AMBA Dive Private Limited - Liveaboard Maldives

Well, what can I say, everything on this trip massively exceeded my expectations! Me and my cabin mate were astounded at how spacious, clean and comfortable our cabin was. There’s plenty of space to store all your things and the bathroom is massive compared to any liveaboard I’ve been on before! The cabin is cleaned and the beds are freshly made every day. The rest of the boat is lovely. The communal areas are welcoming and well arranged, the sundeck is great, and the bar area on the middle deck is a great spot to hang out and have a drink. All the crew are amazing, and couldn’t work any harder every day to make sure you have everything you need. The food was lovely, traditional and nutritious and there was plenty of it, and also lots of snacks provided through the day. The chef does an outstanding job from such a small kitchen! Stefan runs a tight ship, he is obviously very passionate about making sure that the guest experience is of a very high standard. He is always very present throughout the day and gives very detailed safety information, clear instructions and dive briefings. I felt very informed about what to expect from every dive location, what we might encounter and any conditions we needed to be aware of. The other dive guides Jessica, Yaku, Maxi & Cami were all absolutely brilliant, there’s always a guide at the front of the group and the other is following last, so any issue is spotted and acted upon immediately. The whole diving experience was absolutely amazing, we saw mantas, loads of sharks, got very close with beautiful nurse sharks, and dived the most gorgeous reefs! Overall, I’d highly recommend booking with Amba, I had the best holiday and will take the most amazing memories with me. Thank you Stefan and all the crew!

From start to finish the staff were attentive and helpful we were picked up directly outside the airport and ferried to the main boat for a reception and briefing, the following day our adventure began and what a start Manta rays first dive so a lot to live up to in the following days, but Stefan and the crew really lived up to it. The boat is spacious and never feels cramped unlike others I have been on in the past particularly the last one in Thailand, there were a few minor issues particularly the termites which do appear in some rooms but this is a minor issue in the grand scheme of things. The food was plentiful and Stefan pandered to 16 brits with fantastic breakfasts to set you up for the day. The diving well what can you say we came first big stuff and we got big stuff Manta Grey Reef and White Tip sharks loads of Nurse sharks, Eagle rays and turtles octopus and stunning fish, The dive guides were great and very receptive two experiences but new to the Maldives Maxi and Cami grew in confidence throughout the time we were there and I think they will make fantastic assets to the Amba over the coming season. Jessica was a superb guide finding all the small stuff as well as the large ones so it was fun for everyone. I have been on a few liveaboards and this was certainly one of the best comfy beds spacious cabins and good food, along with excellent diving and fantastic staff, nothing was too much trouble. This is certainly a boat I would go back to.

Spending time on the Amba recently was my 20th liveaboard, and I feel I now have a fair amount of experience on dive boats and can make a valued review/comment on this one. Stefan, the cruise director, is passionate about having high standards and ensuring everything runs smoothly for everyone on board and we have the best time/dives possible. Safety was always paramount, above water and below, ensuring everyone is fully briefed for the coming dives - never feeling rushed, always informative and always with humour that our group of 16 divers appreciated. The staff onboard were always approachable, helpful and fun to be around. I particularly warmed to your two new dive leaders in training, Maxi and Cami. They also couldn't do enough for everyone and were lovely (and experienced) people/divers to be around. I found the food at meal times were varied, nutritious, plentiful and well presented. Plus, catering for peoples diets/tastes and allergies as needed/requested. I particularly enjoyed the daily freshly baked items. The cabins were spacious and comfortable, so no complaints there. Stefan has 25 years of experience running these boats, so he knows what our needs are and what we want from our time on board, and of course, our diving. The dive sites were excellent and we pretty much ticked off everything. Although we were just unlucky with whale sharks. From the moment we were picked up at the airport, to being returned there at the end of our trip, everything ran smoothly. I'm trying to think of negatives, but I'm struggling to be honest. There were even a couple of opportunities during the week to explore a local island (after diving) and to chill out on a sandbank, watching the sun set. And then there was the Maldivian curry cooking class in-between dives. It was an absolute pleasure being on board the Amba and I seriously look forward to returning one day (hopefully soon). Thank you Stefan, and all your staff for such an enjoyable and rewarding trip. November 2025.

Where to start.. unfortunately at the beginning of the trip the engine broke down and we had to head back into the harbour for a couple of nights to try and get it fixed which didn’t work.. however the team pulled together to make it the best experience ever! We thought the trip was going to get cancelled but they did everything in their power to get us going again which meant us being towed around the Maldives! The staff onboard this liveaboard will go above and beyond to make sure that this trip will be the trip of a lifetime! They are all super super friendly and are there to help 24/7! Special shout out to the chef.. I never went hungry and the food was amazing he even made me the biggest cake I have ever seen for my birthday making it really special. To the captains (dive boat and safari boat) these guys were amazing from dealing with the troubles of the engine to keeping us safe in bad weather and the dive boat dropping us perfectly on each dive site! To Rasheed the hostess with the mostest he is always making sure you have everything you need! The dive guides Ammu and Neo were amazing! They were very professional safe divers who went at an amazing pace through all the sites.. they would also go above and beyond in every aspect of this job - big respect as I’m not sure they even slept on our 12 day trip! Finally to Stefan the owner.. wow you managed to pull it off even when all of the odds were against you and you did it with a big smile on your face! Thank you for treating me like family and giving me and my mum the trip of a lifetime! If you want an amazing, safe, fun and comfortable liveaboard experience in the Maldives I highly recommend AMBA and I will be back FOR SURE!

Just left the boat and crew and missing them already! Clean and spacious room, fun, knowledgeable and helpful crew, superbly organised team. Stephan’s cooking is awesome! Love that the boat captain and dive team have their meetings and discussion every evening for the next day, so everything is clear. Will definitely go back to dive with them

This was my first liveaboard experience and thanks to the wonderful team at AMBA definitely not my last! I had a great time onboard the Amba for 7 nights. We did some amazing dives - the dive and boat crew were very professional and friendly. The boat is in great condition and has all the amenities one could wish for. The organisation and conduct was very well thought-through and professional and I felt very warmly welcomed right from the start. It was a great experience and I would definitely join Amba again, next time for a longer trip - the 7 days passed way too fast!

The worst experience ever. My buddy had an accident (we were thrown in the craziest current I've ever encountered), he was drowning and I had to bring him to the surface as quickly as possible. And once on the boat, there wasn’t any oxygen for us, the tanks were empty. Criminal. But also besides the accident, the diving was very bad. To save the fuel, the boat would stay 2 or even 3 days at the same place, and we were diving the same sites 3 or 4 times. The dive guides lacked experience, very often we were struggling against the current at 35m, hence the dives were very short, 30 - 35 min, and of that the part when you saw something interesting often lasted less than 5 minutes. The boat doesn't navigate by night, so you loose time by daytime, instead of diving they're navigating. And it's the only boat I know which obliges you to pay tips (compulsory 26$ per day , if I remember right), but the service isn't following (you change your tank after every dive yourself, also the only one of some 15 liveaboards I've been to where I had this disagreeable experience )

It was an absolutely amazing experience with the AMBA team. The dive instructors are well experienced with the dive sites, always providing tips to improve our dives. We had an awesome chef on board who caters well to different cuisine types. The crew are always ready to assist and consistently provides a 5* service for our needs. I'll definitely love to visit again someday and I recommend anyone who visits Maldives to try AMBA!! Thank you so much for the lovely memories ❤️