Photo dive cruise in Raja & Triton or Alor, with Mark Strickland, on the Arenui

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The Arenui Team

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Treat yourself to luxury :cool2: - while working on your underwater photography skills - on the Arenui Boutique Liveaboard.

Every year the Arenui runs a number of special cruises, focused on specific creatures or skills. Join us for one of our special photography trips with photo pro MARK STRICKLAND in Alor (April 2014) or Raja Ampat (March 2015).

It might seem a long way ahead, but with just 16 guests on our luxury vessel, places are limited and cruises are filling up quickly. Contact us for details and booking on info@thearenui.com

Choose from an 11-night photo trip departing 22nd APRIL 2014, focusing on the remote waters of ALOR to photograph untouched coral reefs and rare critters like the famous rhinopias! Or grab a space on the 13-night photo trip departing 18th MARCH 2015, exploring both RAJA AMPAT and also TRITON BAY for great soft coral and wide-angle shots but also subjects like walking sharks, wobbegongs, mantas and pygmy seahorses.

On these trips, learn from professional underwater photographer Mark Strickland as we take you (and your camera) to visit some of the most photogenic dive sites in the world and meet some of the most unusual creatures in the ocean.

Read more about both trips at http://thearenui.com/Mark-Strickland.htm or visit the special Facebook event/cruise pages at www.facebook.com/events/229275303783246 (for Alor) and www.facebook.com/events/329452177097551 (for Raja and Triton).


MORE ON ALOR

Alor and Flores offer widespread muck diving, sharks and large schools of fish, WWII wreck dives, untouched reefs and unexplored coral gardens, magnificent soft corals and stunning hard coral formations. Visit all the incredible dive sites of this area, such as Kawula, Lamlera, Pantair Strait, Palau Komba and more. Diving east of Flores, find yourself in the home of the ‘holy grail’ of fish; the beautiful and rare rhinopia (we have found the weedy and paddle-flap scorpion fish here).

As well as great diving, the topside scenery is also stunning; look out for the famous Pura Island villagers splashing out of their wooden dugout canoes and diving underwater with home-made goggles fashioned from wood and glass bottles, plus Palau Komba (the volcano known locally as the fire-breathing monster living in the middle of the ocean) erupts every 5-20 minutes which means that you are sure to see the awe-inspiring sight of molten lava creeping down the mountainside and flowing into the sea.


MORE ON RAJA AND TRITON

As many divers know, Indonesia is located in the very centre of the Coral Triangle and the variety of species seen underwater is truly astonishing. In certain bays and around small islands, you can find more species than in the entire Caribbean. In Raja Ampat, Gerald Allen (world-famous ichthyologist) counted the incredible number of 284 different species of fish during a single dive. In the same area, 465 different species of corals were found. As a result, scientists nowadays believe that this destination is the world's current no. 1 spot in terms of biodiversity.

Raja Ampat offers the most striking biodiversity on the planet. Famous dive sites such as Misool, Dampier Strait, Manta Sandy and Boo are all on the agenda. This area is known for its vibrant underwater colours but also its majestic landscapes, making it a perfect destination for keen photographers. The only problem with diving here is that you’ll be so spoiled by the near-perfect conditions that you may never want to leave.

Still in West Papua, but further south from Sorong, is the Triton Bay area. As a relatively new spot for diving, there’s no risk of overcrowding at these dive sites. The reefs are stunning, packed with vibrant varied corals and the fish life is incredible with big schools. It’s common to feel like you’re the first diver these fish have ever seen and being surrounded by so much fish life will be a truly unforgettable experience. At many sites you’ll find expansive black coral forests and it’s quite common to find the famous ‘walking shark’ here. The area is also a good chance to see dolphins and even sometimes whales, as they pass by the Gulf of Triton. Two of the popular Triton Bay dive sites (both named after the famous dive explorer Larry Smith) are called Little Komodo and Larry’s Heaven, giving you some idea of how impressed he was with the area’s dive potential.


MORE ON MARK STRICKLAND

Mark's life-long interest in the sea has included over 10,000 dives and careers as lifeguard, boat captain and scuba instructor. His passion for underwater photography has led him to many top dive locales, including Thailand, where he spent 17 years as Cruise Director on a series of liveaboards. An avid marine naturalist, Mark has discovered several nudibranch species. He is co-author and principle photographer for Lonely Planet's award-winning book, "Diving and Snorkeling Thailand", and his work appears in many magazines, books and displays around the world. Currently, Mark leads several dive trips each year to his favorite destinations, while working on a career-spanning large-format pictorial book. Find out more about our celebrity photo pro guest and enjoy a sample of Mark's work at http://markstrickland.com


MORE ABOUT THE ARENUI

From our online photo gallery www.thearenui.com/gallery.html you can see that the Arenui is the most luxurious dive Liveaboard currently operating in Asia.

ARENUI DESIGN & STYLE: We offer not just incredible diving in arguably the world’s best dive location, but a truly boutique setting to call home for the duration of your trip. The Arenui is a magnificent Phinisi (a traditional Indonesian wooden sailing vessel) and a work-of-art in itself. She was built with conservation in mind, using 70% recycled wood, and she was designed to give guests a real taste of local culture, with handicrafts and décor from around the Indonesian provinces. Come and experience the beautiful style and hospitality of Indonesia.

ARENUI SERVICES & FACILITIES: Guests on the Arenui can relax in exceptionally spacious cabins, which far surpass anything one would expect to find on a dive liveaboard. Plus, rather than the typical liveaboard buffets, you will be able to choose from our daily a-la-carte menus. Arenui believes that, even when sailing around remote islands, there's no reason to forego fine dining! After all, a relaxing meal prepared with care and style is the best way to remain full of energy for the next dive! Guests can also enjoy a panoramic view from our skydeck, as we cruise through the islands of Indonesia, and even enjoy a full range of massage and spa treatments onboard.

ARENUI CREW: If you are not familiar with the Arenui, without doubt we can boast one of the finest crews in Indonesia. Our 3 Indonesian divemasters (Ali, Toby and Wawan) are rated amongst the most knowledgeable in the region. Ali was trained for many years by Larry Smith (“the legend” of Indonesian’s diving industry)., Wawan has spent several years diving Komodo and Raja Ampat areas and Toby has an amazing knack for spotting rare critters (famous for being the first to spot the psychedelic frogfish in Ambon Bay). The whole operation is led by our 2 highly experienced western cruise directors, Jerry and Debbie. Furthermore, you can rest assured that besides our very experienced divemasters and cruise directors, we have a further 18 well-trained crew members onboard from captains and engineers to masseurs and chefs (offering local and international gourmet meals, with vegetarian options on request). Most of the crew have vast experience working on other liveaboards operating in the area, but prior to the Arenui’s very first cruise every member, of staff was trained so their skill and performance would meet our high standard of operation.

With 22 crew serving a maximum of 16 guests, we aim to make your cruise a truly relaxing and first-class experience.

Don’t just take our word for it! Read post-trip feedback from our former (and often repeater) guests at www.thearenui.com/liveaboard-feedback.html


AVAILABILITY ON THE ARENUI

If you can’t make the special photo cruises detailed above, why not try one of the other cruises available for 2013 or 2014… or even book ahead to 2015!

2013 space across 2 trips: one Komodo cruise in AUGUST still has 4 cabins available (depart Labuanbajo on 31-Aug for 11 nights, ending in Bima), or another Komodo cruise in SEPTEMBER has 1 single diver space open (depart Bima on 13-Sept for 11 nights, ending in Labuanbajo)! More details at www.thearenui.com/schedule-rates.html

2014 space across 4 trips: two Alor-Komodo cruises in MAY/SEPTEMBER have cabins available (depart Maumere 5-May for 13 nights on special megafauna cruise with Dr Andrea Marshall, ending in Labuanbajo … or depart Labuanbajo 14-Sep for 13 nights, ending in Maumere), or two Raja Ampat cruises in DECEMBER have cabins available (depart/return Sorong on 15-Dec for 12 nights or 29-Dec for 11 nights)! More details at www.thearenui.com/schedule-rates-2014.html

2015 space across 5 trips: three Raja Ampat cruises in FEBRUARY/DECEMBER have cabins available (depart/return Sorong on 6-Feb for 12 nights… or 20-Feb for 11 nights … or 24-Dec for 13 nights), one Maluku-Banda-Raja cruise in APRIL has 5 cabins available (depart Sorong on 2-Apr for 13 nights, ending in Ambon), or one Komodo cruise has 1 cabin available (depart/return Bali on 1-Jul for 11 nights on special celebrity cruise with Monty Halls)! More details at www.thearenui.com/schedule-rates-2015.html


At the Arenui, we are proud and thrilled to have transformed a dream into reality: diving cruises without the hardship.

KEEP UPDATED... 'like' our FB page at: www.facebook.com/ArenuiBoutiqueLiveaboard
 

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