Emperor Leo, Maldives

Name: Best of Maldives (Male - Male)
Start: 2026-11-14
End: 2026-11-21
Location: Maldives

9.1 Superb

Nitrox available
Free Nitrox
Jacuzzi / Hot Tub
En-Suite bathrooms
Aircon Cabins
Non-Diver (Snorkeler) Friendly
Warm Water Showers

from $ 247 / day Check dates

“I already did a lot of liveaboards but this one was the best when it comes to service! ”
Steve M, Belgium

Highlights

All port, fuel, and park fees are included
Modern layout with double or twin cabins
Itineraries include The Best of the Maldives, South Central Atolls, and Deep South & Southern Sharks

The Emperor Leo liveaboard offers good value liveaboard diving year-round in the Maldives. She caters to 24 guests in 12 en-suite, air-conditioned cabins. There are eight double or twin cabins on the lower deck, three double or twin cabins on the upper deck, and one large executive suite. On the main deck is the large indoor salon with an entertainment area, bar, and dining room, which leads out to the front deck where the hot tub is. On the upper deck is an outdoor terrace to enjoy a cocktail and watch the sunset, and the upper deck has comfortable loungers for sunbathing in between dives.

The Emperor Leo dive itineraries explore some of the best dive sites in the Maldives. The ever-popular ‘Best of Maldives’ itinerary goes to the iconic sites of North Male, South Male, and Ari Atoll, where divers can enjoy channels, drifts, pinnacles, and the chance to meet mantas, whale sharks, and a wide variety of marine life. Diving takes place from the diving dhoni, giving ample room for getting ready and gear storage. Nitrox is free for certified divers.

Trips aboard Emperor liveaboards include all port and park fees, free Nitrox, and even complimentary wine, while you will never be charged extra for itinerary or fuel surcharges. What you see is what you pay.

Book online today to dive into the Maldives aboard Emperor Leo.

Choose your departure date

Date

Itinerary

Price

Select

20 Jun

8 Days / 7 Nights

30% OFF plus Flexible Terms Offer! €100 deposit, balance due 60 days before travel. Free rescheduling if your flight is cancelled. Valid for bookings made until 31 July 2026. T&Cs apply.

~~$ 2,833~~ $ 1,983 Save 30% -30%

Select Cabin available

27 Jun

8 Days / 7 Nights

30% OFF plus Flexible Terms Offer! €100 deposit, balance due 60 days before travel. Free rescheduling if your flight is cancelled. Valid for bookings made until 31 July 2026. T&Cs apply.

~~$ 2,833~~ $ 1,983 Save 30% -30%

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04 Jul

8 Days / 7 Nights

30% OFF plus Flexible Terms Offer! €100 deposit, balance due 60 days before travel. Free rescheduling if your flight is cancelled. Valid for bookings made until 31 July 2026. T&Cs apply.

~~$ 2,833~~ $ 1,983 Save 30% -30%

Select Cabin only 5 spaces left

11 Jul

8 Days / 7 Nights

30% OFF plus Flexible Terms Offer! €100 deposit, balance due 60 days before travel. Free rescheduling if your flight is cancelled. Valid for bookings made until 31 July 2026. T&Cs apply.

~~$ 2,833~~ $ 1,983 Save 30% -30%

Select Cabin available

12 Sep

8 Days / 7 Nights

Flexible Terms Offer! €100 deposit, balance due 60 days before travel. Free rescheduling if your flight is cancelled. Valid for bookings made until 31 July 2026. T&Cs apply.

$ 2,833

Select Cabin available

19 Sep

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 2,833

FULL

26 Sep

8 Days / 7 Nights

Flexible Terms Offer! €100 deposit, balance due 60 days before travel. Free rescheduling if your flight is cancelled. Valid for bookings made until 31 July 2026. T&Cs apply.

$ 2,833

Select Cabin available

03 Oct

8 Days / 7 Nights

Flexible Terms Offer! €100 deposit, balance due 60 days before travel. Free rescheduling if your flight is cancelled. Valid for bookings made until 31 July 2026. T&Cs apply.

$ 2,833

Select Cabin available

10 Oct

8 Days / 7 Nights

Flexible Terms Offer! €100 deposit, balance due 60 days before travel. Free rescheduling if your flight is cancelled. Valid for bookings made until 31 July 2026. T&Cs apply.

$ 2,833

Select Cabin available

17 Oct

8 Days / 7 Nights

Flexible Terms Offer! €100 deposit, balance due 60 days before travel. Free rescheduling if your flight is cancelled. Valid for bookings made until 31 July 2026. T&Cs apply.

$ 2,833

Select Cabin available

24 Oct

8 Days / 7 Nights

Flexible Terms Offer! €100 deposit, balance due 60 days before travel. Free rescheduling if your flight is cancelled. Valid for bookings made until 31 July 2026. T&Cs apply.

$ 2,833

Select Cabin available

31 Oct

8 Days / 7 Nights

$ 2,833

Select Cabin available

Included: VAT, Environment Tax, Port Fees, Airport Transfer, Drinking Water, Tea & Coffee, Wine with Dinner, Beach BBQ, Full-Board Meal Plan (All meals), Snacks, Diving Package, Nitrox, Land Excursions, Snorkel Gear, Cabin Towels, Deck Towels.

Optional Extras: Dive Insurance (39 EUR per week), Travel Insurance, Gratuities (150 USD), Alcoholic Beverages (5 USD), Soft drinks (3 USD), Nitrox Course (284 USD), Rental Gear, Scuba Diving Courses (101-466 USD), WiFi internet (31 USD).

Book now, pay later: You can easily place your booking online. We will then hold the spaces for you and you can confirm with a payment later.

* Extra fees are shown per person.

Pay by bank transfer or online with

Best Price Guaranteed

Boat features

Jacuzzi / Hot Tub
En-Suite bathrooms
Aircon Cabins
Non-Diver (Snorkeler) Friendly
Warm Water Showers
Air Conditioned saloon
Camera Station
Paid Internet
Charging stations
Indoor Saloon
Library
Audio & video entertainment
Available for Charter
Daily housekeeping

Food & Drinks

Free Wine w/Dinner
Beer available
Wine Available
Full-board Option
Fine Wines Selection
Snacks All Day
Buffet style
Western Food
Local Food

If you have any specific dietary requirements whilst on-board your cruise, you can add this to your special requests on step 2 of the booking form. We advise limiting these requests to religious beliefs or food allergies.

Diving

Nitrox available
Free Nitrox
DIN Adaptors
Rebreather Support
Tenders for diving

Languages Spoken

The crew speaks English, French, and Spanish.

Gear Rental

Equipment is available for rent on this boat. Please provide your rental needs on the booking form. If the rental gear is not included in the price, you will need to pay for it on board the boat. Show prices

Drawings & Vessel Layouts

Cabin Types

Boat Specifications

Year built: 2009

Year renovated: 2012

Length: 35m

Beam: 9.4m

Top speed: 12 knots

Cruising speed: 10 knots

Engines: 500 HP Mitsubishi

Max guests: 24

Number of cabins: 12

Number of bathrooms: 12

Tenders: Large diving dhoni fully equipped with compressors tanks & oxygen kits

Freshwater maker: 12000 liters per day

Boat navigation and safety

Radio VHF/DSC/SSB
Emergency Rafts
Life Vests
Fire Alarm & Fire Extinguishers
Oxygen
First Aid Kits
Satellite & mobile phones
Bilge pump alarm
Crew trained in first aid

Emperor Leo Reviews

9.1 Superb

Vessel

8.7
Crew

8.9
Food

9.7
Diving

9.3
Value

8.9

9.6 Exceptional
Eric R
United States

No regrets on my first Maldives trip. The long plane ride (SFO-SIN-MLE) was the worst part.
Fantastic from stepping on the first boat (dhoni.) Met at the airport, then walked across the street to our dive boat, where we had our gear set up even before reaching the liveaboard boat.
Recommended for
Dive crew was fantastic. All creatures, great and small - Mantas being the greatest. Food was tasty and plentiful, with local flair.
08 Apr, 2026

10 Exceptional
Clémence V
France

At the top!
Awesome trip, no complaints! The sharks were there, life on board was pleasant. Sure, one day I'll put on the fins again aboard the Leo!
Recommended for
The quality of the dives. The quality of the meals. The boat.
12 Mar, 2026

Translated from French

10 Exceptional
Arpita S
India

Extremely exhilarating and comfortable as well!
The interaction with the sea creatures of course. The conversations with different people on board made me learn and experience several new things. All of this and many more things led to a truly wonderful and significantly memorable trip! Thereby, thank you Emperor Divers!
Recommended for
Firstly, the crew (staff, dive guides, etc…).Secondly, the system and well-organised protocols/ briefing. Lastly, the boat itself! for Leo’s a beautiful yacht
01 Jun, 2023

9.6 Exceptional
Ekaterina E
France

Love!
Incredible night dive and snorkel with mantas Close-up interactions with nurse sharks and a lot of shark action Informative lectures about sharks and mantas :)
Recommended for
World-class diving with pelagics, food, Jules!
03 Mar, 2024

10 Exceptional
ANNE B
France

Great diving, great organization, great manager, Jules
All the dives were fabulous, I remember the amount of colors, the variety of fish corals, and the superb side of the manta and shark ball
Recommended for
Rhythm all week long but also the soothing and reassuring side of Jules
27 Jun, 2023

Translated from French

10 Exceptional
Stephane O
France

Safari requins
The program of this diving safari is its great strength. In 2 weeks and 36 dives, we observed a very rich and varied pelagic fauna, with tiger sharks and manta rays as a highlight.
Recommended for
The program of the dives. The comfort of the boat. The professionalism of the crew.
03 Mar, 2025

Translated from French

10 Exceptional
Lucas M
Germany

The crew and the dive team were very professional and the diving was beautiful.
The highlight was having lights on the back of the boat and the mantas came to feed on the plankton. As soon as there were mantas, we jumped in the water and had an amazing dive.
Recommended for
Crew from the boat, channel diving, mantas behind the boat.
05 Aug, 2022

8.8 Fabulous
Dale W
Canada

Everything we expected it to be.
The diving was very good; especially the first shark dive, the first manta dive and the sunset dive. The beach BBQ was nice - unfortunately we were rained out half way through dinner, but it was still fun and a nice break from the boat. It was a very relaxed atmosphere on the boat which was just what we were looking for this trip.
Recommended for
1. Easy to get to from Bangkok (direct flight) 2. Location (what's not to like about the Maldives?) 3. A well organized itinerary and a very good crew that were available to attend to our every request.
03 Apr, 2019

9.2 Superb
Nashreen S
Philippines

It was great
Nitrox divings, food, nice people
Recommended for
1) Variation of dive sites 2) Food was good 3) People on the boat are nice
01 Aug, 2017

9.2 Superb
Nicholas C
United Kingdom

A great trip, great diving, nice boat and good weather
Seeking so many sharks close up was an unforgettable experience as was night diving with the mantas. The visibility underwater was generally outstanding and the water was so warm.
Recommended for
1. the sharks 2. the visibility 3. the boat
03 May, 2024

152 reviews

9.1 Superb
152 Verified Reviews

Sort reviews by:

9.2 Superb
Karoline W
Austria

Great liveaboard, anytime again
Dive guides great, whole crew super friendly, food sensational, rooms simple but clean, bathroom rather in need of renovation
Recommended for
Great reefs, manta rays, reef sharks, whale sharks,
22 Apr, 2023

Translated from German

9.6 Exceptional
Cornelia S
Austria

Perfect liveaboard with a perfect team
Night dive with manta rays, super selected dive spots, great boat, spacious cabins, the food, the friendly crew
Recommended for
The dive sites, the crew and the group
27 Feb, 2020

9.6 Exceptional
Michael C
Norway

Fantastic diving with great group of people
Diving with manta’s and lots of sharks, snorkling with whale shark, bbq on deserted island and great group of people from around the world sharing the same passion.
Recommended for
Diving, crew and guests
14 Jan, 2020

10 Exceptional
Bernd K
Germany

A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME JOURNEY
Since we were only three German divers, we were perfectly positioned in the German team together with Ichelle, who led the tour. The destinations were chosen in such a way that we could observe sharks or manta rays in more than half of the dives. Since there were mostly currents in the channel dives, we were instructed in the behavior beforehand, which was important for me, as I had no experience with drift diving before.The highlight was the night dive on the last evening, where plankton were attracted by light from the boat and lights on the bottom, which was a feast for a group of manta rays. An unforgettable experience.A barbecue evening on the beach and three birthdays with cake rounded off the experience.The food was varied and adapted for Europeans in spiciness.
Recommended for
With Ichelle I surprisingly had a German-speaking, very helpful guide. The dive destinations were perfectly chosen. The food was great.
31 Mar, 2025

9.6 Exceptional
Jeff C
United States

One of, if not the best, dive trips I've taken.
I arrived at the Male airport around 730 AM and waited for the ride to the Leo, as expected. There was a short boat ride to the Leo from the airport. During the trip to the Leo, we were instructed to remove our SCUBA equipment from our luggage and set it up. Upon arrival to the Leo, we were given liquid refreshments along with a short briefing followed by paperwork / documentation verification and cabin assignments. Every evening we were provided times for the next morning's wake-up call, briefing, and departure times to start the dive. Along with this, the information was provided in writing on a white board in the galley/common room. The process and procedures for the briefings and times are well coordinated and thought out. The dive site briefings were as thorough as could be and included options based on water current conditions and directions. The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. They did a very good job at watching the divers and making sure everyone had the best experience possible, to include matching divers based on air consumption rates and certification levels. The boat crew was phenomenal to say the least. They have the process down to a science and never missed a beat. The meals were delicious and well prepared. The boat, including our cabins, was kept clean. Any maintenance issues that popped up were handled immediately. Now for the actual diving. I was not expecting the currents in Maldives and it took some getting used to. Also, I had some weight issues, as the salinity in the Maldives is a lot less than any place I had previously been. Once I got lined out, I was good to go. For most of the dives, visibility was pretty good, 10 to 20 meters on the low side. Pelagics on every dive, with loads of reef and nurse sharks, several whale sharks and manta rays. One of the best dives of my life was at a site called Fish Head. It's a dive with nurse sharks. There were 20 to 25 of them on one dive and they acted like a cross between dolphins and puppies. The closest thing I can say as a negative is there could have been a couple of additional dives. There was only one night dive during the week. Safety is always a top priority. Reminders about No Deco limits are given before every dive. Most of the dives are between 20 and 30 meters. Everyone dives on nitrox and is required to have reef hooks and dive computers. Divers sign or initial a nitrox log before the dive and provides dive depth, time, and pressure remaining at the end of the dive as a means of accountability. So all divers are logged in and out of the water. I have been in the Caribbean, Persian Gulf, Mediterranean and Red Seas. This trip is one of the best experiences I have had in over 300 dives. It is well worth going and I look forward to going again.
Recommended for
The three best things about the trip were the staff/crew, the accommodations, and the aquatic life.
12 Jun, 2019

9.2 Superb
Daisy V
Belgium

Very comfortable, and challenging but cool dives
Challenging dives with the currents, but all the briefings and help from dive guides was very extensive. We learned a lot, and really enjoyed our 17 dives!
Recommended for
Nice people. Comfortable & big cabin. Nice diving.
23 Mar, 2026

8.4 Very good
ALEJANDRO O
Argentina

Excellent
The dedication of the staff to make sure we have a good time.
Recommended for
Staff, food, equipment and dive sites
14 Jan, 2020

Translated from Spanish

9.6 Exceptional
Pedro L
Australia

Fantastic crew in a wonderful trip experience with diverse dive spots. Eva, Patrick and rest of the crew will be the best of your valuable time.
Variaty of diving sites, well combined with an unforgettable BBQ in a island. Lots of sharks, mantas and all Maldives fishes and corals will make the best trip combination.
Recommended for
Crew, boat and jacuzzi!!!
08 Feb, 2017

10 Exceptional
Anthony M
United Kingdom

Truly amazing above and below the water
Truly amazing from start to finish. We seen 7 species of sharks including the infamous whale shark. We had manta cleaning stations, 4 giant mantas on our first dive, donut couldn’t have started any better. The whole trip kept delivering and there is not one thing we would change. The crewe and the guides were fantastic. Food was also amazing and plentiful. I would recommend this trip to everybody. 100% satisfied zone more.. we had been so lucky. Big thank you to Stina our guide must of all, for the incredible guidance. A must do for every diver
Recommended for
Underwater life, the staff and the people we met
03 Dec, 2017

8.0 Very good
Alistair D
United Kingdom

Good boat, great crew and fantastic diving
Channel diving with dozens of Grey Reef Sharks and Eagle Rays. Chance encounters with a Whale Shark, Mobulas, Sailfish and Dolphins. A great week of diving.
Recommended for
Diving, Accomodation, Crew
03 Apr, 2019

8.8 Fabulous
Cassandra H
Singapore

Amazing dives, wonderful company!
We were blessed with amazing weather, great visibility and minimal currents. The abundance of fish took our breaths away! The guides were wonderful and we enjoyed every single dive. They were very helpful and friendly, and we definitely had some interesting conversations during the trip. The dive guides also went beyond when we faced some technical issues with our own personal gear -despite some malfunctions, thanks to them, all dives went on smoothly! It is worthy to note that they even gave a mini "lecture" on manta rays. It was very educational and helped us recreational divers understand marine life a little better. All LOBs should have something like that! The boat could do with a little upgrading/ refurnishing, but all in, this was a 5-star trip!
Recommended for
dive sites, wonderful guides
08 Aug, 2022

9.6 Exceptional
Nico W
Germany

Great experience
The liveaboard was amazing. The only thing was that we expected a bit more dives as liveaboard.com stated around 20-21 dives and we had 17. But the boat the crew the guides everything was super professional, kind and the food was amazing
Recommended for
Dive sites. Crew and guides. The group of guests.
19 Feb, 2025

9.6 Exceptional
Minna K
Finland

Diving with sharks and mantas
Great dives with plenty of marine life, incl. various sharks and mantas, BBQ on a deserted island, beautiful scenery! Very lucky with the weather too, despite the rainy season.
Recommended for
Nice dive guides & crew, exciting marine life, mantas and sharks
16 Jul, 2018

8.4 Very good
Chieyu L
United States

Great crew and channel dives but would have liked a bit more variety.
The channel dives were great for seeing sharks and big schools of fish. The boat itself is clean and comfortable, though the below-deck rooms are kind of humid. Great crew and guides, just would have liked a bit more variety in the site selection. Corals are just so-so.
Recommended for
Divemasters were all great; Cabins comfortable and clean; Good crew
03 Apr, 2019

10 Exceptional
Melody W
Singapore

Magical dive trip in Maldives!
Manta rays that come close to the surface at the back of the boat to play, sharks everywhere and great boat!
Recommended for
The food, the people and the amazingly attentive dive crew
25 Oct, 2018

10 Exceptional
Emmanuel B
France

Absolute happiness
The boat is ultra comfortable, the food varied and delicious, everything is rhythmed in a perfect way, the crews and guides are kind, dedicated and ultra efficient, at the end of the stay the tip becomes a matter of course as their work is fabulous, a special thank you to Ismail our guide, who knows the ocean like the back of his hand and made us live intense emotions. Finally, particular attention is paid to the respect of nature and animals, a rather marked sense of ecology ends up delighting us.Thank you!
Recommended for
Night diving with mantas, whale sharks, barbecue on the beach
29 Jan, 2020

8.8 Fabulous
Giuseppe D
Italy

Quality and money spent at perfect balance
Great organization, amazing places and spots. Team always available!
Recommended for
Team, locations, planning
14 Jan, 2020

10 Exceptional
Andrea K
Germany

Unbelievably great trip
All around perfect week with lots of great dives, delicious food, beautiful sunsets on the beach. Crew was very accommodating.
Recommended for
Swimming with nurse sharks, dives, very tasty food
28 Jun, 2024

10 Exceptional
Anonymous
Australia

An amazing value for money dive experience
Dive highlight was definitely the dive with the nurse sharks and the night dive with mantas. Not having ever done a liveaboard dive trip before I didn’t really know what to expect but found the entire experience an amazing trip. The staff and crew couldn’t do enough to assist whenever needed, the food was amazing with a buffet selection at every meal including catering for gluten free requirements, and with a total of 17 dives across the week we were never too long out of the water. A week of dive-eat-sleep repeated again and again. A week I feel privileged to have been part of.
Recommended for
Variety of dives, variety of marine life, small dive groups
21 Aug, 2019

9.6 Exceptional
Andrew D
Australia

Superb
Absolutely superb trip. A clean,comfortable and well maintained boat. Varied and tasty food. Friendly, obliging and discreet crew. 17 interesting and differing dives including an extraordinary night dive with mantas. Rented scuba gear in flawless condition. Exceeded our expectations. Well done and thank you all.
Recommended for
Dive variety, fish life, dive guide
16 Jul, 2019