In a growing world of scuba divers and scuba diving sites, liveaboard diving trips are becoming increasingly popular. Whether your aim is to reach remote destinations or take in as many dive sites as possible, liveaboard holidays offer an unparalleled advantage.
These ‘eat, sleep, dive’ vacations take divers to off-the-beaten-path destinations, such as the Socorro Islands in Mexico or Indonesia’s Cendrawasih Bay.
- Maldives
- Caribbean
- Cocos Island, Costa Rica
- Galápagos Islands, Ecuador
- Indonesia
- Mexico
- Palau
- Philippines
- Egypt
- Thailand
- Australia
- Micronesia
- Malpelo, Colombia
- Papua New Guinea
- Saudi Arabia
What is Liveaboard Diving?
This type of diving can be called liveaboard diving, dive safari, or dive charter, but what is it exactly? Above all, a liveaboard is a boat purposely-built for scuba diving or an adapted existing vessel that offers diving trips usually lasting longer than one night. The average duration is seven nights, but you can find both shorter and longer trips. Usually, these types of dive boats host between 12 to 30 divers, but even here, you can find both smaller and larger vessels. In most cases, the diving, as well as the food and drinks, are included in the price of the trip.
Benefits of Liveaboard Diving Trips
There are many reasons why divers prefer to dive and stay on a boat rather than at land-based accommodation.
- Unique Dive Destinations: Some of the world’s best dive destinations are far away from the nearest coast.
- The Best Sites: You’ll dive the best sites an area has to offer, not just the ones you can easily get to from shore.
- More Diving: When you dive from a liveaboard, you’re able to log many dives per day. After all, the only thing you have to do is dive, eat, and sleep!
- More Convenient: Your equipment stays in one place, ready to be used anytime. No need to lug all your dive gear around.
- Meet New People: Liveaboards usually offer close quarters, making it easy to meet new friends.
The Best Liveaboard Diving Trips in The World
Whether this will be your first liveaboard experience or you’re a seasoned pro, check out these top liveaboard destinations. They are the best liveaboard diving trips in the world, and no matter what you’re looking for, you’re bound to find the perfect fit.
1. Liveaboard Diving Trips in the Maldives
An island country made up of 26 natural atolls, the Maldives was seemingly made for liveaboard diving. In addition, the country’s stringent rules for foreign guests make liveaboards a convenient option for traveling around this tropical landscape. Simply pack your gear bag and jump onboard. Paradise is waiting for you in these turquoise waters.
Ari Atoll & Male Atoll
Known for its whale sharks and manta rays, the 105 islands of the Ari Atoll along with the two Malé Atolls are the most popular destinations for liveaboards in the Maldives. You’ll often find 7 to 10-night itineraries which combine these atolls into a luxury liveaboard experience. With the number of pelagic species and the exciting drift dives through shallow channels, diving in the Indian Ocean doesn’t get much better than the Ari and Male Atolls.
In Ari Atoll, divers will swim alongside schools of colorful fish, flying formations of eagle rays, majestic manta rays, and even the occasional guitar shark. Fish Head, which is under marine protected status, is one of the best places in Ari Atoll for spotting sharks.
North Malé Atoll is famous for its variety of species. Many of the reefs are extremely healthy and provide shelter for a ton of marine life. Frogfish, moray eels, nudibranchs, schools of fusiliers, and hundreds of other colorful fish species reside here.
Diving Season
The best time to go to the Ari Atoll and Malé Atoll is between December and March. The seas are at their calmest during these months. But you can dive in the Ari Atoll year-round.
Liveaboards in the Ari Atoll
- Top Boats: Scubaspa Yang, Scubaspa Ying, Maldives Blue Force One
- Standard Boats: Amba, Emperor Leo, Emperor Virgo
- Value Boats: MV Ari Queen
Deep South
Book a liveaboard on a Deep South itinerary in the Maldives, and you will be astounded by the unknown. Each trip to these remote atolls results in new dive sites to map for future travels. Most of the time, the crew is as excited about the potential of discovery as the guests are. A variety of rays and sharks, including whale sharks, are common sightings. Resorts are few and far between in this distant half of the Maldives. This means that liveaboard diving here is almost a must.
Diving Season
The best time to dive in the Deep South of the Maldives is between December and March. The seas are at their calmest during these months, but you can dive in the Deep South year-round.
Liveaboards in the Deep South
- Top Boats: Scubaspa Yang, Maldives Blue Force One, MY Duke of York
- Standard Boats: Emperor Leo, Emperor Virgo
2. Liveaboard Diving Trips in the Caribbean
From the Bahamas to Cuba, the Caribbean hosts a wide range of liveaboards. In this region, you’ll find the ease with which dive charters move between islands and distant destinations to be highly advantageous.
Jardines de la Reina, Cuba
Jardines de la Reina in Cuba is a mangrove labyrinth situated 50 miles (80 kilometers) west of Jucaro in the central part of Cuba. It takes around three hours by speedboat to reach this destination, and it’s only possible to dive here with a liveaboard.
Cuba is home to the second-largest reef in the world, behind the Australian Great Barrier. What’s more, Cuban diving features long drop-offs and grand canyons, which promise dives that are eventful and unforgettable. The uncontaminated reef is one of the best places in the Caribbean to dive with sharks, and if you’re brave enough, you can even snorkel with crocodiles.
It’s important to note that the protected areas in Cuba allow no more than 300 divers a year. This means that the area is less frequented by humans, so the marine life tends to be very curious, allowing for incredible up-close encounters.
Diving Season
The best time to go to Jardines de la Reina is between December and May. You can dive all year round, but these months are outside of hurricane season.
Liveaboards in Jardines de la Reina
- Top Boats: Jardines Avalon Fleet
Tiger Beach, Bahamas
As the name suggests, this is perhaps the best location in the world for diving with tiger sharks. Tiger Beach is located about an hour by boat from the west end of Grand Bahama Island. During peak season, you might see upwards of a dozen tiger sharks at one time. And while the tiger may be the biggest shark of the bunch, it’s not the only visitor. You can also see lemon, Caribbean reef, and nurse sharks during a dive at Tiger Beach.
Grand Bahamas Island also features shallow shipwrecks, protected coral reefs along its southern shore, and one of the world’s largest underwater cave systems for scuba divers to explore. There’s plenty to see in the crystal-clear waters of the Bahamas!
Diving Season
The best time to go to Tiger Beach is between October and January because the largest number of sharks are present during these months. However, sharks are always at the site, and liveaboards depart for Tiger Beach throughout the year.
Liveaboards to Tiger Beach
- Top Boats: Bahamas Aggressor
Cayman Islands
With crystal-clear waters, warm temperatures and a tri-island constitution, the Cayman Islands are truly one of the best liveaboard destinations in the world. While it is possible to dive the Cayman Islands from a dive resort, exploring them by boat means divers get to target the very best diving on offer — all in a single trip!
Diving in the Cayman Islands is also impressively varied, with drop-offs, wrecks and coral-filled experiences spread over more than 350 dive sites.
Liveaboard itineraries in the Cayman Islands visit all three islands and include a stop at the popular dive site of Stingray City, offering a great chance to get up close and personal with the famous stingrays. Other dive sites you’re likely to visit include Russian Destroyer, Northwall, Southwall and Doc Polson.
Diving Season
The diving season in the Cayman Islands runs throughout the year, with temperatures remaining pretty consistent and rarely dropping below 72°F (25°C). May and June are the months to choose if you’re searching for the very best diving conditions, while rainfall is highest in October.
Liveaboards in the Cayman Islands
- Top Boats: Cayman Aggressor IV
Belize
As home to an iconic blue hole and the second-largest barrier reef in the world, it’s little wonder Belize takes a place on this list of the top liveaboard destinations. Furthermore, a wide variety of marine life, tropical temperatures and turquoise blue waters only add to this status.
Given Belize’s makeup, a mainland and more than 400 islands in the Caribbean Sea, it makes sense that a liveaboard vessel is the most efficient way to experience the best diving Belize has to offer. Liveaboard itineraries start in Belize City before sailing to the tick off Belize’s top dive sites, such as The Great Blue Hole, Half Moon Caye, Turneffe Atoll and Lighthouse Reef.
Marine life sightings in Belize can be numerous and varied. Possible logbook entries include barracuda, whale sharks, nurse sharks, lemon sharks, whitetip reef sharks and several nudibranch species.
Diving Season
As one of the world’s best year-round diving destinations, there really is no bad time to dive in Belize. However, if you’re particularly focused on trying to see a whale shark during your visit, April to June offers the best chance of success.
Liveaboards in Belize
- Top Boats: Belize Aggressor III, Belize Aggressor IV
3. Liveaboard Diving Trips to Cocos Island, Costa Rica
Situated 342 miles (550 kilometers) off the west coast of Costa Rica, Cocos Island acts as a magnet for pelagic species, including its famed schooling scalloped hammerhead sharks. The lonely seamount takes 36 hours to reach from Puntarenas, and most liveaboards have a duration of eight to 10 days. In addition to the hammerheads, you might also see Galapagos sharks, manta rays and mobula rays. Be sure to dive both Dirty Rock and Bajo Alcyone for the best experience on this liveaboard trip of a lifetime.
A UNESCO World Heritage site, Cocos Island National Park contains many natural population densities of large predators and migratory species. The island is very famous with divers worldwide as a bucket list item, and it is often called the modern-day Jurassic Park.
Diving Season
The best time to travel to Cocos Island is between June and December, because the most pelagic species are present during the rainy season. But you can travel to Cocos Island via liveaboard year-round.
Liveaboards to Cocos Island
- Top Boats: Okeanos Aggressor II, Cocos Island Aggressor, Sea Hunter
4. Liveaboard Diving Trips in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador
Almost mythical in reputation, the Galapagos Islands are on nearly every diver’s wish list. But the best dive sites in this remote archipelago are at Wolf and Darwin Islands, which can only be accessed by liveaboard. Come here to discover Galapagos sharks, hammerheads, manta rays, marine iguanas, sunfish and whale sharks, but leave with the sense of wonder untouched nature instills in those who go to great lengths to find it.
Here you’ll also find whimsical geologic formations. El Arco is renowned as one of the best dives in the world, so be sure to add it to your to do list. On Isabela Island, you can swim with sea lions and penguins in a stunning environment.
Don’t miss Roca Redonda, where sharks teem around an underwater volcano. Santa Cruz Island boasts an astounding flamingo lagoon and mangrove forest, as well as the Charles Darwin Research Station.
As you can see, there is no shortage of extraordinary adventures awaiting you in the Galapagos.
Diving Season
The best time to go to the Galapagos Islands is between June and December, because the colder water temperatures attract a variety of larger species. However, you can dive in the Galapagos Islands throughout the year.
Liveaboards to the Galapagos Islands
5. Liveaboard Diving Trips in Indonesia
Indonesia is home to more than 13,000 islands. Diving these from a land-based operation would take much longer than the average vacation (or the average lifetime). For this reason, Indonesia is one of the most popular liveaboard destinations in the world.
Raja Ampat
Home to the most biodiverse waters on the planet, Raja Ampat is made up of four major islands and 1500 smaller cays and islands off the Bird’s Head Peninsula in West Papua Province. Dive safaris in these colorful waters feature itineraries between five and 10 nights. This allows enough time for drift dives through busy reefs and macro dives among fascinating underwater environments, like mangroves and caves.
Raja Ampat dive sites are all about diversity and abundance. Whether you’re looking to dive with large pelagic species or tiny critters, Raja Ampat definitely delivers.
You’ll likely see large schools of fish, manta rays, reef sharks, wobbegong sharks, walking sharks, turtles, Spanish mackerel, tuna, barracuda, pygmy sea horses, nudibranchs galore, ghost pipefish, cuttlefish, crustaceans and stunning pristine coral reefs.
Diving Season
The best time to go to Raja Ampat is between October and April, because these months make up the dry season when the most liveaboard boats travel the area. But, if you can find a boat in the region, you can dive in Raja Ampat year-round.
Liveaboards in Raja Ampat
- Top Boats: Damai I, Damai II, Amira, Samambaia
- Standard Boats: Raja Ampat Aggressor, MV Mermaid II, Ambai
- Value Boats: MV Putri Papua
Komodo
Best known as the land of the Komodo Dragon, Komodo National Park is also home to some of the best drift diving in Indonesia. Among its sandy banks and colorful reefs, you’ll find plenty of manta rays as well as whitetip and grey reef sharks.
Komodo National Park has plenty to offer macro-lovers, too. Sheltered dive sites boast a myriad of critters hiding among the slopes and walls of healthy hard and soft corals.
Liveaboard trips of five to 10 nights are the best way to experience the many thrilling dive sites in the park. Make sure to stop off at Makassar Reef, one of the most unique sites in all of Indonesia!
Diving Season
The best time to go to Komodo is between April and November, because these months are considered dry season and attract the highest number of dive charters. But you can dive in Komodo throughout the year.
Liveaboards in Komodo
- Top Boats: Damai I, Damai II, Amira, Tiger Blue
- Value Boats: Duyung Baru, MV Nusa Tara, MV Tarata
Cenderawasih Bay
As diving boats begin to explore areas surrounding Raja Ampat, they are discovering that Cenderawasih Bay is home to astounding marine diversity, fascinating WWII wrecks and predictable whale shark encounters. For the diving industry, the whale sharks are most important as divers from the world over come to Cenderawasih Bay to observe these gentle giants. Cenderawasih Bay is located on the northern coast of West Papua Province and offers an off-the-beaten-path alternative to Raja Ampat.
Diving Season
The best time to go to Cenderawasih Bay is between June and October, because during these months the weather in Raja Ampat changes to rainy and windy. Liveaboards use Cenderawasih Bay as a safe shelter during the rainy season storms but, theoretically, you can dive in Cenderawasih Bay during any month.
Liveaboards in Cenderawasih Bay
6. Liveaboard Diving Trips in Mexico
Most divers define Mexico by the diving found near Cancun or in the Sea of Cortez. What most don’t realize is that Mexico’s remote Pacific islands are meccas for pelagic lovers. Dive safaris in Mexico traverse the seas in search of the extraordinary.
Socorro Islands
Also known as the Revillagigedo Islands, the Socorro Islands were recently named a UNESCO World Heritage site thanks to the biodiversity of species found here. At 240 miles (390 kilometers) west of Baja California Sur, these four volcanic islands attract manta rays and hammerhead sharks. In order to dive this underwater wonderland, you’ll need to travel 24 hours from Cabo San Lucas on an eight to 10-night liveaboard.
Diving Season
The best time to dive in the Socorro Islands is between November and May, because the seas are at their calmest during these months, ensuring a safe and comfortable journey to the islands.
Liveaboards to the Socorro Islands
- Top Boats: Solmar V, Quino El Guardian
7. Liveaboard Diving Trips in Palau
Best described by superlatives, scuba diving in Palau is wild and beautiful with an array of wrecks, sheer walls and blue holes. Koror is the main hub for the islands, but many of the dive sites are located 45 to 60 minutes away around the islands of Ngemelis and Peleliu. Because of the sheer number of wonderful dive sites, you’ll want to book a liveaboard in order to get the most diving out of your trip. Generally, diving safaris sail around Palau for seven to 10 nights.
With more than 1400 species of fish, 500 species of healthy coral and pelagic action, diving in Palau should be at the very top of anyone’s list. Whale sharks, eagle rays, turtles, reef sharks and the occasional hammerhead are a few examples of the astonishing spectrum of marine life this Micronesian archipelago has to offer.
Diving Season
The best time to go to Palau is between November and June, because these months represent the dry season. However, Palau can be comfortably dived year-round.
Liveaboards in Palau
- Top Boats: SY Palau Siren, MV Solitude One
- Standard Boats: Palau Rock Island Aggressor, Palau Aggressor II, Ocean Hunter
8. Liveaboard Diving Trips in the Philippines
A UNESCO World Heritage site, Tubbataha Reef Natural Park in the Philippines is home to 600 species of fish and 300 species of coral, including numerous shark, dolphin and turtle species. Situated 93 miles (150 kilometers) southeast of Puerto Princesa, the only way to reach the shallow coral reefs and sheer drop-offs of Tubbataha Reef is by liveaboard. Trips typically last six nights, but diving boats occasionally offer longer, 13-night itineraries.
In terms of marine life, you might also spot thresher sharks, whale sharks, schools of jacks, sardine balls and rays during a dive trip in the Philippines.
Diving Season
The best time to go to Tubbataha Reef in the Philippines is between mid-March and mid-June, because these are the only months the Natural Park is open.
Liveaboards in the Philippines
- Top Boats: SY Philippines Siren, MV Solitude One
- Value Boats: MV Discovery Palawan
9. Liveaboard Diving Trips in Egypt
Sudan and Egypt border the Red Sea, offering a glimpse into the historically crucial body of water. Liveaboards traverse these calm waters in search of mighty sharks, shallow reefs and shipwrecks. Leave your worries behind as you board one of the many budget-friendly yachts of the Red Sea.
Brothers, Daedalus & Elphinstone
Dive charters in Egypt commonly include an itinerary known as Brothers, Daedalus & Elphinstone. Slightly challenging, this journey takes divers to three of the most impressive dive areas in the Red Sea. Sheer drop-offs, plenty of fish and beautiful coral walls along with a smattering of wrecks await the adventurous diver. Typically, liveaboard journeys to this region depart from Hurghada and last seven days.
Diving Season
The best time to go to Brothers, Daedalus & Elphinstone is between September and November and then again between April and June, because these months feature a good balance between sea temperatures and air temperatures. However, the Red Sea offers fantastic diving throughout the year.
Liveaboards to Brothers, Daedalus & Elphinstone
- Top Boats: MV Emperor Superior, Red Sea RE Aggressor
- Value Boats: Snefro Spirit, MV Emperor Asmaa
St. John’s Island
25 miles (40 kilometers) from Elba National Park on the far southern shores of Egypt lies St. John’s Island with its spectacular reef system. Famous for its abundant soft and black corals, lucky divers might encounter schooling hammerhead sharks while in this part of the Red Sea. Because it is located offshore from a remote section of Egypt, you’ll need to travel by liveaboard in order to visit St. John’s Island. These trips are often combined with visits to Rocky Island and Zabargad to fill a seven-night itinerary.
These reefs are teeming with life. Bright corals and clouds of fish dazzle with a kaleidoscope of color. With wonderfully calm and clear conditions, Egyptian reefs offer ideal conditions for new divers, marine life enthusiasts, wreck divers or anyone simply interested in exploring light-filled reef systems.
Diving Season
The best time to go to St. John’s Island is between September and November and then again between April and June, because these months feature a good balance between sea temperatures and air temperatures. However, the Red Sea offers fantastic diving throughout the year.
Liveaboards to St. John’s Island
- Top Boats: MV Emperor Superior
- Value Boats: Snefro Spirit, MV Emperor Asmaa
Northern Wrecks
Unpredictable currents, strong storms, military tactics and shallow reefs have doomed many ships to eternity at the bottom of the Red Sea. Among these, the SS Thistlegorm is the most well-known to divers for its cargo of war supplies, including motorbikes and train carriages. This dive site along with countless other wrecks, both shallow and deep, fill out Egypt’s popular Northern Wreck liveaboard itinerary. These dive safaris often depart from Hurghada or Sharm el Sheikh and last seven-nights.
Diving Season
The best time to go to the Northern Wrecks is between September and November and then again between April and June, because these months feature a good balance between sea temperatures and air temperatures. However, the Red Sea offers fantastic diving throughout the year.
Liveaboards to the Northern Wrecks
- Top Boats: MV Emperor Superior
- Value Boats: Snefro Spirit, MV Emperor Asmaa
10. Liveaboard Diving Trips in Thailand
A favorite among new divers as well as the more experienced, Thailand is the vacation destination of your dreams. Great food, friendly locals and fascinating underwater environments welcome scuba divers to the Land of Smiles.
The Similan and Surin Islands
The Similan and Surin Islands, also known as Mu Koh National Park, are Thailand’s premier scuba diving destination. These islands are located 31 miles (50 kilometers) west of Khao Lak and are best accessed via liveaboard. Itineraries are, on average, six nights, but both shorter and longer journeys can be found. The magnificent, clear waters provide the best opportunity in the Andaman Sea for spotting manta rays and whale sharks.
The west and east coast of the islands are polar opposites in terms of diving. The east coast boasts exceptional visibility and gentle to moderate currents. Hard coral makes up the sandy reefs. The west coast is deeper, with stronger currents leading to canyons, tunnels, swim-throughs, archways and caverns. With such varied sites, the Similan Islands are a diving paradise.
Diving Season
The best time to go to the Similan Islands is between November and May because the park shuts down for monsoon season from mid-May to October.
Liveaboards in the Similan and Surin Islands
- Top Boats: The Phinisi
- Value Boats: The Junk, MV Deep Andaman Queen
11. Liveaboard Diving Trips in Australia
With around 22,000 miles (36,000 kilometers) of coastline, Australia is home to some of the world’s most unique and diverse marine life, making it a popular destination for scuba diving enthusiasts. There are popular dive sites in every state, from giant kelp forests and shipwrecks to stunning corals. But most divers that come to Australia come to visit the Great Barrier Reef.
The Great Barrier Reef
Famed for being the world’s largest coral reef system and the largest living organism on Earth, the Great Barrier Reef is notorious for being visible from outer space.
One of the richest natural ecosystems on Earth, it was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1981 because of the importance of its biodiversity. And, as it’s made up of hundreds of islands with thousands of reefs, it’s one of the most sought-after dive spots in the world.
Much of the reef is further away from the mainland than you would think. That’s why many divers opt for a liveaboard to explore some of the most remote reefs, which are often inaccessible to shore-based divers. Most liveaboards to the Great Barrier Reef depart from Cairns and can last anywhere from a couple of days to a couple of weeks, giving you access to world-class reefs that are too far for day trips.
On your trip, you will be able to see a wide variety of marine life, from sharks and manta rays to giant trevally, turtles, potato cods, Maori wrasse, and colorful schools of tropical fish.
Diving Season
The best time to go to Australia to dive the Great Barrier Reef is between August and early December. The summer months until May are stinger season when box jellyfish are most active, so if you’re headed to Australia around this time, it’s best to head to the southern parts of the reef where the risk for jellyfish is much lower.
Liveaboards in Australia
- Top Boats: Spoilsport, Spirit of Freedom
- Value Boats: Ocean Quest, Pro Dive Cairns
12. Liveaboard Diving Trips in Micronesia
The Federated States of Micronesia is an island nation in the central Pacific Ocean located between Papua New Guinea and Hawaii. Made up of over 600 islands, with pristine reefs and clear waters, it’s one of the top spots for scuba diving in the world.
Despite being home to some of the world’s most spectacular and diverse dive sites, from shallow reefs teeming with vibrant coral gardens to dramatic drop-offs, its main attraction is the legendary Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon, which is considered to be one of the best wreck diving destinations in the world.
Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon
During the Second World War, this lagoon was home to a major Japanese naval base, and in 1944 and 1945, it became the scene of major battles between Japanese and American forces. As a result of the battles, there are now over 60 shipwrecks lying on its floor, each one both a time capsule of the past and home to an array of exotic marine life that has flourished in the last few decades.
Liveaboard trips are the best way to explore Chuuk (Truk) Lagoon, called the Wreck Capital of the World. Most of the trips depart from Weno, one of four main islands that make up Chuuk and home to the Chuuk International Airport, and liveaboard trips generally last one to two weeks. The lagoon is sheltered from the open ocean by the reef barrier, which makes the conditions ideal for diving. Visibility can range from 40 to 100ft (12 to 30m), and there is rarely any current.
Most of the liveaboards in Micronesia do some diving on the outer reefs of the lagoon as well to enjoy the steep walls and pelagic fish, but the highlight of every trip is the wrecks. Many lie in depths of 100 to 130ft (30 to 40m), perfect for PADI Deep Divers, and they are filled with ammunition, torpedoes, and aircraft, a true testament to the war that raged here.
But if you’re a tec diver, there are also plenty of deeper wrecks to explore, and some liveaboards cater to tec and rebreather divers.
As well as a witness to the history of WWII, the many wrecks here are covered in soft and hard corals and provide a spectacular home to an array of diverse marine life, from reef fish and turtles to barracuda, snapper, and even sharks.
Diving Season
You can dive Truk Lagoon the whole year round, but the best time to go is between December and April, which is the dry season and when conditions at sea are calmer.
Liveaboards in Micronesia
- Top Boats: Truk Master, SS Thorfinn, MV Odyssey
13. Liveaboard Diving Trips in Malpelo, Colombia
When you think of the best liveaboard destinations, Colombia may not be the first name that comes to mind. However, Malpelo Island, located 500 kilometers (300 miles) off the Colombian mainland is worthy of being mentioned alongside the Galapagos or Cocos Islands.
This UNESCO World Heritage site is accessible only by liveaboard and competes for the title of best place to dive with hammerhead sharks. Additionally, this shark diving mecca also offers the chance to see hundreds of silky sharks, as well as whale sharks, eagle rays, tuna and sailfish.
Liveaboard itineraries to Malpelo generally range from between nine and 13 nights. The journey to this remote island takes between 30 and 40 hours, making this trip an ideal choice for divers seeking real adventure.
Diving Season
While it is possible to dive Malpelo throughout the year, the region does have a wet season and a dry season. In terms of affecting diving conditions, the dry season, between January and May, is colder but offers the best chance of hammerhead sharks. Alternatively, the wet season, from June to December, offers improved visibility, calmer conditions and silky sharks (May to July) or whale sharks (July to September).
Liveaboards in Malpelo
- Top Boats: Ferox
14. Liveaboard Diving Trips in Papua New Guinea
For divers looking for an off-the-beaten path diving destination, it’s hard to beat diving in Papua New Guinea (PNG). This tropical paradise boasts more than 52,000 square kilometers of reef systems waiting to be explored. A liveaboard vessel is the ideal way to maximize your time in the country, so you can visit the variety of dive sites, including barrier reefs, coral walls, fringing reefs, seagrass beds and even World War II wrecks.
Diving itineraries in Papua New Guinea range from seven to 11 nights. Possible itinerary stops include Kimbe Bay, the Witu Islands and the Narage Reefs. Liveaboard diving in PNG can deliver pelagic marine sightings, such as sharks, rays, turtles and barracuda.
Diving Season
While it is possible to dive in Papua New Guinea throughout the year, seasonal weather can limit access to some areas. It’s also worth noting that September is the peak time for manta rays in Milne Bay. Additionally, the water temperatures in Papua New Guinea range from 77-86°F (25-30°C) and visibility is 66ft (20m) or greater.
Liveaboards in Papua New Guinea
- Top Boats: MV Oceania, MV FeBrina
15. Liveaboard Diving Trips in Saudi Arabia
One of the biggest up-and-coming dive destinations is Saudi Arabia. In addition to its rich cultural history, Saudi Arabia has comparatively unexplored shores spanning both the Red Sea and Persian Gulf. If you’re looking for uncrowded dive sites, this could be the perfect dive destination for you.
Liveaboard vessels are now available to explore the Red Sea side of Saudi Arabia, with a focus on Farasan Banks, an area that spans more than 350 miles (563 kilometers). This biodiversity hotspot can throw up a wide variety of marine life, ranging from barracuda and turtles to hammerhead sharks and whale sharks.
Diving Season
Saudi Arabia is a year-round diving destination. The minimal amount of rainfall or extreme weather mean it’s almost always possible to dive. Generally speaking, October to April offers the most comfortable water temperatures and best underwater visibility.
Liveaboards in Saudi Arabia
- Top Boats: MY Almonda, MS Royal Evolution
Are You Looking for Special Deals on Liveaboard Diving Trips?
If so, you’re in luck! PADI Travel offers the very best special deals in the industry. Check out the Special Deals section of the PADI Travel website for the latest liveaboard discounts.
Related Reading
- Philippines: The Best Liveaboards in the Philippines
- Palau: The Best Liveaboards in Palau
- Komodo: The Best Liveaboards in Komodo
- Red Sea: The Best Liveaboards in the Red Sea
