A unique way to experience the Maldives and a wonderful complement to your land adventure at one or both of the Four Seasons Maldivian resorts, Four Seasons Explorer allows avid divers, water enthusiasts, nature lovers and 21st-century explorers to discover remote shores and rarely visited dive/snorkelling sites among the untouched reaches of the exotic atolls.

We bid farewell to The Four Seasons Kuda Harra to experience the next part of our journey; a three day cruise on board the luxury Four Seasons Explorer. The three-story catamaran is intimate and impressive, and we're welcomed onboard by staff with a welcome drink. Recently refurbished, it's a vision of understated luxury and contemporary accents for just 22 guests in ten staterooms.

We find our stateroom beautifully appointed and large windows open to an ever-changing view.

Our three night itinerary takes us to remote beaches and secluded islands, dream dive spots and cultural and historic ports. Because the boat is smaller than others, it gains access where others can't, meaning we're able to visit traditional villages. It's a cultural experience where we interact with the locals, watch traditional dance and buy local arts and crafts. It becomes one of the most interesting experiences of out trip.

Three days on the catamaran pass like a blur. Perfect, sun filled days are spent relaxing on the upper deck by the Jacuzzi, or enjoying a massage from the resident therapist on the upper deck in the private, open-air spa. We stop for daily scuba diving in world class locations, where turtles, manta ray, whale sharks and an array of fish excite even the most experienced diver.

Although there is a library filled with a large selection of CD's, DVD's, books and magazines, it is the pull of the endless blue of the ocean which keeps us mostly on the outdoor decks.

We mix with interesting people from across the world as we watch the sun set with a cocktail in hand.  The food is sublime, varying between buffet and sit-down service, with a highlight being the sand-bank dinner where our toes nestle in the powder soft sand. The communal dining is a surprisingly engaging part of each day, where the conversation is stimulating and the wines impressive, and we finish most nights on the deck, laughing and chatting with other guests until retiring to our own room, sated and relaxed from the sea air and wonderful food.

Our three days at sea comes to an end too soon (mental note: maybe the 5 or 7 day cruise next time), and it is a short sea-plane ride to The Four Seasons Landaa Giraavaru, situated just 30 minutes north of Male. Flying over the sandy islands of the Maldives, the myriad of azure shades is an arresting sight to behold.