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Best Scuba Diving In Indonesia

Where is the best scuba diving in Indonesia? Read on for 6 places that should be on every diver’s To Do list.

Reef, Tatawa Besar, Komodo

Komodo Diving

It’s not often that Komodo makes an appearance in the Top 5 of places to dive in the world – as a premier diving destination, it still remains relatively unknown. It’s my personal Number 1 favourite dive area anywhere in Asia – I’ve been there three times in the last three years and would like to continue making an annual return. In terms of bang for your buck for a 10 day liveaboard trip, I would say that Komodo is actually even better than the holy grail of Indonesian diving, Raja Ampat. While Raja has incredible biodiversity, Komodo provides an amazing variety within a standard week and a half liveaboard format.

From the temperate waters of Cannibal Rock and Manta Alley in the south to the tropical waters of the still active volcano Sangeang in the north, Komodo has a spectacular array of different dive environments that also provide a feast of big and small critters. There’s also the chance to encounter the fascinating Komodo Dragons on land and see Komodo’s primeval landscape from the vantage point of the boat. Of numerous stand out areas, Gili Lawa Laut is probably Komodo’s highlight of highlights, as it’s home to Castle Rock, one of the world’s most stunning dive sites. This is a true fishbowl where sharks, dolphins, tuna and thousands of fish can be encountered en masse. There are numerous liveaboards to choose from and also daytrips if you want to spend more time exploring on land. Bali is the initial arrival point for guests, with many boats organising a domestic flight into Maumere or Labuan Bajo to meet with the boat.

For more information, I’ve written three Komodo trip reports – the most recent is probably the best one:

  • Komodo November 2009 on MSY Damai
  • Komodo October 2008 on S/Y Siren
  • Komodo December 2006 on Paradise Dancer
Manta Ray, Manta Sandy, Raja Ampat

Raja Ampat Diving

It’s a scientific fact – Raja Ampat has the most underwater species of any place in the world, and for a diver, that means there is a plethora of stuff to see. Raja has become The New Big Thing for discerning divers and despite the effort to get there, very few divers are disappointed. The Waigeo and Misool regions around Bird’s Head Peninsula have scores of dive sites that have a profusion of spectacular corals and critters, as well as a couple of signature manta ray cleaning stations too. The picturesque limestone rocky outcrops that pepper the coastline form secret lagoons above water and intriguing caves and canyons below the water too. Further south lies Triton Bay, whose milky, nutrient rich waters are home to an amazing array of soft corals and macro critters . Liveaboards typically last for 10 days and depart from Sorong. There are also several resorts around Raja Ampat – Misool Eco Resort and Max Ammer’s Kri and Sorido resorts.

Read my Diving Raja Ampat: A Quick Guide for a full rundown of diving Raja, plus tips on getting there and what to bring. See also my Raja Ampat and Triton Bay trip report on MSY Seahorse.

Sea Snakes Coming In from Above

Banda Sea Diving

Crossing the Banda Sea is only possible a couple of times a year when the seasons allow for calm seas and let divers take on a truly epic voyage to some of Indonesia’s most remote dive spots. Departing from Maumere and heading along lor for a few days before entering the Banda Sea proper, liveaboard trips typically take two weeks to make the crossing. En route there are numerous atolls to be explored, including the two spectacular volcanos of the sea snakes at Gunung Api and Manuk which also boast centuries old coral. It’s rare to see another boat during the whole crossing, and arriving in the tiny but bustling Banda Islands is a fascinating contrast to the solitude and expanse of the Banda Sea.

The islands are great to explore on land and learn about the islands’ troubled past as the only source of nutmeg, once considered more valuable than gold. Banda Sea crossings typically conclude in Ambon where there is some excellent muck diving, or continue on into Raja Ampat and explore Misool for a couple of days before concluding in Sorong. Banda Sea trips also head in the opposite direction, from Ambon to Alor. Given the huge distance to cross, there is a lot of travelling and itineraries can change depending on weather. There is something magical about the Banda Sea and it’s a trip I would love to do again.

For more info, read my Banda Sea trip reports on

  • Diving Gunung Api
  • Diving Manuk
  • Diving the Banda Islands
  • Diving Nusa Laut
  • Diving Ambon
Pgymy Seahorse

Lembeh Strait and Bunaken Diving

If seeing weird and wonderful critters is what floats your boat, Lembeh Strait is the underwater world capital of all things aquatic and strange. It’s also an excellent value diving destination, with resorts to cater for all budgets. Mimic octopus, hairy frogfish, pygmy seahorse – there is a seemingly endless list of ultra rare underwater creatures that are almost common in Lembeh. Black sand forms the backdrop for many dives but there is also some fairly decent coral too. However, such is the profusion of life that you will rarely have time to consider the environment as there are so many creatures to look at. Bunaken is only a half hour boat ride away and has some big walls, a complete contrast to Lembeh – it’s better to split your trip in two and spend some time at separate resorts in Lembeh and Bunaken rather than trying to explore from just one base. Bunaken and Lembeh lie at the bottom of the Sangihe archipelago and just a little further on is the fairly unknown area of Gangga, which has some beautiful underwater canyons and pinnacles as well as a lot of macro life like ornate ghostpipefish.

Read my Ocean Rover liveaboard trip report on Lembeh, Bunaken and Gangga (August 2008) and my trip report on my stay at NAD Lembeh Resort (August 2008)

Mola Mola, Bali

Bali Diving

Often overlooked thanks to Indonesia’s unparalleled array of great dive spots, Bali is a hugely underrated destination which provides not only excellent diving but the convenience of shore dives and comfortable living in either hotels or villas. The three key diving areas are Tulamben – home of the famous Liberty shipwreck and a paradise for divers that love macro stuff – also a great place to learn to dive; Lembongan – big channel diving looking for mola mola sunfish and exploring cold water epic seascapes; and Pemeturan, lost in Bali’s northwestern tip with Menjagan Island nearby which has some great corals and fish life.

For more on Bali, read my Bali Dive Safari article written for Sport Diver USA magazine and Diving the USS Liberty: A Quick Guide

Sunlight on a plate coral bommie, Kalimantan

Kalimantan Diving – Nabucco, Sangalaki and Derawan

Located further along Borneo’s coast from Sipadan, Indonesian Borneo has several islands with great diving and some submerged atolls that are only accessible by liveaboard. Sangalaki is perhaps the most famous island for its schooling manta rays, although they are not there all the time. Derawan has some great reefs and this area in general has fallen off the dive map a little so it’s one of the new frontiers of Indonesia diving again as boats come back and make their own explorations to find new sites as well as the classics.

You can see more about diving Kalimantan in my trip report from the Tambora liveaboard.

Cenderawasih Bay – Whale Shark Capital Of The World

If you want prolonged, up-close encounters with the majestic but usually elusive whale shark, the biggest fish in the world, Cenderawasih Bay in remote far eastern Indonesia is the place to go

Whale Sharks underneath Bagans (Fishing Platforms) at Kwatisore, Cendrawasih Bay, Indonesia

Indonesia’s Cenderawasih Bay has become increasingly famous as a dive destination over the last couple of years thanks to the possibility of spectacular encounters with whale sharks. Appearing en masse at the floating bagans, or fishing platforms, the whale sharks love to feed on the tiny fish caught in the fishermen’s nets suspended below the bagan.

Whale Sharks underneath Bagans (Fishing Platforms) at Kwatisore, Cendrawasih Bay, Indonesia

There are numerous fishing platforms scattered across Kwatisore Bay, in the south west of Cenderawasih’s huge crescent of water, and the fishermen regard the arrival of the whale sharks at their particular bagan as a good omen.

Whale Sharks underneath Bagans (Fishing Platforms) at Kwatisore, Cendrawasih Bay, Indonesia
Whale Sharks underneath Bagans (Fishing Platforms) at Kwatisore, Cendrawasih Bay, Indonesia
Whale Sharks underneath Bagans (Fishing Platforms) at Kwatisore, Cendrawasih Bay, Indonesia

For divers, the platforms provide a jawdropping encounter with the whale sharks. There’s no other word for it. Most divers feel very lucky if they’ve witnessed even a fleeting glimpse of a whale shark fly-by, such is their rarity.

Whale Sharks underneath Bagans (Fishing Platforms) at Kwatisore, Cendrawasih Bay, Indonesia

But in Cenderawasih we had not only one or two but five whale sharks endlessly circling the platform to feed in a few metres of crystal clear water, completely unbothered by bubbles and scuba gear and only interested in the next mouthful of fish.

Whale Sharks underneath Bagans (Fishing Platforms) at Kwatisore, Cendrawasih Bay, Indonesia

It is frankly hard to take a bad photo in such circumstances – the whale sharks come so close that within a couple of hours a competent photographer can shoot virtually the whole range of classic whale shark poses immortalised by books and magazines for their own collection.

Whale Sharks underneath Bagans (Fishing Platforms) at Kwatisore, Cendrawasih Bay, Indonesia

That is, of course, if they can stop giggling with excitement through their regulator that this is really happenng. Exmouth in Western Australia, Baa Atoll in the Maldives and Sogod Bay in the Philippines (along with Donsol and Oslob) provide almost guaranteed chances of seeing whale sharks too, but the proximity and longevity of Cenderawasih’s whale shark encounters is a different level again.

WWII Landing Craft Shipwreck, Pillbox Dive Site, Manokwari, Cenderawasih Bay Indonesia

If the whale sharks are the major draw to Cenderawasih, the handful of liveaboards heading to the region has opened up speculation about what else might be in the Bay. Already the other key attraction is the presence of several World War II era wrecks that are remarkably intact. Nearby to Manokwari there is the Japanese wreck Shinwa Maru with its eerie cargo of bottles still scattered in its holds, easily accessible as the wreck lies on its side.

Shinwa Maru Wreck Manokwari Cenderawasih Bay Indonesia

There’s also an unidentified US landing craft in shallow water, upside down and encrusted with coral and home to several curious batfish. The wreck at The Cross, so named for the Christian school located nearby, also has a still discernable hull suffused in soft and hard coral, especially at the gracefully curved stern.

Shinwa Maru Wreck Manokwari Cenderawasih Bay Indonesia

Sadly we couldn’t dive the remains of the Japanese Zero fighter further down the eastern coast due to bad weather, or the wreck in Nabire harbour due to issues with the local bureaucracy. Biak also has several wrecks around its northern most coast that have yet to be extensively documented, although the visibility is meant to be pretty atrocious on that side of the island.

WWII Landing Craft Shipwreck, Pillbox Dive Site, Manokwari, Cenderawasih Bay Indonesia

The uncertainity about Biak’s wrecks highlights just how little is known about Cenderawasih in general. Geographically even more remote that Raja Ampat, Cenderawasih Bay lies to the very far east of Indonesia, at the north eastern side of Papua island. The provincial capital Manokwari lies at the western tip of Cenderawasih’s vast U-shaped body of water, and the island town of Biak at the eastern tip.

WWII Landing Craft Shipwreck, Pillbox Dive Site, Manokwari, Cenderawasih Bay Indonesia

Burt Jones and Maureen Shimlock have already charted out key dive sites on Cenderawasih’s eastern coast in their indepensable book Diving Indonesia’s Birds Head Seascape – but the western coast of Cenderawasih Bay remains largely a mystery in terms of verified dive sites. The Bay’s Eastern Coast is also a designated National Park, but the west coast currently remains unprotected.

Barrel Sponges, Elephant Ears and Fans, Tanjung Mangguar, Cendrawasih Bay, Indonesia

During our 11 day trip on Damai, we followed Cenderawasih’s coastline from Manokwari down to the whale sharks at Kwatisore, along to the port of Nabire and then headed up into the very centre of the Bay to explore some of its scattered atolls before heading to Biak to fly back out. As with all exploratory diving, it was hit and miss, using only a clutch of secondhand GPS points and advice from locals – some sites didn’t exist and some had been dynamite bombed.

Barrel Sponges, Elephant Ears and Fans, Tanjung Mangguar, Cendrawasih Bay, Indonesia

But there were numerous superb dives too, where the reef was pristine and quite likely had never been dived before. Cenderawasih has an abundance of hard corals which in the richest areas have grown into vast lettuce corals, huge staghorn patches, impressive table corals, and decades of encrusted colour and texture on walls, slopes and bommies.

Pulua Auei, Cendrawasih Bay, Indonesia

There are the psychedelic bright colours of soft corals and some gargantuan fans interspersed amongst them too, but in Cenderawasih the hard corals are king.

Warmari Reef, nr Woka Lighthouse, Cenderawasih Bay, Indonesia

As Cenderawasih is explored more, new dive sites are bound to become firm favourites and part of established itineraries. Unfortunately dynamite fishing is still active within the western side of the bay and so the health of the dive sites in that area is subject to constant change.

Warmari Reef, nr Woka Lighthouse, Cenderawasih Bay, Indonesia

The whale sharks are already within the protected Cenderawasih national park and the remoteness of the fishing bagans means that it will be a while yet before there are too many boats and too many divers in the water. Best to see Cenderawasih Bay now while it still remains one of Indonesia’s last diving frontiers.

Whale Sharks underneath Bagans (Fishing Platforms) at Kwatisore, Cendrawasih Bay, Indonesia

Thanks to all the crew and staff at Damai liveaboards (www.dive-damai.com) for their help with this trip. You can also read my previous detailed review of the Damai liveaboard itself.

Cenderawasih Bay route map

A Weird And Wonderful World Underwater: Lembeh Diving March 2011

Indonesia’s northern Sulawesi has one of the greatest – and most unlikely – underwater environments in the world. Scores of fantastic-looking marine species – many of which are rarely seen anywhere else on the planet – are regularly spotted on the barren black sand slopes of the Lembeh Strait.

Orange frogfish amongst grey weed

It’s difficult to over-exaggerate just how amazingly strange the creatures of Indonesia’s Lembeh Strait truly are. There are few other places in the world where you can hope to encounter creatures that sound like they come directly out of a Harry Potter novel – the Hairy Frogfish, the Mimic Octopus and the Flamboyant Cuttlefish, for example. And not only do these creatures exist here, but they exist in relative abundance – it’s likely you will see a plethora of otherwise-incredibly hard to find marine creatures during a weeks’s diving in Lembeh. As such, this strip of water near Manado city in northern Sulawesi, home itself to a large deep water port, has become a mecca for scuba divers in the last decade.

A mimic octopus moving rapidly over the sand

I’ve been here twice before, and much of what I wrote up in my previous Lembeh Strait diving trip report in 2008 is still true, so there’s not much point rewriting it again here. Hopefully the photos below give some idea of just a fraction of the creatures you might encounter in Lembeh. Basically, if you want easy diving and love seeing reality-warping critturs in their natural environment, then this is the place to come. If you want reefs and clear visibility, you might want to go somewhere else, like Bali or Komodo. This time round, I stayed at the Kasawari resort in Lembeh. I’ll be writing up a full review shortly, but I would unreservedly recommend Kasawari if you can afford the higher price tag to other Lembeh resorts which tend to be more affordable.

Squat Lobster

Lembeh is basically the best value destination for underwater photographers of all levels that I can think of. if you’re learning to take photos or simply prefer to use a small compact than a big bulky DSLR, Lembeh’s array of small creatures will provide perfect subjects. If you’re getting started with a DSLR, the lack of currents, shallow diving and easy to deal with terrain to manouevre in lets you focus wholly on taking pictures rather than grappling with the underwater environment. And if you’re an experienced photographer, the sheer richness of marine life will keep turning up something new or old favourites to try capturing in new ways.

A seahorse floating free over the sand

The other thing that is not noted often is that Lembeh above water is stunningly pretty – lush green hills rising steeply above the water covered in palm trees beneath the blue sky. While it’s arguable there are too many resorts in Lembeh now (I think it’s up to 10 currently), the area is big enough that it does not feel too built up yet.

Given the amount of divers wanting to go to Lembeh, it’s relatively easy to get there despite it being fairly remote: SilkAir fly from Singapore to Manado and AirAsia fly from Kuala Lumpur to Manado. Check Kayak and Skyscanner to compare prices and timings. It’s then about 90 minutes (or less) drive to your resort, depending on its location. I’m already making plans to go back in 2012.

Kasawari Resort Lembeh

Shrimp on the vine, Lembeh

Hundreds of tiny catfish faces peer out from a their fast moving school

Female Ribbon Eel

Goby living in a pipe

Flamboyant Cuttlefish - only about 6 centimetres long

Baby triggerfish inside a rusty can

Hairy Frogfish with lure - the shrimp like appendage is lowered over prospective pray's hideyholes - if they bite, the lure is whisked back to the frogfish's mouth

An octopus literally running backwards away from the camera

Reptilian eel buried immobile in the sand

An octopus lying in wait inside a broken bottle

A devil scorpionfish approaches the camera aggressively, pushing its head back to look bigger

A whole bunch of nudibranches staying friendly

A stargazer lies in wait in the sand

Three pegasus sea moths - two smaller males chasing around after the female

A tiny cuttlefish attempts to spear its prey

Wunderpus chasing across the sand

Banggai Cardinalfish

Ornate Ghost Pipefish hovering just above a frond of seaweed

Up close with a devil scorpionfish


Scuba Diving Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo

Diving the island pearls of Indonesian Borneo’s coastline – Nabucco, Kakaban, Sangalaki and Derawan – from the Tambora liveaboard: the full text of my article for EZ Dive magazine.

Cuttlefish and Coral, Diving Kalimantan, Indonesia © Chris MitchellCuttlefish and Coral, Diving Kalimantan, Indonesia © Chris Mitchell

(This story originally appeared in EZ Dive magazine, July 2010. Thanks to Dom at DiveAdvice.com for his help and Uwe on Tambora for letting me on the boat)

Indonesia has a “Big 5” list when it comes to choosing a region to dive – Raja Ampat, Komodo, Lembeh and Bunaken, the Banda Sea and Indonesian Borneo. While the first four are all justifiably famous as some of the best places to dive in the world for their various specialities, Indonesian Borneo has largely remained off the diving map over the last few years.

Territorially divided between Brunei, Malaysia and Indonesia, Borneo is the third largest island in the world. Sipadan and Lankayan are the most celebrated of Malaysian Borneo’s dive destinations but just a little further along Borneo’s coastline, across the border within Indonesia, lie four islands looping out from the mainland like a pearl necklace that also deserve a lot more attention.

These islands are Nabucco, Kakaban, Sangalaki and Derawan, and they are the draw for a couple of intrepid liveaboards recently entering the region to explore further.

Tambora Liveaboard © Chris MitchellTambora Liveaboard © Chris Mitchell

  • Tambora liveaboard has Kalimantan dive trips scheduled for June 2020 and July 2020. Follow the links for more info on the boat and their Kalimantan dive itinerary.

In recent years there have been resorts located on several of the islands, and for good reason – each area has four to five days worth of interesting diving in a peaceful, solitary setting. A big advantage of Indonesian Borneo is that it has flat calm waters during April to June and huge blue skies, with barely another soul around. Beneath the surface at Nabucco island, however, is a real adrenaline dive in the form of Maratua Channel, also aptly named Big Fish Country. Head down to 25 metres and a truly massive battery of barracuda, hundreds strong, appears out of the blue. Reef hooks are definitely a good idea, as beneath the barracuda sizeable whitetip sharks patrol. Once divers unhook, there’s an exhilarating drift dive through the channel itself, where the distinct spotted markings of eagle rays occasionally flash by.

A huge battery of barracuda hundreds strong at Big Fish Country (Maratua Channel) © Chris MitchellA huge battery of barracuda hundreds strong at Big Fish Country (Maratua Channel) © Chris Mitchell

The big advantage of sailing through this region is not only been able to easily dive at all of the island locations, but also to make exploratory forays into new areas unreachable by the resorts. Armed with GPS marks from local guides and advice from fishermen, we spent a couple of days exploring a submerged atoll which sits just off the island of Palau Sambit. The atoll is so big it doesn’t have its own name – instead it has three names for different sections of its horseshoe shaped reef.

Its undisturbed tranquility makes it a haven for turtles, which are a common sight on virtually all of Borneo’s sites. Some of the atoll dives were spectacular – our first, at Lintang reef, felt like dropping off the edge of the planet as the dark blue of the early morning ocean contrasted against the bright white rim of sand that suddenly fell away vertically into nothing. Other dives were not so great, which is to be expected as part of exploratory dives but still means the dive guides can be continually teased about it.

Palau Balembangan © Chris MitchellPalau Balembangan © Chris Mitchell

One nearby island, Palau Balembangan, had the sort of reef you dream about diving on – spectacular hard corals so abundant they’re growing on top of each other, not an inch of the slope to be seen anywhere, lots of plate corals and sponge corals, with years of growth evident in their massive sizes, interspersed with lots of feather stars and fans too. The reef on its own would be enough, but making this aquatic landscape come alive were huge clouds of fish too – butterfly fish, fusiliers, zebra fish – all skittering about and chasing through each other. It gave an electric feel to the reef, a sense of real energy in the water. With the afternoon sunrays filtering through the clear visibility, it was a magically lit up kaliedoscope of movement and colour.

Palau Balembangan © Chris Mitchell
Palau Balembangan © Chris Mitchell

Movement of an even rapid kind characterises Kakaban’s signature dive site, Barracuda Point. A lip at 30 metres that requires reef hooks as standard, the ripping current of this dive site brings in big barracuda – each over a metre long – which slice through the blue whilst divers are hanging on for dear life. Whitetips and grey reef sharks are also known to make regular appearances here. Up in the shallows there are a lot of beautiful top side hard corals, which are definitely worth a couple of dives to explore at a more sedate pace. Kakaban itself is actually a large crater of an island, with a non-stinging jellyfish lake located in its centre.

Manta close up, Sangalaki © Chris MitchellManta close up, Sangalaki © Chris Mitchell

Sangalaki is famed for its resident manta ray population, although it’s not guaranteed they will put in an appearance. Apparently best spotted between 10 am and 2pm, we had two dives with tantalising glimpses of mantas at the surface and a brief encounter below before our third dive hit the jackpot before we even got in the water. Besides wheeling around cleaning stations, Sangalaki’s mantas like to skim just under the water’s surface to feed on plankton. Hurriedly getting out of our bulky BCDs and grabbing snorkels, we gently eased into the water and were greeted with the sight of two mantas, both three to four metres wide, looping around each other and around us. The sunlight rippled off their jet black bodies as they passed a hand touch away beneath us and disappeared into the greenish gloom before suddenly reappearing a few minutes later on another feeding run. It was an unforgettable encounter which more than made up for seeing little of the mantas whilst down below. Once regarded as one of Borneo’s best dive destinations, it has to be said that Sangalaki’s corals are currently in a poor state and it’s to be hoped that a new resort can be established and full government support given to the operators to enforce and restore the island’s no take zone and allow its reefs to flourish again.

Crocodile Fish, Derawan © Chris MitchellCrocodile Fish, Derawan © Chris Mitchell

While most of our Indonesian Borneo liveaboard had been about big underwater vistas and big creatures – mantas, sharks, barracudas and more – our final few days at Derawan island were a macro enthusiast’s delight. In contrast to the corals of Sambit or Nabucco, Derawan’s coral is quite scrubby and the viz murky on most occasions. However, patience and a magnifying glass yield a lot of surprises, especially with dive guides who know the territory. One particular site, Shipwreck, is so rich in small stuff like nudibranches, flatworms and squat lobsters that there is rarely a quiet moment.

Sunlight on a plate coral bommie © Chris MitchellSunlight on a plate coral bommie © Chris Mitchell

However, the stars of the show at Derawan are undoubtedly the resident jawfish population, who every month release new eggs into the water. The jawfish incubate the eggs within their own mouths which cannot fully shut, presenting divers with what looks like a mouthful of eyeballs as the eggs reach the point where they’re ready to be released. The jawfish release the eggs at full moon each month, and if you do a very early morning dive at 5am you might just get lucky enough to be there when it happens. The jawfish belches the eggs out in a couple of clouds (what a way to be born!) and so begins a new cycle of life on the reef – a tremendous way of ending our Indonesian Borneo trip.

Jawfish with eggs © Chris MitchellJawfish with eggs © Chris Mitchell

Jawfish releasing eggs © Chris Mitchell
Jawfish releasing eggs © Chris Mitchell

This part of Borneo is perhaps more subtle in its diving charms than its counterparts elsewhere in Indonesia, but for underwater serenity away from the crowds and the excitement of exploring somewhere that still has yet to give up many of its underwater secrets, it’s a great choice. Here’s hoping the pearls of Borneo get more recognition and protection in the future.

Many thanks to Tambora liveaboard (www.tamboradive.com) for their help with this feature.

  • Tambora liveaboard has Kalimantan dive trips scheduled for June 2020 and July 2020. Follow the links for more info on the boat and their Kalimantan dive itinerary.

You can see more of my photos from this dive trip on the Scuba Diving In Indonesian Borneo page

Practicalities:
Getting there:
Liveaboards currently depart from and return to Tarakan. Tarakan is a one hour flight from Balikpapan which itself is a two hour flight from Singapore or Jakarta. Silk Air and Mandala Air fly from Singapore to Balikpapan, and Mandala flies from Balikpapan to Tarakan. Booking domestic Indonesian flights from outside the country is near-impossible – ask your liveaboard to arrange flights for you.

Entry/ Visa Requirements:
Most nationalities can get a 30 day visa on arrival at Balikpapan Airport. The visa costs $25 US Dollars, which is payable in Rupiah, Dollars or by credit card. You cannot currently get a visa on arrival at Tarakan Airport.

Language:
Bahasa Indonesia is the official language of Indonesia. English is spoken widely, especially on liveaboard boats.

Best time to dive:
Conditions for liveaboards are best from April to June when seas are calm and there is little rain

Currency:
Indonesian Rupiah. US Dollars and credit cards are widely accepted, although check ahead with your dive operator to ensure you take acceptable payment.

Dive With::
Tambora (www.tamboradive.com) and MSY Damai (www.dive-damai.com)

Additional information:
Water temperature can be 27 to 30 degrees – a three millimetre suit should be fine, but a additional vest, hood and gloves are worthwhile items to bring too if you feel the cold

Tambora Liveaboard Review

Tambora is a new luxury liveaboard that spends the entire year exploring Indonesia. This is a review of the boat itself, with photos and notes on the facilities and operation to help you decide if it’s the boat for you

Tambora Liveaboard, Indonesia

Introduction
Tambora was initially recommended to me by my friend Dom, who runs the large liveaboard agency DiveAdvice.com. I needed to dive Indonesian Borneo (Kalimantan) and Tambora is one of the only boats to currently explore that area. I travelled with Tambora on a 10 day trip at the end of May 2010.

The Boss
Tambora is co-owned and managed by Uwe Gunther, a German former scientist who has been in Indonesia since 1998 and currently lives on the boat permanently. He is passionate about diving in Indonesia and is interested in exploring as many areas as possible, rather than just sticking to the tried and trusted favourites of Komodo, Raja Ampat etc. Uwe also answers all email correspondence for bookings etc sent direct the boat personally, which is a nice personal touch.

The Boat
Tambora itself is a brand new wooden pinisi schooner built in the shipyards of Sulawesi where most of these ships come from. Tambora has been built with scuba diving specifically in mind, rather than being converted from previous use. The boat began operations in 2010.

Cabins
Tambora can take a maximum of 16 guests in 8 cabins. The cabins are a good size with a nice dark wooden finish. Very pleasant to relax in. They are ensuite with a shower, toilet and sink with mirror. The shower is reliably hot and quite powerful. There is also a wardrobe and a desk and chair, perfect for photo editing. There are several well -placed plug sockets in the room. All cabins are basically the same – there’s no state room etc – and they are all located on the lower deck. Besides double bed cabins, there are also twin bed cabins which are the same layout but have the two single beds end to end (rather than as bunk beds). Cabins are generally quiet but there were mysterious banging sounds on a couple of nights from below decks which did not help sleep.

The photos below show the double bed cabin, and the video gives a quick tour of a cabin.

Tambora Liveaboard Double Bed Cabin
Tambora Liveaboard Double Bed Cabin
Tambora Liveaboard Double Cabin Bed and Desk
Tambora Liveaboard Double Cabin Bed and Desk
Tambora Liveaboard Double Cabin Desk
Tambora Liveaboard Double Cabin Desk
Tambora Liveaboard Double Cabin Wardrobe
Tambora Liveaboard Double Cabin Wardrobe
Tambora Liveaboard Double Cabin Ensuite Shower and Toilet
Tambora Liveaboard Double Cabin Ensuite Shower and Toilet
Tambora Liveaboard Double Cabin Ensuite Shower and Toilet
Tambora Liveaboard Double Cabin Ensuite Shower and Toilet

Dining Area and Sun Decks

Tambora has a big roomy dining area with lounge seating – very pleasant. Because the gear area is at the back of the boat, the front area normally used for gearing up on pinisi schooners is a covered sun deck with loungers and tables, with a second sundeck on top of the dining area. This gives the boat a real sense of space – perfect for sundowners and early mornings. Smoking is permitted on both deck areas.

Tambora Liveaboard Main Deck Relaxing Area
Tambora Liveaboard Main Deck Relaxing Area
Tambora Liveaboard Dining Area
Tambora Liveaboard Dining Area

Food
Breakfast is cooked to order – eggs, bacon, sausage, toast etc. Cereal and fruits also available. Buffet style lunch, mix of Indonesian and Western food. Generally very tasty – ask for seconds if you want more. Desserts quite basic. There’s no choice re the menu but alternatives can no doubt be produced. Plastic plates and cups. The chef is a experienced sushi chef and produces an incredible sushi feast at the end of the trip (which somehow I failed to take a photo of – too busy eating I think). There’s coffee, tea and water available 24 hours, and buscuits in the jar. Soft drinks, beer and wine are also available. (Beer – $5 for large Bintang bottle, $3 for small. Wine is expensive – $30+ because of outrageous import taxes in Indonesia. If you’re fond of wine, might be best to bring your own).

Lunch On Tambora Liveaboard
Lunch On Tambora Liveaboard

Gear up area
Dedicated room at the back of the boat for gearing up and storage of all equipment, which is a nice touch. Everything feels very efficient and organised – no chance of misplacing your gear. This is directly by the entry onto the speedboats. It’s a quite small area, difficult for more than 6 people to be in at a time.

Nitrox
Charged at $15 a day extra

Tambora Liveaboard Gearing Up Area and Rinse Tanks
Tambora Liveaboard Gearing Up Area and Rinse Tanks
Tambora Liveaboard Gearing Up Area
Tambora Liveaboard Gearing Up Area

Camera room
The camera room is located at the back of the boat by the gear up area and compressors. It has room for about 3 to 4 people at once maximum. There are no power strips for multiple plugs and there are no adapters available on board if you forget yours. There is no fan in the room to keep it cool – on the first day of gear setup I was soaked with sweat. There’s a large rinse tank by the camera room – so big it’s difficult to keep it at a depth to cover the camera gear.

Tambora Liveaboard Camera Room
Tambora Liveaboard Camera Room

Speedboats
There were two RIB inflatables when I was on Tambora, but I’m told there’s now a third. Tanks with scuba gear are laid on the RIB floor by the boat boys and then donned at dive site. Integrated weights are removed at end of every dive and need to be replaced before each dive. Could be difficult/hard work for older guests. Back roll entry. Feels crowded and cramped on the boat – three staff and three guests. (As you can tell, I’m not a fan of inflatables).

The boat boys are very good at handling cameras on and off the boat. However, one major problem is that there is little room to place large camera rigs and the boat boys often have to hang onto them whilst perched on the front of the boat. This is potentially quite a dangerous setup as the camera could get knocked off into the water. There needs to be some dedicated space for cameras where they are safe on the floor and away from scuba gear being pulled in and out of the boat.

The boat drivers can be a bit trigger happy with the engines on dive sites when picking up and dropping off. Divers need to be aware of where the boat is at all times when near the surface.

Guides
Excellent. Efficient organisation, good thorough briefings, lots of stuff pointed out. Dive guides are currently Fiona and Eddie, a British couple, and on our trip we were also joined by Mike, Indonesian guide who knew the Kalimantan area inside out.

Conclusion
I had a very enjoyable 10 days on Tambora, and would certainly go back again. The important basics of comfortable sleeping, good food, hot showers and space to relax were well covered. Everything ran like clockwork. The diving setup was also efficient, despite my dislike of inflatables, and the guides were good. My only suggestion for improvement is that a bit more attention needs to be given to the camera room and to finding space to safely stow camera gear on the inflatables.

It was particularly nice having Uwe on board – it gives the boat a more personal touch when you get to meet the owner. His enthusiasm for diving in Indonesia is infectious and he has lots of plans to keeping improving Tambora – but the boat has certainly started off with very high standards.

You can see some of the photos I took during the trip on my page Scuba Diving in Indonesian Borneo.

If you have any comments or observations about being on the Tambora yourself, please leave them below. It would be good to have several different opinions of the liveaboard, not just mine.

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  • September 2016: Tulamben, Bali at Alba Dive Resort
  • August 2016: Cenderawasih Bay on Damai 1
  • April 2016: Sogod Bay at Sogod Bay Scuba Resort
  • February 2016: Raja Ampat and Banda Islands on Damai 1
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  • April 2011: Similan Islands and Southern Thailand liveaboard
  • April 2011: Carpe Vita Liveaboard, Maldives
  • March 2011: Lembeh Strait, Indonesia
  • December 2010: Menjangan, Bali
  • July 2010: Tofo, Mozambique
  • July 2010: Sardine Run, South Africa
  • May 2010: Sangalaki / Derawan, Tambora
  • March 2010: MV Flying Seahorse, Similan Islands
  • March 2010: MV Orion, Southern Maldives
  • January 2010: Big Blue Explorer, Palau
  • November 2009: MSY Damai, Banda Sea Liveaboard, Indonesia
  • October 2009: MSY Damai, Komodo Liveaboard, Indonesia
  • October 2009: MV Orion, Maldives Liveaboard
  • September 2009: MV Scubanet, Koh Losin, Thailand
  • May 2009: MSY Seahorse, Banda Sea liveaboard, Indonesia
  • March 2009: Sachika Liveaboard, Maldives
  • February 2009: Daytrips, Koh Lanta, Thailand
  • January 2009: MV Jazz, Burma (Myanmar) Liveaboard

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  • November 2008: Borneo Explorer, Visayas Liveaboard
  • September 2008: S/Y Siren, Komodo Liveaboard
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  • September 2007: Davao, Philippines
  • July 2007: Great White Sharks, Rodney Fox Liveaboard
  • June 2007: Big Blue, Palau Liveaboard
  • May 2007: Whale Sharks at Exmouth, Australia
  • April 2007: Borneo Explorer, Tubbataha Reef Liveaboard
  • December 2006: Komodo Dancer, Komodo Liveaboard

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