How was your Explore Tour Leader?

"Bongo was laid back but quietly in charge of smooth operations. Great introduction to the game of spoon which caused great hilarity.

Srilankan Airlines are getting a reputation for lack of quality. The Maldivian's use the UL code as Usually Late or Unable to Locate. The aeroplane seats were very uncomfortable, the lumbar support was in the wrong place and seemed to be triangular in design. Over the course of 11 hour plus flight it was very uncomfortable. The flight was delayed 2 and half hour in London and then a further delay of 7 hours in Srilanka meant I lost a portion of my holiday and was bored rigid for 7 hours in a small airport."

What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?

"Leave the shoes at home, pack less clothes but a higher sun factor and get a waterproof camera."

 

How was your Explore Tour Leader?

Bongo and the rest of the crew were fantastic.  They were professional but also up for a laugh.

 

What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?

"Pack lightly!  

Invest in a good waterproof camera.

Take a t-shirt / rash vest for snorkelling.

Everyday there are 2 organised snorkels and lots of lazing around on the boat.  There aren't many opportunities to snorkel / swim at other times (apart from a few stops near islands).  if you want the freedom to do whatever you want this isn't really the trip for you.  "

 

Do you have anything else to add?

The fact I have been twice now is a testament to how good this trip is.

 

How was your Explore Tour Leader?

Bongo interacted really well with everyone onboard. He freely answered any questions we had and provided commentary before heading off on an activity or visiting an inhabited island. He was always calm and very respectful too.

What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?

The cabins are small so don't bring your whole wardrobe! Bring sunscreen and after sun care. Towels are provided on board. Bring anti-nausea / sea sickness medication as there were some choppy journeys and you may get sick. Take this every day to prevent ruining your holiday. You will live in your swimwear for most of the trip with either a dress/ shorts + top to visit the islands. So bring a sarong/dress (for females) to be respectful to the local community. Don't take shoes - you will live in flip flops for the week. Drinking water is provided on the boat. You have the option of swimming, snorkelling or just staying on board. No one forces you to do any activity you don't want to.  

Do you have anything else to add?

If you want to bring any snacks with you, make sure you do so before you leave the island. Visiting Male is an experience - it is busy compared to the other days you will have on board the boat. You will land at Male airport and will have to board a dinghy to get to the boat. Book this trip - you are better off seeing the natural surroundings than being stuck on a resort for 7 days. You won't regret this trip. And your friends will be envious of you too....

How was your Explore Tour Leader?

Excellent. Bongo looked after us all the way & did a great job managing the different needs of 16 people !

What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?

Most relaxing holiday ever. Snorkelling was incredible & the crew looked after our safety at all times. Food was plentiful & delicious. There was fresh fish everyday. Even if you do not snorkel, you can just sit back & look at beautiful scenery. Cabins are small but very comfortable & even fitted with fans. Boat was very clean & we were waited on 24 hours a day - excellent value for money ! Will definitely be booking again.

Do you have anything else to add?

The exceptional crews of the Gulfaam & Sea Coral, together with our wonderful travelling companions made this an unforgettable holiday. I will be recommending this tour & other Explore holidays to all of my friends.

How was your Explore Tour Leader?

Bongo was a very good tour leader.. because he was extremely relaxed and easy going,nothing really fazed him and he tried to help everyone and engage in conversation with everyone.

What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?

"Be aware that the weather can be very tricky at times, we had  6 rainy/stormy days out of 7!! The high winds made the waves huge so our small boat would sway side to side,quite scary really.

You must enjoy being in a small space and having the exact same routine every single day for 7 straight days.I got bored by day 5 but you live and learn.
Food is amazing,the cook was extra  very skillful.
Take only one pair of flip flops,you won't need much else.
Take a very small bag as you will need floor space with your roommate.
take one long sleeves light top for when it is windy.
take your IPAD/IPOD with your music and or books, you will be happy!
Take one long sleeved top for when it is windy and chilly.
take your books/music with you(IPAD,IPOD),you will enjoy that."

Do you have anything else to add?

"I believe I would have enjoyed it more if the weather had been better,those cloudy and rainy days really got to me as you always associate the Maldives with SUN."

How was your Explore Tour Leader?

Bongo was very good. We were a family of 5, aged between 14 - 51, he made us all feel special and answered all our questions. He is very knowledgeable about his country and culture. We were 16 guests and 8 crew and Bongo on two boats, and all of the crew and Bongo made it the best holiday ever and always with a smile.

What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?

It is a snorkel safari and there are 2 opportunities to snorkel/day. The equipment supplied is very good and expertise helping us finding manta rays, lion fish, sting rays etc was great (we were not experienced snorkelers). The drinking water is free on the boat, there are towels for swimming and showers, no shoes needed on the boat. Very little clothes needed except for when visiting inhabited islands (cover up shoulders and knees if a women). Snacks on the boat are provided as well, fruit, cake, biscuits, tea and coffee etc. You can buy soft drinks, beer, wine and spirits on the boat. Also the $25 exit VISA from the Maldives was paid for us already. So really it is an all inclusive with great service.

Do you have anything else to add?

"If you want to have a taste of what it is like, please see this 3 minute video my sons made of our holiday http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1v8Jr9RwcI
all the footage from our tour - we added 3 days in Male before joining the boat. Which was great, stayed at the Mookai Hotel, no jetlag when we got on the boat, had already got used to the heat, experience the Maldivian Capital. Wish we could go back"

How was your Explore Tour Leader?

He was friendly and relaxed.  He organised the snorkelling and trips to islands/sandbanks.  He was very helpful to those who had trouble with the snorkelling early on.  Some information about Maldivian culture/way of life would have been interesting, especially associated with the island visits.   The boat crew were amazing!

What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?

"Long sleeve top and shorts for snorkelling in.  
No shoes worn on the boat - only for trips to inhabited islands.
Food is great  (& plentiful!) - I am vegetarian and had no problems at all.
Insect repellent needed for trips to islands.
All towels provided."

Do you have anything else to add?

It was a relaxing trip - but the day was nicely broken up with some cruising (and beautiful scenery), snorkels (usually 2 a day) and swims,  and trips to sandbanks/islands (including a beach BBQ and a Bodu Beru drum performance).  Very enjoyable!

How was your Explore Tour Leader?

The unexpected highlight though was the all round wonderfullness of the team: our leader, Bongo, Captain Ralph and crew, Faray, Adam and Thisara. Bongo managed everything with calm efficiency, Ralph not only captained but caught our dinner everyday and provided THE memorable moment when he singlehandedly brought in a massive Blue Marlin and proceeded to fight it to the death as we watched in squealing, goggle-eyed amazement. The crew were just lovely and the food, oh the food... Be warned - i put on half a stone in a week.

What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?

A couple of people got seasick the first couple of days - bring pills for this; ideally you want a long sleeve swimming top & shorts to protect you from the sun when snorkelling; you don't need a torch or towels or a headscarf; you do need something knee length and elbow length and some insect repellent for occasional visits to inhabited islands. Also one pair of sandals/flop flops, which can get wet. You aren't allowed to wear shoes on board so don't waste packing space on more than one pair.

 

How was your Explore Tour Leader?

Not very good.

What tips would you give to someone else booking this tour?

Only book the tour if what you want is complete chill out time.

Do you have anything else to add?

The rating of the accommodation was wrong.  It was not at Level 4, but just about made Level 3.  This was not a problem for us, but it might mislead others.

This truely was a perfect holiday. If you are looking for pure relaxation, white sand, turquoise seas, wonderful food, amazing sea creatures, stunning scenery and 8 days of stress free living this is the holiday for you! I didn't know what to expect as I have never done a boating holiday before but this exceeded all my expectations. Highlights: honestly.... everything! Everytime we thought we had seen the most beautiful islands the next day they were even better. Everytime we asked the guide to show us something he provided it, dolphins, turtles, sharks, mantarays, stingrays and Nemo! Sailing for hours in a deserted ocean not seeing a single soul is something you won't experience very often in life.The food was truely amazing, I have no idea how the chef did it. Advice: pack lightly as cabins are small. If you are travelling solo you will probably have to share a room with a stranger and they are very small. You can sleep on deck though weather permitting. There isn't a lot of time off the boat and no time to go off on your own. I didn't find this a problem and I usually like my own space! A good digital underwater camera is a must. Surprises: seeing the stunning under the sea world, made even better by a guide who could dive down 8m and take stunning pictures for you! Spending the morning in the most iydilic setting with dolphins, turtles and stingrays all around us then spending the afternoon anchored in the ocean on Tsunami alert with the crew making us feel quite safe. It is slightly different to other explore holidays as you can 100% relax and leave the chaos and stresses of everyday life behind for 8 days. I can't recommend this holiday highly enough and I will most definitely be booking again for next easter.

Having returned yesterday from this holiday I just want to write down a few thoughts before returning to reality! I felt that I have just had one of the most incredible holidays. Living on a small boat was such a wonderful and interesting experience - certainly different! There was not much to stop you falling into the sea if you weren't careful. This was such a refreshing change to our cosseted, 'health and safety conscious' unadventurous lifestyle back at home. I loved the frission of excitement when getting into our dingy from the boat to go snorkelling. Were we going to enter gracefully or tumble in with legs akimbo? However, there was no danger - our wonderful crew made sure that we were safe and even took our flippers off for us under water before we clambered back on board. Our crew and tour leader were exemplary. They looked after us with such attention it was impossible to fault them. They even arranged our sheets in the shape of fish or boats each day, serviettes were fashioned into fans, fish and, on our last day, aeroplanes! The highlight of the holiday was, undoubtedly, the AMAZING sea life. We saw enormous pods of dolphins racing our boat, jumping and spinning. Turtles would languidly swim by. The sight of a shark was very exciting even though we were told that they weren't dangerous. Underwater was another world! We all tried to remember the hundreds of different fish we saw with the help of the boat's book and many excited discussions ensued about who saw what! We swam with manta rays and even saw, up close and personal, sting rays! Seeing turtles swimming towards you was a real experience. The candle-lit dinner on a deserted island left us all speech-less. Our crew spent so much time preparing for it and the result was one of the most magical evening of my life. I won't describe any more as I don't want to spoil it for future travellers. This brings me onto the food. The cook on the boat deserves some sort of award. How can someone prepare and deliver the vast array of delicious and copious amounts of food from such a tiny galley?! It was all beautifully presented, imaginative and delectable! Thank goodness we all snorkelled to try to not end up looking like the back end of a bus. Yes, the cabins were a bit snug but what do you expect on a fishing boat? They were exceptionally clean and had fans (thank goodness!). The toilets and combined showers took a bit of getting used to but, hey, they were functional, clean and there were no problems with queuing. There was plenty of room on the boat for those who wanted to sit, sleep, sun-bathe. There were ten of us on the trip and we all got on famously. I went on my own and shared a cabin with a wonderful person  - don't worry about travelling on your own, you end up with lots of great friends! A few tips:  ladies -take a couple of long-sleeved cotton shirts/blouses for going ashore to cover up (Muslim country). Even though we were given a lovely tee-shirt for snorkelling in, it would be a good idea to take a high-necked swimming top and longish lycra-type shorts to cover exposed body in the water when snorkelling. Just say it was a bit uncomfortable to sit down for a day because of burnt parts! Antihistamine cream may be a good idea as one day we came across a few tiny jellyfish which gave us a few minor stings. Don't take too many clothes and shoes - I just wore a swimming cozzie and sarong in bare feet all day. Sun factor 50 is essential. I was pleased I took my travelling neck cushion as it made the deckchairs more comfortable to snooze in. If you are wanting a complete chill-out time with added adventure, what are you waiting for? Book this holiday!

I did the land only trip and stayed one night in Malle before meeting up with the group on Christmas Day. We all bonded from the beginning and enjoyed a week of sailing around the islands in 30 degree sunshine. Highlights included seeing Turtles, Mant Rays and Dolphins along with visits to inhabited and uninhabited islands. The crew went out of there way to make us comfortable and the cook produced wonderful healthy meals which suited all tastes ( veggie and non veggie).The candlelit meal on the island was special. Snorkelling was in deep, choppy waters which I found challenging so mostly opted out, but this was not an issue as I spotted all the creatures from the boat. The last day tour around Malle was interesting and I was impressed how enviromentally friendly the Maldivians appear to be. . Take very little -  shorts, T Shirts, swimwear,plenty of sunscreen and mosquito spray. Make sure you have respectable clothing when visiting the islands and although you can bring your own snorkell and mask there is really no need as the company equipment was very good. This trip was truely memorable for all the right reasons.

The trip was very good and the group most enjoyable.  The weather was rather too hot in August and the bus cramped and with inadequate air conditioning for such long distances in temperatures up to 50 degrees. (MC -31st july 2011)

A much more relaxed trip than the normal Explore holiday. The scenary in the Maldives is beautiful, the weather perfect, and the marine life excellent. The food on the boat is very good - don't let the dossier's claim it's 'very hot and spicy' put you off - it is anything but! As a frequent Explore traveller I'm surprised this tour gets such a high comfort rating - I found the boat far less comfortable than camping, for example. The cabins are tiny, the beds too short even for 5 foot nothing me, and a fair degree of agility is needed to clamber around the boat - I wouldn't recommend this trip to anyone who has restricted movement. Be warned that the 'Bodu Beru' drum night involves a large degree of audience participation - and there's no alcohol to take the self-conscious edge off! The dossier states that there's plenty of 'free time for snorkelling' which isn't quite right. There's plenty of free time for reading/relaxing etc. but snorkelling independently is not possible on this trip. Generally we did two guided snorkels a day, lasting from 20 mins-1 hour. We saw some incredible reefs and fish etc. in those but don't expect to be snorkelling all day or independently. You need to be a confident swimmer to get the most out of the snorkels as you are often in challenging conditions such as strong currents or rough water. Keep a camera with you on deck when travelling as dolphins may come alongside. Be sure to take a long sleeved top and shorts or trousers to snorkel in - by the end of the week everyone had graduated from swimwear to fully dressed. Old sports or trekking tops are ideal. If you have long hair take plenty of conditioner to avoid birds-nest hair! Take a soft bag eg. trek bag rather than a hard suitcase. There are electric points in the cabin for recharding things etc. - British plugs work, no need for adapters. (MC - 1st January 2011)

Highlights - being given a gift of Fonaroshi by a little girl - swimming with the Manta Rays.  Unexpected - the candlelit meal on the beach.  Tips - pack very little.  Issues - why does the factsheet talk about malaria tablets when The Maldives is malaria free - make it clear in the factsheet that you provide towels for washing and beach towels.  Staff - great crew - Yusree the guide could not do enough to help us - if we had snorkelled alone we would have missed so much (MC - 27th November 2010)

Highlights - Being a small dot in the Indian Ocean with ribbons of blue sea and white sandy beaches. Seeing dolphins put on an acrobatic display! Catching dinner on a hand line when I went fishing and swimming with a manta ray even though I never could catch it up! Unexpected - how wonderful the food was! And the poor weather on some days. Advice to others - enjoy every minute! Take factor 50 sun tan lotion and half as many clothes as you were going to - the cabins are very small. (MC - 13th November 2010)

Azure skies, turquoise water stretched forever to the horizon, an occasional palm island in the distance, a gentle breeze and warm air wrapped around my body.  The Dhoni home invited us to clear the cobwebs from our busy minds, feed our spirit and let our bodies breath.  Magic snorkelling in the velvet sea, the marine life exquisite, the deserted islands like a dream come true.  We banqueted three times a day on board, our cook a master artisan at his craft. The crew fantastic, kind and courteous.  Fellow travellers blended into friends.  Amazingly great holiday! (MC - 22nd August 2010)