Indonesia Liveaboard Diving Holidays

Liveaboard
Options

VIEW LIVEABOARDS

CALL 01353 659999

SEND ENQUIRY

Indonesia Facts

Area: 1,904,569 sq. km

Population: 237,424,363

Language: Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia)

Time: GMT + 5-8 hours

Electricity: 230v, 50Hz, 2 pin plug

Overview
Itineraries
Travel Info
Offers
Schedules & Prices
View map
Reviews

Liveaboard diving in Indonesia

The vast Indonesian archipelago was almost made for liveaboard trips. Thousands of tropical islands slide into the most biodiverse seas on Earth, where all manner of fascinating and rewarding encounters await on every dive.

With so many wonderful scuba diving opportunities spread over such a large area, a liveaboard is an ideal way for more experienced divers to get the best from this incredible destination, with both classic and off the beaten track itineraries available.

If you’ve not yet experienced Indonesia, now's the time to open your eyes to a world of wonder! The Coral Triangle, macro diving and more awaits.

Liveaboards diving to & from Bali

Eastwards from Bali, a string of picturesque islands stretch east towards Komodo, offering a wealth of different dive sites to choose from as you dive your way to or from Komodo National Park. Lombok, Gili Islands, Sumbawa, Moyo, Satonda and Sangeang are the main land masses, with numerous other islets.

This group of islands further east are surprisingly dry, looking more like parched grassland on steep volcanic formed slopes than the expected lush green tropics, unless visiting during the more rainy season (winter months).

Liveaboard diving in Komodo, Flores & Alor

Officially declared a World Heritage Site in 1986, the Komodo National Park comprises Komodo, Rinca and Padar Islands. The variety of islands within the park, combined with the current, wave and wind exposure have resulted in an incredible diversity of coastal and marine habitats.

Underwater, strong currents and deep upwelling's transport nutrient-rich waters throughout the area, which supports a cornucopia of life. Mangrove forests, sea grass beds and pristine coral reefs define the main habitats within the borders of the park. Dive sites vary from walls and coral gardens to pinnacles, drop offs and quiet bays that are ideal for macro lovers seeking rarely seen species.

Over 1,000 fish species, 260 reef building coral species and 70 sponge species have been recorded in the Komodo National Park, with a particularly high number of organ pipe coral, which accounts for the famous pink sand beaches. Turtle and dugong frequent Komodo's waters, while manta ray are regularly seen. The area is even known for the occasional whale sighting as they migrate through the park.

The islands of Komodo are also home to many rare and endemic land species including a population of the world's largest lizard, the Komodo dragons. Most cruises covering the park incorporate an island visit to see these interesting reptiles in their natural environment.

Occasionally, liveaboard boats venture farther east from Komodo to Flores and Alor. The currents that flow through the straits which connect the Banda and Savu seas create thrilling drift dives that attract large animals such as whale, tuna, shark (including hammerhead), giant grouper, eagle and manta ray, napoleon wrasse, schools of big eye jack, mola-mola, and other pelagic fish. In the Pantar strait between Alor and Pantar pilot-whale and dolphin are common as they pass between the islands during their seasonal migration to the Pacific Ocean.

Liveaboard diving Ambon & Raja Ampat

Vast areas of West Papua's land and sea are designated conservation areas. With over 3,000 reef fish and 400 coral and sponge species recorded, as well as dolphin, dugong, green, hawksbill and leatherback turtle, the diverse marine life will not fail to amaze. Above water, exotic creatures such as the venus fly trap inhabit the region.

Diving Raja Ampat by liveaboard tends to focus between December and March when the winds in this area are favourable. This is a large area with some liveaboards focusing on the north, central or south of Raja Ampat, or a combination thereof, including the dive sites of Cenderawasih Bay and Triton Bay. The entire region has world-class diving however.

Before and after this period, the focus moves to Ambon and the Banda Sea, part of the Maluku Islands. These seldom visited reefs and atolls are known for thrilling encounters, including hammerhead shark. This big fish action is complimented by incredible muck diving, particularly around Ambon.

Transition cruises taking in the Banda Sea and Raja Ampat are particularly sought after.

Some great Raja Ampat footage from our friends at Mermaid Fleet:

EXTENDED ITINERARIES & OFF THE BEATEN TRACK CRUISES

Occasionally, special itineraries are offered which either take in multiple regions on an extended itinerary, or head to more unusual regions of Indonesia, such as Wakatobi, Halmahera or the Forgotten Islands. Eye-catching options include itineraries starting in Manado, North Sulawesi and finishing in Raja Ampat (or vice versa), or beginning in Maumere and journeying east towards the Maluku Islands.

These itineraries, which are best suited to those that have already experienced Indonesian liveaboards previously, often have an exploratory feel, allowing eager divers to feel like pioneers exploring seldom charted waters!

When's the best time to dive Indonesia by liveaboard?

Indonesia spans approximately 3,000 kilometres from east to west and incorporates a range of climates and seasons. Most liveaboards move around the archipelago throughout the year, planning schedules to offer diving in each region at its best months.

The majority of liveaboards will focus on Komodo between May and September, Raja Ampat between December and March. In between these months, itineraries to locations such as Alor or the Banda Sea are offered.

Who is liveaboard diving in Indonesia suitable for

Diving in these areas is often undertaken in remote locations. Some of the dives can be quite challenging, suiting only more experienced divers in exciting, bizarre and unpredictable currents. Liveaboard diving does not get more adventurous than this!

Please note that liveaboard itineraries can change without notice. The itinerary will depend on several factors including, but not limited to, weather, diving ability of guests & the number of other boats already present at the various dive sites. All dive sites visited are subject to weather conditions and are at the discretion of your dive guides and vessel captain. View all our Indonesian liveaboards below.

Mermaid I

Bali - Komodo - Bali (10 days, 9 nights)
Bali - Komodo - Maumere (10 days, 9 nights)
Raja Ampat (11 days, 10 nights)
Raja Ampat - Halmahera - Lembeh or reverse (12 days, 11 nights)
Biodiversity Special: Maumere - Alor - Banda Sea - Raja Ampat - Sorong or reverse (16 days, 15 nights)

Flight Information

The most common entry points for a liveaboard holiday to Indonesia are Jakarta and Bali.

International flights are available on multiple airlines serving this region, for example: Singapore Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, Thai Airways, Emirates, Etihad, Qatar Airways and Garuda Indonesia.

For most liveaboard departures, domestic flights are also required, which will form part of your holiday package on flight inclusive holidays. There are numerous domestic airlines providing for a wide variety of routes and options in Indonesia. The length of journey to certain liveaboard locations necessitate an overnight stop on route, which also allows valuable time to recharge and recover after a long flight.

Flight changes can be a regular occurrence in Indonesia, therefore we recommend to build in plenty of time between domestic and international flights to account for changes and delays.

Typical flight duration:

Approx. 15–17 hours including flight change.

Passports & Visas

Passengers travelling to Indonesia and Timor-Leste should have minimum six months valid on their passport from the date of return to the UK, plus one full page free. Hotel receptions may be required to take a photocopy of your passport for registration purposes.

British nationals travelling to Indonesia on holiday can enter the country purchasing a visa on arrival for up to 30 days at certain ports of entry, including international airports in Jakarta and Bali. The cost of this is Rp 500,000pp.

For further information about entry requirements, visit the website of the Indonesian Embassy in London or your nearest Indonesian embassy.

Visitors to Timor-Leste require a visa, which British passport holders can purchase on arrival at the airport. A 30 day tourist visa, single entry costs US $30. It is your responsibility to check that your passport complies with Indonesian and Timor-Leste entry requirements.

Vaccinations

There are no compulsory vaccinations for travel, but we recommend protection against typhoid, tetanus, hepatitis A and polio. Vaccination requirements are subject to change and should be confirmed before departure with your GP or local travel clinic.

Advice on Malaria, Dengue Fever and Japanese Encephalitus should be sought before travelling specific to the area of your boat's itinerary.

Further information regarding vaccinations for travel to this country can be found at www.fitfortravel.nhs.uk, from your local healthcare provider or from a specialist travel clinic.

Click here for all Hotel Offers

Click here for all Liveaboard Offers

Click here to view current Schedules & Prices

MV Mermaid II

Mermaid II Didn’t Disappoint

"We have been on Mermaid II twice before and again they didn't disappoint.

The accommodation was excellent as always. The berths are quite small but there is enough storage space, with hooks everywhere. They are cleaned beautifully every day. The food as good and as plentiful as our last two times. No drop in standards. Good massage.

The Crew and Dive Guides are brilliantly run by Montse. The Guides are good but the crew are just great, especially the deck hands and boat boys - makes gearing up, getting in and out of the ribs a doddle. We always felt safe.

Our favourite memory from the holiday? Too many to mention really. We saw mantas on the last day which is always fab. The Mangrove dive sites were awesome and so many of the dives were like fish soup. But being on a boat in the middle of nowhere and watching the stars at night is always a privilege."

Pete and Hannah - London

No votes yet

S/Y Indo Siren

We Spotted a Mola-Mola Which even the Dive Guides Had Never Seen

"Overall, the trip was great. The Cruise Director and many of the crew were those on the boat when I went on the Raja Ampat cruise, so it was like being amongst old friends. As usual and as expected, the crew were very good and the boat was well run. Nothing was to much trouble for them and always cheerful. The high quality of the service started when we arrived at Bima airport where we were met in the arrivals hall by the crew from the boat. They recovered the luggage from the reclaim and dealt with the entry formalities. All we had to do was get in the car. The food on the boat (and there was plenty of it) was very good and always plenty of drinks and snacks available to help yourself to.

As for the diving, unfortunately I was unable to dive on two days due to an eye problem but that is just one of those things. However, the diving was very good and we spotted a Mola-Mola which even the dive guides had never seen before. There were plenty of Mantas and sharks etc and very beautiful reefs. There is also plenty of the macro stuff if that is to your liking. At times the currents were a bit strong but the guides gave very good advice and led the dives very well and, as a consequence, the currents were not a problem, although not to be recommended for inexperienced divers.

We had some interesting island excursions, including one to Komodo island and close encounters with Komodo Dragons. Weather was sunny, very hot and we only had a few minutes rain on one day.

Water temperatures varied between 21 and 27, but we were advised before each dive of the temperatures likely to be encountered, so we could wear appropriate wet suits etc.

Transportation to and from Indonesia was okay, but for the 7 hour la-over at Denpasar on the return. Also, the Solaris Hotel on the outward trip was a little too basic.

All the guests had a good time without exception, although two of the guests did not have the appropriate skills or experience to properly cope with the rather challenging diving we sometimes faced. A great bonus for me was being allocated a cabin on sole occupancy. In all, a good trip and I am glad I went.

In conclusion I would say that Komodo is worth the visit and certainly I would always choose the Indo Siren, as for me it ticks all the boxes for a good liveaboard diving holiday. Presumably all the other Siren boats operate in the same manner so would be a good choice of boat in any of the locations where they operate."

Chris O - UK

Guest rating: 9/10 (1 vote)

S/Y Indo Siren

Indo Siren was Just Luxury - We had so Many Favourite Memories

"Everything was even better than expected. The transfers and ground arrangements worked like clockwork and we were taken care of at each stage. It was a very tiring journey and the 8 hour stop at Dubai outbound was hard so it was good to be able to freshen up when we reached Jakarta at the hotel and we were met promptly on arrival and well taken care of at each stage.

The Indo Siren was just luxury and the cabin was spacious and well equipped. The food was fabulous with a great variety. I am a vegetarian and was very well catered for. Yup, we ate too much as you do on these holidays and the crew made sure we were never hungry with snacks, cakes, nachos and more. It was so nice to be treated special too as repeat guests on the siren fleet and we each received gifts which was very unexpected. The deck had a music system which was great for relaxing to in between dives and into the evening.

The dives were varied and the cruise director, Luke, was the best lead we have ever had on a liveaboard. He catered for the variety of interests on the boat from macro to pelagics and ensured each dive was going to be well worth it for his guests. Mediocre is not in his vocabulary and he did an awesome job. He was very clear about any currents we would encounter and if they were going to be small, medium or strong. We had amazing dives and our dive guide, Yadi, was awesome finding the tiniest of creatures to placing us where the action was with schools of fish all around. A great itinerary with a great mix of dive sites (which I am sure was down to Luke accommodating all his guests interests).

All staff on the boat worked so hard to ensure we had an amazing experience. We wanted for nothing. We were picked up promptly from the dives by Beng Beng or a Smiling Suki and then were welcomed back on the boat by Jousef with a huge smile and a 'Welcome Back' promptly followed by Jo with a hot cup of chocolate or a cold juice. Towels were at the ready and the crew set to work helping us out of our equipment and then filling our tanks for the next dive. All we had to do was shower off and then back to relaxing and reviewing our fabulous dive. In the evening Yadi and some of the crew entertained some of us at the front of the boat by playing some music and it was the perfect way to wind down in the evening. I've mentioned Luke already but feel he deserves a special mention as he is an exceptional Cruise Director. He worked tirelessly to ensure the vessel ran what seemed like effortlessly and we very personable to his guests and we thoroughly enjoyed his company.

We had so many favourite memories from the holiday. I think taking time out to climb up the cliff at Waiag to see a panoramic view of the area and then finding our crew had organised a beach party for our return with drinks, snacks and music before we headed back to the boat. Magic! But we had whales, manta, mobula rays, sharks, dolphins and sargassum frogfish pass by the boat on the surface which i had never expected and the delights below the surface were too many to cover. Whales..I mean whales surfacing right next to the boat...awesome!

We are very happy with Regaldive’s services and once again the trip went like clockwork and we didn't have to worry about a thing...it was all taken care of. An amazing trip.

Thanks for organising such a fabulous holiday and we are so looking forward to the next."

Laurie Harper - UK

Guest rating: 10/10 (1 vote)

Dewi Nusantara

Raja Ampat trip Xmas and New Year 2012/13

"
This is really a trip of a lifetime. Raja Ampat is at the centre of the coral triangle and as such provides more bio diversity than any other dive location on the planet.

As a destination Raja Ampat is a mission to get to. I used the Jakarta gateway and flew Etihad from LHR to Abu Dhabi then Jakarta. This was followed by domestic flights outbound Jakarta – Ambon – Sorong, and inbound Sorong - Manado Surabaya - Jakarta. Be aware of the limited baggage allowances of 15 or 20kg on domestic flights but excess baggage charges are very reasonable. You will also need Indonesian currency for departure taxes both domestic and international. I had transit stopovers on both legs at the Jakarta Airport Hotel. I might suggest that there may be a less protracted route for your trip so speak to the guys at Regal.

We were picked up at Sorong Airport and taken to the boat. I have been on a lot of liveaboards but this boat is impressive! Dewi has beautiful lines and plenty of space. Rooms are spacious and kept impeccably clean. The food is very good considering that they get their supplies from Sorong. Beer and one glass of wine with your evening meal are included, as are coffee and all soft drinks. If you like a sundowner I would advise taking your own bottle of Duty Free spirits as alcohol is a little expensive on board.

The scenery above the water is amazing, very reminiscent of the islands in the movie King Kong and also slightly other worldly. The diving operation is slick. Wendy, the English cruise director, runs the boat like clockwork. You will not have to lift a finger with your gear as the crew do everything and all diving is from tenders. There is a camera room with spacious stations for each photographer. Expect to do four dives each day. You will be offered hot showers, hot towels and neck massages after each dive and hot Baileys coffee after the night dives.

Water temp in Raja Ampat is a constant 28-30 degrees, a 3mm suit is plenty but some wore 5mm and some almost nothing. I had a 3mm full suit and a hooded 2.5mm vest which was perfect and provided some flexibility if I felt colder. I did a lot of the dives in just the vest and a pair of boardies but there are some nasty stinging hydroids so watch out.

The first thing that strikes you about the dives are the colours and the abundance of fish. The reefs are pristine with amazing hard and soft corals. Expect to see all the critters on your wish list but we also saw lots of mantas including a giant oceanic manta and various species of shark including black tip, white tip, grey reef, tasseled wobbegong and epaulette.

The crew are the ones that will make your trip; they are special and will do anything for you. I had my birthday on the boat and the entire crew sang to me (in tune and in harmony!) which made me feel special too. You will therefore wish to leave a tip - the guideline is about 10% of the cruise price but from talking to other guests the amounts given ranged from $100 to $600 per person and are split equally between the crew and dive guides.

Raja Ampat gets the tag frontier diving. Repeat guests said they had sometimes not seen another dive boat for days on prior trips. We saw one, two, sometimes three boats a day, so my advice is to make the trip sooner rather than later.

Thanks to all the crew on this luxurious boat and to Regaldive for arranging it. It seems like a lot of money but it is well worth it!

"

Paul Cavanagh - Bournemouth, UK

Guest rating: 10/10 (1 vote)

Emperor Raja Laut

The diving was tremendous!

"We were a bit late into Bali, but the pickup was there and the Solaris Hotel was fine. The dive kit was no problem on the Garuda flight. From what people told us in Labuan Bajo, Garuda are reliable and highly regarded. We were slightly delayed on the return to Bali, but the pickup was again there as expected.

Bintang Flores was also good, and we had a nice few days in Labuan Bajo, which is quite a bustling little town.

The Emperor Raja Laut is very nice. The crew and guides were fantastic. Briefings were clear, particularly so when we were diving some of the more challenging sites. Sophie and Flo were also great hosts, sitting with us and chatting in the evenings. We spent the week diving with Tamrin, a local Indonesian free-lance guide who was on the boat for the week. He was great: nice and slow, just as we like it, and great at spotting things. We asked for Spanish Dancers on a night dive and got two! The boat crew were friendly and helpful all week.

Food was good too with ample veggie catering. We were lucky to only have seven guests on board, so there was plenty of room.

The diving itself lived up to expectation. The corals are amazing and we had some great wildlife, from mantas to tiny squid and all points in between! I'd definitely go back to the area again. The land trips to see the dragons and walk up to a couple of viewpoints were also impressive, and seeing the dragons from the RIB in Horseshoe Bay was a highlight.

We'd definitely recommend the Raja Laut, Flores diving and this itinerary. "

Sean B and Clare D - Stockport