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Diving with… Euro-Divers Vilamendhoo, Maldives
In this ongoing series, we speak with the people who run dive centres, resorts and liveaboards from around the world about their businesses and the diving they have to offer…
What is your name?
Antoine Jegat
What is the name of your business?
Euro-Divers Vilamendhoo
What is your role within the business?
Dive Center & Watersports Manager
How long have you dived for, and what qualification are you?
15 years, OWSI
What is your favorite type of diving?
Drift / wreck / macro / fluorescent night diving.
If you could tell people one thing about your business (or maybe more!) to make them want to visit you what would it be?
Vilamendhoo is simply splendid as white beaches, palm studded gardens, tropical lush vegetation and turquoise blue lagoons surround the island on all sides. The island is situated at the south of Ari Atoll between two channels and is about 900m in length. The transfer takes 25 minutes by seaplane.The 4 star Vilamendhoo Island Resort and Spa has been completely adapted to the needs of our guests and now features 184 single or double bungalows with perfect comfort and integration in the natural ambiance of the island.
What is your favorite dive in your location and why?
Broken Rock. This is a well known dive site in South Ari Atoll. A 2m wide canyon splits this small Thila (underwater reef) from the west towards the east. The canyon is the main attraction as its is covered with soft corals. On the north side at 25 to 30m, there are two big coral blocks with overhangs and beautiful fan corals. The top reef with intact hard corals is a perfect place to spot the huge variety of marine life present on this dive site.
What types of diving are available in your location?
Drift diving in channels, wreck dives, house reef diving, fluorescent night dives and diving with underwater scooters.
What is your favorite underwater creature?
Nudibranches
Is your center involved in any environmental work?
Beach and lagoon clean-ups.
What would you say to our visitors to promote the diving you have to offer?
Our diving center is centrally located on a private jetty, a few meters away from the reef on this famous diver’s island. Vilamendhoo is located directly between two channels, making the spectacular house reef very versatile and it therefore ranks amongst the best in the Maldives for diving and snorkeling.
The location on the eastern reef of South Ari Atoll guarantees a good supply of fresh water for excellent coral growth and plenty of fish. With over 50 dive sites and a fantastic house reef with ten entry points, Vilamendhoo is the perfect diver’s paradise for beginners and experienced divers.
Even the wreck ‘Kudhimaa’ is only a 30 minute boat ride away and is one of the regularly visited dive sites. South of the island you find a protected Marine Area, Khudarah Thila, an exceptional place for divers and of course the national park at the outside reef. Three times a week full day trips are offered to search for whale sharks in this area throughout the year.
Find out more about Euro-Divers at www.euro-divers.com. Follow Euro-Divers Vilamendhoo on their Facebook page or email the team at vilamendhoo@euro-divers.com.
Dive holiday experts Diverse Travel have added Boutique Beach to their Maldives programme.
Designed specifically with divers in mind, Boutique Beach is a charming boutique hotel, perfect for those who want a taste of the real Maldives without compromising on incredible diving. This award-winning hotel is situated just steps away from a spectacular 2.5km stretch of white sandy beach on the ‘local’ island of Dhigurah in the famous Whale Shark area of South Ari atoll.
The area of South Ari atoll boasts year round Whale Shark and Manta encounters.
The waters surrounding South Ari atoll are renowned in the Maldives for their unique, year-round sightings of Whale Sharks, and the area attracts many divers and snorkellers involved in Whale Shark conservation and research. There are over 50 dive sites within close reach of the island of Dhigurah including many of the most famous and exciting thilas – deep channel reefs full of marine life – in the Maldives. Spectacular sites such as the marine protected reef of Kudarah Thila are just minutes by boat from the island. Mantas regularly feed in the lagoon directly in front of Boutique Beach, as well as at the cleaning station at Rangali, which is within easy reach of the hotel.
With six large double / twin guest rooms, each with balcony or private garden, Boutique Beach is the perfect base for a small group of divers or snorkellers. In-room camera workstations also make this hotel an ideal choice for underwater photographers. The PADI 5* dive centre specialises in guiding in small groups with an emphasis on safety, personal service and maximising marine life encounters.
As well as boasting excellent diving and snorkelling, Boutique Beach’s location on Dhigurah adds another interesting dimension for visitors. One of the longest islands in the Maldives, Dhigurah is home to a population of around 600 Maldivians who are happy to share their way of life with international guests. Boutique Beach supports many community initiatives on the island, and visitors staying at Boutique Beach are able to partake in local activities such as cooking, crafting and sports, allowing for a unique travel experience.
Rooftop dining at Boutique Beach, Maldives.
Diverse Travel Product Manager Phillip Connor says:
“Adding Boutique Beach to our programme is an exciting move for Diverse Travel. The Maldives is one of our top destinations, and it’s great to be able to offer our guests truly spectacular diving, alongside the chance to experience a little of real island life, at an excellent price. We’re confident that this unique, British diver designed and managed hotel will become one of our most popular holidays, and look forward to hearing about all the tremendous marine encounters from our guests.”
Introductory Special Offer
Diverse Travel are currently offering an introductory saving of up to 25% on holiday packages to the Maldives staying at Boutique Beach. Dive holiday packages start from just £2575pp (based on November 2022) and include return flights London to Male with 30kgs baggage + extra 15kgs for dive baggage, 7 nights at Boutique Beach in a double / twin room with a ‘soft’ all-inclusive meal plan, up to three dives per day with boat trips, tanks and weights, return speedboat from Male (sea plane at an additional charge), local taxes and green tax, plus ATOL and full financial protection as standard.
Discover more about Boutique Beach on the Diverse Travel website at www.diversetravel.co.uk/dive-resorts/maldives/boutique-beach
Euro-Divers is celebrating its 50th anniversary! October 1972 marked the beginning of the Maldives’ tourism industry and the opening of the country’s first resort, with the first Euro-Divers dive centre providing scuba diving activities. A great passion for diving brought the right people together in the right place, which has developed over the years.
Euro-Divers would like to say a big THANK YOU to all their clients to all their partners who gave them the trust and opportunity to provide diving services throughout all those years.
The Euro-Divers team look forward to continuing to provide world-class diving, watersports, and excursions, giving clients access to the best locations in the world in a safe, friendly, and professional manner.
Congratulations Euro-Divers on five decades of incredible diving with friends!
Find out more at www.euro-divers.com
Diverse Travel expand Maldives programme with Boutique Beach
Euro-Divers celebrates 50 years! (Watch Video)
Introducing two new Colours of OBLU resorts in the Maldives
