Blog
Discover insights, tips, and stories about liveaboard diving in Indonesia. From Raja Ampat to Komodo and the Banda Sea.
47 articles found
Solo Liveaboard Diving in Indonesia: An Operator's Guide to Going Alone (2026)
On a typical seven-night Indonesian liveaboard, between a quarter and a third of the divers booked are travelling solo. This guide is the operator's-side answer to what it is actually like to do a liveaboard alone in Indonesia: cabin sharing vs single supplement, buddy assignment, solo female travel in a Muslim-majority country, choosing the right boat by group size and itinerary length, recommended trips by experience level, dive insurance, and the small set of mistakes solo travellers make that you can avoid.
Black Water Diving in Indonesia: An Operator's Guide to the Pelagic Larval Drift (2026)
An operator's complete 2026 guide to black water diving in Indonesia. Black water diving drops you into the largest animal migration on the planet, the nightly vertical migration of larval cephalopods, larval fish, and pelagic invertebrates from the deep scattering layer to the surface. Indonesia has quietly become one of the world's two best places to dive it. This guide maps the genuine sites (Lembeh Strait, Bali, Ambon, Komodo), the lunar-phase calendar that determines productivity, the certification and experience floor, the camera setup that actually works for larval and gelatinous subjects, the safety protocols that separate competent operators from dangerous ones, and how to combine black water nights with a liveaboard cruise.
How to Get to Labuan Bajo (Komodo): 2026 Flights, Airport, and Transfers Guide
An operator's complete 2026 guide to getting to Labuan Bajo, the gateway town for Komodo National Park. There is no direct international flight; every visitor connects at Bali (DPS) or Jakarta (CGK) and takes a domestic flight to Komodo Airport (LBJ). This guide covers the four practical routes, the four Indonesian airlines that fly the LBJ route ranked by reliability and dive-bag friendliness, the 7-kilogram cabin baggage rule and how to game it, the LBJ airport layout, the airport-to-harbour transfer, where to stay if you arrive a night early, how cruise boarding actually works at the harbour, the 2026 Komodo National Park fee structure, the same-day-departure trap on the way home, and the five common screw-ups we watch first-timers make every season.
Liveaboard Packing List Indonesia: What to Pack for Komodo and Raja Ampat in 2026
An operator's complete 2026 packing list for an Indonesia liveaboard cruise. Most pack-list mistakes are not laziness, they are knowledge gaps: not knowing what the boat already provides, what the climate actually does each month, what the regulations require in Komodo and Raja Ampat marine parks, and what is unavailable east of Bali. This guide is the full pack list we wish every guest read before zipping the suitcase. Carry-on essentials, dive gear bring-versus-rent, wetsuit thickness by region and season, topside clothing for a barefoot boat, reef-safe sunscreen rules, drone rules, electronics, cash and tipping, medication, documents and visas, what our three vessels already provide, and a five-minute pre-departure check.
Underwater Photography in Indonesia: A Diver's Guide for Wide-Angle and Macro (2026)
An operator's complete 2026 guide to underwater photography in Indonesia. The country has the broadest subject range of any single dive nation on earth: dense soft-coral walls in Misool, manta cleaning stations in Komodo, schooling hammerheads in the Banda Sea, the global muck-diving capital at Lembeh, and the macro headliners of Ambon. This guide maps the wide-angle and macro regions, the photographic seasonal calendar, the gear configurations that work for each genre, the boat amenities a serious shooter actually needs, and how to plan a trip that builds the portfolio you came for.
Honeymoon Liveaboard Indonesia: Romantic Diving Trips for Two
An operator's complete 2026 guide to honeymooning on a liveaboard in Indonesia. Why a small phinisi yacht beats a resort villa for couples who want something genuinely undistracted, which Indonesian regions and seasons fit a honeymoon, what life on board looks like for two, what the non-diving partner does all day, the special touches we add for honeymoon bookings (cabin, dinner, sunset, cake, photographs), how mixed-skill couples can share the same trip, and how to plan the right itinerary around your wedding date.
Shark Diving in Indonesia: Where & When to See Hammerheads, Wobbegongs, and Walking Sharks (2026)
An operator's complete 2026 guide to shark diving in Indonesia. The country has the broadest shark diversity of any single dive destination in Asia: schooling scalloped hammerheads in the Banda Sea, the unique walking sharks of Raja Ampat, wobbegongs along Misool's reefs, current-fed grey reef sharks at Komodo's Castle Rock, plus a quiet macro-shark roster in the Lembeh Strait. This guide maps the species, the sites, the seasons, the certification you need, and how to plan a trip that actually delivers.
Diving With Mola Mola in Indonesia: Where & When to See the Oceanic Sunfish (2026)
An operator's complete guide to diving with mola mola (the oceanic sunfish) in Indonesia. Crystal Bay at Nusa Penida is the world's most reliable mola encounter site, with daily sightings from July to October during the cold-water upwelling. This guide covers the species, the sites, the season, the dive conditions, the cert and gear requirements, and how to plan a Bali trip around the mola.
Diving With Manta Rays in Indonesia: The Complete 2026 Guide
An operator's complete guide to diving with manta rays in Indonesia. The country is the world's largest manta sanctuary, with year-round cleaning stations and current-fed feeding aggregations across Raja Ampat, Komodo, and Bali. This guide maps the sites, the seasons, and how to combine them on a single trip.