Banda Sea |
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The Banda Sea is a deep sea ringed by islands in eastern Indonesia. Right in the middle of the sea are the Banda Islands.
While they may seem incredibly remote, they were once world famous as the Spice Islands, where nutmeg & mace - much sought after in those days - were grown & fought over by colonial powers.
Nowadays, they are more famous for their plentiful underwater wonders & laidback island charm. |
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 The seven main islands and numerous smaller islets that make up the Banda Islands have some truly excellent diving.
Palau Ai has plunging walls and excellent pelagics, including numerous species of larger shark. Skaru is a small atoll just off the main Hatta Island that often has a bewildering profusion of fish & colours, including huge schools of Snapper & Fusliers. Pelagic action is also common here and the nutrient rich waters feed majestic corals & sponges. The pinnacles around Batu Kapal make for an excellent dive too. The main island of Banda Neira is a great place to find mating Mandarinfish at dusk, which are reportedly far less bashful than at other locations.
The reefs fringing Gunung Api, with their tapestry of delicate table corals, have been a revelation to scientists. Gunung Api is an active volcano that last erupted in 1988, covering the reefs in lava and destroying everything in their path. Miraculously though, the reefs have recovered faster than experts ever thought possible and the area is now home to some of the most impressive hard coral structures that you will find anywhere in the world. This site has a huge concentration of Banded & Olive Sea Snakes too.
There is also superb diving elsewhere in the Banda Sea. The 5 small atolls of Lucipara are a turtle nesting ground and have excellent diving, with walls plunging down to over a kilometre. There are occasional sightings of Mola Molas, or Sunfish here.
Just off the eastern coast of Seram island at the northern end of the Banda Sea is Koon Island. Despite strong currents and lower visibility, this site is a popular very Liveaboard stop. In addition to the profusion of fish life here, numerous sharks & even whales are known to cruise, including large Killer Whales.
Also in the north of the Banda Sea, Ambon is one of Asia’s finest muck-diving spots. In this large bay, you can find the endemic Ambon Scorpionfish, Halimeda Ghost Pipefish, Thorny Seahorses, Mandarinfish, Frogfish and many more fascinating critters for macro-lovers to search for. Just a short distance from Ambon, Nusa Laut has beautiful corals and excellent reef life - a tribute to the locals, who take great pride in their healthy reefs.
The Banda Sea has a season that differs to many in Indonesian areas, with two short high seasons. The first is in March & April, the second from September to November. Outside these months, it is still possible to dive the area, but the sea can be very rough at times. Ambon is a little more protected and can be dived all year, with September through to May bringing the best conditions.
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The Banda Islands have only one land-based dive operation - Spice Island Divers. Likewise, Maluku Divers is the only land based operation in or around Ambon.
The area is also visited by Liveaboards, normally departing from Ambon, Maumere or Bali and lasting from 10 days to 2 weeks. |
- Banda Islands
- Ambon
- Maumere
- Southern Bali
 
The Banda Islands are a group of 10 volcanic islands, rising out of the deep Banda Sea in eastern Indonesia. Despite their remote location, they have a famous history as part of the Moluccas - otherwise known as the Spice Islands. Once upon a time, the Banda Islands were the world's only producers of nutmeg.
There is one dive operation in the Banda Islands, called Spice Island Divers, which are based on the main island of Banda Neira. They make daily trips to many of the local dive sites. Some sites are just a few minutes away, but others are quite a long journey. There is also superb shore diving under the jetty. The dive shop is partnered with Maluku Divers in Ambon to the north.
Reaching the Banda Islands is quite difficult. There is an small airport, but it is only connected with Ambon. The most popular route is to fly from Jakarta or Bali to Makassar in Sulawesi. From here, you can fly to Ambon and from Ambon, you can take a small, unreliable plane to the Banda Islands. Alternatively, once you have got to Ambon, you can catch the bi-weekly ferry and stay on the Banda Islands for 17 days before catching the same ferry back.
The dive shop is based in the island's one luxury hotel, Hotel Maulana, on Banda Neira. There are also a few budget options on the island too, all of which are owned by Des Alwi, the island's charismatic father figure. There is no accommodation on any of the other Banda Islands.
Aside from the diving & snorkelling, relaxing and enjoying the wonderful views are about as active as the Banda Islands get. The snorkelling here is superb and will keep non-divers happy for hours. The resort also has some tennis courts for those feeling active.
The small island of Ambon sits at the northern end of the Banda Sea, 130km north of the Banda Islands. Its major town, also called Ambon, is the capital of the Maluku region.
The island currently has one dive shop, Maluku Divers, a well established operation that is partnered with Spice Island divers on the Banda Islands. They run daily trips to a wide variety of local dive sites.
Liveaboards also depart from Ambon to explore the Banda Sea. Some also head up to Raja Ampat, finishing their journey in Sorong on Western Papua.
To get to Ambon takes a little time, but is not too difficult. There are flights from Denpasar airport in Bali and from Jakarta in Java to Makassar in Sulawesi. From here, there are daily flights to Ambon.
There is basic accommodation attached to the dive shop and now some slightly more comfortable rooms as well. There are also a few other simple options, plus a luxury hotel on Natsepa Beach, the island's most visited beach.
Aside from diving, there are nice beaches to visit and some interesting cultural trips learning about the history of the islands, but not a great deal of touristy activities.
Maumere is on the north coast of Flores in Indonesia's Nusa Tengarra region. It is the island's largest town, with some great local diving as well as Liveaboard trips further afield.
There are 3 dive centres in resorts spread out along the coast near Maumere, making daily trips to the nearby islands & dive sites. Liveaboards sometimes visit the area's dive sites too, and Liveaboard tripss also leave from Maumere heading to Alor & other locations further to the east.
Maumere has an airport which connects to Bali and a few other spots in Indonesia. From here it is not far to most of the resorts or to Maumere town centre. Maumere is connected by bus routes to Ende and a few other points on the island. Indonesia's ageing ferry network also ply's routes to other islands - this is a very slow way to travel though.
Most accommodation is along the coast near Maumere and the few dives shops here tend to be in resorts. The accommodation tends to be comfortable mid-range cottages & bungalows.
On land, Maumere is surrounded by beautiful scenery. One of major attractions is Mount Kelimutu, a volcano that has 3 lakes, all of which are a different colour. There are also fascinating villages and peoples dotted around the countryside and an interesting market in Maumere town. There is little in the way of nightlife and the main reasons to visit Maumere is to dive & explore the surrounding area.
The south of Bali is the heart of it's tourism industry, with thousands of visitors each year, especially to Kuta and the surrounding area.
There are quite a few dive centres and the dive industry here is well established. Day trips are usually made to Nusa Penida & Nusa Lembongan. It is also possible to arrange trips to other areas in Bali, especially trips to Tulamben. Due to the travel times however, some people prefer to make an overnight trip or longer.
Southern Bali is also the departure point for Liveaboards making trips to Komodo National Park to the east, as well as the pick-up point for visiting Wakatobi by Liveaboard.
There are now quite a few well-established Liveaboard operators making trips to Komodo & Rinca. Trips run throuhgout the year & usually last for around 7-10 days, taking in Lombok & Sumbawa in addition to the sites of Komodo, before returning to Bali.
The area has its own international airport in Denpasar, the capital, with flights all over Asia plus Australia & Europe. From the airport, a bus or taxi can take you to any of the well-toursited areas. Antiquated ferries run between all of Indonesia's major islands, including Lombok directly to the east of Bali and Java to the west.
There is a huge range of accommodation available in this area, from top-end luxury hotels to simple guest houses. Kuta is the main tourist hub of the area, with the biggest range of accommodation and the most amenities. Nusa Dua and Sanur are a little quieter and a little more upmarket.
Aside from diving, there is a huge amount to do here. Activities include great shopping, amusement parks, surfing, all sorts of adventure sports and plenty of other attractions. There are some very nice beaches in the area, especially to the south and Kuta is known for its lively nightlife.
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| Alor lies to the east of Flores & north of Timor Island. Divers who venture this far will be rewarded with exceptional diving away from the crowds.
The area is renowned for sightings of big fish and world-class muck diving sites... |
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The underwater world of South-East Asia has long been famed for its wealth & diversity of marine life. But it is only relatively recently that scientists have begun to get a hold on just how diverse and special the area is... |
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