Roundtrip 17 days diving on Ambon and Banda

Garuda Indonesia flies non-stop from Amsterdam to Jakarta with her new Boeing 777-300 ER. Experience the hospitality of the Indonesian culture on board of Garuda Indonesia, the national flight company of Indonesia. The direct flight to Jakarta takes you in 13 and a half hour from Amsterdam to Jakarta. Departure Amsterdam around noon, arrival Jakarta early in the morning the following day. Your connecting flight leaves about 2 hours later and is a 3,5 hou -flight. Garuda staff is helping you to get you quickly on the Ambon flight.

Upon arrival at the airport, your driver will be waiting for you at the exit with a name sign. He will take you to your hotel. Your room may not be ready yet at an early check-in. But you can already use the other facilities of the hotel of course.

The coming week you will be a guest at the Spice Island divers. In these seven days you will make a total of 20 dives and enjoy what the resort and the sea have to offer. The resort is located near the village of Laha, directly on the Bay of Ambon, about 10 minutes drive from the airport and 40 minutes from the center of Ambon city. The diving season runs from September 1 to June. From mid-October to mid-May, in addition to muck diving, diving is also done at the dive sites on the south and east coasts.

Dive information

Dive Season: The best months for diving are September to December and March to April but also the months between. The Moluccan islands have the seasons reversed from the rest of Indonesia, when they have the dry season, its rainy season in Indonesia. Visibility: Usually is good (20-30m) except some muck sites close to the harbour or where sand is easily stirred up. Water Temperature: 20C/68F – 27C/80F Skill Levels: Dive sites are available from beginner through advanced. Dive Access: Land based diving, boat diving and shore diving. Many live-aboard start and end their itinerary in Ambon. Good option to add land based diving at the beginning or ending end of you live-aboard trip.

Normally you leave at 8 o'clock in the evening with the big Pelni boat to Banda. You stay in a first or second class cabin. Very early in the morning you arrive in the Bay of Banda. There is a porter present to take your luggage to and from your cabin. Because of your early arrival at Banda you also pay for the early check-in at the hotel (already included in the price). NB: From January 2016, Pelni sails until further notice with vessels without 1st, 2nd or 3rd class cabins. Only Economy tickets are available. We strongly discourage these due to poor hygiene.

Until 1667, Pulau Rhun was English property. In that year, the British traded it with the Dutch for the island of Manhattan... Visit the old forts and the El Dorado plantation here before snorkeling. If desired, your boatswain also sails to the island of Nailakka.

The next few days you will make a number of dives with Naira dive: the SSL certified dive center on Banda. At Banda you can choose from 2 or 3 dives a day. In our example trip we assume 2 dives a day and we have arranged some excursions.

Your boatsman sets sail for Pulau Hatta today. In addition to snorkeling, you will also visit the village of Kampung Lama.

Your boatsman sets sail for Pulau Hatta today. In addition to snorkeling, you will also visit the village of Kampung Lama.

Until 1667, Pulau Rhun was English property. In that year, the British traded it with the Dutch for the island of Manhattan... Visit the old forts and the El Dorado plantation here before snorkeling. If desired, your boatswain also sails to the island of Nailakka.

Terugvaart van Banda naar Ambon. U wordt aan boord geholpen met uw bagage door de kruier en heet wederom een hut ter beschikking. Vermoedelijk vertrek rond 07:00. Bij aankomst in Ambon, circa 8 uur later, staat een kruier weer klaar en wordt u naar het hotel gebracht.

There is nothing on the program today. You can relax at the pool or take a walk to the bay of Natsepa.

At the agreed time your driver picks you up for the transfer to the airport for your flight with Garuda Indonesia to Amsterdam with transfer in Jakarta. Departure from Ambon in the afternoon, arrival late afternoon in Jakarta. The connecting flight leaves Jakarta around midnight. Arrival Amsterdam in the morning.

Flight with Garuda Indonesia Ambon-Amsterdam with transfer in Jakarta. Departure from Ambon in the afternoon, arrival late afternoon in Jakarta. The connecting flight leaves Jakarta around midnight. Arrival Amsterdam in the morning.

In the morning arrival at Schiphol. The end of a beautiful trip...