DISCOVER THE REAL MALDIVES

Experience the Maldives as few visitors ever do with the world’s most intimate Four Season Resort...

Four Seasons Explorer, a three-deck luxury live-aboard, takes a maximum of 22 guests – matched one-to-one by a seasoned crew – on a marine and cultural odyssey into the undiscovered Maldives via three, four and seven-night cruises, or private, customized charters. The fastest and most luxurious live-aboard in the Maldives,Four Seasons Explorer offers scuba divers effortless access to a minimum of three dives a day as part of all-inclusive itineraries that cover some of most sought after locations in the Maldives: untouched reefs, vibrant thilas, exciting channels and wrecks, breathtaking sunrise and night sites, plus seasonal manta ray and whale shark hotspots.

Aside from diving, guests can snorkel, water ski, fish, kayak and sail in virtually untouched waters; savour gourmet cuisine and relax with beachfront barbecues and massages on idyllic sandbanks; spend time with the marine biologist and visit secluded islands for cultural and castaway experiences, historic monuments and isolated arts and crafts villages. Above all, Four Seasons Explorer offers guests the opportunity to experience a side of the Maldives rarely seen by tourists.

Newly refurbished for 2013, on board accommodation ranges from ten large ensuite Staterooms (215 square feet/20 square metres) in luxurious earthy tones to the spacious Explorer Suite (484 square feet/45 metres) – the epitome of indulgence at sea – complete with a wall of windows and its own private deck. In addition, the boat has an extensive dive deck and two sun decks plus a restaurant with indoor and al fresco dining, two bars, a large comfortable lounge and library. There’s even a resident Spa therapist offering natural Asian-inspired therapies from a private treatment area on the upper deck – curtained for privacy yet open to the refreshing sea air – or at any one of the secluded beach locations visited during the cruise. Additional touches from luxury linens to nightly turndown stories, local lacquer-ware gifts and relaxed one-to-one service further enhance the boat’s easy, residential vibe.

Four Seasons Explorer cruises a Northward, Southward and Circuitroute between Four Seasons two Maldivian island resorts on three, four and seven-night itineraries. All the routes explore remote locations selected for their unique marine, cultural and recreational value. The cruise experience is tailored to each individual, whether they are diving in secluded sites, dining on isolated beaches or exploring remote villages, while a ratio of one staff member to every guest ensures seamless and highly personalized service at all times.

Four Seasons Explorer offers as much to see and do above the water as beneath it. Below is a sample itinerary highlighting activities that offer the sense of discovery that only a Four Seasons Explorer cruise can bring:

07:00 Dive option: Sunrise dive
08:00 Breakfast on board
09:00 Cruising and sunbathing on upper deck
11:00 Arrival at island of Kudarikilu: visit the old mosque and see traditional handicrafts such as carpet weaving. Dive option: Kuda Kurathu Thila
12:30 Cruising and lunch on board
14:30 Set anchor at a virgin island and spend a relaxing afternoon on the beach or watersports in the lagoon. Snorkelling trip escorted by a marine biologist
16:00 Dive option(s): Afternoon dive. Alternative: indulge in a massage or read a book
18:00 Sunset fishing trip on local dhoni boat. Alternative: embark on a night dive
20:00 Cocktails on upper deck followed by barbecue dinner on the beach
22:00 Shiptalk briefing and after-dinner drinks in the Lounge