The first time we went there was more like an experiment. Just to check the place out, see what's up. I ended up doing Discover Scuba and loved it so much I got certified for Open Water in the freezing California water (well, more like very cold). On my second trip to the Maldives, I got Nitrox certified as well as leveled up to Advanced Open Water.
We had a blast the second time I went, getting up close and personal with manta rays by their cleaning station. We wanted to see the mantas again this time around. Unfortunately, the manta season has come and gone (Feb - Apr). We didn't get to see any manta and the place was so busy the staff couldn't really accommodate us as much as we would have liked. My mom wanted to take the Manta Awareness specialty course, but the dive shop couldn't get around to giving her the presentation.
The dives were mostly pleasant with lots of life and coral. Pictures below!
However, again, I forgot how to use my camera under water until the last day when someone on the boat showed me which function to use. I was so used to taking pictures of creatures up close in Lembeh with lights staring at them I didn't know how to take panoramic snapshots of the reef. So you can see the difference between the first four days of diving (primarily dominated by the color blue) and the last day where the pictures look significantly more colorful.
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| My mom taking a picture of this bluish-white coral formation. I forgot what it's called, but it's supposed to be something special. |
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| A whole bunch of kashmir snapper. |
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| "Stay out! I tell you!" |
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| Nudibranch! |
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| I don't know what this is, but it seems like some kind of egg nursery on coral. Pretty interesting. |
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| Doesn't this just look like a mountain full of trees? Pretty cool. |
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| A demonstration of how much life there are by the reef. A lot. |
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| A whitetip reef shark. |
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| A sleeping red-toothed triggerfish, or commonly known as the vampire triggerfish. |
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| Nemo! These anemonefish will protect their home and attack a diver if his face gets too close. |
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| A purple sea cucumber that reminds me of the number two. Yep. Purple poop. |
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| Two masked bannerfish. |
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| This bumpy nudibranch. |
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| This sea cucumber. I don't really know what those black tentacles(?) are. But I'm pretty sure he's chowing down some food. |
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| This kind of anemone is so cool! And reminds me of something else entirely that is inappropriate. |
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| The vampire triggerfish sneaking up on the clown fish. Not really, because they eat plankton. Whatevs. |
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| A bunch of blue-green chromis. They instantly hide in the coral if you get too close. |
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| On the boat. |
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| A clown triggerfish. They reminds me of cows, really. |
Get ready for it! Here comes the last day with better color in the pictures!
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| Here's the super clear and colorful shot of the reef! |
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| Enters the sea turtle. |
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| He be flyin' in the water like duuuuude. |
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| By the way, there were lots of these orange anthias. Did you know they can change sex? They start out as female adults then later become males? |
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| This turtle. He keeps coming back to where we were. |
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| This pair of vlaming's unicornfish was also swimming around for a while. |
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| There's the turtle again. |
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| This time he departs for real. |
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| A school of fish right below the surface. |
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| Can you guess what this is? It's an octopus in a hole. He wouldn't come out. |
Dive Sites
6/17
- Maahlos Thila
- Dega Thila**
6/18
- Kuda Miaru Thila
- Bojahamadi^^
6/19
- Emboodhoo Thila
6/20
- Rahmath Thila
6/21
- Himendhoo Thila
- Dewana
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Reviews & Tips
4 out of 5 Rating.
The Maldives is definitely a great diving destination with warm, clear water and an abundance of coral and life. If you love great underwater scenery and lots of fish, this is the place for you.
But because Constance Moofushi is not specifically a dive resort, I don't recommend it for avid divers looking to do 3-4 dives a day. Especially not when you're on a budget! Maldives =/= cheap. Quite the opposite actually. (Thank you, Momma!)
Morning dives are pleasant with very little to no current during the length of our stay. Afternoons are completely different. As marked above with ^^, the afternoon dive on the second day to Bojahamadi was a terrible experience for me. Not only were there strong currents, but also surf and surge. Considering myself a pretty environmentally friendly person, during this dive, my life mattered more than the destruction I was causing. I held onto the coral for dear life. This is the second time I've had to do this during my trips to the Maldives.
Unless you enjoy being tossed around and surrendering all control to the whim of the ocean, you better ask the shop about water conditions before signing up for any dive. Personally, I enjoy diving when I can relax and stop to take pictures whenever I want.
On another note, my favorite dive for this trip is marked with **, Dega Thila. Even though we went to this site for the afternoon dive, there was very little current and it was beautiful. Lots of arches/tunnels to dive through. Stunning overhangs. The first few pictures above are from this site. I only wish I had learned how to adjust my camera setting then so the pictures could at least do it some justice. Oh well.
Another positive about diving at Constance Moofushi is you get FREE nitrox as long as you are certified. Most other places will charge per tank that you use. To me, diving nitrox to air is comparable to breathing the crisp, fresh mountain air to breathing L.A.'s smog infested air.
Resort
4 out of 5 Rating.
Located in the Maldives, there is no doubt Constance Moofushi is a beautiful resort. The ambiance, layout, and architecture are all as one would expect in a luxurious and exotic place. The only fitting description is postcard perfect.
I didn't take pictures of the resort as a whole, but I do have some pictures of the room and the beach in my old post from 2012 here.
The food is buffet style in the main eating area, but you always have the option of going to their restaurant next to the spa (which, frankly, is overpriced on top of an already overpriced spending base, if that even makes sense). I suggest using the complimentary coupons for the restaurant from management for your last dinner at the resort. Kind of makes it a little more special, like a farewell meal.
The food at the buffet is usually good. It helps a lot that they have a variety of options to choose from. I always look forward to their dessert section to see what they would come up with that day. The food at the restaurant is only okay and the menu is limited, which, combined with the price, doesn't warrant a second visit beyond the one complimentary meal.
The spa is amazing! Very relaxing, clean, and comfortable. The masseuses are professional, polite, and respectful. I have nothing bad to say about this section of the resort.
There are a variety of water sport for everyone to enjoy. But that's really all they have. It's a small island in the middle of the ocean, don't expect anything that doesn't involve water. So if you don't enjoy doing aquatic activities, don't come here. Sun bathing can only keep you entertained for so long. Plus, it's SCORCHING hot outside eight hours of the day. I can barely stand tanning for more than 30 minutes under a beach umbrella and I'm from Thailand!
They do have a great selection and variety of movies in the room with the television. But you're not paying this much money to be cooped up inside being a bum watching movies you didn't get a chance to see on the big screen...right? Although, I must admit, I did watch a couple movies over the course of the seven days that I was there.
Summary
Overall, the Maldives is a great vacation spot, if you can afford it. It is a place catered for honeymoons, anniversaries, relaxation, and luxuries. You will either feel super pampered at the end of your trip or totally out of place. There seems to be an unspoken competition among the women/wives on who could look the best in beachwear during meal hours, which is a very interesting thing to observe especially when they start wearing heels on an island full of sand. I'm actually surprised I haven't seen anyone with a sprained ankle. Those ladies are pros, man!
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