From the Spice Islands to the Whale Sharks - From Ambon to Kaimana

On the first day of your adventure, you will be collected from your hotel after breakfast by our tour leaders and taken directly to the boat, which will be waiting at anchor in Ambon Harbour.

As soon as everyone is settled in and the captain gets clearance from the harbour master, we will raise anchor and head south across the open sea, crossing to the legendary Banda Archipelago.

We wake up in the Banda Islands. Famous for their natural beauty and cultural heritage, and the well-preserved remnants of an extraordinary history of imperialist rivalry, these islands are quite simply one of Indonesia’s highlights. Banda was originally the world’s only source of nutmeg and mace, valued for their rarity and high cost by aristocrats and elites.

On the main island of Banda Neira, we will stroll through the quaint colonial outpost’s characterful streets, inspecting notable residences, a museum, forts, churches, and a waterfront market. Just across the harbour is Banda’s perfect, jungle-clad volcanic cone Gunung Api ‘Fire Mountain).

We will visit the tiny outlying island of Run, which was the subject of an unbelievable real estate deal when, in 1667, under the Treaty of Breda, it was ceded by the English to the Dutch in exchange for Manhattan. Yes, the Manhattan where New York stands.

There are some excellent coral reefs nearby, and we should see some amazing marine life whilst snorkelling. At dusk, we have a chance to see arguably the world’s most stunning fish, the small but jewel-like Mandarin Fish.

We will wake up off the coast of Ceram, and go ashore to walk through some inland lakes, as well as some trekking, snorkelling, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, and beach activities.

We will do some dinghy exploration through karsts around Bair Island, snorkel, and spend time on the beach with the SUPs and kayaks.

Back to the boat, depart for a small chain of islands for an afternoon of snorkelling and water activities. This is a great location for a beach BBQ, so if the weather is right, it’s party time.

Here we have a chance to explore this very remote island chain of Kei and Aru, located in the easternmost corner of Maluku, just off the southwest coast of Papua.

We can visit a beautiful white sand beach and a large sea cave, where we can swim inside. Later, we can visit Masbait Hill, which marks the highest point in Kei Kecil. It is known for its rotating statue of Christ, which many Catholics visit for pilgrimage.

The Aru islands are rich in Papuan fauna, which includes tree kangaroos, palm cockatoos, and four species of birds of paradise. Marine life is also very rich, and Aru’s capital, Dobo, situated on the small island of Wamar, has long been a busy regional trading centre for pearls, sea cucumbers, and the like

We wake up off the coast of Papua to a most serene and primal scene of a jungle waterfall where a roaring river surrounded by virgin rainforest pours into the sea.

Triton Bay is a place of unsurpassed natural splendour, where time and tides have sliced the limestone landscape into tall cliffs and numerous islands separated by lagoons and narrow channels. It is also home to fishermen who collect baitfish and keep them in nets attached to specially built platforms, also known as ‘bagans’. It is these and their fish that attract whale sharks. We will head out in the tenders to see if the sharks are around, and if we are lucky, we will spend a couple of hours in the water with these magnificent creatures.

We will explore the bays and limestone outcrops by tender, kayak, paddleboard, and swim and snorkel from the beautiful white-sand beaches.

Cruise through the undisturbed coves, caves, and lagoons before heading north through the Namatote Passage, where there is an impressive collection of ancient cave paintings high up on the cliffs. Take a short walk into the forest to see a most spectacular jungle waterfall surrounded by virgin rainforest, and take a dip in its cool refreshing waters.

Enjoy more snorkelling, swimming, kayaking, and paddling as we relax amidst the beauty of the surrounding jungle-covered islands. We will spend our final evening on the ship resting at anchor and enjoying a farewell dinner with our captain and crew.

On our last day, we will find ourselves at anchor in the harbour of Kaimana, and after an early breakfast, our tenders will take you ashore for your transfer to the airport for your onward travel.

Our mission is to provide the best experience possible for our guests given the current conditions and when unexpected opportunities for adventure may present themselves along our cruise routes. Sometimes weather conditions, tides or other local factors dictate that we need to vary from the published route, and at times there are special opportunities to explore and discover new locations, events and activities. These explorations will always be a definite enhancement to the published itinerary and will be undertaken after discussion and agreement among guests. Ultimately, the boat captains and your tour leader will make decisions to maximize trip safety and your overall enjoyment, so please come prepared to be flexible!