Damai I Itinerary
Triton, Forgotten Islands and Alor (KNG - KOE) 14N15 days / 14 nights
About Damai I
- Indonesia's most diverse selection of liveaboard diving itineraries
- Explore some of Indonesia's remote regions like Cenderawasih and Triton Bay
- Make the most of unlimited diving, superb camera facilities, and small groups
- Little luxuries like master cabins, gourmet cuisine, and spa services
Dive Damai’s original vessel, the Damai I liveaboard is a luxurious traditional phinisi custom-built for scuba diving. This liveaboard offers a staggering variety of itineraries visiting classic destinations including Komodo and Raja Ampat, as well as remote and seldom visited areas like Cenderawasih Bay and Triton Bay. Dedicated divers will love this boat's fantastic facilities and outstanding service underwater, including unlimited dives and small guide-to-guest ratios.
Itinerary details
Length of trip 15 days / 14 nights
Number of dives 47
Experience Open Water - Minimum 10 dives
Insurance Required
Highlights
- One-way route exploring Triton Bay, the Forgotten Islands and Alor
- Visit unspoiled hard and soft coral gardens
- Swim with the whale sharks of Triton Bay
- Enjoy excellent visibility in the Pantar Strait due to consistent currents
- Discover exceptional biodiversity in the heart of the Coral Triangle
- Search for the rare Rhinopias scorpionfish in the waters of Alor
- Land-visit to swim in Momon's picturesque waterfall
- Schooling hammerheads off the steep slopes of Nil Desperandum atoll
- Dive with hundreds of sea snakes of the very remote Manuk Island
- Explore the Banda Sea's swim-throughs and deep walls
- Share a sunset dive with colourful, mating mandarinfish
Day 1: Arrive into Kaimana
Guests will arrive in Kaimana and have time to get comfortable on the boat. Damai, I will travel about 4 hours down to the area of Triton Bay.
No. of Dives: 1
Days 2 and 3: Triton Bay
The unique location of Triton Bay, with its rich currents, has many beautiful dive sites located around the islands of Aiduma and Namatote. Triton Bay is famous for its kaleidoscope of colors along the reef at Signature sites like Little Komodo.
There is the opportunity to see endemic species like the Flasher Wrasse at Flasher Beach, Leopard Anemone Shrimp at Namatote Wall, or a Thin Line Wobbegong hiding under a table coral. Also recently discovered in the area are some interesting locations for macro sites with exciting and unusual nudibranchs. There may be a chance to encounter whale sharks while in the area.
Enjoy a great swim through under the island at another soft coral-covered Signature Site, Boo's Rainbow. For schooling fish action and more colorful reefs, check out Larry's Dive Heaven on the outside of Aiduma island.
No. of Dives: Unlimited diving and Snorkelling at the Bagan + 1 Night Dive (if there's Whale Shark) or else 4 dives/day
Day 4: Momon
We head up the coast of Papua to Mommon. Starting in the south, we can dive on the Channel Islands and then enjoy an excellent macro dive at Tanjung Wap with decorated dartfish in shallow water, a potential for pygmy seahorses, and a large swim-through to explore.
Moving a little north, we dive on a large seamount before heading into the shore to the waterfall at Momon. We can take the tender boats into the shore where the water falls directly into the sea. A perfect opportunity for a photo, and you can even swim behind the falls.
No. of Dives: 4
Day 5: Bui
Just north of Kei, we have the long line of Watubela islands with some great diving off the east side. We have two extensive seamounts, Ultima Frontera and Gunung Laut, to explore with schools of fish, excellent hard coral coverage, huge sponges, black-spotted morays and passing pelagics.
No. of Dives: 3
Day 6: Pulau Manuk
The island of the snakes is a smoking volcano in the middle of the Banda Sea. There is the opportunity to see both Olive Sea Snakes and the more common Banded Sea Krait, which can lead to quite an exhilarating dive. There are a couple of Mobula Ray cleaning stations nestled in the black sand shallows and always the possibility of cruising sharks.
No. of Dives: 3
Day 7: Nils Desperandum & Sika
The best place in Indonesia to have a chance to spot schools of hammerheads. An atoll with walls all around it, large pelagic fish patrol the reefs, and the ridges in the corners are teeming with life, schooling fish, large barrel sponges and fans. Great diving experience.
No. of Dives: 4
Day 8: Pulau Dai
Tertuti Wall is a beautiful wall carpeted in vibrant orange and yellow soft corals and huge sea fans. There are schools of butterflyfish and anthias hanging just off the wall and larger schools further out. With plenty of ledges and overhangs to make the dive interesting, there is even an arch for photo opportunities.
No. of Dives: 4
Day 9: Moora
Adrenaline diving when the current sweeps over the ridge on the northwest of the island. There are big schools of Bumphead parrotfish, trevally, longfin spadefish, blackfin barracuda, whitemouth unicornfish and some cool critters to find when you can catch your breath.
No. of Dives: 3
Day 10: Nyata
The islands around Nyata boast white sand beaches that stretch into beautiful blue water down to pristine hard coral gardens and walls. An amazing contrast of white sand and isolated coral formations will be our first dive of the day, followed by sheer walls with enormous sponges, overhangs and swim-throughs. There are plenty of schools of small reef fish, but watch the blue for passing pelagic.
No. of Dives: 3
Day 11: Reong
Further to the east, Wetar provides some good diving on sloping reefs. We will then move further southeast to the sand channels at Nautilus, an interesting dive with some excellent hard coral formations with excellent reef life, including giant clams. Schooling grunts, turtles and whitetips are to be expected.
No. of Dives: 3
Day 12: Kalabahi Bay & Pura
Time to change underwater topography. First, we'll do 2 dives with sandy muck diving in Mucky Mosque in the Kalabahi bay where we can look for wonderpuss, and after, in the slopes of the Island of Pura, where we will be drifting along a 2-mile-long reef absolutely covered with anemones. A unique experience not to be found in any other place in Indonesia. Let us be careful, as water here tends to drip in temperature, and we can expect them to be around 24 degrees Celsius.
No. of Dives: 4
Day 13: Pantar Straits
Beautiful walls of macro and wide-angle subjects. Clean walls, abundant life and the always cooperative smile of the local community, especially the children who would like to be your underwater model.
An excellent opportunity to see dolphins, mola mola fins and passing whales of all varieties on the surface.
No. of Dives: 4
Day 14: Batek
This is a remote island in the north of Timor, between East Timor and Indonesia. Impeccable reefs, super healthy coral, underwater pinnacles teeming with life, and large schools of jacks and barracudas. After your dives, it will be time to get ready for a long crossing towards Kupang.
No. of Dives: 3
Day 15: Departure
Guests will be escorted to the airport in Kupang and assisted with check-in procedures, no doubt full of talk about the wonders of the most popular dive destination in the world.
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
11:00am
Kaimana
Kaimana Airport: KNG
Return
10:00am
Kupang
Eltari International Airport: KOE
Current availability and prices: https://www.zubludiving.com/itineraries/damai-i/itn-2303100754051-triton-forgotten-islands-and-alor-kng-koe-14n