply, every diver must carry a cutting tool, a buoy with a reel, a dive light, a signal whistle, and a dive computer (one per diver). Diving on board the AMBA is not permitted without a complete set of equipment. Safety is our top priority, and the AMBA crew makes no exceptions. All equipment must be used on every dive or rented or purchased on board. Replacement or rental equipment is available on board, provided it has been pre-ordered.

-The minimum age to participate in a tour is 14 years old
.-Very experienced divers may dive independently as a buddy team in the vicinity of a dive guide.
-If it has been more than 2 years since your last dive, or if you are unsure of your skills, we ask that you take a refresher course in advance.

Women’s cabins:

Women traveling alone will be accommodated only in same-sex cabins.

Group discount (not available for safaris in February and March):

When booking for eighteen guests, the nineteenth and twentieth persons travel free of charge in the lowest cabin category. Additional fees must be paid in full (environmental tax and gratuities).

German and English are spoken on board!

Important!!!

When departing from your home country, please do not list “Amba” as your registered address; instead, use “Safari Paradive.” The same applies when going through immigration in Male. You will also be asked at the airport in Male which ship you are boarding. Please be sure to provide our official name, Safari Paradive. “Amba” is the marketing name, and you will not be allowed to enter the country using that name.

Terms and Conditions and Online Check-In

Every guest must complete online check-in on the boat owner’s website at least 30 days before the start of the trip. By completing this online check-in, the guest agrees to accept the terms and conditions (found in the appendix to the online check-in form). Feel free to try out the online check-in, and we’ll respond to you just as we do with our guests. In this case, please write “Agent Test” in the first field. Please do not send us any flight details or passport copies via email. All of this is handled automatically during the online check-in.

Dives in the Maldives are limited to a maximum depth of 30 meters. Decompression dives are prohibited.