Ondina Itinerary
Raja Ampat and North Banda Sea (SOQ - AMQ)11 days / 10 nights
About Ondina
- Comfortable, informal, and affordable setting ideal for dedicated divers
- Exceptional customer service with a nearly 1:1 crew to guest ratio
- Extended itineraries visiting some of Raja Ampat’s less explored areas
- Outstanding facilities for divers and photographers
SMY Ondina liveaboard focuses on the essentials, providing flexible, sociable, & affordable dive itineraries around Raja Ampat, Banda, the Forgotten Islands, & Cenderawasih Bay. With great diving facilities and experience in catering to professional and newly-qualified divers, SMY Ondina is able to satisfy every guest.
Itinerary details
Length of trip 11 days / 10 nights
Number of dives 30
Experience Advanced Open Water - Minimum 50 dives
Insurance Required
Highlights
- One-way itinerary combining Raja Ampat with the Banda Sea
- Dive the well-known and action-packed Dampier Strait
- Explore Pulau Koon, Nusa Laut and Suanggi
- Discover dramatic underwater landscapes and stunning reefs in Misool
- Dive reefs with exceptional biodiversity in the heart of the Coral Triangle
- Explore the Banda Sea's swim-throughs and deep walls
- Dive the world-class muck diving sites of Ambon
- Enjoy Ambon’s world-class muck diving and spot the psychedelic frogfish
- Visit a village, museum and 17th-century fort on Banda Neira
- Night dives included in the itinerary
Day 1:
Pick up at Sorong airport, transfer to the boat, welcome drink and accommodation. Check dive in the afternoon at one of the reefs surrounding Sorong. Overnight sailing to Misool.
Pick up at Sorong airport, transfer to the boat, welcome drink and accommodation. Check dive in the afternoon at one of the reefs surrounding Sorong. Overnight sailing to Misool.
Day 2:
Three day dives and a night dive in the colourful reefs of Daram Islands (Misool): Andiamo, Candy Store and Warna Bewarna, among others.
Three day dives and a night dive in the colourful reefs of Daram Islands (Misool): Andiamo, Candy Store and Warna Bewarna, among others.
Day 3-4:
Diving around the main area of Misool, in some of the “classics” such as Nudi and Tank Rocks, Pulau Boo or Shadow Reef (Magic Mountain), as well as visiting the blacktip shark nursery in the beach at Yilliet. Evening of day 4: overnight sail to Pulau Koon.
Day 5:
Three day dives around the very strategic eastern point of Pulau Koon, where the walls on both sides of the island converge into a sandy plateau facing a deep trench, congregating large masses of fish and the added excitement of some pelagic sightings. Overnight sail to Banda Islands.
Day 6:
Dive around Karang Hatta and other sites in the Banda group. Night in Banda Neira, the most beautiful natural anchorage of Indonesia. Dusk dive at the mandarin fish site.
Day 7:
Dive the famous sites in Ai and Run Islands, with sheer walls offering excellent drift dives along with massive barrel sponges, giant fans and schools of fish, and the eventual presence of larger fish. Afternoon dive in the Lava Flows, stunning hard coral gardens that have flourished at an astounding speed after Gunung Api’s last eruption in 1988.
Day 8:
Cultural visit around Banda Neira, the heart of the Spice Islands: Fort Rotterdam, the Governor's House, and the nutmeg plantation. Dive Batu Kapal around noon and Pulau Suanggi in the afternoon. Overnight to Nusa Laut.
Day 9:
Two dives at the famous site Ameth’s Knoll, a reef parallel to the coast that the local villagers have protected since the old times to allow fish to spawn and spill over to adjacent areas. Afternoon and night dives at the next village to the south.
Day 10:
Two muck dives around the jetties at the Twilight Zone, with a vast array of critters and oddities to be found. Preparation for departure the morning after.
Day 11:
Transfer to the airport after breakfast.
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
12:00pm
Sorong
Sorong Airport: SOQ
Return
12:00pm
Ambon
Pattimura International Airport: AMQ
Current availability and prices: https://www.zubludiving.com/itineraries/ondina/itn-2303080738151-raja-ampat-and-north-banda-sea-soq-amq-