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Ambon and Raja Ampat 2017 Trip Report
About Us and Getting There: We are older (ages 70 & 80) experienced recreational divers with many trips to both the Caribbean and Tropical Pacific. This trip was arranged and led by Ken and Laura of Ultimate Dive Travel (www.ultimatedivetravel.com). They have made travel arrangements for us many times, but this was the first time we traveled with a group that they had put together. They always do a GREAT job for us and this trip was one of the BEST.
We live in the Phoenix, Arizona area, a long trip to Raja Ampat. We flew from Los Angeles International Airport on Singapore Air to Singapore (with a short stop at Narita Airport near Tokyo); spent the night at the Ambassador Travel Hotel in Changi Airport (Singapore); the next morning we flew to Jakarta, Indonesia; spent the night at the FM7 Resort Hotel near the Jakarta Airport; the next morning we flew on Garuda Airlines to Ambon, Indonesia where we spent 5 nights at Maluku Divers Resort. Then we flew, again on Garuda Airlines, from Ambon to Sorong, West Papua, Indonesia, where we were transported to the Damai I (www.dive-damai.com). The travel was worth it. Note: regarding Indonesian Airports – all three were very nice, clean, and fairly new.
Maluku Divers, Ambon, Indonesia, February 24-28, 2017
Accommodations: Maluku Divers Resort has 10 individual air-conditioned bungalows; each with garden and ocean views from spacious porches. They are roomy and clean with desks (and desk lamps). The bed was comfortable, water was hot, and water for drinking was conveniently placed near the sink.
Camera Room: The camera room is air-conditioned, large and set-up well. It is in the main building (with the restaurant and office). The dive shop and gear storage area is also in/next to this building. There are separate camera rinse tanks. Dive staff took the cameras to/from the boat in large padded soft-sided cooler bags where they were stored safely on the boat. First time we’ve ever seen this! Great idea!
Food: The food was very good with lots of variety. There was an Indonesian flair and flavor but not too much for western tastes. Meals were served in a covered open-air restaurant. Breakfast was buffet-style with an omelet/egg preparation station, but the rest of the meals were individually served. There was always fresh (not instant) coffee available and hot water to make tea. There was a cookie jar and peanuts as well.
The Diving: Ambon is on the Banda Sea; Maluku Divers is on the north side of Ambon Bay. The diving is muck diving and, having been to Lembeh (Indonesia) and Dumaguete (Philippines) also known for muck diving, we can say with certainty that Ambon’s muck diving is the best. The dives were not particularly deep, the visibility was good (for muck diving in a bay), and there wasn’t much current. Dives were planned for 70 minutes and some were longer. Water temperature was 84-86° F. The dive sites are close to the resort and the small boats were perfect for getting us to and from quickly. The number of critters we saw on each dive was amazing. Of course, critters on muck dives are masters at hiding so excellent dive guides are essential. We were a group of 7 divers and were accompanied by 3 dive guides, each of whom had sharp eyes. We saw rhinopias, flamboyant cuttlefish, devilfish, crabs, shrimp, octopus, and many more of the usual and not so usual suspects. The biggest treat were the endemic psychedelic frogfish! We saw 6 on one dive – and several were small so future divers can expect to see them as well. The Maluku Divers Resort motto is “Critters Without Crowds” and they lived up to this reputation.
Maluku Divers has fantastic facilities, is in an amazing area of the world for muck diving, and has a friendly, competent, dedicated, and resourceful staff. We were also excited to learn that the local leaders are working on environmental protection, keeping plastic and other trash out of the ocean. This is hard, but necessary, work for an island nation. We would love to go back!
Raja Ampat on the Damai I, March 1-11, 2017
Accommodations: We were in the upper master cabin located at the aft of the boat. We had a king-size bed, 2 desks, 2 dressers, windows, sliding doors to a balcony with 2 couches, large bathroom with shower and separate head (toilet). The room was spacious, comfortable, and clean. Others in our group noted that they were pleased with their rooms as well.
Camera Room: The camera room is air-conditioned, small but convenient. It is located near the dining area/lounge.
Dive Deck: The dive deck was the excellent. Each diver had a personal space for gear set-up. This included a small personal rinse tank; photographers used it for their cameras, the rest of us used it for our dive computers, masks, etc. We also had a cubby to keep extra mask or other items that might be needed for a dive. The rinse water for gear was fresh every dive and treated with fabric softener; everything smelled very fresh, even at the end of this 9-day trip. The dive deck also included a hot water shower and for those who wish to do more than rinse off there was shampoo, conditioner, and soap. Dive staff not only took all gear to the tenders, but also helped us as we pulled on (and off) our wet suits.
Food: The food was very good with lots of variety. There was an Indonesian flair and flavor but not too much for western tastes. There were 4 meals each day: little breakfast 6am (coffee, tea, fruit, croissant) before the first dive, big breakfast after the first dive, lunch after the second dive, and dinner around 6 pm. Menus were available at breakfast for ordering lunch and dinner (special orders were always accommodated). Snacks were available mid-afternoon.
The Diving: Raja Ampat is renowned as the epi-center of biodiversity. The area is beautiful and the diving incredible. Areas like this, with islands and channels, typically have strong currents. The Damai I dive guides checked currents and visibility before each dive. We still had surprise currents from time to time. We were paired 4 divers to 1 guide – guides (and the first group in the water) were rotated each day. Each of the dive guides, Adri, Gusti, and Indra, were excellent (as well as personable above water). Our trip was 10 nights with 9 diving days. We started in Sorong and ended in Ambon.
We spent a couple of days in the Misool area (Magic Mountain was our favorite dive even if we did not see mantas) and then down to Seram (Too Many Fish is a well-named dive-site). Then we traveled to Manuk (Bird Island) a volcano in the middle of nowhere (Banda Sea) that is quite attractive to sea snakes. I did not go in the water. Those who did, say the reputation is deserved. There were also lots of frigate birds and boobies and several areas of sulphur and steam venting on the volcano. From Manuk we sailed to the Banda Sea (Banda Naira) where we found excellent, pristine diving. Lava Flow (from the 1988 volcano eruption) was a spectacular dive. Underwater there were fields of hard corals, elk horn and lettuce coral; marine life was abundant. We surfaced to a bleak, no life lava flow. Then to Nusa Laut and back to Ambon.
Dive Tenders: I am not good at the “backroll” but these dive tenders (not soft-sided) were perfectly designed to make backrolls easy. They were fast and we were generally at dive sites within minutes.
Safety: When divers were in the water, one of the tenders was always on site.
We travel a lot (1-3 Tropical Pacific trips a year for 12 years) and the Damai I was best in every category (accommodations, food, diving, staff).
About Us and Getting There: We are older (ages 70 & 80) experienced recreational divers with many trips to both the Caribbean and Tropical Pacific. This trip was arranged and led by Ken and Laura of Ultimate Dive Travel (www.ultimatedivetravel.com). They have made travel arrangements for us many times, but this was the first time we traveled with a group that they had put together. They always do a GREAT job for us and this trip was one of the BEST.
We live in the Phoenix, Arizona area, a long trip to Raja Ampat. We flew from Los Angeles International Airport on Singapore Air to Singapore (with a short stop at Narita Airport near Tokyo); spent the night at the Ambassador Travel Hotel in Changi Airport (Singapore); the next morning we flew to Jakarta, Indonesia; spent the night at the FM7 Resort Hotel near the Jakarta Airport; the next morning we flew on Garuda Airlines to Ambon, Indonesia where we spent 5 nights at Maluku Divers Resort. Then we flew, again on Garuda Airlines, from Ambon to Sorong, West Papua, Indonesia, where we were transported to the Damai I (www.dive-damai.com). The travel was worth it. Note: regarding Indonesian Airports – all three were very nice, clean, and fairly new.
Maluku Divers, Ambon, Indonesia, February 24-28, 2017
Accommodations: Maluku Divers Resort has 10 individual air-conditioned bungalows; each with garden and ocean views from spacious porches. They are roomy and clean with desks (and desk lamps). The bed was comfortable, water was hot, and water for drinking was conveniently placed near the sink.
Camera Room: The camera room is air-conditioned, large and set-up well. It is in the main building (with the restaurant and office). The dive shop and gear storage area is also in/next to this building. There are separate camera rinse tanks. Dive staff took the cameras to/from the boat in large padded soft-sided cooler bags where they were stored safely on the boat. First time we’ve ever seen this! Great idea!
Food: The food was very good with lots of variety. There was an Indonesian flair and flavor but not too much for western tastes. Meals were served in a covered open-air restaurant. Breakfast was buffet-style with an omelet/egg preparation station, but the rest of the meals were individually served. There was always fresh (not instant) coffee available and hot water to make tea. There was a cookie jar and peanuts as well.
The Diving: Ambon is on the Banda Sea; Maluku Divers is on the north side of Ambon Bay. The diving is muck diving and, having been to Lembeh (Indonesia) and Dumaguete (Philippines) also known for muck diving, we can say with certainty that Ambon’s muck diving is the best. The dives were not particularly deep, the visibility was good (for muck diving in a bay), and there wasn’t much current. Dives were planned for 70 minutes and some were longer. Water temperature was 84-86° F. The dive sites are close to the resort and the small boats were perfect for getting us to and from quickly. The number of critters we saw on each dive was amazing. Of course, critters on muck dives are masters at hiding so excellent dive guides are essential. We were a group of 7 divers and were accompanied by 3 dive guides, each of whom had sharp eyes. We saw rhinopias, flamboyant cuttlefish, devilfish, crabs, shrimp, octopus, and many more of the usual and not so usual suspects. The biggest treat were the endemic psychedelic frogfish! We saw 6 on one dive – and several were small so future divers can expect to see them as well. The Maluku Divers Resort motto is “Critters Without Crowds” and they lived up to this reputation.
Maluku Divers has fantastic facilities, is in an amazing area of the world for muck diving, and has a friendly, competent, dedicated, and resourceful staff. We were also excited to learn that the local leaders are working on environmental protection, keeping plastic and other trash out of the ocean. This is hard, but necessary, work for an island nation. We would love to go back!
Raja Ampat on the Damai I, March 1-11, 2017
Accommodations: We were in the upper master cabin located at the aft of the boat. We had a king-size bed, 2 desks, 2 dressers, windows, sliding doors to a balcony with 2 couches, large bathroom with shower and separate head (toilet). The room was spacious, comfortable, and clean. Others in our group noted that they were pleased with their rooms as well.
Camera Room: The camera room is air-conditioned, small but convenient. It is located near the dining area/lounge.
Dive Deck: The dive deck was the excellent. Each diver had a personal space for gear set-up. This included a small personal rinse tank; photographers used it for their cameras, the rest of us used it for our dive computers, masks, etc. We also had a cubby to keep extra mask or other items that might be needed for a dive. The rinse water for gear was fresh every dive and treated with fabric softener; everything smelled very fresh, even at the end of this 9-day trip. The dive deck also included a hot water shower and for those who wish to do more than rinse off there was shampoo, conditioner, and soap. Dive staff not only took all gear to the tenders, but also helped us as we pulled on (and off) our wet suits.
Food: The food was very good with lots of variety. There was an Indonesian flair and flavor but not too much for western tastes. There were 4 meals each day: little breakfast 6am (coffee, tea, fruit, croissant) before the first dive, big breakfast after the first dive, lunch after the second dive, and dinner around 6 pm. Menus were available at breakfast for ordering lunch and dinner (special orders were always accommodated). Snacks were available mid-afternoon.
The Diving: Raja Ampat is renowned as the epi-center of biodiversity. The area is beautiful and the diving incredible. Areas like this, with islands and channels, typically have strong currents. The Damai I dive guides checked currents and visibility before each dive. We still had surprise currents from time to time. We were paired 4 divers to 1 guide – guides (and the first group in the water) were rotated each day. Each of the dive guides, Adri, Gusti, and Indra, were excellent (as well as personable above water). Our trip was 10 nights with 9 diving days. We started in Sorong and ended in Ambon.
We spent a couple of days in the Misool area (Magic Mountain was our favorite dive even if we did not see mantas) and then down to Seram (Too Many Fish is a well-named dive-site). Then we traveled to Manuk (Bird Island) a volcano in the middle of nowhere (Banda Sea) that is quite attractive to sea snakes. I did not go in the water. Those who did, say the reputation is deserved. There were also lots of frigate birds and boobies and several areas of sulphur and steam venting on the volcano. From Manuk we sailed to the Banda Sea (Banda Naira) where we found excellent, pristine diving. Lava Flow (from the 1988 volcano eruption) was a spectacular dive. Underwater there were fields of hard corals, elk horn and lettuce coral; marine life was abundant. We surfaced to a bleak, no life lava flow. Then to Nusa Laut and back to Ambon.
Dive Tenders: I am not good at the “backroll” but these dive tenders (not soft-sided) were perfectly designed to make backrolls easy. They were fast and we were generally at dive sites within minutes.
Safety: When divers were in the water, one of the tenders was always on site.
We travel a lot (1-3 Tropical Pacific trips a year for 12 years) and the Damai I was best in every category (accommodations, food, diving, staff).
