Damai II Itinerary
Forgotten Islands to Alor (LUV - ARD)12 days / 11 nights
About Damai II
- Indonesia's most diverse selection of liveaboard diving itineraries
- Explore some of Indonesia's remote regions like Alor and the Forgotten Islands
- Top perks such as unlimited diving, superb camera facilities, and small groups
- Enjoy exceptional facilities like master cabins, gourmet meals, and spa services
Dive Damai’s newest vessel, Damai II liveaboard, is a luxurious and recently updated phinisi custom-designed for scuba diving. This liveaboard offers a staggering variety of itineraries visiting classic destinations like Komodo and Raja Ampat, as well as remote and seldom visited areas like Alor and the Forgotten Islands. Guests will love this boat's diver friendly details, including modern camera facilities, unlimited dives, and just four guests to each guide.
Itinerary details
Length of trip 12 days / 11 nights
Number of dives 34
Experience Open Water - Minimum 10 dives
Insurance Required
Highlights
- Combine the Banda Sea's Forgotten Islands with the Alor Archipelago
- Explore the rarely visited Forgotten Islands, north of East Timor
- Discover the steep underwear slopes of Dai and Dawera
- Schooling hammerheads off the steep slopes of Nil Desperandum atoll
- Colourful gorgonians and large barrel sponges in the Romang Islands
- Dive a reef entirely covered in anemones near the island of Pura
- Enjoy excellent visibility in the Pantar Strait due to consistent currents
Day 1: Arrive into Tual
Guests will arrive in Tual and have time to get comfortable on the boat. We will start travelling towards the north for your check out dive.
No. of Dives: 0
Day 2: 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, know for its good schools of fish, excellent hard coral coverage, huge sponges, black spotted morays and passing pelagics. Spend the afternoon close to the sandy beach at the island of Bui and dive along the wall.
No. of Dives: 3
Day 3: 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 exhilirating 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
Days 4 and 5: Nils Desperandum & Sika
The best place in Indonesia to have a chance to spot a school 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
Day 6: Dai
Day 6: 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 7: Damar
Just south are the Terbang islands with their steep walls and passing pelagics. Another chance to spot hammerheads and bigger fish: bumphead parrotfish and Napoleon fish swimming among extremely healthy corals.
No. of Dives: 4
Day 8: 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, overhands and swim-throughs. There are plenty of schools of small reef fish, but watch the blue for passing pelagic.
No. of Dives: 3
Day 9: 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 white tips are to be expected.
No. of Dives: 3
Day 10: Kalabahi Bay & Pura
Time to change underwater topography. First with 2 dives with a sandy muck dive in Muncky 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 dip in temperature, and we can expect it to be around 24 degrees Celsius.
No. of Dives: 4
Day 11: Pantar Straits
Beautiful rocky formation and abundant life around the patches between the walls. We do see timid Mola Molas on the surface and and schooling dolphins hang in the near open waters. Clown alley is a unique long reef totally covered with anemones In the southeast of Pantar, Beangabang Bay has one of the top night dives in the country: the chance to hunt for octopus, ghost pipefish, unusual shrimp, Bobbitt worms colourful nudibranchs and lots of juvenile fish.
No. of Dives: 2
Day 12: Departure
Guests will be escorted to the airport in Kalabahi 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
Tual
Karel Sadsuitubun Airport: LUV
Return
10:00am
Kalabahi
Alor Island Airport: ARD
Current availability and prices: https://www.zubludiving.com/itineraries/damai-ii/itn-2312010716521-forgotten-islands-to-alor-luv-ard-