Ambon, Banda & Raja Ampat
November 2-14, 2025
Join us in 2025 on the luxurious Coralia liveaboard for a special transition trip from Ambon to the Banda Islands to Raja Ampat, Indonesia. This 12 night voyage takes us through three main regions within Indonesia. Embarking in Ambon, Indonesia, this area is famous for it's muck diving in Ambon Bay. The critter searching is phenomenal, famous for the holy grail of fish, the rhinopias and if we're super lucky, the psychedelic frogfish. We'll see many other muck diving critters including tiny frogfish, harlequin shrimp, coleman shrimp, ghost pipefish, nudibranchs, mimic & wunderpus octopus, and many many more.
From Ambon we'll travel east to the Banda Islands (also knowns as the Spice Islands). Here we'll venture on land for a tour of the old Dutch fort and nutmeg plantation, exploring the history of these remote islands. The diving here includes deep beautiful walls, sea mounts, drift dives, and keeping our eyes peeled for the famous schooling hammerheads.
After our diving and exploration days in Banda, we'll being our journey north to Koon for two dives and onward to Misool, one of the "Four Kings" (islands) of Raja Ampat. The diving in Misool including the rest of Raja Ampat, scientists believe the area has the most coral and fish diversity in the world! According to Conservation International marine surveys suggest that the marine life diversity in the Raja Ampat area is the highest recorded on earth. The Raja Ampat area is known for mantas, black tip reef sharks, muck diving (blue ring octopus, bobtail squid, pygmy seahorses, cuttlefish, nudibranchs, pipefish, etc). We'll spend several days in Misool, and then make our way north to Penemu to visit the famous view point, dive a few dives in Dampier Strait before heading to the port in Sorong for our last night on board the Coralia.
Trip Details:
We had the BEST time on the Coralia in 2023 & 2024, we're doing it again in 2025!
Hop on board the beautiful Coralia liveaboard. The Coralia is a classic Phinisi. It was built in Bira, Sulawesi by the Konjo tribe, who have been building cargo ships for centuries. Blending ancient techniques and wisdom with modern design and safety features, Coralia is one of the few Phinisi equipped with two engines.
Coralia’s name comes from the word ‘coral‘ and the Latin ending of ‘-ia’, so ‘Coral-ia‘ means ‘Nation of Corals’.
The Coralia offers 8 luxurious cabins with a max of 16 guests and ample areas to relax on board. Nothing is too much trouble onboard with 22 crew including two incredible cruise directors.
The Coralia won first place in 6 categories of the Readers Choice awards in 2023, including "Best Quality of Liveaboard" and previously won the Dive Travel Awards "Best Liveaboard" in 2019 and 2021, (We now know WHY she & the crew won best liveaboard, because they ARE THE BEST)!
Our itinerary will take us on a one-way journey through Ambon, the Banda Islands, and Raja Ampat, offering a huge variety and some of the best diving in Indonesia.
*Photos Above provided by Debbie & Jerry, Our Ocean Images & Coralia Cruise Directors
Our Planned Route:
Dates:
November 2-14, 2025
Duration:
12 nights/13 days
Package Cost:
Upper Deck Master Suites: (double occupancy)
$8,495.00 USD per person
Main Deck Master Suites (double occupancy)
$8,295.00 USD per person
Lower Deck Double & Twin (double occupancy)
$6895.00 USD per person
Lower Deck Twin (double occupancy)
$6595.00 USD per person
How to Secure Your Spot:
$1000.00 USD Deposit per person in 2024
30% Deposit due April 15, 2025
Remaining balance due July 15, 2025
Email: info@designedforscuba.com for room availability & deposit instructions.
*Note: Two of the master suites have a separator that can be used to separate the bed into two twins for friends sharing. Please ask if interested in this option and we can share more details.
Makin' a SPLASH in Indonesia
Tentative Itinerary:
Day 1: Arrival into Ambon, board the Coralia, settle into cabins, unpack dive gear/camera gear, boat briefing and dive briefing. TBD afternoon dive in Ambon.
Day 2-3 Diving in Ambon Bay and transit to Banda Islands
Day 4-7 Banda Islands.
Day 5 two to three dives and Spice islands tour.
Day 7 two dives and transit to Koon
Day 8 Koon, two dives and transit to Misool
Day 9-11 Misool. Day 11 two dives and transit to Penemu
Day 12 Penemu View Point, one dive at Melissa's Garden and transit to Sorong
Day 13 Disembark in Sorong
*Itinerary subject to change based on weather, captain and other factors out of our control
Price Includes:
12 nights/13 days on board the Coralia
(refer to https://www.coralia-liveaboard.com/)3-4 dives a day (includes tanks and weights. Other equipment not included). *Some days may be 2 dives depending on transit times and land excursions.*
3 delicious meals a day plus snacks, water, tea, coffee, soft drinks
Accommodations in luxurious cabins.
Presentations on marine wildlife.
Local Indonesian expert dive guides and amazing cruise directors.
Photography tips and editing advice provided.
Friendly & fun atmosphere
Certified dive guides and amazing cruise directors.
Private charter for our group only.
Group size limited to 16 including trip organizers.
Trip Leaders: Kim Randall and Amanda Delaforce
Exclusions:
Dive gear rental
Massages
Alcoholic beverages
Park Fees: $345 USD per person (paid on board)
Airfare: International & Domestic
Travel Insurance / Dive Insurance
Crew tips
Hotels in Ambon, Sorong or Jakarta before/after trip if required.
Onboard purchases
Getting There:
To/From North America:
Travel to Indonesia is typically flown via Tokyo or Hong Kong or other Asian gateway cities (depending on the airline) and connecting onward to Jakarta (CGK). Sometimes you'll find routings from the east coast through the Middle East (Doha/Abu Dhabi, etc)
Arrival into Jakarta by Nov 1, 2025 (late afternoon at the latest).
It is recommended to arrive in Jakarta a day prior to your flight to Ambon. The Anara airport hotel is recommended if arriving a day or two early into Jakarta.
Flights to Ambon & from Sorong:
Connect onward to Ambon (AMQ). Most of the flights to Ambon are typically red-eyes from Jakarta. To avoid an overnight stay in Ambon the current suggested flights are:
Will update when the 2025 schedule is out.
You will be met by Coralia staff who will bring you directly to the boat. If you'd like to arrive in Ambon a day before, you are more than welcome to. We'll share suggested hotels as the trip gets closer. The Coralia staff will pick you up from the hotel and bring you to the boat on November 2, 2025.
Departure on November 14, 2025 can be at anytime. The Coralia staff will bring you back to the airport for your departing flight. If you are continuing onto another resort or elsewhere in Raja Ampat, just let us know so we can coordinate with the Coralia team for the transfers.
Flights on Garuda still offer 23kg extra per person for dive gear. Be ready to show Scuba certification cards at check in and that your extra baggage is made up of dive equipment.
Please keep in mind, flying on early morning flights departing from Sorong will restrict the number of dives you will be able to do on the last full day on board. Generally there will be two morning dives on the last day commencing around 12pm.
More About the Region:
Ambon is part of the Muluku island chain and was the original headquarters of the Dutch East India Company in the early 1600s. The British and Dutch have controlled the island however the Portuguese were the first Europeans to arrive.
The Ambon area offers world class muck diving in Ambon Bay.
The Banda islands are also known as the Spice Islands. Here nutmeg and mace were produced during the Dutch, English, and Portuguese colonization.
600+ species of coral are found in Raja Ampat – the entire Caribbean Sea has only 58 species
1,669 species of fish have been recorded to date (December 2019)
374 fish species were identified during one 90-minute dive at Cape Kri in Dampier Strait.
42 fish species are native to the region.
17 °C temperature range – the corals in Raja Ampat are regularly subjected to variations in temperatures from 19 (66oF) to 36 (97oF) degrees Celsius. The coral seems to be naturally adapted to massive fluctuations in temperature than are far higher than the ones predicted by climatologists over the next 50 years.
The official language is Bahasa Indonesia. Although there are over 300 different native languages spoken in Indonesia.
Terms and Conditions
Designed for Scuba, LLC highly recommends you purchase travel and dive insurance as soon as possible after confirming your travel plans. We recommend Dive Assure or DAN for diving insurance. We recommend Dive Assure or DAN for diving insurance. Dive Assure offers a Dive and Travel Insurance annual and short-term (per trip). You can purchase it here: https://diveassure.com/en/home/?pid=18662
Evidence of adequate travel and dive insurance must be provided prior to departure.
Bookings made more than 100 days out from the start of a trip require a deposit of $1000.00 USD per passenger in 2024 and a regular deposit schedule will commence in late 2024/early 2025.
All deposits are non-refundable.
Bookings made less than 100 days out from tour commencement require payment in full to secure your booking.
Payment in full is required 100 days out from the start of the trip. We will email you a final payment reminders. No refunds will be given within 100 days of the start of any trip, under any circumstances.
If you cancel your spot more than 100 days before the start of a trip, and we are able to resell/fill the spot, a trip credit for your remaining balance (minus a $300 USD service fee deducted) will be issued for use on another Designed for Scuba, LLC trip within 2 years of the cancellation.
If you cancel your spot less than 99 days prior to the start of a trip, no refund or credit will be issued for deposits that have been paid.
If our In-Country Providers cancel or if aForce Majeure Event occurs, meaning any act of God, war, terrorism, fire, flood or any other extreme weather conditions, loss of power, epidemics or pandemics, industrial disputes, slow-downs or other strike activities, riots or civil disturbances, acts of government, semi government or other authorities, inability to obtain any necessary license or consent and delays caused by sub-contractors, suppliers or other third parties (including telecommunications carriers), material shortages or other disruption to the trip beyond our control, Designed for Diving shall not be held responsible for matters outside of our control or any failure to deliver the trip.
The affiliated and established company such as the Coralia, holds the relevant insurances and maintains responsibility for the dive and snorkel insurance policies and procedures. As such when in the water diving, snorkeling or swimming you are diving under the affiliated company's policies and procedures and must adhere to either the Captain, Dive Instructor or Divemaster’s instructions.
Designed for Scuba, LLC takes no responsibility for loss, damage or injury arising from any shortfall, error or omission in the information passed to the customer during the course of the sale or subsequent delivery of the product. The company takes no responsibility nor can be held liable for loss, damage, or injury that occurs on a supplier’s or service provider’s premises or transport, or between two such premises.
Participation in any of the Activities involves certain risks which may result in injury or death. This warning does not purport to describe or disclose all risks associated with participation of the Activities. There are a wide range of inherent risks when engaging in sports and particularly underwater sports; for example, with diving there is the risk of decompression sickness, embolism or other hyperbaric injury can occur that requires treatment in a recompression chamber. Open water scuba diving trips may be conducted at sites that are remote, either by time or distance, from emergency services or recompression facilities. Scuba diving, snorkeling and tours will involve uncontrolled encounters with wild animals which bears the risk of stings, bites, and at the extreme end, more serious injury and death. Participants should be responsible and aware of animal behaviors and their own interactions and engage in these activities entirely at their own risk.
We will not be liable to you in respect of any personal injury (including without limitation serious injury or death) that you may suffer or sustain directly or indirectly as a result of attending the Trip or participation in the Activities. Nor will we be liable to you in respect of any other losses arising as a result of any such personal injury (including without limitation loss of profit or earnings or other consequential losses). We will not be liable to you in respect of any of your personal property that is lost, stolen or damaged before, during or after a trip.
Please ensure you understand our cancellation policy prior to providing any deposits and agree to the booking and trip. By placing a booking with Designed for Scuba, LLC, this implies that you accept these booking terms and conditions and cancellation policy.
Current Entry Requirements
The requirements for entering Indonesia for international travelers (foreign citizen) are as follows:
(as of June 2023)
All COVID vaccination entry requirements have been dropped.
Travelers from most countries will need to apply for a tourist visa. (Please check requirements for your passport).
This can be completed online prior to arrival often listed as eVOA. You can apply here for the eVOA: https://molina.imigrasi.go.id/
It is possible to receive the tourist visa on arrival (VOA).
The cost for the eVOA/VOA is 500,000 IDR which is approximately $32 USD.
Requirements to apply for VOA or eVOA:
A legal and valid passport that must be valid at least 6 months before the expiration date.
An international ticket for return or onward travel.