I want to thank every single person of the crew of the Ark Royal for an unforgettable experience during our trip – the dives – the dining – the service- every moment was totally unforgettable due to each person being so friendly and hospitable – it makes for a total experience beyond description in terms of friendliness beyond the norm – I was very, very priviledged to experience this top class service- every moment by everyone – the Dhoni staff, the kitchen, the hospitality on board every moment – oooh what an unforgettable experience. Thanking you as a great team! Regards and hoping to see each and every one of you soon again! Marna

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With an increase of 99.74% Maldives is ranked as no.3 amongst the 28 finalists of New 7 Wonders of Nature. The ranking for this week is based on according to the number of votes received in the past four weeks from outside the country as well as local nationals.

The Official New7Wonders of Nature is a worldwide campaign, and finalists have to achieve a minimum of 90% of international votes and 10% locally.

Last April Maldives was ranked as no.4. The reason for Maldives climbing to the 3rd position is the support that MTPB has got from the private sector together with the effort of MTPB in promoting the New 7 Wonders of Nature voting activities in the Maldives stands in all the tourism and travel fairs participated abroad.

In order to motivate voting a raffles draw was held during the end of each fair at the stand and the winner was awarded a free 1 week holiday in a Maldivian resort. MTPB would like to take this opportunity to thank all the resorts that sponsored the raffle draw and hope for the continued support in the future activities as well.

Inorder to initiate voting in the resorts and to create awareness amongst the guests, a seminar with the resort managers were held in January. All the participants were given a trailer DVD of the “New 7 Wonders of Nature” along with 3 different sizes of the flyers that was used by the MTPB in the fairs and in other public events. The trailer DVD is ideal for broadcasting in the resort in house TV. This was also sent to all the resorts by email for them to use in the activities carried out to promote New 7 Wonders of Nature.

For additional information regarding the “New 7 Wonders of Nature” and to vote for Maldives please visit www.new7wonders.com

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Maldives

With an increase of 99.32% Maldives is ranked as no.4 amongst the 28 finalists of New 7 Wonders of Nature. The ranking for this week is based on according to the number of votes received in the past four weeks from outside the country as well as local nationals.

The Official New7Wonders of Nature is a worldwide campaign, and finalists have to achieve a minimum of 90% of international votes and 10% locally.

The reason for Maldives climbing to the 4th position is the support that MTPB has got from the private sector together with the effort of MTPB in promoting the New 7 Wonders of Nature voting activities in the Maldives stands in all the tourism and travel fairs participated abroad.

In order to motivate voting a raffles draw was held during the end of each fair at the stand and the winner was awarded a free 1 week holiday in a Maldivian resort. MTPB would like to take this opportunity to thank all the resorts that sponsored the raffle draw and hope for the continued support in the future activities as well.

Inorder to initiate voting in the resorts and to create awareness amongst the guests, a seminar with the resort managers were held in January. All the participants were given a trailer DVD of the “New 7 Wonders of Nature” along with 3 different sizes of the flyers that was used by the MTPB in the fairs and in other public events. The trailer DVD is ideal for broadcasting in the resort in house TV. This was also sent to all the resorts by email for them to use in the activities carried out to promote New 7 Wonders of Nature.

For additional information regarding the “New 7 Wonders of Nature” and to vote for Maldives please visit http://www.new7wonders.com/

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Maldives – A diver’s paradise. The crystal clear water surrounding Maldives offers very good visibility, making Maldives one of the top diving destinations in the world. The presence of rare species as well as commonly found marine life are another major reason for the popularity of Maldives as a diving destination. You may come across numerous recognized diving sites in Maldives but Reef Dives, Kandus, Thilas and Wrecks are the most important among all.

Reef Dives
The wide edges of a reef are among the most fascinating parts of a reef to dive in. The more adventurous divers prefer to dive down to the interesting terraces on the outer reef slopes where the atolls meet the open sea. Inner reef slopes, located in the sheltered waters inside an atoll, are generally easier dives. These dives feature coral formations and numerous smaller reef fish.

Kandu
For drift dives, the best place to opt for is the Kandu Channel. A Kandu channel lies between the islands or reefs on the outer edge of an atoll. The water inside an atoll is a breeding ground for plankton, and this water flows out through a Kandu Channel into the open sea. Sea animals like Manta Rays and Whale Sharks, attracted by the rich supply of plankton can be easily viewed during the dives here. Being the breeding ground for plankton, the water inside the atoll attracts various sea animals like manta rays.

Thilas
A thila is a coral formation – more like an underwater mountain which rises steeply from the atoll floor. What makes a thila a good diving spot is the richness in fishes and hard coral. Reef fish and hard coral can be found flourishing at the top of a thilla. Even the steep sides of a thilla abound with fish. The many crevices, caves and overhangs provide shelter to small fishes. Larger fishes visit the place to feed on these small fishes.

Wrecks
While many ships have floundered on Maldivian reefs, there are a few accessible wrecks of historical interest. These require permission from the government to dive. These wrecks are located mostly outside the atolls. These wrecks make up interesting diving sites mainly due to the presence of corals and other marine life which populate the wrecks

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Manta Point

The Maldives has been awarded as the “Best Diving Area” and “Best Dreaming Area” in the Dive & Travel Awards 2010 held during the Marine Diving Fair, Tokyo, Japan from 02 – 04th April 2010. The voting was carried out amongst the readers of the both magazines targeted to the divers; “Travel Diver” and “Marine Diving” , based on the “Reader’s Choice Award”

Maldives won the “Best Diving Area” after competing with the world famous dive favourites Palau and Ishigaakee Island. The competitors for the “Best Dreaming Area” include Palau and French Polynesia.

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Now with the new dohni (seperate boat that carries all of the dive equipment, tanks, compressors), there is plenty of room for 18 divers to not feel crowed. And when they are filling the tanks, you do not have to listen to them all night…you get a nice, peaceful relaxing sleep. It will rejuvinate you for the next day of diving or relaxing!

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I was on this new Luxury Dive Yacht and Spa in Oct, 2010 and it has been the nicest liveaboards I have been on.  I have traveled around the world to many dive locations and with this Dive Yacht and the beautiful diving, great crew, it was fantastic! The suite is incredible, bigger than some hotel rooms I have been in! The crew made me feel like royalty.  The ship can accomodate 18 passengers and has 12 crew members to pamper you.  The Sri Lankan chefs are very good and will be happy to share with you their cooking secrets.

All rooms have their own A/C, flat screen TV, small refridgerators, ensuite bathrooms and nice and roomy.  Besides the suite with it’s king sized bed, the other rooms either have 2 twins or 1 queen bed.  The topside deck is open for anyone who wants to catch some sun, or you can go to the bow and choose between 2 decks or the back of the ships 2 deck.  Plus the large lounge offers a fully stocked bar, dining area and large u shaped couches to relax.  Lots of room to relax and enjoy yourself and the beauty of the Maldives.  And don’t miss the spa…they have a massuse on board to give you those nice, relaxing massages!

Now with the new dohni (seperate boat that carries all of the dive equipment, tanks, compressors), there is plenty of room for 18 divers to not feel crowed.  And when they are filling the tanks, you do not have to listen to them all night…you get a nice, peaceful relaxing sleep.  It will rejuvinate you for the next day of diving or relaxing!

After 25 years of diving, I finally saw my first whale shark!  It was amazing and really exciting.  We had mantas on most dives, along with lots of sharks, eels, turtles, huge schools of fish and beautiful soft corals!  Truly amazing!

There are openings for the sailing April 16-25 for a great rate of $2691 per person! Or you can join on the Aug 1-11 trip for $2990 per person…incredible rates for a Luxury Dive Yacht!  Get them now while there is space!

You can contact me for reservations at Ken@LiveWellVentures.com I will be happy to assists you or answer any questions.

Ken

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Soft corals

The reefs of Maldives are among the nature’s underwater wonders where reef fishes to thrive in astonishing abundance, in density unrivalled anywhere in the world. Without the threat of spearguns, dynamite, cyanide, reef fishes swim blithesomely among divers and snorkellers. Making pictures underwater in the Maldives is akin to shooting in the world’s largest aquarium teeming with fish life; many species are predictably found in enormous numbers. Not only is the profusion of fish life amazing, but also the predictability of seeing the same fishes at the same site within soft corals in colours of rainbow is the trademark of underwater Maldives. The Maldives is the fishpond of the Indian Ocean.

Fish Pond of the Indian Ocean Expeditions is focus to explore the signature sites of Ari, North and South Male, and Faafu atolls. Publisher director, Michael AW, author of two books and two broadcast documentaries about the Maldives have specially designed the itineraries of these tours to show you the underwater finest of the nation of atolls. Scientists and Photopros on board these tours are Dr Cabell Davis from the Wood Hole Institute, Ocean Geographic photographers in Residence Mathieu Meur, Amanda Cotton and Mikael Jigmo.  The scientist and photopro will share with you photographic and Photoshop tips that will take your photography to the next level. There will also be natural history lectures about ecology and conservation of coral reefs.

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Ark Royal is a 115-feet luxury cruiser traversing the crystalline waters of the Maldives. The cruiser accommodates 7 Deluxe Cabins, 1 Junior Suite, and 1 Suite. The living quarters are complemented by a restaurant able to offer you indoor dining, a fully-stocked drinks bar, a tastefully-decorated lounge, and an extensive library, including video and music collections, should you wish to recline and lose yourself in a book or more.

All living quarters are equipped with the latest technologies offering you the amenities of a TV, DVD and CD player, a private bar, an electronic safe and telephones. Remain in touch with the rest of the world with our on-board Wi-Fi system.

The spacious sundeck is perfect for watching the sun go down, with drink in hand, thanks to the outdoor bar service. When the sun does go down, and the stars come out, what better than to gaze upon their beauty with our telescope on deck. Don’t forget, however, to engage our on-board Steam Bath and masseuse, for some relaxing therapy from time to time.

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