Question Oct / Nov Indo LOB choice

[Lu Y]

Hello,

We recently found some last minute availability on the Samambia LOB for Oct / Nov 2025. There are two options:
- Oct 13-24: Banda 11 nights
- Oct 28-Nov 7: Banda & South Raja 11 nights

We are leaning slightly towards the first itinerary as we like diving one ares in depth. For Raja, we can go back another time and stay 2-3 weeks.

Does anyone have a view on which trip we should choose? I'm a bit worries about weather in Raja early Nov as that's the start of the season.

Many thanks,
Lu

 

[Cali_diver]

That is a tough one... do the trips start in Ambon? Personally I would pick the second one. I have done both trips and areas extensively. I used to love Banda but we were there last year at this time and it was so crazy crowded. There were so many boats moored in Banda Niera that some had to anchor outside of the harbor. One of the great Banda dives had so many boats on it that all you heard was tenders zooming back and forth over your head. Unfortunately what used to be an area that was mostly a repositioning area with boats moving through has turned into a Ambon to Ambon quick turnaround trip for people looking for schools of hammerheads in Instagram "crystal blue water". The diving is still good but not what it used to be. If you do a banda to Raja you will get a good sample of both of them. Weather is really hard to predict these days. It hasn't been behaving as usual but that being said, when I have done the Banda trips to raja we have had amazing weather with glassy water.

 

[CWK]

I’ve done more than ten Banda cruises, both Ambon to Ambon as well as Ambon to Sorong, but mostly the former. My preference would be for Ambon to Ambon as the visibility in S Raja at that time may not be very good. But your mileage may vary on this as it changes from year to year.

Suanggi (in Banda) will be crowded in October but other sites in Banda should be less so. There is no anchorage in Suanggi so boats that want to do multiple days there head to Banda Neira for the night and anchor just outside the harbour in order to avoid paying harbour fees. Boats that want to do the mandarin fish dive and the tour of Bada Neira would anchor in the harbour.

 

[Darnold9999]

I did the Ambon - Ambon trip on Samambia a few years ago and it was an excellent trip. We saw no hammerheads but otherwise the diving was very good and the boat was excellent. Having said that I would do the Ambon -RA trip. The Banda Sea is a lot of a very similar dive sites looking out into the blue hoping for hammerheads. If they are there fabulous, if they are not you get a pretty good dive. Over ten days I would prefer to do some Banda and then the different diving at RA. Both would be excellent trips. Re overcrowding, we didn’t even do the Mandarin Fish dive as there were too many boats and this was a few years ago. I can imagine it is worse now.

 

[Lu Y]

That is a tough one... do the trips start in Ambon? Personally I would pick the second one. I have done both trips and areas extensively. I used to love Banda but we were there last year at this time and it was so crazy crowded. There were so many boats moored in Banda Niera that some had to anchor outside of the harbor. One of the great Banda dives had so many boats on it that all you heard was tenders zooming back and forth over your head. Unfortunately what used to be an area that was mostly a repositioning area with boats moving through has turned into a Ambon to Ambon quick turnaround trip for people looking for schools of hammerheads in Instagram "crystal blue water". The diving is still good but not what it used to be. If you do a banda to Raja you will get a good sample of both of them. Weather is really hard to predict these days. It hasn't been behaving as usual but that being said, when I have done the Banda trips to raja we have had amazing weather with glassy water.

The Banda trip starts and end in Ambon.
The Banda to South RA trip starts in Ambon and ends in Sorong.

 

[Lu Y]

I’ve done more than ten Banda cruises, both Ambon to Ambon as well as Ambon to Sorong, but mostly the former. My preference would be for Ambon to Ambon as the visibility in S Raja at that time may not be very good. But your mileage may vary on this as it changes from year to year.

Suanggi (in Banda) will be crowded in October but other sites in Banda should be less so. There is no anchorage in Suanggi so boats that want to do multiple days there head to Banda Neira for the night and anchor just outside the harbour in order to avoid paying harbour fees. Boats that want to do the mandarin fish dive and the tour of Bada Neira would anchor in the harbour.

Thanks, indeed I also fear first week of November is not the best chance to get optimal condition on RA. Based on your extensive experience, what's THE best period to maximise chance of optimal condition in RA?

Although weather is not predictable, we'd like to only go to RA during the best window, and I'm also happy to book that trip straightaway for Q1 next year now.

I didn't expect Banda to be so crowded, does this affect hammerhead sighting? If chance of seeing hammerhead is low due to too many boats, we can also skip Banda and go see them in Galapagos next year.

 

[Lu Y]

I did the Ambon - Ambon trip on Samambia a few years ago and it was an excellent trip. We saw no hammerheads but otherwise the diving was very good and the boat was excellent. Having said that I would do the Ambon -RA trip. The Banda Sea is a lot of a very similar dive sites looking out into the blue hoping for hammerheads. If they are there fabulous, if they are not you get a pretty good dive. Over ten days I would prefer to do some Banda and then the different diving at RA. Both would be excellent trips. Re overcrowding, we didn’t even do the Mandarin Fish dive as there were too many boats and this was a few years ago. I can imagine it is worse now.

Thanks. I believe the Banda - RA trip doesn't go to the sea snake dive site in Banda. How did you like that site?