Last updated 11 May 2022
DIVING TRIP TO SOUTH FORGOTTEN ISLANDS ON TIARE CRUISE
South Forgotten Islands: from Alor to Saumlaki
Diving the South of Forgotten Islands means you will dive also Flores and/or Alor in Nusa Tenggara. This cruise goes from Maumere/Kalabahi in Flores/Alor to Saumlaki in the Tanimbar archipelago cruising along the natural migratory paths and playgrounds of marine mammals such as whales and dolphins, and through a wide range of geological landscapes and formations of Indonesia, from volcanic islands to limestone pinnacles developed from ancient coral reefs. This trip is guaranteed to provide amazing diversity and beauty both above and below the water in one of the most remote area of Indonesia: the south part of Forgotten Islands.
Forgotten Islands 11 Night Itinerary from Kalabahi to Saumlaki on Tiare Cruise
Day 1 Welcome on Board!
Board the stunning Tiaré at Kalabahi harbour in Alor Island, where you will welcome on board by our cruise director and crew, after the briefing we'll have a check dive in the 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. 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, wonderpus and mimic octopus, snake eels, sea moths, sand divers and many other remarkable creatures found during the day.
Day 2, 3 & 4 Alor Straits
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 hunting for them in the tenders and snorkel if we find them.
Days 5 Reta Island
Heading out further into the Alor/Pantar Strait we’ll be traveling to Reta Island, where no other boat dives. Cave Point won’t disappoint with its coral garden where blue mola have been spotted, dramatic vertical walls with overhangs, undercuts and a deep plateau at around 25 metres. Swim over hard and soft corals, healthy barrel sponges and whip corals.
Days 6-11 Forgotten Islands
For 5 days you will dive around The Forgotten Islands, a remote archipelago in the southeast corner of the Moluccas. These islands are an incredible 1,000 km long chain of islands running all the way from Timor to West Papua.
The itinerary for these 5 days is flexible, depending on weather and current conditions. There are also long distances in between some islands, which means some days you will dive 3 times and others 4 – often a night dive.
The dive sites around this archipelago are characterised by pristine reefs and dramatic walls covered in soft corals, sea fans and huge sponges. These islands have warm water usually around 27-30°c and excellent visibility. During these 5 days you will likely see more marine life than you could possibly imagine; reef sharks, hammerheads, mobula and manta rays, sea snakes, huge schools of fish, massive sponges and carpets of corals as far as the eyes can see.
Day 12 Saumlaki
After breakfast, it’s time to farewell and disembark in Saumlaki.
Forgotten Islands 11 Night Itinerary from Saumlaki to Kalabahi on Tiare Cruise
Day 1 Check Dive at Dai Island
Tiaré Lveaboard, your home for the next 11 nights, will waiting for you in Saumlaki and being ready to depart around 12pm.
After meeting the briefing by the cruise director, our first stop will be at Dai Island. This is a small island in the northern part of the Babar islands, where villagers live very simply and still hunt with bow and arrow. The diving here is fabulous for watching large schools of barracuda and trevally hunting. This healthy reef is also covered with large sea fans hiding tons of reef fish.
Day 2, 7 Forgotten Islands
For 5 days you will dive around Forgotten Islands, a remote archipelago in the southeast corner of the Moluccas. These islands are an incredible 1,000 km long chain of islands running all the way from Timor to West Papua.
The itinerary for these 5 days is flexible, depending on weather and current conditions. There are also long distances in between some islands, which means some days you will dive 3 times and others 4 – often a night dive. The dive sites around this archipelago are characterised by pristine reefs and dramatic walls covered in soft corals, sea fans and huge sponges. These islands have warm water usually around 27-30°c and excellent visibility. During these 5 days you will likely see more marine life than you could possibly imagine; reef sharks, hammerheads, mobile and manta rays, sea snakes, huge schools of fish, massive sponges and carpets of corals as far as the eyes can see.
Days 8 Reta Islands
Reta Island is where we will spend the day, and after the magic of the Forgotten Islands you might wonder how anything else could compare. Cave Point won’t disappoint with its coral garden where blue mola have been spotted, dramatic vertical walls with overhangs, undercuts and a deep plateau at around 25 metres. Swim over hard and soft corals, healthy barrel sponges and whip corals.
Days 9, 10 & 11 Diving in The Straits of Alor and Pantar
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 pelagic pass through the Pantar Strait and if we hear of whales, dolphins or sunfish, we’ll have the chance to go hunting for them 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 12 Disembark at Kalabahi
After breakfast on board it’s time to check out and leaving Tiaré, departing from Saumlaki.
Useful Information for the Itinerary South Forgotten Islands
All you need to know about the itinerary North Forgotten Islands: marine life, diving environment, diving facts, visibility, water temperature, useful travel information, etc. please, follow the link
Diving South Forgotten Islands with Tiare Cruise
All you need to know about Tiare Cruise: prices, inclusions, exclusions, terms and conditions, cancellation policy, accommodations on board, facilities, technical data, layout, etc. please follow the link
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.
More about Tiare Cruise
Cruising Indonesia is proud to introduce TIARE CRUISE, a 36m brand new luxury sailing yacht to dive Forgotten Islands, Banda Sea, Raja Ampat, Komodo, Alor and Flores. 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...
