SAMPLE CRUISE ITINERARY "KOMODO"

9 Day/8 Night Bali-Labuanbajo Cruise

Day 1 Embarkation in Bali

Day 2 Moyo and Satonda Island

Moyo is a small island, inhabited by around 6,000 people, located in the West Nusa Tenggara province off the northern coast of Sumbawa. There are spectacular coral formations and crystal clear waters which make for great diving. Satonda Island is as famous for its fruit bats as it is for its diving. Every night around sunset, millions of bats take off from here as they head to Sumbawa to feed. There is also the opportunity for a short trek to the inland lake, along a path full of butterflies.

Angel Reef

This site lies off the west coast of Moyo and consists of a healthy coral reef with a vertical wall dropping to over 40 meters in depth. Angel Reef has huge elephant ear and barrel sponges along the wall. It is teeming with long fin bannerfish and red tooth triggerfish. Search the sea fans here for our first chance to see the Denise pygmy seahorse.

Satonda Reef

Underwater the sloping reef and sandy bottom hide a large array of critters. An afternoon dive provides a great opportunity to search for giant frogfish nestled in the sponges, or mushroom coral pipefish snaking among the fronds of the mushroom coral. Nudibranchs, pipefish, even ghost pipefish and Bargibanti pygmy seahorses are regularly seen here.

Day 3 Bima

Bima is a busy port on the north-west end of Sumbawa Island. There are several dive sites to explore here, with black coral covered reefs and world class muck diving.

Tanjung Sai and Two Rivers

These two dive sites are located outside the bay leading to Bima port. The black sand slopes have patches of sea grass and halimeda coral, providing great hiding places for thorny seahorses and tiny pipehorses. Even the elusive Mimic octopus has been spotted here. The shallow hard corals are full of colour, with schooling anthias sprayed like confetti over the reef.

Unusual Suspects

This muck dive is full of weird and wonderful critters. Starting in the south, the black sand is covered in sponges with frogfish, and ghost pipefish are a regular find. Continuing north, huge soft corals grow out of the sand and shelter beautiful cowries. Thorny seahorses, seamoths, stonefish and even wonderpuss and harlequin shrimps have all been found here.

Besides diving, it is also possible to visit a traditional village close to Bima. Anyone joining our cruise is welcome to bring along some goodies for the children at one of the villages we visit. Obviously the children love sweets but we encourage people to bring pencils, pens, notebooks, colouring books or even clothes - none of which rot their teeth! The school always needs more materials and the girls love hair clips and bands.

Day 4 Sangeang Island

The island of Sangeang is located north-east of Sumbawa. It’s only a tiny piece of land but you’ll notice it right away since most of its landscape consists of Gunung Api, an active volcano. This natural phenomenon has made for some amazing topography, such as steep ridges dripping with hardened lava. There are several excellent dive sites here, all with good visibility, allowing you to truly appreciate the healthy reefs of soft and hard corals as well as different types of anemones.

Lighthouse Reef

This site presents many contrasts in terms of natural features and marine life. Strong currents can prevail in the exposed areas but there are also sheltered spots. Down around 20 metres macro lovers will be delighted, as the base of the wall and large black sand slope is excellent for spotting countless nudibranchs and other colourful critters. Black coral bushes hide ghost pipefish and saw blade shrimps.

Hot Rocks

Here the volcano has left its mark below the surface as well. In the shallows, observe volcanic bubbles escaping from the sea bed through air vents. Put your hands close to the ‘hot rocks’ and feel the heat from the sulphur covered rocks. Besides the usual tropical reef species, ribbon eels, cowries and Bargibanti pygmy seahorses can also be seen here.

Day 5 Gili Lawa Laut

Two celebrated dive sites await you, just north of Gili Lawa Laut Island. Crystal Rock and Castle Rock are both incredible locations, boasting the key elements for any impressive dive site: a wide variety of healthy corals covering the reef, plus tons of fish - both big and small and all sizes in between! There are two more exhilarating dives in this area, El Toro and Gili Lawa Laut Lighthouse, along with good night dives on healthy hard coral reefs.

Crystal Rock

The rock jutting out of the surrounding crystal clear waters explains how this site got its name. What makes this an unforgettable dive, however, are the large swarms of fusiliers and anthias flitting over the gorgeous soft corals and impressive table corals. In the deep blue, look out for large tuna and mackerel, plus fish schooling around a small mound to the northwest.>

Castle Rock

Castle Rock is another submerged mound situated a kilometre further north of Crystal Rock. Its exposed location can mean strong currents, but experienced divers will love the thrill of this dive. In fact, the main action comes from watching the staggering amount of fish life whipping past, such as groupers, midnight snappers and impressive schools. Of course, divers aren’t the only ones interested in the huge numbers of fish here, so expect to see giant trevally, whitetips, blacktips and grey reef sharks hunting around for their next meal.

El Toro

The channel between Gili Lawa Laut and Gili Darat forms a dive site with interesting topography. The dive starts with a drift along a flat rock plateaux which then drops down into the ‘bull ring’. This is a hollowed out area with a sandy bottom surrounded by walls covered in soft corals. There is a good chance to see reef sharks and sometimes manta rays play in the surface currents.

Gili Lawa Laut Lighthouse

On the north of Gili Lawa Laut there is a lighthouse at the end of a long reef. When the tide is going down the dive starts on the reef with a drift to the corner. At the corner there are big schools of batfish, snappers, surgeons with napoleon wrasse and reef sharks also hanging around.

Day 6 Komodo-Flores Channel

Tatawa Besar

This is a thrilling drift dive, starting at the north-western tip of Tatawa and continuing down the western side, reaching about 15 to 20 meters of depth. The fish life here is abundant and you will see an endless field of stunning orange soft corals as you glide along. Swim past coral heads inhabited by schools of sweetlips and batfish, and look out for turtles feeding on the reef. Mantas have been encountered here as well.

Takat Makassar

An exhilarating drift dive along the shallow flat bottom interspersed with patches of coral reef teeming with life. There are chances to see manta rays, turtles, eagle rays and white tip and black tip reef sharks.

Wainilo

This afternoon and night dive is situated off the north of Rinca Island. In the shallows, the hard coral reef is home to many different critters, including juvenile harlequin sweetlips and batfish. Away from the reef, the sandy slope is scattered with pulsing soft corals which hide demon stingers and starry night octopus, plus a moray eel which has not yet been classified by scientists and is only found here in Wainilo.

Day 7 Loh Liang or Loh Buaya (walk with dragons) / Komodo-Flores Channel

Loh Liang or Loh Buaya (walk with dragons)

Your day begins with an exciting visit to Komodo National Park, as you take a stroll with the famous dragons! As you walk along the paths, local guides will point out wild deer, boar and bird life, but keep a careful lookout for the giant lizards which have made this region their home. Don’t forget your camera, as there are usually good opportunities for close-up shots when you get to the ranger station.

Another chance to experience one of the Komodo-Flores Channel dives before heading to a more sheltered spot for a night dive.

Day 8 Gili Lawa Laut

A chance to experience two more dives at Gili Lawa Laut. After the dives visit Gili Lawa Laut Island and take a short trek to the top of the hill for a wonderful view over the Komodo-Flores channel. Spend the rest of the day relaxing on the beach or take a kayak around the calm waters of the bay.

Day 9 Disembarkation in Labuanbajo