Cruise Banda Sea & Alor 12 nights (Maumere - Ambon)


Starting with muck dives, crossing the Banda Sea, and tracing the perimeter of islands. Let our experienced crew show you those almost untouched locations with wonderful reefs and stunning drop-offs. Marine life is in abundance from critters, sea snakes, manta rays, sharks and much more. Frequently whales might be spotted from the surface.

Itinerary

  • Day 1 Maumere

    Maumere Aurora team will welcome you at the airport and bring you to Aurora for immediate boarding. Depending on the arrival time, we might do the check dive around Maumere and maybe even a night dive.

  • Day 2 East Flores

    East Flores Several great dive sites in this area. The choice will be based on our schedule.
    Serbete: shallows and sandbars with exquisite coral gardens are broken off into magnificent walls here and there. Pygmy seahorses, turtles, napoleon wrasses and reef sharks in one place.
    Tanjung Gedong: northeast Flores. The reef slopes down into a sandy area with large coral heads. The beautiful deep sections are decorated with soft corals and large table corals. Reef sharks, groupers and other encounters are to be expected.
    Kawula: In the western part of Kawula lies a huge bay, partially covered with mangroves. World class "muck dives" with lots of macro, ghost pipefish, frogfish and flying gurnard. The night dives are not to be missed, abundant wildlife with numerous shrimps, crabs and Spanish dancers.

  • Day 3 Komba

    We will dive around Komba, an active volcano. The sandy slopes are home to various fish species. On the rocks, nudibranchs and shells.
    After the dives, a guaranteed thrill with a tour close to the volcano. Eruptions occur every 20 to 30 minutes!

  • Day 4 Alor Strait

    Nusa Tenggara area, Timor. An incredibly rich biodiversity on land and underwater. The place offers all types of dives, from superb muck dives to magnificent drop-offs with sweeping currents.
    Pulau Pura and Pulau Ternate: clear and warm water with nice coral gardens and a huge marine wildlife. Superb macro to observe, especially the shy mandarin fish. An unusual and excellent bonus of diving here is the possibility of spotting pilot whales and dolphins from the surface.
    We will take you on a land excursion to see a forgotten tribe in a local village. An unforgettable cultural experience!

  • Day 5 Reong et Wetar, last step of the Banda Sea

    Wetar is a large island north of Timor. Untouched landscapes with lush vegetation, the dives are not to be missed. Stunning drop-offs and pelagic life are waiting for you.
    Reong Island: white sand beaches and turquoise water. Steep walls are all around the south side of this little island. Covered in soft corals and gorgeous table corals, these reefs attract a big number of reef fish. Overhangs and small caves make the dive exciting and interesting.

  • Day 6 Nyata

    Nyata, northeast of Romang Island, offers stunning landscapes.
    Crystal clear waters and reefs on different levels, like in a theatre, with hard and soft coral gardens. Keep your eyes open: pelagic encounters are to be expected!

  • Day 7 Damar

    Damar Terbang Utara / Terbang Selatan, two small islands located south of Damar. Usually, we can expect easy but very fast drifts along marvellous coral drop-offs.
    Nuss Leur: several pinnacles with all the colourful life of coral reefs.

  • Day 8 Serua, Nil Desperandum, Nila

    Nil Desperandum (‘no despair’) takes its name from a ship, stranded on the reef. This atoll is sometimes called ‘the forgotten islands’. You may be lucky enough to come across hammerhead sharks.

  • Day 9 Manuk, Snake Island

    Manuk, the ‘Snake Island’, a volcanic island with lower interest on land. It takes its nickname from the large amount of sea snakes found there. You will surely see a lot! The drop-offs here are amazing and sharks, mackerels, tunas and barracudas are often observed.

  • Days 10 to 11 Banda Islands, outer reefs

    Banda Islands, outer reefs You will now arrive at the northern end of the outer reefs of the Banda Sea: Pulau Suanggi. The waters here are full of fish, reef sharks and tuna. As a small bonus for bird lovers, many species can be observed around the island: brown boobies, red-footed boobies and frigate birds.
    Pulau hatta / Karang hatta: We will dive both sloping reefs and vertical walls. The current attracts many fish: fusiliers, dogtooth tuna, eagle rays, barracudas and sometimes sharks. On the reef: soft corals, leather corals, big eye trevallies and turtles.

  • Day 12 Nusa Laut & Molana

    Nusa Laut & Molana South of Seram, fantastic diving experiences on the reefs of Molana and Nusa Laut. These rather picturesque islands of Maluku are popular dive destinations due to their diversity of reef fish species, ghost pipefish, frogfish and the variety of well-preserved hard corals.

  • Day 13 Ambon

    Ambon After a nice breakfast on board, our Aurora crew will organize, according to your flight schedules, your transfer to the airport of Ambon.
    Unfortunately our trip will arrive at an end and we have to say goodbye but we hope to see you again on board.


Veuillez noter que cet itinéraire est un programme de plongée, et peut être modifié en fonction de nombreux facteurs.

Dates & prices

Departures for French-speaking groups:

No departure for now

Departures for English-speaking groups:

No departure for now

Departures for Spanish-speaking groups:

No departure for now

Departures for Italian-speaking groups:

No departure for now

Trip code: 66

Notes


Price List
Valid from until 31 December 2020 

Rates per person per NIGHT
  • Raja Ampat Cruise (Sorong-Sorong) 420 USD
  • North Maluku Cruise (Ambon-Sorong) 420 USD
  • Banda Sea Cruise (Maumere – Ambon) 420 USD
  • Forgotten Islands ( Ambon - Saumlaki) 420 USD 
  • Alor Cruise (Maumere – Alor – Maumere) 360 USD
  • Komodo Cruise (Labuan Bajo/Bali/Bima) 360 USD

Supplements:
• National Park Fees and Contributions to villages: 130 USD/ pers Raja Ampat, 20USD/day: pers Komodo and 95 USD/pers for Alor, Banda sea and Forgotten Islands.
Note: Park fees are subject to changes without prior notice.
• Fuel surcharge and port fees per pax: 200 USD for Raja Ampat,  Alor, Banda Sea, Forgotten Islands, and Maluku. The fuel surcharge applies if harbours like Bali, Alor or similar are scheduled. For Komodo cruises, no fuel surcharge applies if the port of departure and arrival is  Labuan Bajo but there is a departure or return in Bali fuel surcharge is applied. We retain the right to increase the fuel surcharge when the general gas price increase makes this necessary.

Starting from January 1st 2021, we decided to include the fuel surcharges on the prices above however we retain ourselves the right to add fuel surcharges without prior notice in case of high rise of fuel prices.

Important information
- All prices are in USD (or depending the daily rates)
- Included: Full board on MSY Aurora, 3 dives plus 1 night dive per day according to program and weather conditions, guide, tank, weights, belt, meals, soft drinks on board, airport transfer B-F
- Not included: Nitrox tanks, diving and snorkelling gear, beer, wine and spirits, national park tickets, PADI courses (subject to instructor availability, upon request), fuel surcharge & port fees as defined above
- Group policy: with 7 paying persons, 8th person is free of charge. Free person still pays supplements.
- Full boat charter: The max capacity is 18 persons in 9 double cabins. The total price is calculated on the basis of 15 paying persons. With 15 pax, 3 pax are free of charge.
Please note that free of charge pax still pay individual supplements. 
- Children (5 - 9 years): 50% of full price (sharing the parent’s cabin)
- Non divers: 80% of full price
- Single cabin supplement: USD 190/night for all cruises.
- Payment:
individual booking: Upon booking: 30% of the cruise price 91 days prior to departure date: remaining 70% of the price
full boat charter: 10% deposit at the moment of booking Further 15% within 180 days from the date of departure Further 25% more within 91 days from the date of departure Total balance within 60 days from the date of departure
- Short Notice Bookings: 100% must be paid when booking is done less than 91 days prior to cruise departure

- Cancellation fees individual bookings
  • 120 – 91 days prior to cruise departure 30% of the cruise price
  • 90 – 60 days prior to cruise departure 50% of the cruise price
  • 59 – 0 days prior to cruise departure 100% of the cruise price


 - Cancellation fees  Full Charter  bookings
In case of cancellation before 180 days, the deposit will be returned, except a 5% penalty for administrative costs.
Other penalties for cancellation:

  • From 180 to 91 days prior departure: 25%
  • From 90 to 60 days prior departure: 50%
  • Less than 60 days prior departure: 100%

Concerning the number of nights for the different itineraries, changes can be applied upon full boat charter requests and we are open to create special itineraries on request (e.g.: trip to Cenderewasih Bay).

Rental Rates* (by unit)
  • Snorkel Kit 10 USD / day
  • BCD/Regulator/Wetsuit 10 USD / day
  • 15L Tanks 10 USD / day
  • Diving Computer / Torch 12 USD / day
  • Full Gear**, excluding diving computer and torch 25 USD / day

* All rental applications must be done upon booking or at least 30 days prior to departure
** Full gear includes snorkel kit, BCD, Regulator and wetsuit

Provided: belt, weights and 12L tank (Any lost or damaged materials will be at your charge)
Lost weight 5 USD / kilo

Nitrox min. 28%
  • 1 Tank 5 USD / tank
  • 1 diving day (3-4 dives) 12 USD / day

Certified PADI Courses*
  • PADI Advanced Open Water Diver
5 dives + theory + PADI Kit 260 USD / pax
  • PADI Deep Diver Specialty
4 dives + theory + PADI Kit 380 USD / pax
  • PADI Nitrox Specialty
2 dives + theory + PADI Kit 1490USD / pax

For more information or requests for other courses than mentioned above, contact us.

* Please book at least 30 days in advance your course(s), so we can organize your study material.

Diving Supervision
Please be aware that the included guide will help you to discover the different dive sites and rich biodiversity in the best conditions. For any technical problems, please book:
  • Pedagogic Support Staff (CMAS* or OWD) (max 4divers) 8 USD / dive / diver
  • Private Guide (upon request in advance) 65 USD / day

Do not hesitate to contact us for any further questions: info@dune-aurora.com

Practical info

Food


Please let us know if you have any allergy or any specific diet (Diabet,Vegetarian, vegan…)

Accommodation


Depending on your itinerary, it might be necessary to book a night in a hotel before or after your cruise or before your domestic flights.
We can take care of your hotels' bookings if needed.

Transportation


International Flights
You will arrive at the international airport of Jakarta, Denpasar, Makassar or Manado and continue your travel with a domestic flight to your final destination (Komodo, Raja Ampat…). 

Domestic Flights
Please note, that the standard of Indonesian companies equals the European standard. We note that there may be some delay.
Make sure to have enought time for your stopovers (4 hours).

Important : The extra luggage must be paid in cash with Indonesian Rupiah.  Do not forget to have enough change before registration at the airport.
Nevertheless, you will be able to find currency exchange office or ATM in most of the airports.

The boarding on Aurora will be no later than 1 pm, thank you to book a flight arriving in the morning the day of the cruise departure
Disembarkation the last day will be after breakfast.
Please note that  only the transfers domestic airport/boat on arrival and departure dates cruise are included.
If you are already on the spot the day before departure, the meeting point will be at the harbor. Likewise, for the return if you want to extent your stay after the cruise.

Budget & exchange


We recommend to travel with Euros and/or USD.
There is also the possibility to travel with Swiss Francs or British Pounds.  We suggest you to change Indonesia Rupiah on arrival at the airport.

Tips

Crew Tips on board : 15 USD/Pers/day

Supplied equipment

Aluminium tanks of 12L with DIN/INT
Weight

Vital equipment


 Insurance and certification :

 - We recommend you to have a repatriation insurance once you travel abroad, because your traditional insurances might not pay for it.
-  A travel insurance will cover a range of problems, such as luggage theft, cancellation or delay of flights and medical treatments   

 
 Important for all divers:
- An insurance for the practice of scuba diving is mandatory on Aurora.  Please bring a justification (membership number and contact details)
- Please remember to bring your diving certification and logbook
- A medical clearance from a doctor is necessary
- We recommend a 3mm wetsuit for diving in Raja Ampat, Banda Sea and Maluku. For South
Komodo, we recommend a 5mm wetsuit as the temperature might drop to 21-22°C
- Dive equipment can be rented on board, please book before

Each diver must be equipped with his dive computer, sausage and dive torch.

Luggage


 We recommend to have indonesian Roupiah for your domestic flights in case of extra luggage.

Medicine


No vaccination required.
Malaria is a risk, mainly in rural areas (Java's main cities, Bali are considered malaria-free).Dengue is a major problem in Indonesia. There is no vaccination so we highly recommend to take measure to avoid mosquito bites (repellent, long sleeved t-shirt and long pants). We recommend you to check with your physician before departure.

As the sunrays are quite strong in Indonesia, it is absolutely necessary to bring sun-protections such assunscreen, after-sun and headgears (cap etc.) and we also advise you to bring earplugs

Passport


 Passports must be valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry into Indonesia

Visa


Visa
Visa On Arrival can be obtained free of charge at the airport. It is valid for 30 days and not extendable. Formore information about your country, please check on the Indonesian Embassy website. http://www.indonesiadhaka.org/

Communication
 The mobile network only works in major cities and tourist centers. The country code for Indonesia is +62. You can also buy a local SIM card, do not hesitate to ask when you arrive on board, we can manage it for you

Language
 English is spoken in all tourist destinations, also on board on Aurora

Mandatory vaccines


No vaccination required. Malaria is a risk, mainly in rural areas (Java's main cities, Bali are considered malaria-free).Dengue is a major problem in Indonesia. There is no vaccination so we highly recommend to take measure to avoid mosquito bites (repellent, long sleeved t-shirt and long pants). We recommend you to check with your physician before departure.

Health information & recommendations


As the sunrays are quite strong in Indonesia, it is absolutely necessary to bring sun-protections such assunscreen, after-sun and headgears (cap etc.) and we also advise you to bring earplugs

Weather


Water Temperature :
- Raja Ampat 27° - 30°C
- Komodo 24° - 28°C  (Sud: 20°-23°C
- Alor 27° - 29°C  (Sud: 24°-25°C)
- Banda Sea 26° - 29°C
- Maluku 26° - 30°C

Best season :
- Raja Ampat:  November to  April
- Komodo:        April to à October
- Alor:                 August to October 
- Banda Sea:   March to May   &  October -November
- Maluku:         March to May   &  October -November

Electricity


 220 volt outlets (two poles only, so for British clients, please bring adaptor! ).

Local time

                                                                                   Winter       Summer              
Indonésie Ouest, Jakarta:                         CET + 6      CET + 5
Indonésie Central, Denpasar Bali:       CET + 7      CET + 6
Indonésie Est, Sorong Raja Ampat:     CET + 8      CET + 7
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Tana

My local agent
Tana

  • Tana start living la vida loca in 2003 after become dive instructor. Since then he have not stop traveling and working in what he love more " the Ocean " . 10 years ago arrived in Indonesia following his pasion and since then, have not been able to leave this beautiful country full of underwater surprises . Hopes to still like this for long.
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Destination
LIVEABOARD BANDA SEA
Activity
LIVEABOARD MACRO
Duration
13 days
Group
2 to 16 people
Code
66
Price
From €4,480
Level
5/5
Comfort
5/5
Language(s)
French / English / Spanish / Italian

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