Aurora Itinerary
Banda Sea - Raja Ampat12 days / 11 nights
About Aurora
- Eight to 12-day adventures in Indonesia’s Raja Ampat, Komodo, and other remote regions
- Spacious solid teak cabins complete with all the comforts of home
- Intimate and adventurous voyages with 18 guests onboard
- Outstanding facilities for photographers with a dedicated indoor camera room
Operated by the experienced Dune Fleet, Aurora liveaboard offers intimate, adventurous voyages to some of Indonesia’s most exceptional diving destinations, home to pristine coral reefs, mighty mantas, minuscule macro, and everything in between. This sailing phinisi features a passionate and professional crew, outstanding diver and photographer-friendly facilities, and all the comforts of a modern boat - without losing its traditional charm. And, with a nearly 1:1 staff to guest ratio and less than 20 explorers onboard, you’re guaranteed highly personal experiences at sea - both above and below the waterline.
Itinerary details
Length of trip 12 days / 11 nights
Number of dives 25
Experience Advanced Open Water - Minimum 50 dives
Insurance Required
Highlights
- Extensive one-way itinerary venturing from Raja Ampat to Banda Neira
- Dive the well-known and action-packed Dampier Strait
- Explore the swim-throughs and caves of Goa Farondi
- Discover the vibrant reefs and dramatic underwater landscapes of Misool
- A day diving around Pulau Koon—home to the aptly-named ‘Too Many Fish’ dive site
- Land visit to the former capital of the global spice trade, Banda Neira
- Discover vibrant marine life and stunning coral reefs in Pulau Hatta and Skaru Reef
- Search for hammerheads on current-swept dive sites in the Banda Sea
Please note: This is a reverse-trip itinerary, starting at your final destination and working backward to your point of origin.
Day 1: Sorong
Our staff will pick you up at the airport and bring you to Aurora for immediate boarding. As soon as all the guests are on board, we will lift the anchor and sail to our first destination.
Days 2-3: Dampier Strait
Days 2-3: Dampier Strait
To put the cherry on the cake, we will enjoy some of the great dive sites in the area before we head to Sorong.
Day 4: Fam Island
Day 4: Fam Island
The Fam Island is the definition of paradise. A combination of stunning landscapes, marvelous coral gardens and an exceptionally rich marine biodiversity.
Day 5: Farondi
Day 5: Farondi
Farondi Islands, about 20km east of Misool, are a popular destination for divers because of the unique seascape: tunnels, caverns and diving to colorful walls.
Days 6-8: Misool
Days 6-8: Misool
So many Islands to visit and so many different dive spots. We will cruise around JILLIET, FIABAJET, WALIB, WAJIL, JEF PELE, MESENTA, BOO etc… The Aurora Crew will assure you as many dives as possible to completely appreciate this wonderful and beautiful area.
Day 9: Koon
Day 9: Koon
The small island of Koon has a vertical wall and a slope where the current curls, pushing schools of trevallies, batfish and barracuda in. Reef sharks are common, but the stars of the show are the giant groupers, the largest of which reaches a size of 3 m! Quite exciting dives!
Day 10: Banda Neira
Day 10: Banda Neira
We will start the day with a land excursion in this beautiful spice paradise and learn more about its incredible history. After that we will make some dives in the neighboring reefs where the waters are full of fish, reef sharks, and tuna. soft corals, leather corals, bigeye trevallies and turtles.
Day 11: Banda Neira
We will start the day in Pulau Hatta/Karang hatta: We will dive both sloping reefs and vertical walls. The current attracts many fish: fusiliers, dogtooth tuna, eagle rays, barracudas and sometimes sharks. On the reef, soft corals, leather corals, bigeye trevallies and turtles. In the afternoon, we’ll move toward Banda Neira to enjoy a nice sunset dive in its harbour.
Day 12: Ambon
After a nice breakfast on board, our Aurora crew will organize, according to your flight schedules, your transfer to the airport of Ambon.
Sample itineraries are for guidance only. Actual itineraries may differ slightly due to factors such as weather, wildlife, logistics and local regulations.
Transfer details
Departure
06:00am
Ambon
Pattimura International Airport: AMQ
Return
12:00pm
Sorong
Sorong Airport: SOQ
Current availability and prices: https://www.zubludiving.com/itineraries/aurora/itn-2602050558551-banda-sea-raja-ampat