ScubaSpa Zen 11D10N

After being welcomed by the team at the airport, guests will travel to the harbor and embark on the diving dhoni boat. The diving dhoni will sail north to Waisai/Mioskon. This six-hour cruise takes you past many spectacular islands including the Batangas and Kri as you leave behind the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Be welcomed aboard Scubaspa ZEN to rest and recover from the overnight flight. The spa will open to offer information and reservations for treatments In the evening. Crew introductions and boat briefings will be conducted by the Cruise Managers followed by a welcome dinner at the restaurant.

Swimming and sunbathing on the beaches, snorkeling, diving, and underwater photography in marine-rich coral reefs. Take care not to damage the coral anywhere in these areas which are more likely no-take zones. Exploration by dingy, shore hiking, beachcombing.

Take an adventurous hike to an inland lake opposite Deer Village. Hopefully, if you’re lucky, somewhere along the way you may witness the dance of the dazzling red bird of paradise, or catch the flapping of passing hornbills, or hear shrieks of the crested cockatoo. To the southwest of Kofiau proper lie a group of flat sandy islands, including Walo where a couple of recognized dive spots await your exploration. There may even be more.

Wake in Daram, where some of the best diving and snorkeling in all Raja Ampat can be found. Many famous sites can be found here, including Warna Berwarna, Andiamo, and The Candy Store.

The Wayil Batan area is a 30km wide channel with medium to strong currents. One of the best sites for macro divers is Gorgonian Passage. You will be able to spend a good part of your dive exploring the soft corals to reveal the many creatures that live among them.

This group of islands are in the middle of Arafura Sea and will be our first stop after Misool. Pulau Pisang means Banana Island. This place is very special for one thing – you can find Jamal’s dottyback. A tiny fish discovered in 2012 and only seen in Pisang and Fak-Fak. This is also a good place to look for different anthias, gobies in the deeper part, and fusiliers on the shallows. The Dome is a big seamount. The shallows drop very deep into a slope and walls at the sides. There are many fusiliers around the shallows and walls plus schools of black and midnight snappers. Look under the rocks for lobsters.

Awake next to the sprawling sandbanks of Koon Island that continue almost as far as the eye can see at low tide. This Maldivian-like landscape is truly spectacular, as is the range and diversity of the fish and coral life underwater. In the gateway between the Banda and Arafura Sea, the strong currents encourage diverse and plentiful fish and coral life. The day’s diving will be highlighted by the unforgettable experience of swimming around with millions of fish, schooling jacks, barracuda, sharks, and many more. A special lunch BBQ at the restaurant between dives will complete your journey to this tiny Island.

Weather permitting we will spend a day diving on this unique and isolated island.

Manuk is the easternmost volcano of Indonesia and presents two very unique highlights above and below the water. Topside, it is possible to revel in the spectacle of thousands of seabirds, including comical yet beautiful frigate birds and boobies. The sight is unforgettable. One of the few phenomena able to rival that display is the vision of a dozen sea snakes undulating and swimming underwater. Some divers have even been lucky enough to watch them hunting in a pack. It is thought that the warm geothermal vents present in these waters attract these cold-blooded creatures in large numbers. In addition to these singular wonders, the island’s reefs are also stunning and there is a good mix of coral-covered walls and slopes in all colors and sizes. Besides an outstanding variety of reef fish, you may also see some tuna, jacks, and even hammerheads.

Most widely known as one of the main stops along the old spice route, the Banda Islands are an isolated group of islands in the midst of the wide expanses of the Banda Sea. The remoteness of these islands has given it a fascinating, colorful history, including the fact that it was once the only place in the world where nutmeg grew!

The diving here is usually fairly relaxing with mild currents, good visibility, and calm waters, but there are spots with strong currents. However, our experienced dive guides will of course properly brief you on the conditions to be encountered and will plan the dives according to divers’ experiences.

Intriguing remnants of the old lucrative spice trade are still present in Banda Neira and give a taste of colonial times. Explore Pulau Neira and spend the morning walking through its historic little town. The town is full of interesting houses dating back to the Dutch and English periods. There is also the well-preserved Fort Belgica with its fantastic views overlooking the waters around the island. We’ll visit a traditional nutmeg plantation where you will see nutmeg, cinnamon, and clove trees nestled around the plantation farmer’s house. Enjoy a plantation tea under the shade of cocoa trees and try nutmeg jam, candies, cake, and cinnamon biscuits. Take a look at our Banda Islands photo album here.

Ambon Bay is a perennial favorite destination among divers simply for the staggering array of creatures that can be found here. There are even new discoveries of species still being made here such as the recently named psychedelic frogfish.

Some of the critters encountered here are Wunderpus and mimic octopus, frogfish, zebra crabs, and dozens of different nudibranchs. It seems as if all the members of the scorpionfish family are gathered here including spiny devilfish, stonefish, lionfish, leaf fish, and even Rhinopias. Another family group well represented here are moray eels and you can generally find snowflake, fimbriated and curious white-eyed morays residing in crevices or even gliding among the reefs. This area is also a good spot for catching a glimpse of ornate ghost pipefish and the extremely rare Halimeda ghost pipefish.

On the last full day of the cruise, there will be one or two dives depending on the flight times out of Ambon the next day.