Diving Holidays and Liveaboards to Bali, Komodo and Irian Jaya, Indonesia

Bali and Komodo are situated in the Lesser Sunda Islands (otherwise known as Nusa Tenggara) which is a west - east stretching chain of smaller islands located towards the southeastern tip of the Indonesian Archipelago.

The reefs stretching alongside Nusa Tenggara are mostly well preserved and are vibrant, colourful reefs teeming with an incredible variety of reef fish and invertebrates. Larger pelagics are often spotted amongst the reef fish, including turtles, White-tip and Black-tip Reef Sharks, dolphins and occasional pods of Pilot Whales. Much of the reef is within shallow water allowing maximum bottom time to explore the crevices and bommies that adorn this region.

Moving eastwards from Bali is the island of Satonda, the reef here gently descends to a sandy seabed and is adorned in a variety of hard and soft corals, sponges and sea fans. Divers can explore ravines and caverns for nudibranchs in every colour, decorator crabs and shrimps of every type, a macro-photographers paradise! Sandy Chute at Satonda has an exquisite bommie that is shrouded in a wall of reef fish, the Nusa Tenggara region is recognised for approximately 1,000 fish species and over 250 reef building corals, many can be seen here at Sandy Chute.

The diversity of marine species increases as you move eastwards, taking in Gili Banta you may encounter a number of reef sharks, rays and turtles swimming amongst the mass of reef fish. The coral formations at Gili Lawa Laut are home to a number of pelagics and small critters displaying the vast diversity of this region.

Within Komodo National Park the dive sites include Larry's Yellow Wall, an exquisite parallel yellow-clad wall that you can dive in-between, taking in the corals in every shade of yellow, invertebrates and reef fish at close proximity. The pinnacle, Cannibal Rock within Horseshoe Bay, rises to within a few metres of the surface and is covered in hard and soft corals and Sea Fans, if you look closely enough you may have the pleasure of seeing the rare and elusive Pygmy Seahorse. Larger creatures are also attracted to the pinnacle, tuna and oceanic jacks can be spotted formidably scanning the reef.

Within South Komodo is a site famous for its Manta Rays, Toro Langkoi with its imposing underwater rock formations is often a home for these magnificent creatures. At the other end of the size-scale crinoids, nudibranchs and critters are most common within the waters of Sangeang, it is still an active volcano that recently spewed lava into the seas creating warm offshore springs teeming with new life.

Liveaboard Diving Programme, Indonesia

A typical day on board:

The day begins at around 6:30 am with a pre dive snack of fresh croissants, tea or coffee, assorted fruits and cereals. Before the first dive the dining room steward will take your order for the main fully cooked breakfast. We gear up for the first dive of the day around 7:30.

The entire day is dedicated to scuba diving unless we are steaming to a new dive site or have a shore expedition planned. There is often a chance to go ashore if the tender boats are available, just ask the live aboard crew to take you.

Daily activities on the live aboard are signalled by a bell, as a rule of thumb when the bell rings and your hair is dry it's time to dive and if your hair is wet it's time to eat.

Lunch is usually served around 12:30 after the second dive. It usually consists of a combination of cold cuts, cheeses, fresh rolls, and warm Indonesian dishes.

About 2:30 it is time for the third dive of the day, which is followed by afternoon tea served on the rear lounge deck. Depending on our location we may have time for a fourth day dive for those with the extra energy.

Between dives you can enjoy a massage or just relax on the sundecks, the shady rear lounge deck or in the airconditioned salon.

The last dive of the day is usually a night dive and should not be missed as it offers a chance to see some of the most unusual reef critters in the world.

About 8:00 the bell rings for dinner which is served by the stewards in the main salon. Two nights during the cruise we move our tables and serve dinner under the stars on the bridge deck.

After dinner you can relax in the main salon and watch a video on the modern entertainment system, read a book from the extensive library, relax under the stars on the top deck or just retire to your cabin.

During the cruise there is a talk and slide show about the marine biodiversity of the region given by one of the dive staff.

A sample itinerary for the MY Komodo Dancer:

MV Pindito

The MV Pindito offers cruises to the Komodo National park and to Irian Jaya (Raja Empat), as well as an awsome adventure-diving tour, which lies in between these two regions, twice a year. Pindito's experience of the region goes back to 15 years and has cruised Raja Ampat years before any other liveaboard was there.
The Swiss owners guarantee a unique combination of comfort and the ambience of the characteristically Indonesian way.

Recent renovations have ensured that Pindito remains the first choice for diving the remote waters of Indonesia. Dates are booked years in advance. Pindito was launched in the Indonesian Sea in March 1992. After many years and thousands of dives, Edi, Pindito's skipper/owner and his crew have gained unrivalled knowledge of the best dive sites in Eastern Indonesia, namely West Papua (Raja Ampat), the Moluccas, Nusa Tenggara and Bali / Komodo. Their expertise and dedication to this beautiful region guarantees an unforgettable liveaboard experience.

The Vessel
Pindito has all the lines of a classic wooden sailing vessel. The wooden and traditional constructions of the Pindito emboss the cosy and familiar atmosphere on board. The infrastructure ensures comfortable living for all guests. The lounge is air-conditioned and spacious. The succulent cuisine is influenced by international and above all Indonesian (or Asian) dishes. Breakfast is served in two servings. A little breakfast before the first dive, with the main breakfast-buffet ready after your first dive of the day.
Lunch and dinner are always a highlight and are mainly influenced by Indonesian or Chinese cuisine.  Meats and fish dishes with different side-orders separately are always available and vegetarians catered for. Desserts and Sweets as a special treat for everyone. In between dives the crew serves biscuits and cakes and other snacks. You will never go hungry.
At any time you can have tea, coffee or a cool drink out of the fridge. Drinking water is available all the time too. After the last dive you may enjoy alcoholic drinks for free (except wine, which has to be paid on board).

Accommodation on board
4 double and 4 twin cabins are spacious, have their own private bathrooms, and individual controlled aircondition units. Each cabin is individually furnished to a high standard using the best local materials. On board hygiene is observed at all times. All comfortable and cosy cabins have individual air-conditioning, have several 220 volt sockets, separate toilet, shower and a washbasin.

Diving Services
The diving is organised from one of the 4 Zodiacs. The Crew carries your gear from the motrher vessel onto the zodiacs, so all you need to do is show up for the dive! Pindito diving instructors and dive guides look after a safe and comfortable diving operation. All dives are guided for safety and comfort reasons.
During the last 15 years their Safety Record has been 100%! The on board diving centre has the following equipment: 2 Bauer compressors (Mariner) as well as a Nitrox-Membran-Filling station (NITROX for free!), 3 zodiacs (pro 500RL), forty 10-Liter tanks with DIN/INT monoplugs, twenty weight belts, BCDs, regulators, lamps, masks and fins for 4 divers. A First-Aid-Kit as well as many other tools to provide perfect service in case of emergency are on bo, ard.
Underwater photographers and Videographers have access to on board computers to perfect your digital records and burn your shots on CDs or DVDs (please bring your own blank CDs and DVDs along!).

A Typical Diving Day
After our nourishing breakfast the assembled dive equipment is carried to the zodiacs by the crew, so you’ll never be hassled by hauling around your gear. After a short ride by zodiacs, you’ll dive into the undersea world. Throughout the whole dive the zodiacs will accompany you for comfort and safety reasons, which are both highest priorities. Back on the Pindito, refreshing drinks and delicious snacks await. Exchange your diving experiences, while sipping a cool drink and watching the videos and pictures taken during your last dive. Usually four dives a day are scheduled: the first one in the early morning (about 07.30 am), the second in the late morning, the third in the afternoon (about 02.30 pm), and after dinner you can go for an exciting night dive. All dives are always dependent on the weather. On the day of arrival and departure there are no dives on the program for safety reasons and no alcoholic beverages are served before the last dive of the day!

Lounge
The place where everybody meets and where meals are served. It is also where you can watch the best pictures and video of the day. Games are also available as well as well stacked library of books and DVD's.


Dive & Sundeck
The Pindito is 33 meters long and 8,5 meters wide vessel, and offers lots of comfort and space on board. Briefings, and the whole diving operation leave room for those who would rather stay on board relaxing in deckchairs.

The Pindito bow is a popular place on board to get together, have a cool drink and enjoy the splendid sun sets and chat with the other guests.

The Komodo Dragon route. Komodo Island and national park reserve offers just about every type of tropical diving imaginable - from calm and colourful shallow reefs alive with hundreds of colourful reef fishes and crammed with invertebrates, to current-swept deep water sea mounts, walls and pinnacles patrolled by sharks, tuna and other big fish.

The variety of marine life for scuba diving in Komodo rivals the world's best dive destinations. This is the world's epicentre for marine diversity and you'll see loads of stuff here on a diving cruise that you just won't see anywhere else in the world - From whale sharks, sunfish, mantas and eagle rays to pygmy seahorses, ornate ghost pipefish, clown frogfish, nudibranchs and blue-ringed octopus - all at home amongst a spectacular range of colourful sponges, sea squirts, tunicates and corals - a macro enthusiast's heaven.

The Raja Ampat route will show you an abundance of the undersea world coupled with unforgettable landscapes unique to our planet. Its beauty will carry you away. A myriad of isles pushed up throughout thousands of years with breathtaking scenery will amaze even the most season traveller and explorer. Everywhere you come across caves, or caverns, rocks as big as cathedrals, over hangs that all together improve the dramatic sight of these awesome landscapes. Misool is one of the places on earth where you encounter the most diverse species of fish, hard and soft corals, sponges, worms, nudibranches, shrimps and crabs and all kind of non-vertebrates, like cuttlefish and octopus. You will come across the wobbegong shark and epaulet sharks, endemic to the region. Giant clams as well as fantastic tiny shells are only a few of the species that make this itinerary an underwater photographers paradise. The Pindito crew has sailed this region since 1992 and have acquired unrivalled knowledge of the Islands, the channels and the reef systems, and still each trip never ceases to amaze them.

 

The Komodo Dancer Liveaboard

The newest addition to the Peter Hughes Fleet is the Komodo Dancer, a traditionally crafted, 2 masted wooden motor sailor stretching 30m in length and accommodating up to 16 passengers. This beautiful yacht has 8 staterooms all with private en-suite bathroom, 2 Deluxe Staterooms are located on the dolphin deck each having a queensize bed with single bunk above, there are 5 Staterooms with single bunk beds and finally the Owner's Suite on the Lido deck with queensize bed and picture windows offering magnificent views. All cabins are equipped with built in hairdryer and fresh towels and toiletries are provided daily.

At the stern of the main deck is a spacious dive platform fully equipped with water fountain, mask defogging station, weight belt area and shower - fresh towels are provided following each dive. For the avid underwater photographer there is a multi-tiered photo table and E6 processing is carried out every night. Camera and video rental is available on board and light tables and professional assistance is readily at hand.

A crew of 8 offers superb service from waking you up with fresh coffee to bringing you hot towels following a night dive. They provide an array of international cuisine throughout your stay, breakfast is cooked to order, lunch is often buffet style and dinner is waiter served. Wine is served with dinner and after-dinner drinks are always offered. Both mid-morning and mid afternoon freshly prepared snacks are provided throughout your stay. There are two sundecks onboard for relaxing following dives or from which to watch the beautiful sunsets and the interior salon is luxurious for both dining and relaxing.

The Komodo Dancer operates both 7 and 11 night cruises leaving from Benoa Harbour in Bali. The first day of diving is usually spent at Satonda Island before heading out to the Gili Isles and then on towards Komodo. The last couple of days are spent at both Banta Island and Sangeang Island. For those passengers aboard the 11 night cruises a couple of extra days are spent at the Gili Isles and Komodo. With all cruises land excursions are available to search for the famous Komodo Dragons.

Wooden fitted, Twin-mast motor sailor,
30m in length, 9m wide.
Accommodates up to 16 passengers within 8 deluxe cabins.
2 sundecks and spacious salon.
Individual stateroom air conditioning.
Private en-suite heads and showers.
Daily E-6 processing available.
Government Sales Tax included.
Up to five dives daily.
Filled tanks, weights and weightbelt are included.
Camera and video rental available.
Speciality courses including, PADI Advanced Open Water, IANTD, TDI and PADI Nitrox Certification, Rebreather Certification, and Paul Humaan Fish and Creature Identification.
Dive equipment is available for rental.
Nitrox dive facilities.

Departurers and prices for diving liveaboards in Indonesia