Last updated 3 May 2021
DIVING TRIP TO ALOR AND FLORES ON TIARE CRUISE
The general impression is that diving in Komodo is becoming crowded in the summer season, there is no need to crowd in; another amazing dive destination is just after Komodo. Those who know the Nusa Tenggara well will have guessed.. we are talking about Alor.
We propose Alor as an alternative to Komodo during the summer high season
A wise suggestion during the summer season is go East, to the islands that surround the Strait of Alor and Solor. Many liveaboards are following this now. We are doing this on all our charters since 2015.
Liveaboard diving Alor and Flores is great from July to September
The 18 islands of Alor and Solor Group is a new diving destination being fiery promoting by Cruising Indonesia as an alternative to Komodo during the high season. Because is a fact, Komodo is becoming sensibly overcrowded on high season by the legion of divers arriving from the local diving center and horde of tourists eager to take the photo that will immortalize them in the social media.
By other side Alor has all the conditions to became one more of top dive destinations in Indonesia. Our continuos explorative trips in the Indonesian Archipelago leading to East!
Alor Straits and Flores Sea
Remote and untouched the 18 volcanic islands of Alor and Solor group are considered one of the best diving destinations in Asia. Tourism does not existent and only few divers have explored these waters. One of the very last traditional whale hunter communities on the planet still lives in this magical archipelago. The waters around the islands are known for their strong currents; with each tide large water masses are pushed through the straits causing strong upwelling. The straits play an important role in the exchange of marine life between the Indian and Pacific Ocean. Each year whales and dolphins travel from the Pacific and Indian Ocean through the deep but narrow Nusa Tenggara island chain.
Best time to Dive Alor and Cruise Schedule of Tiare Liveaboard
Tiare Liveaboard featured 3 different itineraries of 7 nights:
- - East Flores and Alor, from Maumere to Kalabahi
- - East Flores and Alor, from Kalabahi to Maumere
- - Alor and Lembata, from Kalabahi to Kalabahi
Diving Trip to East Flores and Alor on Tiare Liveaboard
East Flores and Alor Dive Cruises -7NN- Factsheet
All you need to know about this diving trip
Inclusions
- One free transit night at your arrival or departure of Indonesia, courtesy by Cruising Indonesia
- Arrival and departure airport transfers
- Accommodation on board
- Five meals a day
- Aqua, tea, coffee, soft drinks, natural juice
- 3 dives a day + 1 night dives
- Excursions according on board program
- Tank, belt and weights
- Nitrox fills for certified nitrox divers
- Toiletries
- Masseuse & Spa treatments
- Laundry
- Free advice about connecting flights and eventual stops over in Indonesia
Exclusions
- National Park Entrance Fees
- Harbor Fees
- Fuel Surcharge
- Alcoholic beverages
- Espresso, cappuccino
- Crew gratuities
- Diving Insurance, we highly recommended DAN
- Travel Insurance, we highly recommended World Nomads Travel Insurance
- Hotel and meals before and after your cruise*
- International and domestic flights*
- One transit night depending of your connecting flights*
Terms & Conditions
- Booking by Cabin
- 25% as deposit for booking confirmation
- 100% 60 days before cruise departure
- Private Cruises & Charters
- A 15% deposit for booking confirmation
- 50% 120 days before cruise departure
- 100% 60 days before cruise departure
Cancellation Policy
- Booking by Cabin
- More than 60 days before departure: 75% refund
- 60-30 days: 10% refund
- Less than 30 days: 0% refund
- Private Cruises & Charters
- More than 120 days before departure: 85% refund
- 120-60 days: 50% refund
- Less than 60 days: 0% refund
Tailor-Made Travel
(*) Please let us know if you would like arrange with US all your itinerary: including domestic flights and land services at the best INDO local market price! Just email us your international flights details and we will arrange everything for you. Contact us: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Alor and Lembata 7 Night Itinerary on Tiare Liveaboard
Day 1 Welcome at Kalabahi Airport!
Tiare’s crew will welcome you at Kalabahi Airport and will manage your transfer to the boat. Your journey with Tiare Liveaboard begins in Kalabahi, in the island of Alor.
Day 2 Kalabahi Bay, Mucky Mosque, Rocky Church
After getting settled on the boat and orientation, you’ll have an easy first day in Kalabahi Bay. Mucky Mosque and Rocky Church are two of the excellent muck dive sites we will visit and you might even see the Rhinopias, master of camoflague. Diving at night means you’ll also get the unique opportunity to see strange creatures even more incredible than the ghost pipefish, soft coral crabs, frogfish, wunderpus and mimic octopus, snake eels, sea moths, sand divers and many other remarkable creatures found during the day.
Day 3 Alor and Pantar Staits, Yan Village, Clown Valley
The Alor/Pantar Strait has a vast rage of sites; from shear drop-offs, jutting rocks, and shallow reefs where colourful corals can be seen in their full glory. You will see the famous diving villagers of Here you can see Pura Island diving with only homemade googles fashioned from wood and the ends of glass bottles.
Diving during these days at sites like Yan Village, Clown Valley, large pelagics pass through the Pantar Strait and if we hear of whales, dolphins or sunfish, we’ll have the chance to go in the tenders and snorkel if we find them.
Day 4 Beangabang
Dive today at Beangabang. This is a protected bay where the water is a little cooler and night dives are incredible for macro life. Recent spottings here are: blue ringed octopus, coconut octopus, frog fish, rhinopias of various kinds, wonderpus, frogfish and ghost pipefish.
Day 5 Pulau Pantar and Pulau Kambing
Off the southern coast of Pantar and Pulau Kambing the marine life is plentiful thanks to upwellings and swells from deep under the sea. Because of this large pelagics are often seen feeding. There are a number of other sites around these islands that we will possibly dive and see all kinds of incredible marine life.
Day 6 Alor Island and Pura Island
More big fish and possible sharks await arounf Alor and Pura Islands. The water is beautifully clear in this area with visibility up to 30 metres but the currents can be strong, so these dives can be challenging. The challenge is all worth it though for the whitetips and huge grey reef sharks, tuna, grouper, sunfish, manta rays and even whalesharks and pilot whales if you’re lucky.
Day 7 Kalabahi Bay
Back to the great muck diving in Kalabahi Bay, you’ll dive twice in the morning and then have a wonderful land excursion to a traditional village on the island of Alor.
Day 8 Disembark at Kalabahi harbour in Alor Island
After breakfast on board you will ready to disembark at your convenience in the harbour of Kalbahi. The crew of Tiaré Liveaboard will accompany you to Kalabahi airport.
East Flores and Alor 7 Night Itinerary on Tiare Liveaboard
Day 1 Welcome at Maumere Airport!
Tiare’s crew will welcome you at Maumere Airport and will manage your transfer to the boat. Your journey with Tiare Liveaboard begins in Maumere, on the island of Flores.
Day 2 Serbete Reef and Adonara Island in Eastern Flores
Your first full day of diving will be arounf Serbete Reef and Adonara Island, just east of Flores. Serbete Reef has shallow reefs and coral gardens with walls where reef sharks, turtles and pygmy seahorses have been spotted.
Moving to to the southwest corner of Adonara Island, you’ll be looking out for juvenile harlequin sweetlips and barramundi cods in the shallow reef. The reef then slopes down to around 25 metres, where varied nudibranchs, white tip reef sharks, and blue spotted stingrays live. Rhinopias have also been spotted here, including the weedy and paddle-flap scorpion fish varieties.
Day 3 Gunung Api, Lembata Islands
Beneath the impressive active volcano Gunung Api, north of Lembata Island, you’ll be diving incredible sheer walls, plateaus and overhangs covered with hard coral and black sand. Reef sharks patrol the reef looking for pray and plenty of smaller critters living in the black sand are common sights here.
Day 4 Kawula Island and Tanjung Waiwowan
On day 4 spend the day experiencing world-class muck diving to the south-west of Kawula Island. Tanjung Waiwowan is known for sightings of allusive scorpionfish that camouflage themselves on the coral slopes. You’ll may also find various pipefish, and octopus, including the blue ringed octopus and wonderpus. At night juvenile brown-banded bamboo sharks and frogfish as well as plenty of other wonderful creatures.
You may also dive at The Frog and Catfish depending on ferry schedules and permissions. This site is a large jetty for local ferries and is home to giant frogfish, rhinopias, ghost pipefish and leaf fish.
Day 5, 6 & 7 The Straits of Alor and Pantar: Yan Village, Clown Valley, Kalabahi Bay, Mucky Mosque, Rocky Church
The Alor/Pantar Strait has a vast rage of sites; from shear drop-offs, jutting rocks, and shallow reefs where colourful corals can be seen in their full glory. You will see the famous diving villagers of Here you can see Pura Island diving with only homemade googles fashioned from wood and the ends of glass bottles.
Diving during these days at sites like Yan Village, Clown Valley, large pelagics pass through the Pantar Strait and if we hear of whales, dolphins or sunfish, we’ll have the chance to go in the tenders and snorkel if we find them.
You’ll also dive at inside Kalabahi Bay. Mucky Mosque and Rocky Church are two of the excellent muck dive sites we will visit and you might even see the Rhinopias, master of camouflage. If you do these dives at you’ll also get the unique opportunity to see strange creatures even more incredible than the ghost pipefish, soft coral crabs, frogfish, wonderpus and mimic octopus, snake eels, sea moths, sand divers and many other remarkable creatures found during the day.
Day 8 Disembark at Kalabahi Harbour in Alor Island
After breakfast on board you will ready to disembark at your convenience in the harbour of Kalabahi, in the island of Alor. The crew of Tiaré Liveaboard will accompany you to Alor airport.
As always, this is a solid and proven itinerary that not only delivers fantastic diving opportunities, but also promotes a sense of adventure and uniqueness conveniently managed by our experienced boat crew, so it is expected some flexibility in the itinerary. Natural conditions as weather, tides, currents and eventual unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances may affect the schedule at any time, and in any case, the final say correspond to the Liveaboard Captain.
Diving in Alor Strait and Solor Island Group
These cruises will sail and dive the Alor Strait from north to south. You will spend memorable dive time in the islands of Pantar, Kumba, Ternate, Pura and the Bay of Kalabahi. The very clear and nutrient rich upwelling waters bring in pelagic: sun fish (mola-mola), reef sharks and sometime hammerhead sharks, sailfishes. Whales also frequently pass through the strait.
Walls, drop offs, boomies and pinnacles are incredible colourfully. One dive site has a bottom literally covered with anemones. In Alor critters can be encountered in colourful reef environment and in the black sand bays of Kalabahi and Biang. Tide induced currents are strong in the straits, so caution must be taken in choosing the dives sites. In the northern part water temperature is about 26 to 28°C, and in the south it can drop to 22°C, around Pura island and in Biang Bay. We will explore some rarely dived areas around the island of Twereg, and in the south of Alor and Pantar.
The children of Alor in their canoes, will delight the photographers, divers or not. On land we will visit a village where we will see traditional dances. In the bay of Biang, we will go ashore for a short trek on the slopes of the Sirung volcano. The second part of the cruise will be partially exploratory -we already tested and trusted some dive sites but are looking for discovering more-, visiting the South of Pantar islands and the straits between the islands of Pantar, Solor and Lembata. A visit to the Komba active volcano for a spectacular night show is on the schedule.
Diving Environment at Alor Strait
A few muck and critters dives in Alor Strait and Adonara Island. Encounters with frogfish, ghost pipefish, rhinopias and cepalopods are common diving in Alor. Most of the dives will however be on walls and slopes with a beautiful fixed fauna, numerous schools of fish and some pelagics. Eagle rays, tunas, giant trevally, school of spadefish, black and white tip sharks, pods of blackfish as a dolphins, pilote whales, false killer whales; and maybe orcas and big whales.
Visibility
The visibility is expected to be very good all along this itinerary, about 30 meters and more.
Water Temperature
Sea temperature is about 28°C on most of the dives; in Alor Strait it is cooler, about 26 and less in the South part of the Strait where it can drop to 22°C. A 5 mm long wetsuit and a hood are recommended for this diving trip.
Currents
The currents can be strong in Alor Strait; on other places we do not expect much current. We always try to avoid too strong currents, however this is not always possible and conditions can also change quickly. We recommend a consistent dive experience for this cruise.
Navigation & Itinerary
The itinerary varies slightly between each cruise depending on weather conditions, currents, visibility and suitability for diving activities.
Weather
The weather is generally dry and sunny with a refreshing breeze. The sea is flat within the strait, can be more choppy and welly in the southern part.
Embark and Disembark - Domestic Flights - In Transit Accommodations
Diving Trip East Flores and Alor, from Maumere to Kalabahi
- Embarking port: Maumere. Airport: Maumere in Flores
- Disembarking port: Kalabahi. Airport: Alor in Alor Island
- You will need a flight from Jakarta-Maumere / Alor-Jakarta in connection with your international flights.
Diving Trip East Flores and Alor, from Kalabahi to Maumere
- Embarking port: Maumere. Airport: Alor in Alor Island
- Disembarking port: Kalabahi. Airport: Maumere in Flores
- You will need a flight from Jakarta-Alor / Maumere-Jakarta in connection with your international flights.
Diving Trip Alor and Lembata, from Kalabahi to Kalabahi
- Embarking port: Kalabahi. Airport: Alor in Alor Island
- Disembarking port: Kalabahi. Airport: Alor in Alor Island
- You will need a flight from Jakarta-Alor-Jakarta in connection with your international flights.
At your arrival at airport, our staff will be there to pick you up: you will easily identify them wearing their Tiare Liveaboard T-shirt and a folder mentioning your name and our logotype.
- Check in: the cruise starting date, before 12:00pm.
- Check out: at the cruise ending date, before 12:00pm.
You might need spend one transit night before and after your diving trip depending of your international flights.
So complicated? Contact Us. We have the most competitive airfare -domestic & international- and accommodations for all range of budget.
Tiare Liveaboard Technical Data
Cruising Indonesia is proud to introduce TIARE CRUISE, a 36m brand new luxury sailing yacht starting operations on April 2017. Design and concept is the cornerstone of the quality of service on Tiare Liveaboard, and she promises cater to the needs of the most exigent divers: dive in top world class exotic scuba diving destinations according to the comfortable and wealthy life stile they are accustomed to have.
Cruising Indonesia | The Liveaboard & Dive Specialists
Cruising Indonesia, as Reservation Team of Tiare Liveaboard, is committed to ensuring you not only a perfect diving holiday but also the best price guarantee. Contact us and we will arrange everything you need: every single details of your cruise reservation, the international & domestic flights, the ground services, an amazing tour extension...
