Splurging: The Most Romantic Maldives Valentine Adventure: A 5-Star Luxury Liveaboard Yacht

Looking for the ultimate romantic Valentine’s extravaganza? Consider the Maldives, 1,190 sun-bleached islands in the Indian Ocean (southwest of Sri Lanka and India). This uninhabited paradise is dotted with powdery white sand beaches surrounded by crystal-clear waters on an archipelago of volcanoes which have sunk into the water. Beneath, are stunning limestone coral reefs — the rainforest of the sea — with shades of the sea ranging from aquamarine and turquoise to azure and Tiffany blue.

One of the most unique and romantic ways to experience the Maldives is on a “cruising resort” such as the 5-star liveaboard 128-foot yacht Maldives Four Seasons Explorer where passengers come to dive or snorkel on three, four or seven-night cruises. A Liveaboard is a scuba diving purposely-built boat or existing vessel that offers diving trips lasting longer than one night. And while a Liveaboard might sound like a floating hostel, the over-the-top Explorer is the opposite, with spacious sun-filled accommodations, king-sized beds, ample amenities, robes, slippers, mini bar, Wi-Fi, and a large flat screen TV. Trailing the yacht is a wooden support vessel supplying diving gear, Nitrox, wet suits, and fins and masks for snorkelers.

Each day the yacht offers three dives (or snorkeling expeditions) in secluded hot spots with no other boats in site. Guests explore coral overhangs filled with over 1,000 species of fish, many native to the Maldives such as Moorish idols and rainbow parrotfish. Divers and snorkelers are also likely to spot three species of sharks, Hawksbill turtles, and manta rays.

One advantage to the Explorer, the fastest and most luxurious Liveaboard in the Maldives, is that if only one partner dives, the non-diving partner can snorkel, waterski, wakeboard, windsurf, kayak, try on-board spa treatments or spend the day sprawled in a plush lounger on the sun deck. Partners dine romantically a deux or with the other guests either al fresco or in the dining room.

Guests are whisked from Maldives Male Airport by speedboat to the five-star Maldives at Kuda Huraa where they and greeted by a Boduberu or “Big Drum” traditional form of Maldivian music dating back to the eleventh century and performed by the entire staff.

For non-divers, Kuda Huraa offers non-divers a three-hour PADI Discover Scuba Diving course or a two-day PADI Scuba Diver Certification, so they can dive with their partner and an expert PADI instructor. Whether choosing an overwater bungalow or beach villa, the resort is an ideal spot to recover from the 19-hour plane trip from NYC. [Unfortunately, my ticket said 1:20 departure, which is neither military time — that would be 01:20 — nor did it indicate am or pm. At JFK Airport, I was told I’d missed the flight which meant missing a full day in the Maldives. Be sure to check your ticket carefully or call the airlines so you won’t have my unfortunate experience].

Arriving at my overwater thatched-roof bungalow a day later than planned, I did laps in my large private pool, then lay on the floor netting with oversized pillows looking down at the fish. Finally, I climbed down the ladder and swam in the bathtub-warm water. I was still jet-lagged, so I took the one-minute boat ride in a traditional Maldivian wooden vessel called a kuda dhoni to the Island Spa for a soothing massage. The sea lapping gently below me. Music to my ears.

I often travel alone because there is no “special someone” in my life right now, but I don’t let that stop me from exploring the world. When I use to travel as a “couple” we rarely met others because we were a complete unit. As a solo traveler, I meet many people because they are curious about someone traveling alone.

After my massage, I strolled along manicured garden paths fragrant with frangipani and heard the song of the Asian Koel, a type of cuckoo and considered the love bird of the Maldives. Love bird aside, I didn’t felt alone. Everywhere I went, the smiling staff members (50% Maldivians and the rest from India, Sri Lanka, and 23 other countries) made me feel welcome. I quickly learned to say shukuriyyaa (pronounced SHOOK-ri-ya) which means thank you, and was the only word I needed.

After lunch overlooking the lagoon, the speedboat whisked me to the Explorer, anchored a short ride away. As my trip was right after the festive season, there were only two other couples on board, all of us in the hands of a crew of 25 (meaning five crew members per guest) who pampered us every moment of the day. Cilla and Hjalmar Winbladh from Sweden, married 28 years, left their two 20-something-year-old kids at home so they could be at sea together and experience diving in such a romantic way. Armina and Milod Cerkic from Bosnia, married 18 years, also came without their children in order to bond and dive in the most luxurious place in the world. “It’s better than a first date,” Armina grinned.

Stepping onto the slick yacht, the entire crew serenaded us with another rousing Boduberu drum ceremony, then handed us scented washcloths and cold ginger tea. We prepared for the first dive.

I have only done a total of 16 dives in my life –the last was in 2013 – so I planned to snorkel with my private guide, Óscar de Borja Aguilar Abril, a Spanish marine biotechnologist/oceanographer/marine conservationist and marine biologist. Alex, another marine biologist from the U.K. was my second private guide. They fitted me with a mask, defogged it, and slipped my feet into fins as I were Cinderella going to the ball. I slid into the warm water– no wetsuit needed – an expert guide on either side. We glided beneath the sea through colorful reefs filled with angel fish, butterfly fish, parrot fish, trigger fish, and anemone fish looking just like Nemo (and found only in the Maldives).

Oscar pointed to a hawksbill turtle. Suddenly there was a second hawksbill, then a third, a fourth, and in all, seven hawksbill turtles! They used their flippers like fans and swam to the surface to breathe as I watched their little faces above the water. As we swam back to the support vessel, Oscar removed my fins underwater (I could get used to this) and I climbed back into the support boat where a smiling staffer handed me an oversized warm towel and hot ginger tea.

That night, the five of us dined under a full moon on the outdoor deck for a lavish dinner of prawn bisque, Maldivian lobster, and scallops with caviar before adjourning to the lounge for the evening “Explorer Highlights.” We watched a film depicting some of the gorgeous underwater life as Oscar explained there were 26 species of sharks, 19 species of rays and 14 species of angel fish in the Maldives

The next day, the two couples dived and I snorkeled, spotting colorful titan triggerfish, juvenile sweetlips, unicorn fish, and magnificent blue clam coral. And then, to my complete surprise, Oscar pointed out an octopus. Observing the unique creature, I easily understood his octopus love and his favorite movie, My Octopus Teacher. On our second snorkel I saw an eel, two spiny lobsters, and a starfish. After, I enjoyed a totally decadent massage with Ratheesh on the upper deck, curtained for privacy and open to the intoxicating sea air.

A few hours later, before dinner, I would be making a night snorkel and the divers, a night dive.

Dinner that night was an Indian feast: the deck had been decorated with Indian parasols and paper elephants, gold elephant sculptures on the tables, and Indian music playing in the background. The banquet included Indian Papadum bread with mango, Malabar prawns, Malay chicken, Bengali fish curry, lamb marsala, and custard, saffron kulfi, and juniper berries. After, we headed to the lounge for “Highlights of the Day,” videos of ourselves underwater (taken by the videographer and which would later be given to us on a thumb drive).

By the third day, I was envious of the scuba divers and aching to Scuba dive, not snorkel. Nothing beats diving and watching a magnificently choreographed ballet of colorful fish and undulating corals further beneath the water. I produced my diving certification card and was fitted with a wet suit, BCD (Buoyancy Control Device), regulator, and Nitrox. Oscar and Alex would accompany me, as would the expert dive master, Anow, who was glued to me like a mother whale with her baby calf. Basically, the only thing they didn’t do was breathe for me!

That night, we motored out to a sandbar for a beautiful romantic dinner set on a sandbar and which began with a drum ceremony. They’d given us sarongs, and this time, we danced our fool heads off, barefoot in the sand, under the twinkling stars. By now, the two couples and dive team had become my good friends.

It was our last night on board. Tomorrow, the Bosnian couple would continue on board for a few more days and the Swedes and I would transfer to the Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru. But it wasn’t goodbye by any means. We’d already started a What’s App group and we’ve been in touch since. At some point, I plan to go to Sweden and Bosnia to visit my new buddies — or meet them for another dive trip.

If you plan to dive in the Maldives, there are other luxury Liveaboards such as the 98-foot Moonima Maldives or the 164-foot Scubaspa Yang, but I think the Explorer is the best luxury yacht. There’s still time to book for Valentine’s Day. so head to the Maldives for a trip on the Explorer before it leaves the Maldives and moves permanently to Palau at the end of April 2023. (And stay tuned: this story will soon continue with my Maldives experience at the resort, Landaa Giraavaru).