liveaboards

Are you considering where to go on your next dive trip and thinking a liveaboard would be great, but you want to get the best package possible?  There are some pretty good deals that come around and when they do I post them right here.  Every week or two I revise my listing to make sure the most affordable trips on the best yachts are available to you.  My network includes diving itineraries on all seven continents and the top dive locations in the world including those on the list of the latest liveaboard deals below.

Latest Liveaboard Deals

• Caribbean
• French Polynesia
• Galapagos
• Indonesia
• Maldives
• Palau
• Philippines
• Red Sea
• Thailand

Caribbean

Bahamas Master – 28 Jun 2019 – from €2,058.00 – Dolphin & Tiger Shark Combo Itinerary

Roatan Aggressor – 15 Jun 2019 – from €2,035.00 – Roatan, Utila & Cayo Cochinos – $700 OFF! Rates includes discount

Roatan Aggressor – 22 Jun 2019 – from €2,379.00 – Roatan, Utila & Cayo Cochinos – $700 OFF! Rates includes discount. Photography Cruise

French Polynesia

French Polynesia Master – 11 Dec 2019 – from €3,198, 18 Dec 2019 – from €4,417.00 – Tuamotu Archipelago (Fakarava / Rangiroa)

Galapagos

Humboldt Explorer – 06 May 2019 – from €3,438.00 – Central Archipelago, Darwin And Wolf Islands (San Cristobal – San Cristobal) – $1500 OFF – Rate includes discount

Majestic Explorer – 08 Jun 2019 – from €4,500 – Western Archipelago, Darwin And Wolf Islands (Baltra – Baltra) – $2000 OFF – Rate includes discount

Indonesia

Indo Aggressor – 22 Apr 2019 – from €3,310.00 – Forgotten Islands – Kai Islands and Tanimbar Islands (Saumlaki – Maumere) – $1600 OFF! Rates includes discount

Indo Siren – 30 Aug 2019 – from €3,477.00 – Komodo National Park (Bima-Bima)

Amira – 05 May 2019 – from €3,511 – Snake Adventure (Ambon – Maumere)

Ilike – 03 May 2019 – from €2,426.00 – East Flores – Alor – Forgotten Islands (Saumlaki – Maumere) – Last minute promotion for 2019

Pearl of Papua – 10 May 2019 – from €1,730.00 – Raja Ampat Southern and Central (Sorong-Sorong)

Pindito – 13 May 2019 – from €3,608.00 – Raja Ampat

Samambaia – 11 May 2019 – from €3,733.00 – East Flores & Komodo (Maumere-Labuan Bajo)

Maldives

Blue Voyager – 28 May 2019 – from €1,341.00 – Majestic Mantas

Emperor Voyager – 06 Jul 2019 – from €1,249.00 – Best of Maldives 7 Nights – €220 OFF for all Cabin types – Price includes discount!

Sea Spirit – 28 Apr 2019 – from €1,773.00 – Central Atolls 7 Nights (Male/Male)

Seafari Explorer – 19 May 2019 – from €1,216.00 – The Central Atolls: North Male, Ari, Vaavu and South Male Cruise 7 nights – For Group: Book for 10 Pax, Get 1 for Free!

Palau

Palau Aggressor II – 9, 16, 23, 30 Jun 2019 – from €1,886.00 – Palau Archipelago – $1200 OFF! Rates includes discount.

Palau Siren – 25 Jun 2019 – from €3,823.00 – Palau Islands

Rock Islands Aggressor – 05 May 2019 – from €1,886.00 – Palau Archipelago – $1200 OFF! Rates includes discount.

Philippines

Philippine Siren – 30 Aug 2019 – from €2,968.00 – Malapascua and the Visayas (Cebu-Cebu)

Red Sea

Red Sea Aggressor – 20 Jul 2019 – from €1,102.00 – Brothers, Daedalus, Elphinstone (8D/7N) – LiveAboard.com Exclusive

Snefro Love – 01 Jun 2019 – from €799.00 – Sinai Classic (Sharm El Sheikh departure) – € 100 OFF! Rates includes discount

Thailand

DiveRACE Class E – 01, 07, 12, Dec 2019 – from €1,057.00 – 5D4N Similan Islands, Koh Bon, Koh Tachai, Richelieu Rock – Early Bird Special Rate! Valid until July 31, 2019

Pawara –  01, 06, 11, 16, 21, 26 Nov 2019 – from €835.00 – Similan – Koh Bon – Koh Tachai – Richelieu Rock – Early Bird Special! Valid before August 31, 2019

Sawasdee Fasai – 01, 06, 11, 16, 21, 26 Nov 2019 – from €718.00 – Similan – Koh Bon – Koh Tachai – Richelieu Rock – Early Bird Special! Valid before August 31, 2019

Scuba Diving Trip Insurance

A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation.  I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and provide scuba divers a quality insurance and medical assistance service.

I hope you found this post on liveaboard deals interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section.  If there is no comments section directly below, click here:  >>comments<<

This is the thirty fifth in a series which introduces and describes the various dive services and sites for worldwide liveaboard dive safaris.  This one focuses on several Indonesian sites rarely served by liveaboards.

In addition to this one on liveaboards, the best worldwide dive resort locations and services are reviewed in their own series.  To check them out, or other liveaboards, click on Liveaboards/Resorts on the menu at top and choose a a title from the list.

Scuba Diving Northern Sulawesi and Halmahera

The KLM Sunshine has put together some diving itineraries that are unique.  It is rare for a liveaboard to make it to Bunaken, Lembeh, Togian or Sangihe in Northern Sulawesi or to the Western Halmahera region.  Quite a few go to destinations to the southwest near Wakatobi and on the southern side of Halmahera Island to Raja Ampat.  The Sunshine is doing combinations of these areas giving divers access to some of the best macro and muck diving in the world along with spectacular large creatures on pristine rich coral reefs all on the same cruise.

KLM Sunshine

Services and Facilities

• Daily housekeeping
• Audio & video entertainment, library
• Aircon cabins, en-suite bathrooms, non-smoking rooms
• Family cabins, seaview cabins
• Indoor saloon
• Outdoor dining
• Western and local food, vegetarian options, buffet style, beer available, snacks all day, fine wines,  beach bbq, half-board option, full-board option
• Camera station, camera room with table and charging point, charging stations
• Leisure deck, observation deck, sun deck
• Warm water showers, outside showers
• Snorkeling equipment
• Separate rinse for u/w camera
• Nearly 1:1 crew-to-guest ratio
• English and Indonesian speaking crew
• Nitrox available, nitrox courses
• Dive deck, shaded diving area
• Tenders for diving

Check the additional details at Liveaboard.com

April Itinerary – Halmahera Trip (2 cruises of 13 and 12 days): Lembeh Strait, Tifure Island, Bacan Labaha Island, Tifore, Nappo Atoll, Siko Island, Lata Lata, Dragon Rock. Highlights: pristine coral, muck diving, big creatures including schools of barracuda, mantas rays, sharks, mimic octopus, rhinopias, wonderpus, nudibranchs and more.

May, September, October Itinerary – Sangihe Archipelago (4 cruises of 7 days): around the islands. Highlights: Around Siau Island in the north, Mahengetang Volcano, undersea vents, lava flows and volcanic terrain, southern island including Biaro Island have patch reef, sweetlips, snappers, bumphead parrotfish, nudibranchs, frogfish, cuttlefish, shrimp, seahorses, flambuoyant cuttlefish, batfish.

June and August Itinerary – Bangka, Lembeh, Buyat, Gorontalo, Una Una, and Togian Islands (2 cruises of 10 and 11 days), Highlights: Bangka and Lembeh – muck diving, Togian Islands (Tomimi Bay) – great visibility, rich marine life, Una Una (in the Togians) –  walls and white sand beaches.

July Itinerary – Central Sulawesi – Tompotika (2 cruises of 7 days), Highlights: healthy reef, black sand reminiscent of Lembeh, many macro critters, no other divers.

December Itinerary – Lembeh Strait, North Sulawesi Mainland, Bunaken National Park (1 cruise of 8 days, Highlights: muck in Lembeh, schools of fish and pristine rich reefs, nudibranchs,  rhinopias, octopus, wonderpus, harlequin shrimp, flamboyant cuttlefish, snake eels, stonefish, ribbon eels, stargazers, frogfish, hairy frogfish

For my review of resorts and liveaboard diving for Bunaken Island and Lembeh Strait, and more details regarding the diving conditions there, please check out this review:

• Best Scuba Diving Vacations – Bunaken Island & Lembeh Strait Indonesia

Seasons and Conditions – There is some weather variation in the range of areas covered by the KLM Sunshine, but it is safe to say that it is warm year round and diving is good every month.  From May to December you can expect more rain, but it doesn’t often hinder the diving for long.  The water is also pretty warm in the range of 25-29°C (77-84°F). At the coolest most divers will be comfortable in a 3 mm wetsuit.  Typically the visibility runs from 10 meters (35 feet) to as high as 40 meters (130 feet).  Current is variable from site to site and can be strong on occasion.  There are conditions suitable for all levels of diver.  The Sunshine will insist to use nitrox on their liveaboard and can do the certification training with you on board.  The diving around Manado is pretty well served by resorts and tourist facilities.  The various islands of Togian, Sangihe and Halmahera are not highly populated and organized scuba diving there is not too common.

	KLM Sunshine
Length	31 m
Guests	8
Equipment	21 EUR per day
Nitrox	70-100 EUR per trip
Snorkeler Friendly	Yes
Non-diver Rate	None
Price/Day	$180

Northern Sulawesi and Halmahera Photos

With the interesting underwater terrain including lava flows, colorful anemones, sponges, fans, coral and encrusting invertebrates, ribbon eels, frogfish, octopus and other macro critters, schools of fish, manta rays, reef sharks, and fascinating scenery on the surface, as well, there are many excellent photo opportunities.  For information and reviews of dive cameras, click here:

• Best Underwater Cameras Compared and Reviewed

Scuba Diving Trip Insurance

A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation.  I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and provide scuba divers a quality insurance and medical assistance service.

I hope you found this post on Indonesia liveaboards interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section.  If there is no comments section directly below, click here:  >>comments<<

This is the thirty fourth in a series which introduces and describes the various dive services and sites for worldwide liveaboard dive safaris.  This one focuses on the Visayas, Philippines liveaboards.

In addition to this series on liveaboards, the best worldwide dive resort locations and services are reviewed in their own series.  To check them out, or others in this series, click on Liveaboards/Resorts on the menu at the top and choose a title from the list.

Visayas Liveaboard Dive Boats

• MY Resolute ($261/day)
• MV Infiniti ($249/day)

There are several other vessels that cruise to locations in the Visayas.  These two do it a little differently taking in a different combination of locations than the others.  In addition, both have three different itineraries and go to Tubbataha during the season there.  The pricing is reasonable for the number of services and facilities provided

MY Resolute – For the Visayas tour the Resolute circumnavigates Cebu Island enabling divers to see Malapascua with its thresher and hammerhead sharks, caves and wrecks as well as Moalboal with its sardine balls and spectacular walls.  This possibility is unique to this boat.  In addition to this safari and the one to world class Tubbataha Reefs, a third goes to Apo Reef and the Coron wrecks that are not too far behind in reputation.

MV Infiniti – The Infiniti has just arrived on the liveaboard scene in the Philippines.  Most recently they ran cruises in the Andaman Islands of Thailand.  Now that they are in the Philippines, they are also cruising to Tubbataha and to Apo Reef and the Coron Wrecks in two separate cruises.  What drew my attention was their third cruise which takes in the Sogod Bay area of Southern Leyte.  The Infiniti is the first yacht to go to this area pretty far off the beaten path which is particularly famous for whale sharks and manta rays.

MY Resolute

• July-October Itinerary: Cebu Mactan, Dauin, Little Apo Island, Moalboal, Malapascua, Cebu Mactan
• November-March Itinerary: Apo Reef-Coron
• March-June Itinerary: Tubbataha
• Laundry service, daily housekeeping
• Aircon cabins, non-smoking rooms, en-suite bathrooms
• Indoor saloon, library
• Outdoor dining
• Buffet style, full-board option, vegetarian options, beer available, snacks all day
• Camera station, separate rinse for u/w camera, charging stations
• English speaking crew
• Non-diver (snorkeler) friendly
• Nitrox available
• Dive deck, shaded diving area
• Outside showers
• Tenders for diving – 27 foot 75 hp Yamaha, 21 foot 55 hp Yamaha
• Emergency rafts

Check it on Liveaboard.com

MV Infiniti

• March-June Itinerary: Tubbataha
• June-July, October, December Itinerary: Cebu Mactan, Moalboal, Pescador Island, Sumilon Island, Little Apo Island, Balicasag Island, Cabilao Island, Cebu Mactan
• November, January-February Itinerary: Cebu Mactan, Malapascua Island, Monad Shoal, Kemod Shoal, Limasawa Island, Panaon Island, Sogod Bay, Lighthouse Wreck, Dona Marilyn Wreck, Cebu Mactan
• Daily housekeeping
• Audio & video entertainment, library
• Air conditioned saloon
• Aircon cabins, TV in cabins, en-suite bathrooms, non-smoking rooms
• Family cabins, seaview cabins, BBQ area
• Sun deck, leisure deck, bar
• Full-board option, western food, local food, vegetarian options, buffet style, beer available, snacks all day, free wine w/dinner, free soft drinks
• Camera station, camera room with table and charging point, separate rinse for u/w camera
• Charging stations
• English and Russian speaking crew
• Non-diver (snorkeler) friendly
• Warm water showers, outside showers
• Kayaks on-board
• Snorkeling equipment
• Nitrox available
• Dive deck, shaded diving area
• Tenders for diving

Check it on Liveaboard.com

Visayas Scuba Diving

The Visayas have great biodiversity, pristine coral reefs, outstanding macro life, and a huge variety of reef fish, pelagics and other large marine life forms.  In Malapscua there are caves with reef sharks and hammerheads and thresher sharks that can be reliably seen up close in relatively shallow open water.  Excellent steep walls are common around these Visayan islands with a rich invertebrate life including hard and soft corals, giant fans, feather stars, tunicates and an abundance of macro critters including ghost pipefish, mandarin fish, gobies, blennies, nudibranchs, ribbon eels, mantis shrimp, octopus, cleaner shrimps, crabs and many others.  Pescador has its sardine balls.  Balicasag has its Black Forest of black corals and along with Cabilao and others has massive schools of big eye jacks and barracuda.  At Sumilon Island you can run into an exciting stiff current that takes you over a large sandy field of garden eels.  Seasonal whale sharks and manta rays frequent Sogod Bay.  Little Apo has its hawksbill and green sea turtles.  If you are a photographer you can focus on all the small stuff or find equally satisfying wide angle targets of beautiful coral scenes with lots of fish.

For reviews and descriptions of diving at areas covered by these two boats, please click on these posts:

• Scuba Diving Dumaguete Philippines Review
• Best Scuba Diving Resorts Malapascua
• Best Liveaboard Scuba Diving Philippines (Malapascua and the Visayas)
• Best Liveaboard Diving – Tubbataha Reefs National Park
• Best Coron Wrecks & Apo Reef Liveaboards
• Philippines Moalboal Scuba Diving Review
• Best Diving Bohol Philippines – Panglao Island Resorts
• Philippines Best Diving Mactan Island

For reviews and descriptions of diving at other Philippines destinations, please click on these posts:

• Scuba Diving Romblon Philippines
• Scuba Diving Camiguin Philippines Review
• Scuba Diving Siquijor Island Philippines Review
• Philippines Puerto Princesa Scuba Diving Review
• Best Scuba Diving Puerto Galera Philippines
• Best Scuba Diving Holidays Boracay Philippines
• Best Philippines Diving Bacuit Bay El Nido
• Best Diving Philippines Anilao Batangas
• Best Diving Reviews Anda Bohol

	MY Resolute	MV Infiniti
Length	34.6 m	28 m
Guests	16	12
Equipment	by the Piece	to be arranged
Nitrox	$25/day	to be arranged
Snorkeler Friendly	Yes	Yes
Price/Day	$261	$249

Visayas Photos

With the interesting underwater terrain, wrecks, caves, colorful anemones, sponges, fans, black coral and encrusting invertebrates, ribbon eels, mandarin fish, octopus and other macro critters, schools of fish, thresher and whale sharks, and fascinating scenery on the surface, as well, there are many excellent photo opportunities.  For information and reviews of dive cameras, click here:

• Best Underwater Cameras Compared and Reviewed

Scuba Diving Trip Insurance

A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation.  I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and provide scuba divers a quality insurance and medical assistance service.

I hope you found this post on Visayas liveaboards interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section.  If there is no comments section directly below, click here:  >>comments<<

This is the thirty fourth in a series which introduces and describes the various dive services and sites for worldwide liveaboard dive safaris.  This one focuses on the Tuscan Archipelago.

In addition to this series on liveaboard diving, the best worldwide dive resort locations and services are reviewed in their own series.  To check them out, or others in this series, click on Liveaboards / Resorts on the menu at the top and choose a a title from the list.

Tuscan Archipelago Scuba Diving

Elba – The centerpiece of the Tuscan Archipelago is the historic and scenic island of Elba.  Memorable to many as the site of Napoleon’s 10 month exile, it also has a coastline of caves, coves and 150 sandy beaches in its 225 square kilometers (140 square miles).  In 1950 it was opened to tourism which started the move by the locals to preserve the natural setting.  This led to the creation of the Tuscan Archipelago National Park which includes Elba, the third largest island in Italy, and the islands of Pianosa, Capraica, Giglio and Giannutri.

Undersea World – The natural richness combined with the conservation efforts of the National Park has created one of the top scuba diving locations in the Mediterranean.  On Elba alone there are, at last count, 15 dive centers servicing the many thousands of tourists coming each year.  The wild life is characterized by interesting macro critters including scorpionfish, nudibranchs, seahorses, octopus, lobsters, thread worms, leopard snails and hermit crabs.  In addition there are lots of sponges, sea fans and small red corals with conger, moray and sea grass eels, flounder, bamboo sharks, sunfish, grouper, barracuda, schools of amberjacks and tuna, eagle rays, dolphins and whales. There are hidden anchorages, secluded coves, walls, caves, canyons, pinnacles and a number of historic airplane and ship wrecks to explore.  Sites are available to suit all skill levels

Seasons and Conditions – The climate in the archipelago is typical of the region with warm summers and cooler, wetter winters.  Most of the diving is done from May through October when temperatures may reach highs of 28°C (82°F).  Average temperatures at that time range from 19-25°C (66-78°F).  Water temperatures during this warm season are from 15-22°C (59-73°F). Be sure to bring the suitable thermal protection.  When conditions are cooler from November through April, a lot of the fauna have departed for warmer water including the eagle rays, amberjacks and tuna.  Visibility is good, but variable, and can be up to 50 meters (165 feet) in some locations.

Best Liveaboard Dive Boats – Tuscan Archipelago

There are many dive shops on Elba, but only the Norseman runs liveaboards in the archipelago which cruise during the warm season from May to October.  The very reasonably priced safaris usually accept a maximum of 6 divers, providing a personal service and cozy atmosphere.  The Captain and divers have a discussion and based on the sea conditions and the desires and skill levels of the guests, the itinerary is arranged.  It can include the 7 islands of the archipelago, Corsica and Sardinia.  You can decide together what wrecks, wildlife or types of underwater terrain to explore and go from there.  The Captain is a diver and known to be extremely knowledgeable of the entire region.

Norseman ($179/day)

 

Key Details:

• From May to October, 7 day/6 night cruises with itinerary planned by the divers and Captain
• Built 1922, renovated 1978
• Length 18.5 meters
• Max guests: 6, number of cabins: 3, number of bathrooms: 1
• Audio & video entertainment, library, sun deck, indoor saloon, warm water showers, outdoor dining, charging stations
• Fine cuisine including local food with vegetarian options, board is charged separately at €237/trip
• The crew speaks English, German, French, Spanish, and Italian
• Non-diver (snorkeler) friendly
• No scuba equipment on board, available at local dive shops
• Price includes 5 dives, additional dives cost €25/dive
• Dive courses can be arranged
• Tender for diving

Check further details at Liveaboard.com

Elba Island Hotels

Elba is serviced by several regional airlines at Marina di Campo Airport, but flights are very limited.  Ferries, which can transport cars and passengers from the Italian mainland port of Piombino, take 1 hour and are frequent.  On Elba there is train and bus service.  Car rental and hitch hiking are both popular.

A variety of hotels starting at $50/night are available around the island.  There are 15 dive shops that can rent equipment and provide diving services including day charters.  This website is a good source for the available options and can arrange booking:  Elba Island Hotels

Elba Island Attractions (aside from scuba diving)

With 150 beaches, enjoying the sun and the sand are a primary option.  Other seaside activities that are popular are windsurfing, kite surfing, fishing and sailing.  Going inland, hiking, cycling or horseback riding on trails into the mountains may suit your interest.  This is Italy, so great wines, Tuscan seafood and quaint restaurants and shops should not be missed.  Ancient staircases and fortresses inhabited by the Spanish, Romans and Etruscans who fought with the French, English and Germans and Napoleon’s exile home provide something of interest for the archaeologically and historically motivated tourist.

Tuscan Archipelago Photos

With the macro life, wrecks, clear water, beautiful, diverse reef, lots of fish and historic topside scenery, there are many excellent photo opportunities.  For information and reviews of dive cameras, click here:  Best Underwater Cameras Compared and Reviewed

Scuba Diving Trip Insurance

A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation.  I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and provide scuba divers a quality insurance and medical assistance service.

I hope you found this post on Tuscan Archipelago liveaboard diving interesting and useful. If you have any questions or ideas, please feel free to share them in the comments section.  If there is no comments section directly below, click here:  >>comments<<

This is the thirty third in a series which introduces and describes the various dive services and sites for worldwide liveaboard dive safaris.  This one focuses on Alor and Flores Islands, Indonesia liveaboards.

In addition to this one on liveaboards, the best worldwide dive resort locations and services are reviewed in their own series.  To check them out, or other liveaboards, click on Liveaboards / Resorts on the menu at top and choose a a title from the list.

Alor Diving

The Alor Archipelago is volcanic in origin at the eastern end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, east of Flores. Alor Island is the largest of them at 2,800 square kilometers (1,750 square miles) with a population of 145,000.  Subsistence agriculture is the primary livelihood, but the government has been promoting production of nuts, spices and wood and the development of mineral and other natural resource extraction.

The scuba diving is characterized by large schools of fish, big pelagics, great macro creatures and a healthy reef. There are also excellent muck diving areas.  It is remote and little traveled with substantial drift, at times, suitable for more advanced divers.  The coral life is amazing and dolphins and pilot whales are often sighted.

There are only a couple of dive resorts there that focus primarily on the Pantar Strait, so a liveaboard is the best way to take in the most sites spread over a broad area.

Highlighted Alor Dive Sites

Kal’s Dream: The colorful sea mount can have substantial current for the diver and a great variety of fish including anthias, fusiliers, surgeonfish, snappers, barracudas, grey reef sharks and rays.

Shark’s Galore: Located off of Pura Island, this site is calmer drift-wise, but chances of seeing grey reef sharks and whitetips in numbers is high, along with big dog-toothed tuna.

The Twilight Zone: This freaky site starts near the steamy hot springs and lava flow off of Biangabang village on Pantar Island in the black volcanic sand.  In the shallower water are macro critters of interest like snake eels, mantis shrimp, Pegasus seamoths, octopus, gurnards, soapfish, bobbit worms and Spanish dancers, which are large enough, but also the extremely rare and huge Djibouti Giant nudibranch, which can reach lengths of 60 cm (2 feet). The reef extends to 40 meters (130 feet) in depth.

Diving is good year round with a January-February wet season when the surface can be rougher and visibility reduces.  Stronger current occurs from March to December and in October and November.  From May to September is the southeast monsoon, which means more wind, rather than rain. The visibility may decrease to 12 meters (40 feet), but this is when the plankton bloom happens and increases feeding activity.  Outside of the monsoon season visibility is usually 25-30 meters (85-100 feet).  Mola Mola are more likely to be spotted in September. Water temperatures year round are in the range of 25-32°C (77-89.6°F).

Alor Reef Summary

• Depth: 12-40m (40-130ft)
• Visibility: 12-30m (40-100ft)
• Currents: occasionally strong
• Surface conditions: occasionally rough
• Water temperature: 25-32°C (77-89.6°F)
• Experience level: advanced
• Number of dive sites: 15+

Flores Diving

Flores Island is the tenth largest in Indonesia and to the east of Sumbawa just next to Komodo and west of Lembata and the Alor Archipelago. Its name means flowers in Portuguese and it has a population of 1.8 million.  Komodo Dragons are living wild in the western section and the island was the home of the dwarf stegodon, which became extinct 12,000 years ago, and the Flores Man, known as the Flores Hobbit, that died out, by most recent estimates, at least 50,000 years ago.

The area around Maumere, the largest city, suffered in the past from dynamite fishing and the 1992 tsunami.  It has recovered and developed since that time and today there is great diversity and new coral development. Overall, the diving around Flores is to the north of the island and characterized by great diversity and macro life.  The conditions are suitable for intermediate and advanced divers and it is remote enough that there is not a lot of diving traffic there.  The sites are fairly well spread out geographically making a liveaboard the best way to take in the best sites.

Highlighted Flores Dive Sites

Maumere: The sea around this city is far from pristine, but there are a number of wrecks and macro life worth exploring.

Adonara Island, in Eastern Flores: Wildlife includes ribbon eels, frogfish, weedy scorpionfish and the wonderpus octopus.  Many uncharted sites are in channels and headlands along the coastline ripe for exploring.

Babi Island:  There is a healthy reef wall to 50 meters (165 feet) frequently with excellent visibility.  Moray and ribbon eels, snappers, parrotfish, angelfish and a great diversity of reef fish are prevalent.  A rich variety of corals, sponges, gorgonians, crinoids and other invertebrates flourish to depths as great as 35 meters (116 feet).  Strong currents, at times, make for exciting drift diving.

Lambata Island: The Lamalera Village headland has boulders and coral slopes that hold a variety of reef fish including fusiliers, butterflyfish and anthias, to name a few, and gorgonians with their pygmy seahorses, along with reef sharks.  It is a traditional whaling village, regrettably, but that is an indication of cetaceans in the area.

South Pangah Baland: Soft and leather corals cover the sloping wall that descends to 28 meters (95 feet).  The occasional strong currents can keep you busy as you swim with meter long bumphead parrotfish, sharks and eagle rays with garden eels, mantis shrimp, leaf fish and other macro critters near the bottom.

Wai Terang: This Japanese WWII freighter is resting on its side in 12-25 meters (40-84 feet) just 70 meters (230 feet) from shore.  The encrusting life that has grown since the 1940s has created a fairly rich coral reef with a lot of small fish and invertebrates. Highlights are lionfish, eels, nudibranchs and cuttlefish.

The dry season is from April to December.  From January to March, it is wetter, but that generally doesn’t interfere with the diving for a significant amount of time.  Rain, though, will result in increased run-off in the western mountainous regions which can reduce visibility.

Flores Reef Summary

• Depth: 12-28m (40-94ft)
• Visibility: 8-30m (25-100ft)
• Currents: occasionally strong
• Surface conditions: occasionally rough
• Water temperature: 25-30°C (77-86°F)
• Experience level: intermediate and advanced
• Number of dive sites: ~10

Best Liveaboard Dive Boats – Alors and Flores

There are a number of vessels that tour Alor and Flores.  Most make a few cruises per year spaced between others to nearby areas.  Two devote a large portion of the year to the region.  The Seven Seas has 11 trips specifically to Alor and Flores.  The MY Oceanic go to Alor and Flores for 10 trips and do another 4 to Alor and the Forgotten Islands (to the east).

Here is a summary of the diving tours of the boats that go to Alor and Flores:

• The Seven Seas – Eleven 13-15 day trips to Alor and Flores annually; other cruises to 1) Raja Ampat 2) Komodo & Sumbawa
• MY Oceanic – ten 10-12 day trips to Flores & Alor annually; four 11-12 day trips to Alor & Forgotten Islands annually; seven 8 day trips to Komodo & Flores annually; other cruises to 1) Komodo North 2) Komodo South 3) Komodo & Sumbawa
• KLM Tidak Apa’Pa –  one 14 day cruise annually to Banda Sea, Ambon, Alor & Flores; other cruises to 1)  Raja Ampat 2) Komodo 3) Banda Islands & Ambon
• MV Empress II – two 11 day cruises annually to Banda Sea, Ambon, Alor & Flores; two 13 day cruises to Banda Sea, Ambon & Alor; other cruises to 1) Raja Ampat 2) Komodo 3) Raja Ampat, Banda Islands & Ambon
• MY Emperor Raja Laut –  three 10 day cruises annually to Alor & Flores; other cruises to 1) Raja Ampat 2) Komodo 3) Banda Islands & Ambon 4) Komodo, Sumbawa & Lombok
• SY Adelaar – three 12 day cruises annually to Alor & Flores; other cruises to 1) Komodo & Sumbawa

Click on the names of the vessels or the Dive the World banner in the right sidebar to get full details on all the cruises.

Of the two primary vessels touring Alor and Flores, The Seven Seas is a little larger with a higher level of luxury.  The MY Oceanic serves much smaller groups and is considerably cheaper.

All the boats listed are well outfitted for diving and provide a very high quality of service.

The Seven Seas

• Cruises Komodo, Raja Ampat, Alor, Flores
• Eleven 13-15 day trips to Alor and Flores annually
• Alor and Flores Itinerary: South Pantar, Solor, Alor, Reong Island, Wetar, Lembata, Ghost Town, Komba Volcano fireworks, beachcombing, whaling village visit, local market visit, excursion Kelimutu Lakes, weaving village visit
• Air conditioned saloon, aircon cabins, audio & video entertainment, warm water showers
• Sun deck
• Western, Indonesian and vegetarian cuisine
• Indoor saloon
• Photography station, separate rinse for u/w camera
• Charging stations,
• Experienced English-speaking divemasters (max 8 divers per DM)
• Onboard kayaks
• Non-diver (snorkeler) friendly
• Nitrox available (free)
• 2 x life rafts (max. 45 passengers)
• 3 x 40 HP dive tenders

Check it out on Liveaboard.com

Check it on Dive the World by clicking the banner in the right sidebar

MY Oceanic

• Cruises Komodo, Flores, Alor and Forgotten Islands
• Sixteen 10-12 day trips to Flores, Alor and Forgotten Islands annually
• Alor and Flores Itinerary: Maumere, Maragajong, Pulau Besar, West Serbete,Watu Peni, Soangi, The Brewery, West Lembata, West Pantar, Straits of Alor, and village visit to Lamakera
• Alor and Forgotten Islands Itinerary: Kalabahi Bay, Pertamina jetty, Wetar, Reong, Nyata, Nus Leur, Terbang Utara, Teun, Nila, Nil Desperandum, Dai, Dawera, Nisnitu, Karang Barasadi, and Reong land excursion
• Daily housekeeping, air conditioned saloon, aircon cabins, en-suite bathrooms, audio & video entertainment, library
• Sun deck
• Indoor saloon
• Warm water showers
• Camera room with table and charging point
• Charging stations
• Western, local and vegetarian cuisine
• The crew speaks English, French, Spanish, and Indonesian
• A minimum of 50 logged dives or Advanced Open Water certification or equivalent is required to join trips on the Oceanic
• Experienced English-speaking divemasters (max 4 divers per DM)
• Dive deck
• Nitrox available, sidemount diving
• Tenders for diving
• Emergency rafts

Check it out on Liveaboard.com

Check it on Dive the World by clicking the banner in the right sidebar

	The Seven Seas	MY Oceanic
Length	35 m	28 m
Guests	24	12
Crew	20	Unlisted
Equipment	$30/day	$34/day
Nitrox	Free	$11/day
Snorkeler Friendly	Yes	Yes
Kayaks	Yes	No
Single Supplement	$50 off/night	+65%
Non-diver Rate	None	15% off
Price/Day	$457	$292

Alor and Flores Accommodation

If you would like to have a dive adventure from a land base, there is a choice of accommodation in Maumere, Flores.  Places to stay in Alors are a little harder to find. This website is a good source for available options and can arrange booking: Flores, Indonesia Accommodation

Scuba Dive Insurance

A cushion for emergencies provides peace of mind when on vacation.  I recommend this diving insurance as they have worldwide coverage and provide scuba divers a quality insurance and medical assistance service.

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