Travelling on a traditional wooden phinisi through the Banda sea is an amazing adventure but can give you the best diving in Indonesia.
After restocking and filling up with all commodities in Alor we set out for the Banda islands but ran out of water and had to seek help at Pulau Damar, a beautiful remote island in the south Banda sea with only 2 boats coming in and out per week. We asked for some water, which they delivered straight from the mountain on the island. In the wait for new water we went diving around the island, before heading further east for one of our favorite dive spots, Nilsdesperandum. This is where we have had hammerhead sightings past years and we were really excited when we jumped in the water. The reefs are pristine and full of life, just like the Raja ampat diving. We started to descend to our maximum depth and keep our eyes into the blue. There, just as a black shadow some of us spotted the great hammerhead. These creatures are extremely rare and can’t be found while diving in Komodo for instance. We can agree that this is some of the best diving we’ve done during our trip as we continued to the Banda islands. Here we dived Batu Kapal, or “The boat rock” with loads of fish action and the jetty in Banda Neira to experience the gracful mating of the mandarin fish. During our first part of this trip we didn’t see a single other liveaboard, but in Banda we were greeted by other boats that operate as a Best Liveboard Raja Ampat. After hearing all about Banda’s history we continue up to legendary Misool & Raja Ampat. Despite some poor visibility we all understand the hype about Raja Ampat straight away. The density of marine life and colourful corals are remarkable. The diving in Raja Ampat did not disappoint with the schools of fish we witnessed. With 3 days in the area we just scratched the surface of what this region has to offer but it was fantastic! Now Ratu Pelangi will stay in Raja Ampat, operating as a budget liveaboard in raja ampat. It’s a perfect alternative for those who want to experience this last paradise but don’t have the big budget or need luxury. On www.mikumbadiving.com we can read more about our trips, and don’t hesitated to contact for bookings for a budget liveaboard in Raja Ampat or day trips in Komodo.