Double Cabin

Twin Cabin

Master Suite

Route Description - Raja Ampat North & South (Sorong)

No cruise on MV Samambaia is like the other. Every single trip is tailor-made to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The decision on the itinerary is made by the cruise director as we cruise along and is based on factors such as weather conditions, dive conditions, requests of guests, schedules of other liveaboards, which we are trying to stay away from.

Here is a potential itinerary for an 11 nights /12 days cruise from Sorong (West Papua) back to Sorong (West Papua). This is just to give you a general idea and is subject to change due to weather and other conditions. Popular dive sites are named. We do however have our secret spots as well, which you will learn about during the cruise.

In any of these Itineraries we visited what is considered Central Raja Ampat where famous areas like Penemu and Dampier Strait are located:


Day 1: Embarkation
Arrival with plane to Sorong. You will be picked up by crewmembers at the airport. Embarkation in the port of Sorong. This day we use it to relax and rest, set up the dive equipment and talk with the Cruise Director so he could arrange the diving groups.

Day 2: Wayil
After an initial general dive briefing, we will do our check dive with you at an easy and protected dive site. Check dive in the sense of you checking your gear and weights, making sure the camera housings are proper sealed and our guides checking your buoyancy. No skill demonstrations are required. Barracuda Rock, Wedding Cake and Dunia Kecil are the dive sites, which we will spend this day at.
In the afternoon, we offer a two hour speedboat ride into hidden coves to let you enjoy the stunning topside of the limestone islands. At the end, we will get to a pristine white sand beach where you can cool off with a little swim.

Day 3: Fiabatjet
Right in the heart of the No-Take-Zone. ‘Tank Rock’, ‘Nudi Rock’ & ‘Whale Rock’ are the famous and commonly dived sites here. Surrounded by the most colourful reef fish. More Fusiliers than one could possibly count. Jacks,Trevallies, Barracudas, Sharks. In addition, if you happen to dive here on a day with bad visibility. Just face the reef. It is packed with macro life.

Day 4: Boo / Warakaraket
The swim through at ‘Boo Windows’ is one of the signature dive sites of SE Misool. Boo east and Boo West are also the picture that every diver is looking for in Misool, the impressive soft coral gardens that almost break the surface. We combine this impressive day of diving with at least one dive at ‘Magic Mountain’.

Day 5: Daram
This island group is one of our favourite area to dive in SE Misool. Depending on conditions, visibility, weather or under demand of all the guests we could expend more days in Misool as there are other diving areas as good as these previous ones. Places like Pele, Sagof, Balbulol or Farondi are worth it to expend one more day. Also the last day could be combined with a long activities around Tomulol area where we would spend all the afternoon visiting the famous cave , the jellyfish lake and, at the sunset we will climbing in a spectacular viewpoint called Tannga Seribu ( 1000 steps stair) , after this we start to sailing to the North.

Day 6: South Batanta
Our first stop in Central Raja Ampat could be a muck dive at the only black sand slope of Raja Ampat, Algae Patch, where the amount of creatures can compete with some dive sites of Lembeh or Ambon. Nudibranchs, shrimps, crabs, seahorses...and always a new encounter. For the second dive we will back to the coral gardens as this is for what most of the divers come to this Paradise.

This time would be one of the pristine shallow coral gardens that cover the south west coast of Batanta. The day will finish in Dayang looking for Reef Mantas in his famous cleaning station.

Day 7: Penemu
In the morning, you will find yourself in the north of Raja Ampat. The main difference to Misool are the pristine hard coral, whilst the south is famous for the soft variation. Penemu's underwater topography features stunning coral formations, swim-throughs, and drop-offs, offering an exhilarating diving experience. Dive sites like Melissa ´s Garden, My Reef, Keruo Channel and Batu Rufus are necessary in a Raja Ampat trip. In the afternoon after the third dive, we will visit the Penemu viewpoint to admire the lagoon as you probably have seen in so many pictures.

Day 8: Yanggefo
Mayhem’ is an action packed dive which we will hit when there is enough current to keep the fish life going without being to challenging for the divers. Citrus ridge is another colorful reef with soft coral and hard coral that can be pack of fishes in certain currents. However, the highlight of Yanggefo are the mangroves. Here we have the opportunity of dive in a blue water mangrove.

Day 9: Mansuar / Arborek
It’s time for more close encounters with the majestic Manta Rays of Raja Ampat. ‘Manta Sandy’ is one of the most popular dive sites out here and therefore we avoid. Just because we know about even better spots where we will take you. In the afternoon we will dive the jetty of the small island of Arborek. The pillars are covered in soft coral and all around we find very attractive macro life. Afterwards we will go and visit the little village here on the island.

Day 10: Dampier Strait
The dive- and snorkel sites in the Dampier Strait stand for action packed dives in our favourite kind of fish soup - the one that is still alive and surrounds us in the water. Again: in one single dive. Dive sites here are exposed to current so it’s all about the right timing to get the most out of it. And we know how to time it here. Popular dive sites here: ‘Cape Kri’, ‘Chicken’, ‘Sardine’, ‘Mike’s Point’ and ‘Blue Majic’.

Day 11: Dampier
The last day we will have one or two dives depending what time is your flight next day. In this two dives we will cover some of the dive site we didn ´t do the previous day as Dampier has plenty of dive sites. For the last one usually we look for one easy and shallow. On our way back our crew will keep an eye out onto the ocean for you and alert you in time for whale and dolphin encounters. Which are quite common here. As long as you are on the watch out.

Day 12: Disembarkation in Sorong
Depending on your flight schedule, our crew will check your luggage in for you in advance so you can rest on board and let us shuttle you to the airport when your plane is ready to leave.

Route Description - Komodo National Park

Being remote and untouched the 18 islands of the Alor and Solor group are considered one of the best diving destinations in Asia. Komodo National Park was designated a Biosphere Reserve under the UNESCO Man & Biosphere Program and became a World Heritage Site in 1991 and offers stunning dive opportunities.

The Komodo National Park is composed by the two larger islands - Komodo and Rinca; and about 80 smaller islets. No cruise on MV Samambaia is like the other. Every single trip is tailor-made to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The decision on the itinerary is made by the cruise director as we cruise along and is based on factors such as weather conditions, dive conditions, requests of guests and schedules of other liveaboards, which we are trying to stay away from. This is just to give you a general idea and is subject to change due to weather- and other conditions. Popular dive sites are named. We do however have our secret spots as well, which you will learn about during the cruise.

You will be met by someone carrying a Samambaia sign who will take you directly to the boat Hotel pickup time is in the morning. You can check in on the boat as of 12:00. The boat departs Labuan Bajo early in the afternoon on the same day

Itinerary highlights

DAY 1 Safety Briefing, Crew Introduction, Necessary Dive Paperwork, Cabin allocation and ship orientation will take place before departing the Harbour. During the journey to our first dive site for a check dive, please take this opportunity to familiarize yourselves with the vessel and make yourself comfortable. Dinner on board

Please Note: This is a sample itinerary and nº of dives, dive sites, etc. may be subject to change due to weather conditions and other unforseeable factors.

DAY 2
Three day dives of minimum 1 hour duration One sunset- or night dive (unless we have to cover a serious amount of miles over night) Scenic rides through lagoons and coves in our tenders Trekking to breathtaking view points Visits of secluded perfect beaches Excursions to traditional villages Whale watching. Water action such as wake boarding and water skiing. This is just to give you a general idea and is subject to change due to weather- and other conditions. Popular dive sites are named. We do however have our secret spots as well, which you will learn about during the cruise. Komodo Central & Rinca Komodo Central & Rinca - After an initial general dive briefing, we will do our check dive with you at an easy and protected dive site. Check dive in the sense of you checking your gear and weights, making sure the camera housings are proper sealed and our guides checking your buoyancy. No skill demonstrations are required. Dive site: ‘Sebayor Kecil’. Over the day we are heading south through the National Park and look into doing an easy drift dive over an impeccable reef, like ‘Tatawa Besar’. To cap this first day of diving we offer a night dive at Wai Nilu, which ranks within the Top 5 favorite night dive spots allover Indonesia of our Cruise Director.

DAY 3
Rinca Trekking, then heading for Nusa Kode -Trekking with Komodo dragons in the morning before it gets too hot in the sun. Expect to be eye in eye with the last dragons on this planet. A must when coming here. Local rangers take care of our safety. After this adventure we will be heading to the south of Rinca, also known as Nusa Kode or Horseshoe Bay. Some of the lushest diving Komodo National Park has to offer. During the months of May until October however, the waters are quite cold (down to 23°C) and the visibility is rather poor. You will be, however, rewarded with critter galore: Ambon Scorpionfish, Rhinopias, Frogfish, Wonderpus, Coconut Octopus paired with an overwhelming growth of soft and hard coral on the reefs. A very common sight at the beach are Komodo Dragons, Deer, Wild Boar and up in the trees you might spot a sea eagle.

DAY 4
Nusa Kode - We offer three more day dives in the Horseshoe Bay. Some of our favourite dive sites here include: ‘Cannibal Rock’, ‘The Yellow Wall of Texas’, ‘Devil’s Corner’ and ‘Torpedo Alley’. In the afternoon we will leave this truly spectacular place and head back up north. For a night dive we will pull into the island of Pantar. Starry Night Octopus, Frogfish, rare Nudibranchs - this dive site never disappoints.

Day 5- 6
Komodo Central - Working our way back up north, we’ve got a few secret spots to offer or we may go instead for some of the popular highlights if the conditions allow us to do so. Potential dive sites for the day: ‘Batu Bolong’, ‘Manta Point’, ‘Golden Passage’.

DAY 7
Komodo - The North - We arrive in the morning in the northern part of the famous Komodo National Park. And straight away hit the signature dive sites ‘Crystal Rock’ and ‘Castle Rock’. Sharks, Jacks, Fish Soup. Action fuelled by current. In the afternoon and at night two more world-class dives at famous site like ‘The Golden Passage’, ‘The Cauldron’ or ‘Lighthouse’. Komodo National Park diving at its best

DAY 8
Unfortunately, our trip has come to an end and we have to say goodbye, but we hope to see you again soon!

The end of your trip. Your last dives will be on the second to last day in the afternoon. It is your responsibility to ensure you respect the 24 hour no-fly time after your last dive!The boat docks back in Labuan Bajo in the evening on the second to last day. Check out and disembarkation is between 06:00 and 14:00 on the last day. Hotel drop-off time is in the morning. Airport drop-off time is according to your flights.

Route Description - Komodo National Park

Being remote and untouched the 18 islands of the Alor and Solor group are considered one of the best diving destinations in Asia. Komodo National Park was designated a Biosphere Reserve under the UNESCO Man & Biosphere Program and became a World Heritage Site in 1991 and offers stunning dive opportunities.

The Komodo National Park is composed by the two larger islands - Komodo and Rinca; and about 80 smaller islets. No cruise on MV Samambaia is like the other. Every single trip is tailor-made to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The decision on the itinerary is made by the cruise director as we cruise along and is based on factors such as weather conditions, dive conditions, requests of guests and schedules of other liveaboards, which we are trying to stay away from. This is just to give you a general idea and is subject to change due to weather- and other conditions. Popular dive sites are named. We do however have our secret spots as well, which you will learn about during the cruise.

You will be met by someone carrying a Samambaia sign who will take you directly to the boat Hotel pickup time is in the morning. You can check in on the boat as of 12:00. The boat departs Labuan Bajo early in the afternoon on the same day

Itinerary highlights

DAY 1 Safety Briefing, Crew Introduction, Necessary Dive Paperwork, Cabin allocation and ship orientation will take place before departing the Harbour. During the journey to our first dive site for a check dive, please take this opportunity to familiarize yourselves with the vessel and make yourself comfortable. Dinner on board

Please Note: This is a sample itinerary and nº of dives, dive sites, etc. may be subject to change due to weather conditions and other unforseeable factors.

DAY 2
Three day dives of minimum 1 hour duration One sunset- or night dive (unless we have to cover a serious amount of miles over night) Scenic rides through lagoons and coves in our tenders Trekking to breathtaking view points Visits of secluded perfect beaches Excursions to traditional villages Whale watching. Water action such as wake boarding and water skiing. This is just to give you a general idea and is subject to change due to weather- and other conditions. Popular dive sites are named. We do however have our secret spots as well, which you will learn about during the cruise. Komodo Central & Rinca Komodo Central & Rinca - After an initial general dive briefing, we will do our check dive with you at an easy and protected dive site. Check dive in the sense of you checking your gear and weights, making sure the camera housings are proper sealed and our guides checking your buoyancy. No skill demonstrations are required. Dive site: ‘Sebayor Kecil’. Over the day we are heading south through the National Park and look into doing an easy drift dive over an impeccable reef, like ‘Tatawa Besar’. To cap this first day of diving we offer a night dive at Wai Nilu, which ranks within the Top 5 favorite night dive spots allover Indonesia of our Cruise Director.

DAY 3
Rinca Trekking, then heading for Nusa Kode -Trekking with Komodo dragons in the morning before it gets too hot in the sun. Expect to be eye in eye with the last dragons on this planet. A must when coming here. Local rangers take care of our safety. After this adventure we will be heading to the south of Rinca, also known as Nusa Kode or Horseshoe Bay. Some of the lushest diving Komodo National Park has to offer. During the months of May until October however, the waters are quite cold (down to 23°C) and the visibility is rather poor. You will be, however, rewarded with critter galore: Ambon Scorpionfish, Rhinopias, Frogfish, Wonderpus, Coconut Octopus paired with an overwhelming growth of soft and hard coral on the reefs. A very common sight at the beach are Komodo Dragons, Deer, Wild Boar and up in the trees you might spot a sea eagle.

DAY 4
Nusa Kode - We offer three more day dives in the Horseshoe Bay. Some of our favourite dive sites here include: ‘Cannibal Rock’, ‘The Yellow Wall of Texas’, ‘Devil’s Corner’ and ‘Torpedo Alley’. In the afternoon we will leave this truly spectacular place and head back up north. For a night dive we will pull into the island of Pantar. Starry Night Octopus, Frogfish, rare Nudibranchs - this dive site never disappoints.

Day 5- 6
Komodo Central - Working our way back up north, we’ve got a few secret spots to offer or we may go instead for some of the popular highlights if the conditions allow us to do so. Potential dive sites for the day: ‘Batu Bolong’, ‘Manta Point’, ‘Golden Passage’.

DAY 7
Komodo - The North - We arrive in the morning in the northern part of the famous Komodo National Park. And straight away hit the signature dive sites ‘Crystal Rock’ and ‘Castle Rock’. Sharks, Jacks, Fish Soup. Action fuelled by current. In the afternoon and at night two more world-class dives at famous site like ‘The Golden Passage’, ‘The Cauldron’ or ‘Lighthouse’. Komodo National Park diving at its best

DAY 8
Unfortunately, our trip has come to an end and we have to say goodbye, but we hope to see you again soon!

The end of your trip. Your last dives will be on the second to last day in the afternoon. It is your responsibility to ensure you respect the 24 hour no-fly time after your last dive!The boat docks back in Labuan Bajo in the evening on the second to last day. Check out and disembarkation is between 06:00 and 14:00 on the last day. Hotel drop-off time is in the morning. Airport drop-off time is according to your flights.

Route Description - Banda sea (Ambon - Ambon)

12 days / 11 Nights 33 - 36 dives

The beginning of your trip The trip begins in ambon and ends in ambon The closest airport is pattimura (amq) Pickup time at the airport is according to your flights. Give yourself enough time to go through immigration and pickup your bags You will be met by someone carrying a samambaia sign who will take you directly to the boat Hotel pickup time is in the morning You can check in on the boat as of 12:00 The boat departs ambon early in the afternoon on the same day

Itinerary highlights Being remote and untouched the 18 islands of the alor and solor group are considered one of the best diving destinations in asia No cruise on mv samambaia is like the other. Every single trip is tailor-made to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The decision on the itinerary is made by the cruise director as we cruise along and is based on factors such as weather conditions, dive conditions, requests of guests and schedules of other liveaboards, which we are trying to stay away from. This is just to give you a general idea and is subject to change due to weather- and other conditions. Popular dive sites are named. We do however have our secret spots as well, which you will learn about during the cruise.

Day 1 Safety briefing, crew introduction, necessary dive paperwork, cabin allocation and ship orientation will take place before departing the harbour. During the journey to our first dive site for a check dive, please take this opportunity to familiarize yourselves with the vessel and make yourself comfortable. Dinner on board Please note: this is a sample itinerary and nº of dives, dive sites, etc. May be subject to change due to weather conditions and other unforseeable factors

Day 2 - 10 3 dives per day of minimum 1 hour duration One sunset- or night dive per day (unless we have to cover a serious number of miles over night) Scenic rides through lagoons and coves in our tenders Trekking to breathtaking view points Visits of secluded perfect beaches Excursions to traditional villages Whale watching Water action such as wake boarding and water skiing Based upon that, here is a potential itinerary for an 11 nights / 12 days cruise from maumere/flores to ambon/seram.

This is just to give you a general idea and is subject to change due to weather- and other conditions. Popular dive sites are named. We do however have our secret spots as well, which you will learn about during the cruise. Ambon - after an initial general dive briefing, we will do our check dive with you at an easy and protected dive site.

Check dive in the sense of you checking your gear and weights, making sure the camera housings are proper sealed and our guides checking your buoyancy. No skill demonstrations are required.

We will thereafter offer two more dives in the bay of ambon. One in the afternoon and one for sunset. All of these days will be muck dives. World class critter hunting. That’s what ambon is famous for. Rhinopias, frogfish, ghostpipefish, harlequin shrimps and if you are really lucky: the psychedelic frogfish that has been very recently found here again.

Nusa laut Nusa laut- in the early morning we will arrive at the island of nusa laut, which is a great example for how active conservation by the local community can not only preserve the reefs but actually make them even better. We see here for many years a proper growth in biomass. We have four spectacular dive sites here, either wall or slope diving.

Banda islands Banda islands - the famous spice islands, the island group around banda neira, which is also historically very interesting. Wars were fought over these islands by colonial powers as these islands used to be the only islands in the world were nutmeg grew. A historical walk through the town of banda neira with it’s museum and two forts is a must. An interesting option for ambitious challenge seekers is to climb the vulcano gunung api, which raises ‘only’ 600 m above sea level. Which in the tropics however turns into a strenuous climb.

The diving here is very diverse and spectacular. As these volcanic islands raise up to the surface surrounded by deep sea water, the chances for sightings of large pelagics are very good. In the past we’ve often encountered schooling hammerheads here. A dive site called ‘lava flow’ is one of the most pristine hard coral reefs you will ever see. After the last eruption of gunung api in 1988 a flow of lava made it’s way down into the ocean and destroyed the whole reef. What has grown back ever since will boggle your mind. In the harbour of banda neira we’ve got a beautiful mandarin fish dive waiting for you. Other highlights include: ‘the cathedral’, ‘batu kapal’ and ‘karang hatta’.

Gili manuk Gili manuk - this place is also known by the name ‘snake island’. If you’ve got a phobia of snakes you should definitely go diving here to face your fear and thereby cure it. You may encounter dozens of sea snakes in one single dive. These graceful creatures, though highly venomous, are very peaceful, sometimes even curious. Despite these reptiles there is plenty of reef fish but also pelagics around. On top of all thousands and thousands of seabirds are nesting here. A unique and spectacular place.

Karang nil desperandum Karang nil desperandum - an atoll with steep walls rising from the deep. Weather conditions permitting we will spend a whole day here.

Pulau nila & karang duisborgh Pulau nila & karang duisborgh - five miles from the small island of nila we find another atoll and even prettier coral growth along the walls. Again the focus lies here on large pelagic fish passing by out in the blue. The close by island of nila offers us protection for the night’s anchorage and gives us the possibility for a night dive.

Terbang utara & terbang selatan Terbang utara & terbang selatan - very remote and untouched by commercial fishing the reefs of these islands are in pristine conditions. Schooling barracudas, jacks on the hunt and large tunas passing by whilst well disguised critters are blending into the reefs. Our skilled dive guides will find and show them to you.

Gunung api Gunung api - there are two snake islands in the banda sea and on this special itinerary you will get to see both of them. Besides snakes we have seen silvertip sharks and hammerheads here. Usually the waters around here are gin clear so make sure you look out into the blue not to miss something big passing by.

Lucipara Lucipara - a group of seven paradise islands in the middle of the banda sea. All dives are steep wall dives. The dutch seafarers named this island group the schildpad islands as we have not only find nesting grounds but also a healthy population of sea turtles here.

Day 11 For those who are flying out the next day, we offer two dives in the morning and some relaxing time on a perfect beach in the afternoon. If you have planned a land based extension in ambon after the cruise, our dive guides will happily go diving again with you in the afternoon. A land excursion to visit a traditional village of the indigenous people of alor, the kabui tribe. Dinner on board

Day 12 Unfortunately, our trip has come to an end and we have to say goodbye, but we hope to see you again soon!

The end of your trip Your last dives will be on the second to last day in the afternoon It is your responsibility to ensure you respect the 24 hour no-fly time after your last dive! The boat docks back in Ambon in the evening on the second to last day Check out and disembarkation is between 06:00 and 14:00 on the last day. Hotel drop-off time is in the morning Airport drop-off time is according to your flights

Route Description - Komodo National Park

Being remote and untouched the 18 islands of the Alor and Solor group are considered one of the best diving destinations in Asia. Komodo National Park was designated a Biosphere Reserve under the UNESCO Man & Biosphere Program and became a World Heritage Site in 1991 and offers stunning dive opportunities.

The Komodo National Park is composed by the two larger islands - Komodo and Rinca; and about 80 smaller islets. No cruise on MV Samambaia is like the other. Every single trip is tailor-made to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The decision on the itinerary is made by the cruise director as we cruise along and is based on factors such as weather conditions, dive conditions, requests of guests and schedules of other liveaboards, which we are trying to stay away from. This is just to give you a general idea and is subject to change due to weather- and other conditions. Popular dive sites are named. We do however have our secret spots as well, which you will learn about during the cruise.

You will be met by someone carrying a Samambaia sign who will take you directly to the boat Hotel pickup time is in the morning. You can check in on the boat as of 12:00. The boat departs Labuan Bajo early in the afternoon on the same day

Itinerary highlights

DAY 1 Safety Briefing, Crew Introduction, Necessary Dive Paperwork, Cabin allocation and ship orientation will take place before departing the Harbour. During the journey to our first dive site for a check dive, please take this opportunity to familiarize yourselves with the vessel and make yourself comfortable. Dinner on board

Please Note: This is a sample itinerary and nº of dives, dive sites, etc. may be subject to change due to weather conditions and other unforseeable factors.

DAY 2
Three day dives of minimum 1 hour duration One sunset- or night dive (unless we have to cover a serious amount of miles over night) Scenic rides through lagoons and coves in our tenders Trekking to breathtaking view points Visits of secluded perfect beaches Excursions to traditional villages Whale watching. Water action such as wake boarding and water skiing. This is just to give you a general idea and is subject to change due to weather- and other conditions. Popular dive sites are named. We do however have our secret spots as well, which you will learn about during the cruise. Komodo Central & Rinca Komodo Central & Rinca - After an initial general dive briefing, we will do our check dive with you at an easy and protected dive site. Check dive in the sense of you checking your gear and weights, making sure the camera housings are proper sealed and our guides checking your buoyancy. No skill demonstrations are required. Dive site: ‘Sebayor Kecil’. Over the day we are heading south through the National Park and look into doing an easy drift dive over an impeccable reef, like ‘Tatawa Besar’. To cap this first day of diving we offer a night dive at Wai Nilu, which ranks within the Top 5 favorite night dive spots allover Indonesia of our Cruise Director.

DAY 3
Rinca Trekking, then heading for Nusa Kode -Trekking with Komodo dragons in the morning before it gets too hot in the sun. Expect to be eye in eye with the last dragons on this planet. A must when coming here. Local rangers take care of our safety. After this adventure we will be heading to the south of Rinca, also known as Nusa Kode or Horseshoe Bay. Some of the lushest diving Komodo National Park has to offer. During the months of May until October however, the waters are quite cold (down to 23°C) and the visibility is rather poor. You will be, however, rewarded with critter galore: Ambon Scorpionfish, Rhinopias, Frogfish, Wonderpus, Coconut Octopus paired with an overwhelming growth of soft and hard coral on the reefs. A very common sight at the beach are Komodo Dragons, Deer, Wild Boar and up in the trees you might spot a sea eagle.

DAY 4
Nusa Kode - We offer three more day dives in the Horseshoe Bay. Some of our favourite dive sites here include: ‘Cannibal Rock’, ‘The Yellow Wall of Texas’, ‘Devil’s Corner’ and ‘Torpedo Alley’. In the afternoon we will leave this truly spectacular place and head back up north. For a night dive we will pull into the island of Pantar. Starry Night Octopus, Frogfish, rare Nudibranchs - this dive site never disappoints.

Day 5- 6
Komodo Central - Working our way back up north, we’ve got a few secret spots to offer or we may go instead for some of the popular highlights if the conditions allow us to do so. Potential dive sites for the day: ‘Batu Bolong’, ‘Manta Point’, ‘Golden Passage’.

DAY 7
Komodo - The North - We arrive in the morning in the northern part of the famous Komodo National Park. And straight away hit the signature dive sites ‘Crystal Rock’ and ‘Castle Rock’. Sharks, Jacks, Fish Soup. Action fuelled by current. In the afternoon and at night two more world-class dives at famous site like ‘The Golden Passage’, ‘The Cauldron’ or ‘Lighthouse’. Komodo National Park diving at its best

DAY 8
Unfortunately, our trip has come to an end and we have to say goodbye, but we hope to see you again soon!

The end of your trip. Your last dives will be on the second to last day in the afternoon. It is your responsibility to ensure you respect the 24 hour no-fly time after your last dive!The boat docks back in Labuan Bajo in the evening on the second to last day. Check out and disembarkation is between 06:00 and 14:00 on the last day. Hotel drop-off time is in the morning. Airport drop-off time is according to your flights.

Route Description - East flores & Alor or Komodo

Maumere - Maumere for Alor
or
Maumere - Labuan Bajo for East Flores & Komodo

The beginning of your trip
The closest airport is Maumere airport (MOF)
Pickup time at the airport is according to your flights. Give yourself enough time to go through immigration and pickup your bags
You will be met by someone carrying a Samambaia sign who will take you directly to the boat
Hotel pickup time is in the morning
You can check in on the boat as of 12:00
The boat departs Maumere early in the afternoon on the same day

Itinerary highlights
If you dream of perfect isolation, crystal clear waters and magnificent corals then liveaboard in Alor is definitely for you Frogfish, Snappers and Barracuda are there. White Tipped and Grey reef sharks patroll around the reefs or sleep with their tails sticking out from under table corals.
The remoteness of the islands has led to reefs bursting with life, huge seafans and sponges, some monumental hard corals, and more fish than your mask can cope with.
At most sites you'll see enormous schools of fusiliers and thousands of redtooth tirggerfish but also prolific mandarinfish and the native Ambon scorpionfish.
No cruise on MV Samambaia is like the other. Every single trip is tailor-made to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The decision on the itinerary is made by the cruise director as we cruise along and is based on factors such as weather conditions, dive conditions, requests of guests and schedules of other liveaboards.

DAY 1
Safety Briefing, Crew Introduction, Necessary Dive Paperwork, Cabin allocation and ship orientation will take place before departing the Harbour. During the journey to our first dive site for a check dive, please take this opportunity to familiarize yourselves with the vessel and make yourself comfortable.
Dinner on board Please Note: This is a sample itinerary and nº of dives, dive sites, etc. may be subject to change due to weather conditions and other unforseeable factors

DAY 2 - 6
Diving in Alor is a marine life surprise, with a wealth of small creatures to big fish and mammals Offer divers the opportunity to see some of the most spectacular and untouched coral reefs in Indonesia along with the chance to witness unique behaviours of the many rare and wonderful critters to be found in the Pantar Strait Divers can expect to see Rhinopias (lacey scorpionfish), pygmy seahorses, manta rays, schools of trevally and even the occasional whale! The straits in the area play an important role in the exchange of marine life between the Indian and Pacific Ocean. Each year whales and dolphins travel from the Pacific and Indian Ocean through the deep but narrow Nusa Tenggara island chain. The four island passages between Flores and Alor seem to be some of the richest in large marine life of all of Nusa Tenggara, and are especially abundant in whales and dolphins. Unspoiled, remote, captivating and accessible Seven Seas, the 2 dozen islands East of Flores are now recognized as one of Asia's top ten dive destinations

Dive sites
Sharks Galore is a must on any Alor dive cruise. This is the place to see Grey reefs sharks, swimming over the reef along with White Tipped reef sharks and Tuna. Big grey reef sharks and white tips tend to cruise around in the company of hefty dog-toothed tuna, sometimes combining to make the human tourists feel very small indeed. Depending on the conditions you may finish this dive in the adjacent site known as Clown Valley.

Clown Valley (Apuri): This dive site is astonishing, because every surface is covered with sea anemones. Nearly all of the anemones are Bulb-tentacle Sea Anemone mostly with Clarks Anemonefishes and a few with Tomato Anemonefish in them. While surfacing you can also noticed bubbles coming out from the ground - a testimony to the volcanic nature of Pura Island.

The twilight zone, or Biangabang beach, is a critter paradise. The area is full of hot springs and volcanic sand perfect for muck diving. There are Sea Moths and Mantis Shrimp to delight photographers and perfect for night dives too.Snake eels stick their heads out of their holes rarely seen in day light but lucky divers may see them hunting aggressively at night. Also on the reef are Spanish dancers that can be seen performing their incredible dance on night dives. The Twilight Zone is also one of the few places in the world where the Djibouti Giant has been seen. Like a Spanish dancer, this huge nudibranch is very rare

Kal's Dream a wonderful and colourful site where a large number and variety of fish are all but guaranteed. Swarms of anthias flicker above the various corals as you look out for the big boys. Depending on your luck you may see schools of fusiliers, surgeons and snappers. Grey reef sharks, barracudas and rays may also be seen

Mucky Mosque dive sites: Along the northern coast of Kalabahi bay are several muck dive sites. These dive sites are also good for night dives. You find from Rhinopias scorpionfishes to leaffishes, ghostpipefishes (Halimeda, Ornate and Robust) to frogfishes, seahorses and dragonets as well as crabs, shrimps and a lot of different nudibranchs. Often long ropes covered with hydroids and small corals come down from the shore - a good place to look for frogfishes perching there.

The Cathedral (Motolang): Above water there is a steep rock wall descending into the sea covered with lots of hard and soft corals and sponges. You can spot Barbiganti seahorses, Potohi Seahorse (in the Halimeda algae), Octopus and different species of Frogfish. There is a swim through with a cave at about 25 meters and if you are lucky you can see huge Nurseshark lying in the cave there

Hari Lalong: A really beautiful dive site with huge rocks lying side by side with many narrow spaces in between to swim through. You can spot Comet fish, Mandarin fishes and large Morey eel. Good for a slow drift dive with a gentle slope at the end, covered with soft corals and plenty of small fish. You finish the dive looking at group of Barracudas in the shallow and taking a close look at the huge coral blocks covered with glassfishes.

In Lembata we have a fantastic new site claimed to be the latest and greatest muck diving area recently discovered in this region. At this site we have found the rare and sought after Rhinopias or "weedy" scorpionfish on every visit to date. Also numerous other rare and unusual forms of marine life are found here, such as frog fish and various species of octopus

DAY 7 Kalabahi Bay - We finish this cruise with the finest muck diving at our favourite secret spots in the bay of Kalabahi. Two dives in the morning. In the afternoon we fill the diving gap of the mandatory 18 h break before flying with a land excursion to visit a traditional village of the indigenous people of Alor, the Kabui tribe.

DAY 8 Unfortunately our trip has come to an end and we have to say goodbye, but we hope to see you again soon!

The end of your trip Your last dives will be on the second to last day in the afternoon It is your responsibility to ensure you respect the 24 hour no-fly time after your last dive! The boat docks back in Maumere in the evening on the second to last day Check out and disembarkation is between 06:00 and 14:00 on the last day. Hotel drop-off time is in the morning Airport drop-off time is according to your flights

Route Description - East flores & Alor or Komodo

Maumere - Maumere for Alor
or
Maumere - Labuan Bajo for East Flores & Komodo

The beginning of your trip
The closest airport is Maumere airport (MOF)
Pickup time at the airport is according to your flights. Give yourself enough time to go through immigration and pickup your bags
You will be met by someone carrying a Samambaia sign who will take you directly to the boat
Hotel pickup time is in the morning
You can check in on the boat as of 12:00
The boat departs Maumere early in the afternoon on the same day

Itinerary highlights
If you dream of perfect isolation, crystal clear waters and magnificent corals then liveaboard in Alor is definitely for you Frogfish, Snappers and Barracuda are there. White Tipped and Grey reef sharks patroll around the reefs or sleep with their tails sticking out from under table corals.
The remoteness of the islands has led to reefs bursting with life, huge seafans and sponges, some monumental hard corals, and more fish than your mask can cope with.
At most sites you'll see enormous schools of fusiliers and thousands of redtooth tirggerfish but also prolific mandarinfish and the native Ambon scorpionfish.
No cruise on MV Samambaia is like the other. Every single trip is tailor-made to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The decision on the itinerary is made by the cruise director as we cruise along and is based on factors such as weather conditions, dive conditions, requests of guests and schedules of other liveaboards.

DAY 1
Safety Briefing, Crew Introduction, Necessary Dive Paperwork, Cabin allocation and ship orientation will take place before departing the Harbour. During the journey to our first dive site for a check dive, please take this opportunity to familiarize yourselves with the vessel and make yourself comfortable.
Dinner on board Please Note: This is a sample itinerary and nº of dives, dive sites, etc. may be subject to change due to weather conditions and other unforseeable factors

DAY 2 - 6
Diving in Alor is a marine life surprise, with a wealth of small creatures to big fish and mammals Offer divers the opportunity to see some of the most spectacular and untouched coral reefs in Indonesia along with the chance to witness unique behaviours of the many rare and wonderful critters to be found in the Pantar Strait Divers can expect to see Rhinopias (lacey scorpionfish), pygmy seahorses, manta rays, schools of trevally and even the occasional whale! The straits in the area play an important role in the exchange of marine life between the Indian and Pacific Ocean. Each year whales and dolphins travel from the Pacific and Indian Ocean through the deep but narrow Nusa Tenggara island chain. The four island passages between Flores and Alor seem to be some of the richest in large marine life of all of Nusa Tenggara, and are especially abundant in whales and dolphins. Unspoiled, remote, captivating and accessible Seven Seas, the 2 dozen islands East of Flores are now recognized as one of Asia's top ten dive destinations

Dive sites
Sharks Galore is a must on any Alor dive cruise. This is the place to see Grey reefs sharks, swimming over the reef along with White Tipped reef sharks and Tuna. Big grey reef sharks and white tips tend to cruise around in the company of hefty dog-toothed tuna, sometimes combining to make the human tourists feel very small indeed. Depending on the conditions you may finish this dive in the adjacent site known as Clown Valley.

Clown Valley (Apuri): This dive site is astonishing, because every surface is covered with sea anemones. Nearly all of the anemones are Bulb-tentacle Sea Anemone mostly with Clarks Anemonefishes and a few with Tomato Anemonefish in them. While surfacing you can also noticed bubbles coming out from the ground - a testimony to the volcanic nature of Pura Island.

The twilight zone, or Biangabang beach, is a critter paradise. The area is full of hot springs and volcanic sand perfect for muck diving. There are Sea Moths and Mantis Shrimp to delight photographers and perfect for night dives too.Snake eels stick their heads out of their holes rarely seen in day light but lucky divers may see them hunting aggressively at night. Also on the reef are Spanish dancers that can be seen performing their incredible dance on night dives. The Twilight Zone is also one of the few places in the world where the Djibouti Giant has been seen. Like a Spanish dancer, this huge nudibranch is very rare

Kal's Dream a wonderful and colourful site where a large number and variety of fish are all but guaranteed. Swarms of anthias flicker above the various corals as you look out for the big boys. Depending on your luck you may see schools of fusiliers, surgeons and snappers. Grey reef sharks, barracudas and rays may also be seen

Mucky Mosque dive sites: Along the northern coast of Kalabahi bay are several muck dive sites. These dive sites are also good for night dives. You find from Rhinopias scorpionfishes to leaffishes, ghostpipefishes (Halimeda, Ornate and Robust) to frogfishes, seahorses and dragonets as well as crabs, shrimps and a lot of different nudibranchs. Often long ropes covered with hydroids and small corals come down from the shore - a good place to look for frogfishes perching there.

The Cathedral (Motolang): Above water there is a steep rock wall descending into the sea covered with lots of hard and soft corals and sponges. You can spot Barbiganti seahorses, Potohi Seahorse (in the Halimeda algae), Octopus and different species of Frogfish. There is a swim through with a cave at about 25 meters and if you are lucky you can see huge Nurseshark lying in the cave there

Hari Lalong: A really beautiful dive site with huge rocks lying side by side with many narrow spaces in between to swim through. You can spot Comet fish, Mandarin fishes and large Morey eel. Good for a slow drift dive with a gentle slope at the end, covered with soft corals and plenty of small fish. You finish the dive looking at group of Barracudas in the shallow and taking a close look at the huge coral blocks covered with glassfishes.

In Lembata we have a fantastic new site claimed to be the latest and greatest muck diving area recently discovered in this region. At this site we have found the rare and sought after Rhinopias or "weedy" scorpionfish on every visit to date. Also numerous other rare and unusual forms of marine life are found here, such as frog fish and various species of octopus

DAY 7 Kalabahi Bay - We finish this cruise with the finest muck diving at our favourite secret spots in the bay of Kalabahi. Two dives in the morning. In the afternoon we fill the diving gap of the mandatory 18 h break before flying with a land excursion to visit a traditional village of the indigenous people of Alor, the Kabui tribe.

DAY 8 Unfortunately our trip has come to an end and we have to say goodbye, but we hope to see you again soon!

The end of your trip Your last dives will be on the second to last day in the afternoon It is your responsibility to ensure you respect the 24 hour no-fly time after your last dive! The boat docks back in Maumere in the evening on the second to last day Check out and disembarkation is between 06:00 and 14:00 on the last day. Hotel drop-off time is in the morning Airport drop-off time is according to your flights

Route Description - Banda Sea & Raja Ampat

No cruise on MV Samambaia is like the other. Every single trip is tailor-made to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The decision on the itinerary is made by the cruise director as we cruise along and is based on factors such as weather conditions, dive conditions, requests of guests and schedules of other liveaboards, which we are trying to stay away from.

Day 1: Embarkation
Arrival with plane to Ambon. You will be picked up by crew members at the airport. Embarkation in the port of Ambon. A general orientation follows.

Day 2: Ambon
After an initial general dive briefing, we will do our check dive with you at an easy and protected dive site. Check dive in the sense of you checking your gear and weights, making sure the camera housings are proper sealed and our guides checking your buoyancy. No skill demonstrations are required. We will thereafter offer two more dives in the bay of Ambon. One in the afternoon and one for sunset. All of these days will be muck dives. World class critter hunting. That’s what Ambon is famous for. Rhinopias, Frogfish, Ghostpipefish, Harlequin Shrimps and if you are really lucky: the Psychedelic Frogfish that has been very recently found here again.

Day 3: Nusa Laut
In the early morning we will arrive at the island of Nusa Laut, which is a great example for how active conservation by the local community can not only preserve the reefs but actually make them even better. We see here for many years a proper growth in biomass. We have four spectacular dive sites here, either wall or slope diving. Great variety of reef fish as well as large schools of jacks. Bumphead Parrotfish like to pass by here also. A lot of macro life can be found in the wall as well.
Day 4 & Day 5: Banda Islands
The famous Spice Islands, the island group around Banda Neira, which is also historically very interesting. Wars were fought over these islands by colonial powers as these islands used to be the only islands in the world were nutmeg grew. A historical walk through the town of Banda Neira with it’s museum and two forts is a must. An interesting option for ambitious challenge seekers is to climb the vulcano Gunung Api, which raises ‘only’ 600 m above sea level. Which in the tropics however turns into a strenuous climb. The diving here is very diverse and spectacular. As these volcanic islands raise up to the surface surrounded by deep sea water, the chances for sightings of large pelagics are very good. In the past we’ve often encountered schooling hammerheads here. A dive site called ‘Lava Flow’ is one of the most pristine hard coral reefs you will ever see. After the last eruption of Gunung Api in 1988 a flow of lava made it’s way down into the ocean and destroyed the whole reef. What has grown back ever since will boggle your mind. In the harbour of Banda Neira we’ve got a beautiful Mandarin Fish dive waiting for you. Other highlights include: ‘The Cathedral’, ‘Batu Kapal’ and ‘Karang Hatta’.

Day 6: Koon & Madorang
At the south-eastern tip of Seram there is a little island named Koon. It’s basically three dive sites in one, performing best always at one spot, depending on the current. The name of the site says it all: ‘Too Many Fish’. You will have a hard time to focus on what to look at. A fish soup of Fusiliers and Surgeonfish is divided by hunting Giant Trevallies and Jacks, enormous Giant Groupers are all of a sudden looking at you whilst a school of hundreds of Batfish is passing by. Mobula and Manta rays might fly by. Leopard Sharks like to relax in overhangs of the wall on the north side. Macro life is plenty as well. Hairy Shrimp, Pygmie Seahorses, Tiny Frogfish, Robust Ghostpipefish. This dive site literally has it all. After two dives in before lunch we will head north towards Raja Ampat whilst on the way we will do a wall dive along the pretty walls of Madorang.

Day 7: Misool
Coming into Raja Ampat from the south, we start our diving here around the islands of SE Misool. The first dive site we reach is called ‘Magic Mountain’. Yes. It is magic. Situated in a ‘No-Take-Zone’, which was ten years ago established by our friends of the Misool Eco Resort, the amount of biomass is just off the scale. Blacktip, Whitetip and Grey Reef Sharks. Napoleon Wrasses. Stonefish. Wobbegong Sharks. Barracudas. Not to forget about the Mantas who come in to get cleaned. You will have a hard time focussing on a particular scene on this reef. It’s happening everywhere. Magic! We will offer two more day dives around the eastern part of the island of Boo. One of the signature dive sites of this area is ‘Boo Windows’ - a spectacular swim through gave the dive site it’s fame, the marine life surrounding it will keep us busy watching during the whole dive. Another great dive site in this area is ‘Hidung Boo’ where you might sea the biggest sea fans you’ve ever seen in your life.

Day 8: Misool - Fiabatjet
Right in the heart of the No-Take-Zone. ‘Tank Rock’, ‘Nudi Rock’ & ‘Whale Rock’ are the famous and commonly dived sites here. There is five more dive sites in the very proximity which are as good, if not even better. We prefer to go a bit off the beaten track here. The reefs are covered in soft coral in all colours you can imagine. Surrounded by most colourful reef fish. More Fusiliers than one could possibly count. Jacks, Trevallies, Barracudas, Sharks. And if you happen to dive here on a day with bad visibility. Just face the reef. It’s packed with macro life. Several species of Pygmy Seahorses, Nudibranchs, tiny Crustaceans – every niche in these reefs is filled with life.

Day 9: Misool - Farondi
This is a very exciting part of SE Misool. A lot of life and colours. Combined with a very special topography. Caverns, caves, swim thru’s. And if you happen to hit this area at the right time (which changes every season) you will find yourself amidst a bloom of small silvery fish, Silversides, and the hunters are just nearby: Mobula Rays. In the dozens. There’s four popular dive sites here. We’ve got another six spots that are hardly ever dived. A nice big variety to pick and choose from.

Day 10: Dampier Strait
The dive- and snorkel sites in the Dampier Strait stand for action packed dives in our favourite kind of fish soup - the one that is still alive and surrounds us in the water. Encounters with Manta Rays are very common here. The reef of the island of Kri is the current world record holder with the highest number of fish species ever counted by a scientist in a single dive - Dr. Gerry Allen came up with 374 different fish species counted. Again: in one single dive. Dive sites here are exposed to current so it’s all about the right timing to get the most out of it. And we know how to time it here. Popular dive sites here: ‘Kap Kri’, ‘Chicken’, ‘Sardine’, ‘Mike’s Point’ and ‘Blu Majik’.

Day 11: Dampier
Towards the end of the week and the end of the cruise for some other liveaboards it can get a bit busy here. We don’t like that and therefore move away to some sites less dived yet very attractive. A WW 2 plane wreck. ‘Larry’s Promise’. Wruzwarez Slope. There is many possibilities. And to conclude our in-water activities we aim to snorkel with feeding Mantas. On our way back our crew will keep an eye out onto the ocean for you and alert you in time for whale and dolphin encounters. Which are quite common here. As long as you are on the watch out. and we are...

Day 12: Disembarkation in Sorong
Depending on your flight schedule, our crew will check your luggage in for you in advance so you can rest on board and let us shuttle you to the airport when your plane is ready to leave.

Route Description - Raja Ampat North & South (Sorong)

No cruise on MV Samambaia is like the other. Every single trip is tailor-made to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The decision on the itinerary is made by the cruise director as we cruise along and is based on factors such as weather conditions, dive conditions, requests of guests, schedules of other liveaboards, which we are trying to stay away from.

Here is a potential itinerary for an 11 nights /12 days cruise from Sorong (West Papua) back to Sorong (West Papua). This is just to give you a general idea and is subject to change due to weather and other conditions. Popular dive sites are named. We do however have our secret spots as well, which you will learn about during the cruise.

In any of these Itineraries we visited what is considered Central Raja Ampat where famous areas like Penemu and Dampier Strait are located:


Day 1: Embarkation
Arrival with plane to Sorong. You will be picked up by crewmembers at the airport. Embarkation in the port of Sorong. This day we use it to relax and rest, set up the dive equipment and talk with the Cruise Director so he could arrange the diving groups.

Day 2: Wayil
After an initial general dive briefing, we will do our check dive with you at an easy and protected dive site. Check dive in the sense of you checking your gear and weights, making sure the camera housings are proper sealed and our guides checking your buoyancy. No skill demonstrations are required. Barracuda Rock, Wedding Cake and Dunia Kecil are the dive sites, which we will spend this day at.
In the afternoon, we offer a two hour speedboat ride into hidden coves to let you enjoy the stunning topside of the limestone islands. At the end, we will get to a pristine white sand beach where you can cool off with a little swim.

Day 3: Fiabatjet
Right in the heart of the No-Take-Zone. ‘Tank Rock’, ‘Nudi Rock’ & ‘Whale Rock’ are the famous and commonly dived sites here. Surrounded by the most colourful reef fish. More Fusiliers than one could possibly count. Jacks,Trevallies, Barracudas, Sharks. In addition, if you happen to dive here on a day with bad visibility. Just face the reef. It is packed with macro life.

Day 4: Boo / Warakaraket
The swim through at ‘Boo Windows’ is one of the signature dive sites of SE Misool. Boo east and Boo West are also the picture that every diver is looking for in Misool, the impressive soft coral gardens that almost break the surface. We combine this impressive day of diving with at least one dive at ‘Magic Mountain’.

Day 5: Daram
This island group is one of our favourite area to dive in SE Misool. Depending on conditions, visibility, weather or under demand of all the guests we could expend more days in Misool as there are other diving areas as good as these previous ones. Places like Pele, Sagof, Balbulol or Farondi are worth it to expend one more day. Also the last day could be combined with a long activities around Tomulol area where we would spend all the afternoon visiting the famous cave , the jellyfish lake and, at the sunset we will climbing in a spectacular viewpoint called Tannga Seribu ( 1000 steps stair) , after this we start to sailing to the North.

Day 6: South Batanta
Our first stop in Central Raja Ampat could be a muck dive at the only black sand slope of Raja Ampat, Algae Patch, where the amount of creatures can compete with some dive sites of Lembeh or Ambon. Nudibranchs, shrimps, crabs, seahorses...and always a new encounter. For the second dive we will back to the coral gardens as this is for what most of the divers come to this Paradise.

This time would be one of the pristine shallow coral gardens that cover the south west coast of Batanta. The day will finish in Dayang looking for Reef Mantas in his famous cleaning station.

Day 7: Penemu
In the morning, you will find yourself in the north of Raja Ampat. The main difference to Misool are the pristine hard coral, whilst the south is famous for the soft variation. Penemu's underwater topography features stunning coral formations, swim-throughs, and drop-offs, offering an exhilarating diving experience. Dive sites like Melissa ´s Garden, My Reef, Keruo Channel and Batu Rufus are necessary in a Raja Ampat trip. In the afternoon after the third dive, we will visit the Penemu viewpoint to admire the lagoon as you probably have seen in so many pictures.

Day 8: Yanggefo
Mayhem’ is an action packed dive which we will hit when there is enough current to keep the fish life going without being to challenging for the divers. Citrus ridge is another colorful reef with soft coral and hard coral that can be pack of fishes in certain currents. However, the highlight of Yanggefo are the mangroves. Here we have the opportunity of dive in a blue water mangrove.

Day 9: Mansuar / Arborek
It’s time for more close encounters with the majestic Manta Rays of Raja Ampat. ‘Manta Sandy’ is one of the most popular dive sites out here and therefore we avoid. Just because we know about even better spots where we will take you. In the afternoon we will dive the jetty of the small island of Arborek. The pillars are covered in soft coral and all around we find very attractive macro life. Afterwards we will go and visit the little village here on the island.

Day 10: Dampier Strait
The dive- and snorkel sites in the Dampier Strait stand for action packed dives in our favourite kind of fish soup - the one that is still alive and surrounds us in the water. Again: in one single dive. Dive sites here are exposed to current so it’s all about the right timing to get the most out of it. And we know how to time it here. Popular dive sites here: ‘Cape Kri’, ‘Chicken’, ‘Sardine’, ‘Mike’s Point’ and ‘Blue Majic’.

Day 11: Dampier
The last day we will have one or two dives depending what time is your flight next day. In this two dives we will cover some of the dive site we didn ´t do the previous day as Dampier has plenty of dive sites. For the last one usually we look for one easy and shallow. On our way back our crew will keep an eye out onto the ocean for you and alert you in time for whale and dolphin encounters. Which are quite common here. As long as you are on the watch out.

Day 12: Disembarkation in Sorong
Depending on your flight schedule, our crew will check your luggage in for you in advance so you can rest on board and let us shuttle you to the airport when your plane is ready to leave.

Route Description - Raja Ampat North & South (Sorong)

No cruise on MV Samambaia is like the other. Every single trip is tailor-made to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The decision on the itinerary is made by the cruise director as we cruise along and is based on factors such as weather conditions, dive conditions, requests of guests, schedules of other liveaboards, which we are trying to stay away from.

Here is a potential itinerary for an 11 nights /12 days cruise from Sorong (West Papua) back to Sorong (West Papua). This is just to give you a general idea and is subject to change due to weather and other conditions. Popular dive sites are named. We do however have our secret spots as well, which you will learn about during the cruise.

In any of these Itineraries we visited what is considered Central Raja Ampat where famous areas like Penemu and Dampier Strait are located:


Day 1: Embarkation
Arrival with plane to Sorong. You will be picked up by crewmembers at the airport. Embarkation in the port of Sorong. This day we use it to relax and rest, set up the dive equipment and talk with the Cruise Director so he could arrange the diving groups.

Day 2: Wayil
After an initial general dive briefing, we will do our check dive with you at an easy and protected dive site. Check dive in the sense of you checking your gear and weights, making sure the camera housings are proper sealed and our guides checking your buoyancy. No skill demonstrations are required. Barracuda Rock, Wedding Cake and Dunia Kecil are the dive sites, which we will spend this day at.
In the afternoon, we offer a two hour speedboat ride into hidden coves to let you enjoy the stunning topside of the limestone islands. At the end, we will get to a pristine white sand beach where you can cool off with a little swim.

Day 3: Fiabatjet
Right in the heart of the No-Take-Zone. ‘Tank Rock’, ‘Nudi Rock’ & ‘Whale Rock’ are the famous and commonly dived sites here. Surrounded by the most colourful reef fish. More Fusiliers than one could possibly count. Jacks,Trevallies, Barracudas, Sharks. In addition, if you happen to dive here on a day with bad visibility. Just face the reef. It is packed with macro life.

Day 4: Boo / Warakaraket
The swim through at ‘Boo Windows’ is one of the signature dive sites of SE Misool. Boo east and Boo West are also the picture that every diver is looking for in Misool, the impressive soft coral gardens that almost break the surface. We combine this impressive day of diving with at least one dive at ‘Magic Mountain’.

Day 5: Daram
This island group is one of our favourite area to dive in SE Misool. Depending on conditions, visibility, weather or under demand of all the guests we could expend more days in Misool as there are other diving areas as good as these previous ones. Places like Pele, Sagof, Balbulol or Farondi are worth it to expend one more day. Also the last day could be combined with a long activities around Tomulol area where we would spend all the afternoon visiting the famous cave , the jellyfish lake and, at the sunset we will climbing in a spectacular viewpoint called Tannga Seribu ( 1000 steps stair) , after this we start to sailing to the North.

Day 6: South Batanta
Our first stop in Central Raja Ampat could be a muck dive at the only black sand slope of Raja Ampat, Algae Patch, where the amount of creatures can compete with some dive sites of Lembeh or Ambon. Nudibranchs, shrimps, crabs, seahorses...and always a new encounter. For the second dive we will back to the coral gardens as this is for what most of the divers come to this Paradise.

This time would be one of the pristine shallow coral gardens that cover the south west coast of Batanta. The day will finish in Dayang looking for Reef Mantas in his famous cleaning station.

Day 7: Penemu
In the morning, you will find yourself in the north of Raja Ampat. The main difference to Misool are the pristine hard coral, whilst the south is famous for the soft variation. Penemu's underwater topography features stunning coral formations, swim-throughs, and drop-offs, offering an exhilarating diving experience. Dive sites like Melissa ´s Garden, My Reef, Keruo Channel and Batu Rufus are necessary in a Raja Ampat trip. In the afternoon after the third dive, we will visit the Penemu viewpoint to admire the lagoon as you probably have seen in so many pictures.

Day 8: Yanggefo
Mayhem’ is an action packed dive which we will hit when there is enough current to keep the fish life going without being to challenging for the divers. Citrus ridge is another colorful reef with soft coral and hard coral that can be pack of fishes in certain currents. However, the highlight of Yanggefo are the mangroves. Here we have the opportunity of dive in a blue water mangrove.

Day 9: Mansuar / Arborek
It’s time for more close encounters with the majestic Manta Rays of Raja Ampat. ‘Manta Sandy’ is one of the most popular dive sites out here and therefore we avoid. Just because we know about even better spots where we will take you. In the afternoon we will dive the jetty of the small island of Arborek. The pillars are covered in soft coral and all around we find very attractive macro life. Afterwards we will go and visit the little village here on the island.

Day 10: Dampier Strait
The dive- and snorkel sites in the Dampier Strait stand for action packed dives in our favourite kind of fish soup - the one that is still alive and surrounds us in the water. Again: in one single dive. Dive sites here are exposed to current so it’s all about the right timing to get the most out of it. And we know how to time it here. Popular dive sites here: ‘Cape Kri’, ‘Chicken’, ‘Sardine’, ‘Mike’s Point’ and ‘Blue Majic’.

Day 11: Dampier
The last day we will have one or two dives depending what time is your flight next day. In this two dives we will cover some of the dive site we didn ´t do the previous day as Dampier has plenty of dive sites. For the last one usually we look for one easy and shallow. On our way back our crew will keep an eye out onto the ocean for you and alert you in time for whale and dolphin encounters. Which are quite common here. As long as you are on the watch out.

Day 12: Disembarkation in Sorong
Depending on your flight schedule, our crew will check your luggage in for you in advance so you can rest on board and let us shuttle you to the airport when your plane is ready to leave.