Solitude Adventurer Itinerary

Ambon, Banda, and Raja Ampat

Ambon (Embarkation Day) Our crew will be waiting to greet you at Pattimura Airport in Ambon. After you are comfortably settled onboard and have completed registration, there will be a safety/orientation briefing. After lunch, schedule allowing, we will have a check dive at one of the famous macro dive sites in Laha, Ambon. Black sand slopes full of strange and interesting marine critters await you! During the night we will sail to the Banda Islands. 

We wake up in the Banda Sea! Today you begin to experience the beauty of the Banda Sea with its healthy corals and giant sponges. The reefs and walls are packed full of fish, and there’s a chance to encounter the hammerhead shark! We will have 3-4 dives each day around the Banda Islands. There’s also an optional land tour to visit an old Dutch fort and learn a little history of the Spice Islands. Depending on the weather, we may sail south to visit Manuk Island or spend 1 more day around the Banda Islands before sailing through the night northwards to Koon Island. 

Weather allowing, we make our way south to the island of Manuk. We wake up to the sight of a volcano in the middle of nowhere! Several species of seabirds circle overhead. We have 3-4 dives around Manuk Island today. Beautiful corals and a multitude of fish species call this place home. You will have a chance to dive with many sea snakes today, as Manuk Island is also called “Snake Island.” We sail overnight northward to Koon Island. 

Today we dive at Koon Island. The reef is a mixture of sloping white sand with patch reef and coral-covered walls descending into the deep. Currents can be strong here, and all the dives are drift dives. Schools of Bigeye Trevally, snapper, sweetlips, and many other small reef fish crowd the reefs. Whitetip and grey reef sharks can also be seen patrolling the area. Big Napoleon wrasse and even Goliath groupers can sometimes be found in this area. We have 3-4 dives here today. Overnight we sail to Misool. 

We continue our adventure in the south of Raja Ampat around the big island of Misool. Misool is full of vibrant coral reefs teeming with marine life. A variety of pygmy seahorse species can be found hiding on the giant gorgonia fans. The area is comprised of countless limestone islands, which give shelter to an array of reef-dwelling fish. The reefs are abundant with a rainbow of healthy soft and hard corals, and pelagic species can be seen patrolling the reefs looking for a meal. If you’re lucky, you may encounter the endemic Raja Ampat epaulette shark (walking shark) or manta ray. We have 3-4 dives each day. After that we sail farther north into the heart of Raja Ampat. 

We spend the next few days diving on lively reefs, pinnacles, and sloping walls. Now in the middle of Raja Ampat, we can see a number of different shark species, including the wobbegong shark (carpet shark), which can be found camouflaging on the reef. There are white- and blacktip reef sharks on most dives, and the occasional grey reef shark as well. As we make our way through the Fam Islands, Gam Island, and along Mansuar Island, we have a chance to see mangroves and panoramas of lush green tree-covered islands while exploring an array of dive sites. We will have 3-4 dives each day and an optional land excursion one of the days. On the last day of diving we have 2 morning dives. After we have finished, enjoy your lunch as we cruise to Sorong. 

Sorong (Disembarkation)—We say our goodbyes, and our crew will transport you to the airport in Sorong. We hope to see you again.

Sample itineraries are for guidance only. Actual itineraries may differ slightly due to factors such as weather, wildlife, logistics and local regulations.