Maldives Active Adventure tour
Maldives Active Adventure tour
Maldives Active Adventure tour
8 Days Starting and ending in 4.188170,73.536515
Visiting: Maldives
Tour operator:
Tour code:
163
Specialist Group:
18-30 Somethings
Guide Type:
Fully Guided
Group size:
1 - 12
Age range:
8-95
Special diets catered:
Request dietary needs
Tour operated in:
EnglishTrip Styles:
Tour Overview
The Maldives is rightly known as a tropical paradise and attracts sun worshippers and luxury resort lovers from around the world. However, the Maldives is also fast becoming a great destination for thrill-seeking adventure and water based activities. These include incredible snorkelling and scuba diving, great surfing and windsurfing, sea kayaking safaris and much, much more.
Our Maldives Active Adventure tour takes you by sea plane from the cosmopolitan capital of Male to the local island of Gan and the surrounding atolls and islands in search of water bound adventures. Lammu atoll was also used as the location for the planet Scarif in the recent Star Wars Rogue One film. Activities included are snorkelling and scuba diving, whether that be an introductory dive or certified dive; a kayaking safari stopping at picturesque sandbars and deserted islands; exploring the local island by jeep and bicycle for a up close look at the local culture; and a try at stand up paddle boarding. There's also plenty of free time to add in more of the activities that you enjoy the most, as well as picnics and beach barbecues.
Private tour option
If our scheduled departure dates don’t work for you, or you would prefer not to travel with a group, then we can also run this tour privately for you. Please contact us for more information and prices.
Highlights
Itinerary
Day 1: Arrive In Male: Transfer To Gan
Accommodation Name: Gan Guesthouse - Reveries guesthouse or similar
Meals Included: Dinner
Upon arrival at Male International Airport you will be greeted by our representative and transferred by Domestic flight to the island of Gan, in the southern atoll of Laamu and onto Reveries Guesthouse which will be your base for the week. Approximately 35 minutes by domestic plane from Male International Airport, Gan Island in Laamu Atoll is the biggest island of the Maldivian Archipelago, with the longest beach existing in the Maldives (7.8km of white sandy beach). Lammu atoll was also used as the location for the planet Scarif in the recent Star Wars Rogue One film.
Reveries is built in a unique contemporary Maldivian style nestled in a beautiful garden setting on a lovely beachfront location. This 4* property with 23 rooms has been welcoming guests from all parts of the world to explore the hidden treasure of untouched reefs, and discover the ancestral heritage of the locals islanders. Reveries offers full services and facilities for a great holiday experience and a comfortable, relaxing holiday destination. Complete with a restaurant, roof top mocktail bar, garden BBQ, Boutique, Gym, Entertainment area, plunge pool and wellness centre, Reveries offers a unique experience. Female guests are also able to sunbathe in bikinis within the confines of the hotels private beach/garden area.
Settle in after your flight before taking your first steps on the sands of this tropical paradise or explore the facilities of the guesthouse.
Pre -dinner group briefing.
Single Room Supplement (payable if no same-sex room share available), Extra night in Hulhumale
Day 2: Kayak Safari: Snorkelling And Picnic Lunch
Accommodation Name: Gan Guesthouse - Reveries guesthouse or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Following breakfast served at the guesthouse the day will be spent sea kayaking, providing opportunity to explore the east side of the atoll. You will be coached on how to paddle and manoeuvre the kayak before heading off into the inner atoll. There will be plenty of time to stop off at sandbanks and uninhabited islands to snorkel and gain your first experience of the amazing underwater world of the Maldives. A picnic lunch will be eaten and there will be time to relax before heading back to Gan.
The remainder of the afternoon is free for you relax on the beach, snorkel the house reef or just chill in the plunge pool.
Day 3: Jeep Discovery Safari & Hedika Experience
Accommodation Name: Gan Guesthouse - Reveries guesthouse or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Today the morning is free is free for you relax on the beach, snorkel the house reef or just chill in the plunge pool.
This afternoon you will have the opportunity to explore the island of Gan by jeep. Gan has some unique features such as a fresh water lake in its middle (the Red Lake, so-named because of its red colour water from the tree-leaves falling into it) that was believed to be bottomless, as well as some ancient Buddhist ruins. You will visit a number of historical place and learn more about the history of the Maldives and local life, even visiting a fish factory and a local vegetable farm. The trip will end with a visit to a local café to sample traditional ‘hedika’ - Maldivian savoury and sweet short eats served with black tea.
Day 4: Scuba Diving
Accommodation Name: Gan Guesthouse - Reveries guesthouse or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Today is your chance to give SCUBA diving a go! Reveries dive club is a PADI registered dive school operated by Europeans and locals and was the first PADI scuba diving and water sports centre on a local island in Laamu Atoll. For those who have not dived before we offer a Discover Scuba Diving Course where you learn the basic safety guidelines and skills needed to dive under the direct supervision of a PADI Professional. You will complete two dives from the shore. Qualified divers can take 2 dives by boat to explore this virtually untouched paradise.
If you don't want to do any scuba-diving, then please advise us before you depart and an extra snorkelling boat trip can be provided instead at no extra cost.
Day 5: Stand Up Paddle Board: Explore The Island By Bicycle
Accommodation Name: Gan Guesthouse - Reveries guesthouse or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
This morning you head out to the water for the opportunity to learn to stand up paddle. With an instructor, learn and practice the skills required on land before testing them on the water. After lunch together with your guide we explore the northern parts of Gan by bicycle. Ride along the Link Road, a boulevard of palm trees connecting Gan to the islands of Fonadhoo, Kadhdhoo and Maandhoo, which together make up the largest local community settlement in the Maldives. At the end of your journey be rewarded with fresh coconut water known locally as ‘kurumba’.
Day 6: Free Day
Accommodation Name: Gan Guesthouse - Reveries guesthouse or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner
Following breakfast served at the guesthouse the day is yours to enjoy as you please, relax on the beach or for those feeling energetic practise some of their new found skills. Optional diving trips can be organised for certified divers and a visit to the resort of Six Senses can be organised (subject to availability).
Day 7: Picnic Island And Bbq
Accommodation Name: Gan Guesthouse - Reveries guesthouse or similar
Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
Following breakfast served at the guesthouse we head to a private uninhabited island with a guide, where you can choose to relax, sunbathe, swim or snorkel the beautiful waters whilst a BBQ lunch is prepared. After lunch more of the same before returning to Gan. Fruit cocktails will be served at sunset before a farewell dinner.
Day 8: Transfer To Male Airport For Departure
Meals Included: Breakfast
After breakfast you are transferred back to Male by domestic flight (please arrange flights departing Male in the afternoon or evening). Those travellers booking a resort extension will transfer from Male airport on to their resort via the resort's own transfer boat. Our local representative will assist you with meeting this transfer though there may be a short wait depending on the resort boat's schedule. Extra nights' accommodation are available in Hulhumale if you need to catch a departure flight tomorrow morning.
Island resort extensions, Extra nights in Hulhumale, Day-use room & airport transfers in Hulhumale
What's Included
What's Not Included
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- International Flights (available on request)
- Travel insurance (compulsory, available on request)
- Single room supplements (chargeable if a same-sex room share is not available)
- Meals not indicated in the itinerary
- Drinks, snacks, tips and other personal expenses (eg. laundry)
- Extra optional activities
- Any other items not mentioned above
Mode of Transport
Domestic flights
Boat trips
Jeep
Accommodation
Local deluxe guesthouse
Gan - Reveries guesthouse or similar
Check out our Q&As
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Are flights included in this tour?
We want to give you as much flexibility as possible when it comes to booking your holiday with us. So, to take account of people with varying travel plans, we don’t include your international flights in the main tour price. We are however very happy to book your flights for you, and our ATOL (UK flight sales license) covers all holidays booked together with a flight from the UK.
Please contact us with your preferred dates and departure airport and we’ll give you a selection of airlines, times and fares to choose from. Your airport arrival & departure transfers are included whether you book your flights independently or through us.
Please plan for your international flights to depart Malé after around 1pm on Day 8, as you need to allow time for your domestic flight to arrive from Gan.
Some resort islands may require an extra sea-plane transfer to be taken if you have an early departure flight from Malé. This will also be at an extra cost - please ask for details. -
What do I need for scuba diving in the Maldives?
The Maldives is rightly famous for the huge variety of different marine life you can see around the various islands, lagoons, coral reefs and shipwrecks. Much can be seen from the surface and just below on snorkelling trips. However, going scuba-diving opens up a whole new range of opportunities to see different species, corals and environments. There are many different types of dives available, from high coral walls, to shallow reefs, wrecks, lagoons and some decent shore dives.
You can scuba-dive all year round in the Maldives though during the rainier season of May to November the visibility can be poorer with stronger south westerley winds. Visibility tends to be best between December and April with lower wind speeds from the north east. The water temperature all year round averages a comfortable 28C. Currents are affected by both the tides and winds and can be unpredictable. It is important to listen to your diving guides carefully about this and take particular care if you are diving in an area where strong currents can be expected. The maximum depth allowed for leisure diving in the Maldives is 30m.
Virtually all islands have their own dive centre offering boat trips around that island as well as further afield.
If you are already a qualified diver you should ensure you bring along your log-book to prove your qualification and recent experience. We recommend also bringing your own mask and snorkel for comfort. You can bring further equipment as well but please check with your airline first for any excess baggage costs.
If you are a novice diver and have not got a PADI Open Water or equivalent (or higher) qualification, you can still enjoy scuba-diving in the Maldives and see a wealth of different fish and corals. All dive centres will offer a 'Discover Scuba' experience where you are introduced to the equipment and accompanied underwater one to one with a Dive Master or Instructor. You can do this at many different dive sites, though ones with strong currents will not be available. -
Are the local guides on the tour English speaking?
We have permanent representatives in Malé and Hulhumalé to assist at the start and finish of the tour. One of our local guides is based in Gan and will meet you at the airport on your arrival there and look after you during the tour. Tour guiding in the Maldives is a fairly new concept but our guides are keen, friendly, speak good English, and are delighted to be able to provide tourists with a different experience of the Maldives to the normal resort island holiday. A range of boat crews are also used for the various water-based activities. Fully trained instructors are provided for the water sports activities where required.
At Encounters Travel we aim to only use local tour guides as we feel this gives you the best experience of the country and the sites you are seeing as well as supporting the local population. -
Is travel insurance compulsory?
Yes! Travel insurance is compulsory on all of our tours and needs to cover personal accident & liability, medical expenses and repatriation, travel delay & abandonment. We also strongly recommend that you take out cover against cancellation and lost/stolen baggage. Personal medical insurance does not normally provide sufficient cover and is generally not suitable for travel on our tours. You will not be able to join your tour if you have not provided us with details of your insurance or if you arrive without cover in place (no refunds will be due in this event).
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What happens if I need to change my holiday date once I’ve booked?
You are always able to change your travel date. However, some charges may apply depending on how long before your departure you make the change. Our flexible booking conditions and reduced charges will apply if you are changing date because of a Covid-19 reason or because your government is advising against travel to your destination. Please check our detailed booking conditions for full details.
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When is my balance payment due?
60 days prior to departure
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Do you operate a “single share” option and how does it work?
On most of our group tours, solo travellers may choose to form a temporary 'tour bubble' and share a room with another traveller of the same sex in the group. If a room share is not available then a single room supplement may be payable, with the costs for these kept as low as possible. We have also removed compulsory single supplements from many of our tours, and are reducing the cost by 50% on s
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Can I transfer my booking to someone else?
Customers may transfer their booking or any Credit on File to another person who satisfies all the relevant conditions to the tour, provided that we are notified not less than 7 days before departure, and the transferee agrees to these booking conditions and all other terms of the contract between us. The Client and new booker are jointly and severally responsible for any outstanding payments and a transfer administration fee of GBP50 / USD75 / CAD100 / AUD100 / NZD100 / EUR75 / ZAR1000 / INR5000 or GBP100 / USD150 / CAD200 / AUD200 / NZD200 / EUR150 / ZAR2000 / INR10,000 if the transfer is made less than 60 days before departure. Important Note: Certain arrangements may not be amended or transferred after they have been confirmed (for example flight tickets, Gorilla Permits) and any alteration could incur a cancellation and rebooking charge of up to 100% of that part of the arrangements.
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Transfer as credit to Future Tours
Encounters Travel allows you to transfer existing payments to a future tour to avoid cancellation fees if you can't travel and inform encounters travel, 60 days before departure.
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Low Deposit
Encounters Travel requires a minimum deposit of 150 GBP per person or the full booking value, whichever is less, with the final balance not due until 60 days before departure.
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Cancellation Policy
We don't charge a cancellation fee, here is a summary of encounters travel charges.
Up to 61 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of deposit.
At 60 days before tour starts: Forfeit 35% of booking price.
At 41 days before tour starts: Forfeit 70% of booking price.
At 27 days before tour starts: Forfeit 90% of booking price.
At 14 days before tour starts: Forfeit 100% of booking price.
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