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Sunshine Itinerary

Saronde - Dongala

10 days / 9 nights

About Sunshine

  • Stylish Indonesian phinisi crafted by traditional Sulawesi boat builders
  • Adventurous cruises that venture well off the tourist trail, with just eight divers
  • Unique options for expedition-style trips lasting ten to 14-days at sea
  • Outstanding personalised service with a nearly 1:1 crew to guest ratio

KLM Sunshine liveaboard is a cosy phinisi crafted in hardwood by the world-renowned master boat-builders in Sulawesi. This vessel offers some of Indonesia’s most adventurous liveaboard safaris in the best diving areas around Sulawesi and beyond, visiting remote regions such as Halmahera, the Togian and Sangihe Islands, and Bangka - plus expeditions into frontier diving destinations that only a handful of intrepid guests have seen before. KLM Sunshine accommodates a maximum of eight divers and provides plenty of personalised service from the highly experienced team. Expect genuinely special experiences both above and below the water.

Learn more about Sunshine

Itinerary details

Length of trip 10 days / 9 nights
Number of dives Up to 27
Experience Open Water - Minimum 50 dives
Insurance Required

Highlights

  • Circular trip to the rarely dived Sangihe Islands and Lembeh Strait
  • Dive the islands of Pulau Lutungan, Pulau Kabetan, Pulau Makolong, and Pulau Bolle
  • See the healthy colourful soft coral of Dongala
  • Explore the outer reefs - Anchor Reef, Pasi Series and Batu Suya
  • Night dives included
Day 1:
The trip starts at Saronde Island Resort (Gorontalo Airport); board the vessel and check in. You will be assigned your cabin and be given welcome and safety briefings.

Days 2-9:
This trip connects Saronde Island Resort with the dive spots around Dongala.

Along the way, we visit Pulau Raja, Napo Kima, and Toli Toli before spending 3–4 diving days around Dongala.

Pulau Raja and Napo Kima are dive spots discovered by Blue Bay Divers and are sometimes visited by Saronde Island Resort on day trips.

Toli Toli lies in a bay with several small islands just off the coast of the Sulawesi mainland.

Pulau Lutungan, Pulau Kabetan, Pulau Makolong, and Pulau Bolle offer us crystal-clear water, coral reefs in good condition, marine turtles, whitetip reef sharks, and visibility up to 30 m. Dive sites like “Traffic Jam” near Sabang‑Tende and other spots at Kabetan and Bolle offer calm, clear-water reefs. In front of Lalos Beach, dugongs can be seen grazing in the seagrass meadows.

Around Dongala and the house reef of the Prince John Resort, you can find sweetlips, snappers, fusiliers, anemonefish, nudibranchs, seahorses, leaf fish, ghost pipefish, octopuses, and scorpionfish.

Night dives are especially rewarding: stonefish, Spanish dancer nudibranchs, cuttlefish, decorator crabs, lionfish, and more.

Day 10:
Disembark in Dongala (Palu Airport).

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

08:00am

Saronde

Gorontalo Djalaluddin Airport: GTO

Return

12:00pm

Dongala

Palu Airport: PLW

Current availability and prices: https://www.zubludiving.com/itineraries/sunshine/itn-2601190321171-saronde-dongala