Best Liveaboard Diving Destinations
by Yannick SchrothAug 3, 20266 min read
Photo: Asad Photo Maldives / Pexels.
For the checked numbers and their sources, follow the guide for that place.
How we chose
A liveaboard is chosen by the route, not the boat: which sites the itinerary reaches, in which season, and how much of the trip is spent moving. We weighted access to sites you genuinely cannot day-dive, since that is the only reason to pay for a liveaboard. Chamber distance is worth asking about before booking, and it is a question few operators volunteer.
Raja Ampat
The ultimate liveaboard destination: the richest reefs on earth, reached across remote West Papua.
Richest reefsRead the guide → 8°29′S 119°53′E · IndonesiaLabuan Bajo (Komodo)
Liveaboards reach Komodo's full spread of manta and current sites without long daily transfers.
Mantas, currentsRead the guide → 8°38′N 98°15′E · ThailandKhao Lak (Similan)
The Similan Islands are classic Andaman liveaboard territory, granite swim-throughs and mantas.
Similans, graniteRead the guide → 3°54′N 73°21′E · MaldivesMaldives local islands
Liveaboards link far-flung atolls for mantas and whale sharks; local islands are the budget shore base.
Atolls, big animalsRead the guide → 25°04′N 34°53′E · EgyptMarsa Alam
Southern Red Sea liveaboards reach Elphinstone, the Brothers and deep-south reefs.
Red Sea offshore reefsRead the guide → 4°29′N 118°37′E · MalaysiaSemporna (Sipadan)
Some operators run liveaboard-style trips to Sipadan and the Celebes Sea walls.
Sipadan, wallsRead the guide →Planning a liveaboard trip
- For the richest reefs: Raja Ampat and Komodo.
- For classic warm-water value: the Similans (Khao Lak) and the Maldives.
- Assume little to no connectivity for three to six days at sea, and plan your work around it.
FAQ
What is a liveaboard?
A liveaboard is a dive boat you live aboard for several days, sleeping, eating and diving from it, which lets you reach remote reefs far from any shore base and dive them multiple times a day. It is the only practical way to dive places like Raja Ampat and the Similans properly.
Can I work from a liveaboard?
Realistically, no. Assume little to no usable connectivity for the three to six days you are at sea, so treat a liveaboard as offline time and plan your remote work around it. Base yourself in the gateway town with wifi before and after.
Sources
- Every entry above is drawn from our own destination guide for that place, and the claims here are the ones those guides already verify: Raja Ampat, Labuan Bajo (Komodo), Khao Lak (Similan), Maldives local islands, Marsa Alam, Semporna (Sipadan).