Manthiri
Description:
Manthiri is a beautiful 85-foot liveaboard, powerfully built of fine tropical timber and custom-designed for dive cruises. The vessel’s wide beam of 25 feet contributes toward a stable hull, and allows room for spacious cabins. No more than 12 guests are invited on each cruise and the attentive eleven-person crew ensures that every need is met.
Fastidiously maintained and in operation for 14 years with a superb crew, Manthiri is widely acknowledged as one of the finest liveaboards in the world.
Manthiri’s teak-paneled salon is one of the largest found on any vessel of this size. Relaxingly furnished with expansive, upholstered sofas, it also offers a state-of-the-art music system, DVD player, and multi-system TV/VCR with video camera viewing facilities.
When sea breezes beckon, Manthiri’s top deck is artfully arranged to accommodate both sun-worshippers and shade-seekers. Deck chairs are ideally placed for soaking in the rays, icy drink in hand or star-gazing in the evening.
Accommodation:
Cabin configurations provide numerous options, with 4 spacious twins and 2 doubles that feature roomy queen-size beds.
All cabins are en suite, with hot-water showers, convenient hair dryers, individually controlled air-conditioning and minibars. The dhoni dive tender allows you to store your dive gear off the main boat, so there’s plenty of storage in every cabin; a locker and drawers await clothes and luggage stowage is handily accessible.
Diving:
A separate, specially outfitted dive tender, called a dhoni, provides a home for compressors, Nitrox systems and dive gear, creating a gracious dive deck in addition to the space available onboard Manthiri.
How to describe the underwater experience of Maldives? Pristine, lush, vibrant, extraordinary; uninhabited islands and waters zealously guarded by Maldivians from commercial fishing provide shelter for dazzling aquatic species in stunning numbers, awaiting discovery by divers aboard Manthiri.
Over 1000 islands create a home for species that run the gamut from blooming corals to big pelagics. It’s not simply the variety and drama of the species but also their sheer numbers that will astonish you. Friendly encounters with fish in the thousands, from the tiniest to the tremendous, are common experiences on the varied dive sites.
