Raja Ampat National Park South & Central (10 Days / 9 Nights - 24 Dives)
Trip highlights: shark action, manta rays, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: Raja Ampat: Saonek, Dampier Strait, Saporkren, Airborek, Manta Point, Fam, Misool, Fiabacet, Wayilbatan, Pulau Boo, Magic Mountain, Yilliet or Romeo, Daram Islands, walk to see birds of paradise, visit to the village of Airborek, view point in Penemu Island, visit the blacktip reef shark nursery beach in Yiliet
Day 1
The Ondina departs after all guests have been picked up and transferred to the boat from Sorong Airport or local hotel. A boat and safety briefing, a delicious lunch, a check dive, and a tasty dinner are all included in the first day of your vacation. The fun has just started!
Days 2-9
Wake up and come out of your comfortable cabin to have some tea and biscuits in the dining room. Depth, currents, potential marine encounters, and security devices are covered during the dive briefing that introduces the 1st morning dive. You will hear 3 other dive briefings on most days, as there is also a 2nd morning dive, an afternoon dive and a sunset or night dive that concludes the underwater action for the day. Some other days the 4th dive will be replaced by a pleasant walk on a deserted beach or a visit to a nearby fishing village.
A breakfast of toast, cereals, omelette and French toast, plus fresh fruits are served after the first dive of the day. A 3 meal lunch is served around 12:30 hrs in the dining room, while dinner is after the night dive and features hot soup, a choice between 2 main courses, and a delicious homemade dessert. After dinner a photo show about the diving encounters of the day gather all divers in the saloon for enchanting exchanges of ideas of fish names and memories from previous trips.
You will travel through the Raja Ampat National Park, from the island of Waigeo in the north to Misool in the south. This area holds the record of the highest number of underwater species counted in a single dive. The reefs have amazing marine biodiversity, with more than 400 species of corals. Numerous wrecks from the Second World War are also a perfect playground for scuba divers like you.
Only 2 morning dives are scheduled for the last full day of the trip as in the afternoon Ondina starts its way back to Sorong where the liveaboard will spend the night moored in the harbour.
Day 10
Leave the boat in the morning, after a continental breakfast and farewells to the crew and your dive buddies. Back to Sorong Airport or your hotel, depending on your post-trip plans.
Raja Ampat, Lembeh & Halmahera (12 Days / 11 Nights - 30 Dives)
Trip highlights: shark action, manta rays, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: Raja Ampat: Green Light, Kri, Mioskon, Sardine Reef, Cape Kri, Red Bird of Paradise, Mikes Point, Airborek, Misool, Farondi, Fiabacet, Boo, Wayibatan, Pulau Pisang, Halmahera: Patintie Straits, Rics Rock, Goraichi Islands, Pulau Goweba, Pantai Sago, Lembeh Strait, Angel's Window, WWII Japanese Wreck, Hairball, Bangka Island. Visit the Tangkoko Nature Reserve to see the tarsiers.
Day 1
The SMY Ondina staff will wait for your arrival at Sorong airport and take you to the nearby harbour to embark on the amazing SMY Ondina liveaboard. Relax and drink a welcome fruit juice while the tour leader introduces the boat, facilities and crew. There might be a check dive in the afternoon, in a nearby bay, but it depends on the guest arrival times. Nevertheless, set up your dive gear on the dive deck and wait for dinner to be served. Your diving vacation has just started!
Days 2-11
Wake up and come out of your comfortable cabin to have some tea and biscuits in the dining room. Depth, currents, potential marine encounters, and security devices are covered during the dive briefing that introduces the 1st morning dive. You will hear 3 other dive briefings on most days, as there is also a 2nd morning dive, an afternoon dive and a sunset or night dive that concludes the underwater action for the day. Some other days the 4th dive will be replaced by a pleasant walk on a deserted beach or a visit to a nearby fishing village.
A breakfast of toast, cereals, omelette and French toast, plus fresh fruits are served after the first dive of the day. A 3 meal lunch is served around 12:30 hrs in the dining room, while dinner is after the night dive and features hot soup, a choice between 2 main courses, and a delicious homemade dessert. After dinner a photo show about the diving encounters of the day gather all divers in the saloon for enchanting exchanges of ideas of fish names and memories from previous trips.
You will travel through the Raja Ampat National Park, from the island of Waigeo in the north to Misool in the south. This area holds the record of the highest number of underwater species counted in a single dive. The reefs have amazing marine biodiversity, with more than 400 species of corals. Numerous wrecks from the Second World War are also a perfect playground for scuba divers like you.
Located in the heart of the Coral Triangle, Halmahera is the largest island of the Maluku’s. The marine biodiversity is exceptional and its pristine coral reefs offer exceptional conditions for scuba diving and snorkeling; it is a secret gem with so much still to be discovered. You will have the chance to do some wreck diving and experience some of the best coral gardens that Indonesia has to offer. Dive sites range from ridges, pinnacles, caverns, swim-throughs, muck and ancient volcanoes, creating a diversity of diving and coral habitats. Schooling reef fish such as spadefish and surgeonfish, and bait balls attract numerous hunters, tunas, and mackerel and you can also search under docks for critters. Other encounters can include hammerheads, barracuda, oceanic whitetip sharks, mantas, mobulas, bumphead parrotfish, trevallies, Napoleon wrasse, bonitos and wahoo.
No place on the planet gives you the chance to see more shy critters such as the mimic octopus, flamboyant cuttlefish, harlequin shrimps, skeleton shrimps, seahorses, frogfish and innumerable nudibranchs than the Lembeh Strait. Day after day you will want to extend your bottom time!
On the last full day of the tour there are only 2 dives scheduled since the boat needs to make its way to Bitung port.
Day 12
Time for farewells as you have reached the end of your safari. Enjoy breakfast with your fellow divers before heading to Manado airport or hotel, depending on your travel plans.
Note these trips sometimes run in reverse so please study the departure information.
Raja Ampat, Banda Sea & Ambon (11 Days / 10 Nights - 30 Dives)
Trip highlights: shark action, manta rays, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: Raja Ampat: Misool, Daram, Baby Rock, Nudi City, Boo Rocks, Yillet, Fiabacet, Tank Rock, Whale Rock, Shadow Reef, Koon, Banda Islands: Karang Hatta, Banda Neira, Ai, Run, Lava Flow, Gunung Api, cultural visit, Batu Kapal, Soanggi, Nusa Laut, Ameths Knoll, Ambon: Twilight Zone
Day 1
The Ondina departs after all guests have been picked up and transferred to the boat from Sorong Airport or local hotel. A boat and safety briefing, a delicious lunch, a check dive, and a tasty dinner are all included in the first day of your vacation. The fun has just started!
Days 2-10
Wake up and come out of your comfortable cabin to have some tea and biscuits in the dining room. Depth, currents, potential marine encounters, and security devices are covered during the dive briefing that introduces the 1st morning dive. You will hear 3 other dive briefings on most days, as there is also a 2nd morning dive, an afternoon dive and a sunset or night dive that concludes the underwater action for the day. Some days the 4th dive will be replaced by a pleasant walk on a deserted beach or a visit to a nearby fishing village.
A breakfast of toast, cereals, omelette and French toast, plus fresh fruits are served after the first dive of the day. A 3 meal lunch is served around 12:30 hrs in the dining room, while dinner is after the night dive and features hot soup, a choice between 2 main courses, and a delicious homemade dessert. After dinner a photo show about the diving encounters of the day gather all divers in the saloon for enchanting exchanges of ideas of fish names and memories from previous trips.
You will travel to some less known dive sites while touring around the Banda Islands with high chances to see endemic species like the Ambon scorpionfish, or be surrounded by dogtooth tuna, and spot shy mobula rays swimming out in the blue. This cruise will be a blast! There will also be a land visit to Banda Neira, one of the Banda Islands, for a visit to a local market, the museum and a nutmeg plantation.
Only 2 morning dives are scheduled for the last full day of the trip, when the liveaboard will head back to port.
Day 11
Leave the boat in the morning after breakfast, after a continental breakfast and farewells to the crew and your dive buddies. Transfer to Ambon Airport or your hotel, depending on your post-trip plans.
Note these trips sometimes run in reverse or use different ports so please study the departure information.
Banda, Ambon, Alor & Forgotten Islands (12 Days / 11 Nights - 33 Dives)
Trip highlights: hammerhead sharks, shark action, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: Ambon: Twilight Zone, Pantai Nama; Pulau Suanggi, Banda Islands: Karang Hatta, Banda Neira, Ai, Run, Lava Flow, Gunung Api, cultural visit, Batu Kapal; Pulau Serua, Duisburgh, Nil Desperandum, Gili Manuk, Pulau Teun, Nus Leur, Terbang Utara, Terbang Selatan, Wetar, Reong, Alor: Kalabahi Bay. Cultural visit around Banda Neira
Day 1
The Ondina departs after all guests have been picked up and transferred to the boat from Ambon airport or local hotel. A boat and safety briefing, a delicious lunch, a check dive and a night dive, and a tasty dinner are all included in the first day of your vacation. The fun has just started!
Days 2-10
The Banda Sea deserves its reputation as one of the world's best dive regions and the Banda Islands never fail to deliver great diving on colourful and thriving coral reefs that attract hundreds of different species of fish. Dogtooth tuna and mobula rays, whales and dolphins, banded sea kraits, massive schools of fusiliers, there is an extraordinary variety of marine life and the sheer volume of fish life is astonishing. Ambon Bay is a centre for incredible muck diving and tiny critters. It is famed for its endemic Ambon scorpionfish, plus Halimeda ghostpipefish, spiny devilfish, rhinopias, waspfish, fingered dragonets, flamboyant cuttlefish, and a huge range of morays.
The Forgotten Islands are a truly remote and thrilling 'frontier' dive destination. Deep in the Moluccas of Eastern Indonesia, its isolation has meant thriving marine life. Expect walls with extremely healthy coral reefs and immaculate seamounts. 'Big stuff' can include schooling hammerheads, silvertip, white and black tip reef sharks, Napoleon wrasse, mobula rays, bumphead parrotfish, eagle rays, turtles, thresher sharks, along with schooling jacks, barracuda, surgeonfish and fusiliers. 'Small stuff' includes pygmy seahorses, nudibranchs, ghost pipefish, octopus, triggerfish, lionfish, scorpionfish and dragon shrimps.
Wake up and come out of your comfortable cabin to have some tea and biscuits in the dining room. Depth, currents, potential marine encounters, and security devices are covered during the dive briefing that introduces the 1st morning dive. You will hear 3 other dive briefings on most days, as there is also a 2nd morning dive, an afternoon dive and a sunset or night dive that concludes the underwater action for the day. Some other days the 4th dive will be replaced by a pleasant walk on a deserted beach or a visit to a nearby village.
A breakfast of toast, cereals, omelette and French toast, plus fresh fruits are served after the first dive of the day. A 3 meal lunch is served around 12:30 hrs in the dining room, while dinner is after the night dive and features hot soup, a choice between 2 main courses, and a delicious homemade dessert. After dinner a photo show about the diving encounters of the day gather all divers in the saloon for enchanting exchanges of ideas of fish names and memories from previous trips.
Only 2 morning dives are scheduled for the last full day of the trip as in the afternoon since the liveaboard starts its way to port, where it will spend the night moored in the harbour.
Day 11
Arise to a continental breakfast, goodbyes and more photos with the crew. Then you will be transferred to Alor airport or your hotel. The cruise director will also help you with check in procedures.
Note these trips sometimes run in reverse or use different ports so please study the departure information.
Raja Ampat National Park North & Central (10 Days / 9 Nights - 24 Dives)
Trip highlights: shark action, manta rays, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: Raja Ampat: Pulau Saonek, Dampier Strait, Mioskon, Sawandarek, Cape Kri, Gam, Mansuar, Yengefo, Airborek, Jef Fam, Aljui Bay, Kawe, Wayag, pearl farm visit, walk to see birds of paradise, village visit, climb on Wayag Island.
Day 1
The Ondina departs after all guests have been picked up and transferred to the boat from Sorong Airport or local hotel. A boat and safety briefing, a delicious lunch, a check dive, and a tasty dinner are all included in the first day of your vacation. The fun has just started!
Days 2-9
Wake up and come out of your comfortable cabin to have some tea and biscuits in the dining room. Depth, currents, potential marine encounters, and security devices are covered during the dive briefing that introduces the 1st morning dive. You will hear 3 other dive briefings on most days, as there is also a 2nd morning dive, an afternoon dive and a sunset or night dive that concludes the underwater action for the day. Some other days the 4th dive will be replaced by a pleasant walk on a deserted beach or a visit to a nearby fishing village.
A breakfast of toast, cereals, omelette and French toast, plus fresh fruits are served after the first dive of the day. A 3 meal lunch is served around 12:30 hrs in the dining room, while dinner is after the night dive and features hot soup, a choice between 2 main courses, and a delicious homemade dessert. After dinner a photo show about the diving encounters of the day gather all divers in the saloon for enchanting exchanges of ideas of fish names and memories from previous trips.
You will travel through the central and northern regions of Raja Ampat National Park, from the Dampier Strait to Wayag. It is considered the most diverse marine region in the world and many experienced divers say it’s the best destination on the planet. The variety and health of corals, fish and other marine creatures is staggering - both large and small. Endemic wobbegongs, epaulette sharks, blacktip reef sharks, oceanic manta rays, schools of trevallies and barracudas, bumphead parrotfish, turtles, jawfish, huge schools of fish, are all commonly encountered. The amazing macro life includes peacock mantis shrimps, soft coral crabs, shrimps, nudibranchs, pygmy seahorses, pipefish; new and as yet unnamed species are being discovered all the time.
Only 2 morning dives are scheduled for the last full day of the trip as in the afternoon Ondina starts its way back to Sorong where the liveaboard will spend the night moored in the harbour.
Day 10
Leave the boat in the morning after a continental breakfast and farewells to the crew and your dive buddies. Back to Sorong Airport or your hotel, depending on your post-trip plans.
Sangalaki, Maratua & Kakaban (9 Days / 8 Nights - 21 Dives)
Trip highlights: whale sharks, manta rays, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, drift diving, off the beaten track
Dive sites and activities: Derawan, Maratua, Karang Muaras,the bagans, Pulau Sambi. Sangalaki, Pulau Samama, Kakaban, Jellyfish Lake, visit turtle conservation centre, norkel the natural canyon of Halo Tabung, optional visit to the mangrove and proboscis monkey conservation park
Day 1
The Ondina departs after all guests have been picked up and transferred to the boat in Berau from the local airport or local hotel. A boat and safety briefing, a delicious lunch, a check dive, and a tasty dinner are all included in the first day of your vacation. The fun has just started!
Days 2-8
Wake up and come out of your comfortable cabin to have some tea and biscuits in the dining room. Depth, currents, potential marine encounters, and security devices are covered during the dive briefing that introduces the 1st morning dive. You will hear 3 other dive briefings on most days, as there is also a 2nd morning dive, an afternoon dive and a sunset or night dive that concludes the underwater action for the day. Some other days the 4th dive will be replaced by a pleasant walk on a deserted beach or a visit to a nearby fishing village.
A breakfast of toast, cereals, omelette and French toast, plus fresh fruits are served after the first dive of the day. A 3 meal lunch is served around 12:30 hrs in the dining room, while dinner is after the night dive and features hot soup, a choice between 2 main courses, and a delicious homemade dessert. After dinner a photo show about the diving encounters of the day gather all divers in the saloon for enchanting exchanges of ideas of fish names and memories from previous trips.
Unforgettable underwater encounters, from manta rays and sharks in Sangalaki, and the chance to see whale sharks as well, non-stinging jellyfish in a fresh water lake in Kakaban, even thresher sharks, loads of turtles and schools of eagle rays when you hit the water in Maratua. Here the often strong current brings nutrients that attract big schools of fish and pelagics like barracuda, trevallies and meaty tunas.
Only 2 morning dives are scheduled for the last full day of the trip as in the afternoon Ondina starts its way on to port.
Day 9
Leave the boat in the morning, after a continental breakfast and farewells to the crew and your dive buddies. Back to Tarakan Airport or your hotel, depending on your post-trip plans.
Note this itinerary may operate in the reverse direction.
Raja Ampat, Lembeh & Halmahera (11 Days / 10 Nights - 27 Dives)
Trip highlights: shark action, manta rays, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: Raja Ampat: Green Light, Kri, Mioskon, Sardine Reef, Cape Kri, Red Bird of Paradise, Mikes Point, Airborek, Misool, Farondi, Fiabacet, Boo, Wayibatan, Pulau Pisang, Halmahera: Patintie Straits, Rics Rock, Goraichi Islands, Pulau Goweba, Pantai Sago, Lembeh Strait, Angel's Window, WWII Japanese Wreck, Hairball, Bangka Island. Visit the Tangkoko Nature Reserve to see the tarsiers.
Day 1
The SMY Ondina staff will wait for your arrival at Sorong airport and take you to the nearby harbour to embark on the amazing SMY Ondina liveaboard. Relax and drink a welcome fruit juice while the tour leader introduces the boat, facilities and crew. There might be a check dive in the afternoon, in a nearby bay, but it depends on the guest arrival times. Nevertheless, set up your dive gear on the dive deck and wait for dinner to be served. Your diving vacation has just started!
Days 2-10
Wake up and come out of your comfortable cabin to have some tea and biscuits in the dining room. Depth, currents, potential marine encounters, and security devices are covered during the dive briefing that introduces the 1st morning dive. You will hear 3 other dive briefings on most days, as there is also a 2nd morning dive, an afternoon dive and a sunset or night dive that concludes the underwater action for the day. Some other days the 4th dive will be replaced by a pleasant walk on a deserted beach or a visit to a nearby fishing village.
A breakfast of toast, cereals, omelette and French toast, plus fresh fruits are served after the first dive of the day. A 3 meal lunch is served around 12:30 hrs in the dining room, while dinner is after the night dive and features hot soup, a choice between 2 main courses, and a delicious homemade dessert. After dinner a photo show about the diving encounters of the day gather all divers in the saloon for enchanting exchanges of ideas of fish names and memories from previous trips.
You will travel through the Raja Ampat National Park, from the island of Waigeo in the north to Misool in the south. This area holds the record of the highest number of underwater species counted in a single dive. The reefs have amazing marine biodiversity, with more than 400 species of corals. Numerous wrecks from the Second World War are also a perfect playground for scuba divers like you.
Located in the heart of the Coral Triangle, Halmahera is the largest island of the Maluku’s. The marine biodiversity is exceptional and its pristine coral reefs offer exceptional conditions for scuba diving and snorkeling; it is a secret gem with so much still to be discovered. You will have the chance to do some wreck diving and experience some of the best coral gardens that Indonesia has to offer. Dive sites range from ridges, pinnacles, caverns, swim-throughs, muck and ancient volcanoes, creating a diversity of diving and coral habitats. Schooling reef fish such as spadefish and surgeonfish, and bait balls attract numerous hunters, tunas, and mackerel and you can also search under docks for critters. Other encounters can include hammerheads, barracuda, oceanic whitetip sharks, mantas, mobulas, bumphead parrotfish, trevallies, Napoleon wrasse, bonitos and wahoo.
No place on the planet gives you the chance to see more shy critters such as the mimic octopus, flamboyant cuttlefish, harlequin shrimps, skeleton shrimps, seahorses, frogfish and innumerable nudibranchs than the Lembeh Strait. Day after day you will want to extend your bottom time!
On the last full day of the tour there are only 2 dives scheduled since the boat needs to make its way to Bitung port.
Day 11
Time for farewells as you have reached the end of your safari. Enjoy breakfast with your fellow divers before heading to Manado airport or hotel, depending on your travel plans.
Note these trips sometimes run in reverse so please study the departure information.
Sangalaki & North Sulawesi (12 Days / 11 Nights - 33 Dives)
Trip highlights: whale sharks, manta rays, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: Sulawesi: Lembeh Strait, Bangka Island, Bunaken National Park, Pulau Bangkil, Karang Merapi, Laimuta Atoll, Pulau Dolangan, Kapas Strait, Simatang, Lintang, Koko; Borneo: Talisayan bagans; Muaras Atoll, Maratua, Kakaban, Sangalaki
Day 1
The SMY Ondina staff will wait for your arrival at Manado Airport and take you to the the port of Bitung to embark on the amazing SMY Ondina liveaboard. Relax and drink a welcome fruit juice while the tour leader introduces the boat, facilities and crew. There might be a check dive in the afternoon and a night dive in the Lembeh Strait, depending on guest arrival times. So set up your dive gear on the dive deck, enjoy the dives, then wait for dinner to be served. Your diving vacation has just started!
Days 2-11
This is a new route that involves a degree of exploration in little visited world class diving regions. Unforgettable underwater encounters await you in Kalimantan, Eastern Borneo. From manta rays and sharks at Sangalaki, and the chance to see whale sharks as well, non-stinging jellyfish in a fresh water lake in Kakaban, even thresher sharks, leopard sharks, loads of turtles and schools of eagle rays when you hit the water in Maratua. Here the often strong current brings nutrients that attract big schools of fish and pelagics like barracuda, trevallies and meaty tuna. Muck divers get more than their fair share of critters in the shallow waters of Derawan, such as pygmy seahorses, frogfish, blue ring octopus, wonderpus, ghost pipefish and shrimp fish.
Elsewhere, Bunaken National Park has some of the best wall diving in the world and visibility is often excellent.. The biodiversity is second to none, from mandarinfish and the smallest commensal shrimp to blacktip reef sharks, Napoleon wrasse and eagle rays. The park is also home to dugongs, and sperm whales migrate through the area.
No place on the planet gives you the chance to see more shy critters such as the mimic octopus, flamboyant cuttlefish, harlequin shrimps, skeleton shrimps, seahorses, frogfish and innumerable nudibranchs than the Lembeh Strait. Day after day you will want to extend your bottom time!
Wake up and come out of your comfortable cabin to have some tea and biscuits in the dining room. Depth, currents, potential marine encounters, and security devices are covered during the dive briefing that introduces the 1st morning dive. You will hear 3 other dive briefings on most days, as there is also a 2nd morning dive, an afternoon dive and a sunset or night dive that concludes the underwater action for the day. Some other days the 4th dive will be replaced by a pleasant walk on a deserted beach or a visit to a nearby fishing village.
A breakfast of toast, cereals, omelette and French toast, plus fresh fruits are served after the first dive of the day. A 3 meal lunch is served around 12:30 hrs in the dining room, while dinner is after the night dive and features hot soup, a choice between 2 main courses, and a delicious homemade dessert. After dinner a photo show about the diving encounters of the day gather all divers in the saloon for enchanting exchanges of ideas of fish names and memories from previous trips.
On the last full day of the tour there are only 2 dives scheduled since the boat needs to make its way to port.
Day 12
Time for farewells as you have reached the end of your safari. Enjoy breakfast with your fellow divers before heading to Tarakan or Berau airport or hotel, depending on your travel plans.
Note these trips sometimes run in reverse or use different ports so please study the departure information.
Banda Sea & Ambon (11 Days / 10 Nights - 30 Dives)
Trip highlights: hammerhead sharks, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: Banda Islands: Karang Hatta, Banda Neira, Ai, Run, Lava Flow, Gunung Api, cultural visit, Batu Kapal; Pulau Serua, Nil Desperandum, Gili Manuk, Suanggi, Nusa Laut, Ameth's Knoll, Ambon: Twilight Zone
Day 1
The Ondina departs after all guests have been picked up and transferred to the boat from Ambon Airport or local hotel. A boat and safety briefing, a delicious lunch, a check dive, and a tasty dinner are all included in the first day of your vacation. The fun has just started!
Days 2-10
The Banda Sea deserves its reputation as one of the world's best dive regions and the Banda Islands never fail to deliver great diving on colourful and thriving coral reefs that attract hundreds of different species of fish. Dogtooth tuna and mobula rays, whales and dolphins, banded sea kraits, massive schools of fusiliers, there is an extraordinary variety of marine life and the sheer volume of fish life is astonishing. It is not uncommon to see hammerheads at the more remote sites here such as Serua. Ambon Bay is a centre for incredible muck diving and tiny critters. It is famed for its endemic Ambon scorpionfish, plus Halimeda ghostpipefish, spiny devilfish, rhinopia, waspfish, fingered dragonets, flamboyant cuttlefish, and a huge range of morays. The cruise will also involve a land visit to Banda Neira, one of the Banda Islands, for a visit to a local market, the museum and a nutmeg plantation.
Wake up and come out of your comfortable cabin to have some tea and biscuits in the dining room. Depth, currents, potential marine encounters, and security devices are covered during the dive briefing that introduces the 1st morning dive. You will hear 3 other dive briefings on most days, as there is also a 2nd morning dive, an afternoon dive and a sunset or night dive that concludes the underwater action for the day. Some days the 4th dive will be replaced by a pleasant walk on a deserted beach or a visit to a nearby village.
A breakfast of toast, cereals, omelette and French toast, plus fresh fruits are served after the first dive of the day. A 3 meal lunch is served around 12:30 hrs in the dining room, while dinner is after the night dive and features hot soup, a choice between 2 main courses, and a delicious homemade dessert. After dinner a photo show about the diving encounters of the day gather all divers in the saloon for enchanting exchanges of ideas of fish names and memories from previous trips.
Only 2 morning dives are scheduled for the last full day of the trip, when the liveaboard will head back to port.
Day 11
Leave the boat in the morning after breakfast, after a continental breakfast and farewells to the crew and your dive buddies. Transfer to Ambon Airport or your hotel, depending on your post-trip plans.
[Information is best estimate in ideal circumstances and subject to changes beyond our control. The itinerary is a guide only and may be adapted to best suit the weather, tides, currents, availability and other prevailing events. Price is for the cruise, not for an exact number of dives].
