Komodo

SAMPLE ITINERARY

DAY 1 : EMBARKATION IN BALI

DAY 2 : PULAU MOYO
Moyo is a small island located off the northern coast of Sumbawa, west Nusa Tenggara and is inhabited by about 6,000 people, it offers spectacular coral and crystal clear waters for good diving possibilities. Moyo Island is a natural reserve: bush walking in the tropical forest of the reserve provides views of plants and animals such as deer, wild ox, boar, koak kaok, (kind of sparrow), the cockatoo bird, and the protected "GOSONG" bird.

DAY 3 : PULAU BANTA
Gili Banta has some of the most amazing dive sites to be found anywhere in the world. Cliffs with beautiful colours of coral covering the walls like wallpaper.

DAYS 4-9 : KOMODO NATIONAL PARK
On of the worldʼs top 5 diving destinations! An extremely rich biodiversity born of a land of contrasts: life-carrier currents and water temperature jolts generate a uniquely thriving underwater scene: iridescent shallow reefs, pinnacles, current-swept deep water sea mounts and walls patrolled by oceanic fish and inhabited by a vast array of critters.

DAY 10 : PULAU SANGEAN
Sangeang is an active volcano whose steep, conical slopes extend up to a nearly 2,000m peak. Lava flows are occasionally visible on its flanks. This island lies between Komodo and Sumbawa island. Sangeangʼs black volcanic sands offer underwater photographers a wonderfully contrasting background for fish and other critters, with streams of bubbles rising from the sands here and there due to the volcanic activity. A wealth of sea life can be found in the coral reefs around Sangeang, including nudibranchs and flatworms.

DAY 11 : PULAU SATONDA
This small island is as famous for its fruit bats as it is for its diving. Every night around sunset, millions of bats take off from here as they head to Sumbawa for a nights feeding. Underwater the sandy bottom in sheltered bays offer a great opportunity for some evening muck diving with sparse coral patches home to a large array of critters. Can you spot the extremely rare clown frogfish, Nudibranchs, Pipe Fish. Even Scorpion Leaf Fish, Ghost Pipe Fish and Boxer Crab can be seen here.

DAY 12 : DISEMBARKATION IN BALI

Banda Sea

FLORES & ALOR
• Widespread muck diving, volcanoes and unexplored coral gardens
• Your craving for adventure will be fulfilled while sailing on the Arenui Liveaboard in these awe-inspiring waters full of unexplored treasures
• World record! A scientific expedition recorded 1,200 species of fish, including some new to science, all found in Maumere Bay alone!
• Encounter sharks and large schools of fish at Pantar Island. Enjoy one of the world’s highest concentrations of critters in Maumere Bay. Explore Japanese World War II wrecks lying just off the coast of Flores and discover some of the rare and still
unexplored sites dotting this area.
• The remarkable sights of incredibly large soft corals with magnificent colors will take your breath away.
The expanse of vast hard coral formations and the variety of new marine creatures will undoubtedly stimulate and add to your underwater knowledge.
• The memories of your vacation in Flores and Alor are sure to include the views of amazing landscapes and local villages. You will have the chance to become better acquainted with some of the local cultures and learn a bit about their traditional beliefs, stick fighting and craftsmanship during shore excursions.

MALUKU
• A macro paradise and regular encounters with pelagics await you! These rarely visited seas can claim some of the world’s richest marine environments, filled with unspoiled corals, tiny critters as well as pelagics. If bizarre and rare creatures are what appeal to you, it is a well-kept secret that dives in the waters around Maluku outshine many of the world’s most famous destinations in terms of the odd and amazing. Maluku’s seas can be considered one of the world’s premier muck capitals with plenty of strange creatures just waiting to be captured by your camera.
• The Banda Islands are not only renowned for presenting picture-perfect views topside, but they are becoming increasingly well known in the diving world for their underwater beauty: extraordinary drop-offs rife with exquisite coral gardens and incredibly rich shallow muck diving

CRUISE: BANDA SEA

Summary:
Embarkation Port : Maumere
Disembarkation Port : Ambon
Arrival Airport : Maumere
Departure Airport : Ambon
Diving Depth : 10-40m
Current : gentle to strong
No. of dive sites : 69
Sea Conditions : calm in Maumere Bay and Alor- it can be rough during Banda Sea crossing
Water Temp. : 25 - 30°C
Cruise Suitability for : intermediate to advanced

SAMPLE ITINERARY

DAY 1 : EMBARKATION IN MAUMERE
DAY 2 : SERBETE REEF - PULAU KOMBA
DAY 3 : LAMALERA
DAYS 4 & 5 : PARTAR STRAIT - ALOR
DAY 6 : PULAU WETAR
DAY 7 : PULAU ROMANG
DAY 8 : PULAU DAMAR
DAY 9 : PULAU SERUA
DAY 10 : PULAU MANUK
DAYS 11 & 12 : BANDA ISLANDS
DAY 13 : AMBON BAY
DAY 14 : DISEMBARKATION IN AMBON


 

Maluku~Banda~Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat
Sparsely populated due to its rugged terrain, the province of West Papua comprises the highest biodiversity on our planet and is also extremely rich in terms of its ethnic diversity.

Views in Raja Ampat can range from a vista of breathtaking karsts emerging from an emerald sea, pristine beaches or the sighting of a war wreck adorned by a healthy covering of coral looming out of a deep blue punctuated by schools of fish circling above a colorful reef.

• The Raja Ampat Islands hold the world record for the highest number of different species found in a single dive: 284 marine species were recorded by Dr. Gerry Allen at Kofiau Island in one single dive!
• 64% (505) of all the world’s known coral species have been found in    the    waters    at Raja Ampat!
• 75% of the world's total species of scleractinian (hard) corals cover Raja Ampat sea beds!

Views in Raja Ampat can range from a vista of breathtaking karsts (unique geological formations on which new species have been known to evolve in response to the distinct features of their environment) emerging from an emerald sea, pristine beaches or the sighting of a war wreck adorned by a healthy covering of coral looming out of a deep blue punctuated by schools of fish circling above a colorful reef.

But just what does "highest biodiversity on the planet" mean in terms of the diving? Basically, very few places can compete with Raja Ampat’s unparalleled and untouched marine environments: underwater caves, mangroves, rainforest fjords inhabited by the most extraordinary and varied underwater life. Also, as Raja Ampat is supported by currents extremely rich in plankton, huge schools of fish and shoals of pelagics are a regular sight. Fans of macro and strange creatures are sure to get their fill as well with the sight of many oddballs, big and small, awaiting them on every dive. The coral reefs in Raja Ampat are renowned for being home not only to the incredible looking Wobbegong shark but also to the amazing epaulette "walking" shark, which can ideally be observed hunting during a night dive.

Maluku (Ambon, Nusa Lau, Banda Islands)
A macro paradise and regular encounters with pelagics await you! These rarely visited seas can claim some of the world’s richest marine environments, filled with unspoiled corals, tiny critters as well as pelagics. If bizarre and rare creatures are what appeal to you, it is a well-kept secret that dives in the waters around Maluku outshine many of the world’s most famous destinations in terms of the odd and amazing. Maluku’s seas can be considered one of the world’s premier muck capitals with plenty of strange creatures just waiting to be captured by your camera.

The Banda Islands are not only renowned for presenting picture- perfect views topside, but they are becoming increasingly well known in the diving world for their underwater beauty: extraordinary drop-offs rife with exquisite coral gardens and incredibly rich shallow muck diving.

SAMPLE ITINERARY (Sorong-Ambon)
DAY 1 : Sorong
DAY 2 : Dampier Strait
DAY 3 : Batanta
DAY 4 : South East Misool - Wagmab/Farondi
DAY 5 : South East Misool - Boo/Yiliet
DAY 6 : South East Misool - Fiabacet
DAY 7 : Pulau Koon
DAY 8 : BANDA ISLANDS
DAY 9 : BANDA ISLANDS
DAY 10 : Nusa Laut
DAYS 11 & 12 : Ambon Bay
DAY 13 : Ambon

SUMMARY
CRUISE: MALUKU-BANDA-RAJA AMPAT
EMBARKATION PORT : AMBON OR SORONG
DISEMBARKATION PORT : AMBON OR SORONG
ARRIVAL AIRPORT : AMBON OR SORONG
DEPARTURE AIRPORT : AMBON OR SORONG
CURRENT : moderate to strong
DIVING DEPTH : 10-45m
NUMBER OF DIVE SITES : 293
SEA CONDITIONS : can be rough
SUITABLE FOR : intermediate-advanced
VISIBILITY : 10 - 45m
WATER TEMPERATURE : 25 - 31°C

North Raja Ampat

North Raja Ampat

The diving in Northern Raja Ampat can be justly considered to be the most spectacular in a region already known for offering some of the best in the world. It is without a doubt the world's most bio-diverse marine area which translates into the existence of a staggering variety of reefs and marine life, including some found nowhere else on earth.

Live the dream of visiting the most remote and unexplored regions on land and underwater and experience a very different holiday - one free of any signs of development or tourism. And what more wondrous way is there to do
it than by cruising through a stunning natural environment on a classic and sumptuous wooden yacht, all while diving the world’s most amazing reefs!

Whether you prefer macro critters or action packed pelagic dives, the sites here are top-notch. Among the big fish you can expect to see are enormous mantas, massive schools of surgeons and barracuda as well as wobbegong sharks, huge tawny sharks and many others. Macro enthusiasts can see blue-ringed octopus, numerous types of pygmy seahorses, ghost pipefish, frogfish, mandarin fish and a huge variety of strange and wonderful crustaceans.

It’s all about diversity - not only in terms of species, but also of dive vistas. And luckily, the north is generally known for its excellent visibility. In some places, soft corals and sea fans dominate, others boast amazingly diverse hard corals, beds of seagrass, mangroves, shallow reefs, drop- offs, caves, black sand, white sand... Best of all, all of these landscapes are filled with fish, lots of them, in more shapes and sizes than anywhere else in the world. As a bonus, all levels of the food chain are well-represented here – from pygmy seahorses to top predators. At many sites, vibrant soft corals can be found close to the surface which, when illuminated by natural sunlight, make these dive sites spectacularly colourful and a dream for wide-angle photographers.

According to the Conservation International Rapid Assessment Project, the Raja Ampat Islands in the northwest are considered one of the most diverse and pristine reef ecosystems in the world. As a result of their very small human population, which still uses only traditional fishing techniques, and their relative inaccessibility, these islands have managed to preserve their natural immaculate environment. Marine surveys have found over 970 fish species, including a world record of 283 identified on one single dive at Cape Kri. The benchmark of 200 fish species used to determine an excellent dive site was surpassed on 51% of the dives made in Raja Ampat - another world record. Other astounding figures recorded were the presence of 456 coral species (a remarkable 96% of all scleratinia (hard or stony corals) existing in Indonesia are likely to be found in these islands) and 699 mollusk species - another world- high.

In general, most dives are drift dives due to currents in the area. The currents provide nutrients and are what attract and sustain the outstanding quantity and variety of fish life and corals in the area. It is an indescribable sensation to be able to float peacefully along, all the while marvelling at marine life unique to this area as well as an abundant amount of colourful soft corals, healthy reefs, large schools sharks, mantas, dolphins, and even whales and turtles.

Besides superb diving, the northern Raja Ampat region offers some of the most beautiful and dramatic island scenery imaginable. Our itineraries have been designed to encompass sights ranging from virgin rainforests and mangroves to dramatic limestone karsts. The appearance and topography of the islands dotting the landscape will look familiar to anyone who has seen the rock islands of Palau but these will actually look postcard-perfect as they are completely unspoiled. Even better, the interiors of these islands enclose hidden gems but a close look reveals dramatic cliffs, massive cathedral-like caves and tranquil lagoons with crystal white sand and aquamarine waters. It is also possible to admire exotic Birds of Paradise soaring overhead, the most stunning sunsets imaginable and, best of all, there are no other visitors to mar the view.

Although this region has received a lot of attention in recent years for its phenomenal biodiversity it still remains virtually untouched by tourism. By joining our cruises you can be among the first to experience this lost paradise. Unlike many destinations that are “immaculate”, or at least could claim to be ten years ago, our trips will take you to genuinely healthy, unspoiled environments both above and below the water. The time to see Raja Ampat is definitely now!

SAMPLE ITINERARY

DAY 1 : Sorong
DAY 2 : BATANTA
DAY3 : FAM/PENEMU/KERUO
DAY 4 : PULAU KAWE
DAY 5 : PULAU WAYAG
DAY 6 : PULAU SAYANG
DAY 7 : PULAU URANIE
DAY 8 : PULAU AYU
DAY 9 : ALIJU BAY/BATANG PELE
DAY 10 : ARBOREK/Gam/MANSUAR
DAY 11 : DAMPIER STRAIT
DAY 12 : Sorong

Choose Your Activity

• Dive Liveaboards
• Dive Packages
• Island Hopping
• Mountain Bike Tours
• Sailing
• Sailing Cruises
• Snorkeling
• Trekking
• Volcanoes