The following itinerary is a 11 days / 10 nights, so it will be adapted accordingly.”
We will journey to the almost-forgotten Banda Islands, which were once the world’s only source of nutmeg. Cruising North, we will then explore the spectacular region of Raja Ampat Islands who are located on West coast of Indonesian’s province West Papua. Beautiful coral reef combined with a rich underwater life can easily guarantee amazing snorkeling: schools of fish and manta rays.
Safari covers Banda Islands, Seram, Misool and Raja Ampat.
Day 1
Upon arrival in Ambon cars will be waiting to take you to the Katharina. Ready to start our adventure, we will depart for the island of Saparua. Later, we can enjoy our first snorkeling experience near the small uninhabited island of Molana. In the evening, we will begin our voyage to the Banda Islands.
Day 2 & 3
We will explore the coastline of Pulau Suanggi. We will then continue our journey to the Banda Archipelago, arriving first at the tiny outlying island of Run. After visiting the village, we can snorkel offshore. In the evening we will head to Banda Neira, the main island in the Banda chain, where we will anchor in a small, protected bay in the lee of Gunung Api volcano.
Climbing of the 640-metre-high Gunung Api. After returning to the boat, we can snorkel over the area where the lava flowed into the sea during the 1988 eruption of Gunung Api. In the afternoon we will explore the village of Banda Neira.
Day 4 & 5
In the morning, we will explore Banda Besar, also known as Pulau Lonthor, the largest of the Banda Islands, to see the nutmeg plantations. If time allows we can go snorkelling off Banda Neira to see the tiny brightly-coloured mandarinfish, and later in the afternoon we can snorkel off Pulau Pisang. In the early evening we will depart for the Gorong Archipelago.
We will wake up off the coast of Pulau Igar, an island in the north of the Watubela Archipelago, where we can enjoy some morning snorkeling and beach activities. At midday, we will continue north to Pulau Manawoka. Near the village we will find the two little lakes of Sole, connected to the sea by a small tunnel. Overnight we will continue our journey to Pulau Daram in Raja Ampat.
Day 6 & 7
We should arrive at the island of Daram for some trekking, snorkeling, kayaking, stand-up-paddle-boarding and beach activities. At lunchtime we will continue to Pulau Farondi, northwest of Daram, where we can snorkel in the late afternoon. In the evening we will cruise to the nearby Tomolol, we will spend a quiet night at anchor.
In Tomolol Bay we will snorkel the bay near Wagmag. After lunch we will visit the revered and magical Tomolol Cave, which opens to a massive, hidden lagoon, where we can swim or use the kayaks to explore the surroundings. Overnight we will cruise to the Nusela Islands north of Misool.
Day 8 & 9
After visiting the village on Pulau Babi in the morning, we will explore the beautiful coral gardens in this area. Overnight we will cruise to Batanta and anchor at the foot of Arefi Village, nestled on the north coast of the island.
At Arefi Village, we will find local guides to escort us through the mangrove waters to the start point of our trek. At lunchtime, we will continue to the small island of Jerif, and in the afternoon we can do some snorkeling with manta rays. In the evening we will cross to the south side of Waigeo Island.
Day 10 & 11
Trekking and bird watching expedition near the village Sapokren. At lunchtime, we will cruise to the nearby island of Mioskon, which is ideal for snorkeling and water sports. Crossing over to the main island of Waigeo at sunset, we will have a farewell party on board with the crew before heading to our final destination, the harbour of Sorong.
End of the trip and transfer to the airport according to your flight schedules.
The route and dives are always organized according to the weather conditions, the currents and tides.