BANDA NEIRA

There are many pristine and brightly colored coral reefs that adorn the ocean that can even be seen by snorkellers in shallow water

Banda Sea is the waters around the Banda Islands. The Banda Islands which are also known as Spices Islands because until the 19th century the only source of nutmeg and mace produced from the nutmeg tree, are a group of ten small volcanic islands in the remote east of Java. This impressive series of volcanic islands rising up abruptly from the oceanic depths offers white sand beaches and incredible landscapes.

The Banda Islands, which are relatively sparsely populated despite producing considerable amounts of spices and woods, cause fish life abundant in the Banda Sea due to low fishing rates. Makes this sea as one of the cruising destinations for scuba divers and snorkelers.

The Banda Sea, which is located in the heart of Indonesia and is directly connected to the Pacific Ocean, has amazing and rarely found biodiversity. There are many pristine and brightly colored coral reefs that adorn the ocean that can even be seen by snorkellers in shallow water. In addition to coral reefs, there are many fish that can be found in this water, such as schooling fish, sharks, rays, seasnakes on Manuk Island, rare mandarin fish, and for those interested in macro-life, there are also an impressive range of rare and unusual critters. For the audacious divers and explorers who visit this sea on October until early November, it is possible to witness the migration of hundreds of huge, graceful scalloped hammerhead sharks who swim slowly to the water which is still largely uncharted.

In Banda Sea, the best diving sites are:

• Api Lava Flow
• Batu Payung
• Suanggi Island
• Nailaka
• Karang Hatta
• Syahrir Timor
• Batu Kapal
• Maulana
• Keraka Island

We are offering the best time to dive in Banda on October to November with such information:

• Water temperature     : 26-28 degrees Celsius
• Air temperature          : 22-31 degrees Celsius
• Visibility                      : 20-30 meters
• Currents                     : medium to strong
• Level                          : intermediate to advanced

Banda trips start and finish in Ambon, we will be there to meet you at Ambon (AMQ) and transport you to your liveaboard adventure.

1. International flights: Singapore – Jakarta (CGK) – Ambon (AMQ)

There are many flights directly from Singapore to Jakarta, and the best flight from Jakarta to Ambon are by using Batik Air or Garuda Indonesia.

• Garuda Indonesia will offer direct flights from Jakarta to Labuan Bajo with flights GA 646 (ETD 08:15 Jakarta / ETA 13:55 Ambon)
• Batik Air will offer direct flights from Jakarta to Labuan Bajo with flights ID-6170 (ETD 00:30 Jakarta / ETA 06:00 Ambon)

2. Domestic airlines:

There are a number of operators who offer domestic flights to and from Sorong: Garuda Indonesia / Sriwijaya Air / Lion Air  / Batik Air