MAUMERE-MAUMERE 11 NIGHT

No cruise on MV Samambaia is like the other. Every single trip is tailor-made to create a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The decision on the itinerary is made by the cruise director as we cruise along and is based on factors such as weather conditions, dive conditions, requests of guests and schedules of other liveaboards, which we are trying to stay away from.


There are however certain constants on every cruise which are:


Based upon that, here is a potential itinerary for an 11 nights /12 days cruise from 

Maumere (Flores) back to Maumere (Flores). This is just to give you a general idea and is subject to change due to weather and other conditions. Popular dive sites are named. We do however have our secret spots as well, which you will learn about during the cruise.


Day 1: Embarkation

Arrival with plane to Maumere. You will be picked up by crew members at the airport. A general orientation follows.  


Day 2: Serbete & Adonara.

After an initial general dive briefing, we will do our check dive at an easy and protected dive site. Check dive in the sense of you checking your gear and weights, making sure the camera housings are proper sealed and our guides checking your buoyancy. No skill demonstrations are required. 

Check dive in the morning at a pretty, easygoing and protected dive site. A wall south of the tiny island of Serbete. We will offer two more macro focussed dives this day, at two of our secret spots south of the island of Adonara.



Day 3: Lembata’s Critters

Sandy critter diving par excellence. One spot is at a pier, the other ones a bit further to the

east. Critter hunting at it’s best: Seahorses, different species of Rhinopias, sometimes even

side by side, frogfish, all sorts of cephalopods. Truly a world class dive spot.


Day 4: Lembata South

Time for some action packed diving in the morning. We have two great dive sites here. One

of them is a secret cavern which is home to several White Tip Reef Sharks. The other one, ‘Pulau Suangi’ is a rock, exposed to the open ocean. Stunning coral growth on the reef, very

good fish life, but don’t forget to look out in the blue as we’ve often got pelagic fish passing by.

In the afternoon we offer a visit to the traditional whaling village of Lamalera. The people of this village are fundamental animists and are living their ancient traditions until today in our modern world. Alternatively we offer a dive for you, of course.

We finish this day with a night dive at an excellent secret spot of ours, ‘The Corner Shop’ -  we named it like that because it has a little something of everything.


Day 5: Kambing & Pantar

Facing the Savu Sea the southern coast of Pantar and Pulau Kambing are exposed to strong

upwellings and swells full of nutrition from the deep. Hence the marine life here is mind boggling with potential for large pelagics. Besides the known sites around Pulau Kambing our favourites here are our secret spots.


Days 6: Beangabang

A protected bay which is said to have a better macro life than the famous Lembeh Strait. Be

prepared for some cold water upwellings which will not stop you from having extended bottom times if you are a critter lover. No time limit here on the night dive.

An excerpt of the spotting list from 1 (one!) dive we recently did there: Wonderpus, Blue Ring

Octopus, Coconut Octopus, Pegasus, Frogfish, Rhinopias, Ambon Scorpionfish, Robust Ghostpipefish, Roughsnout Ghostpipefish, Thorny Seahorse, Melibe…..


Day 7: Pura & Alor

Time for some action packed current drift dives with potential for big stuff. All our dives are

going to be either slope or wall dives. We have spotted here in the past: Oceanic Sunfish, Big Dogtooth Tuna and Thresher Sharks.

Popular dive sites here: School’s Out, Anemone City, The Great Wall of Pantar


Day 8: Kalabahi Bay

Today we spent all day hunting critters in the protected bay of Alors capital Kalabahi.

With a little bit of luck our dive guides might show you the ‘Holy Grail of Critter Hunters’, the

Rhinopias. Other than that you can expect: Frogfish, Ghostpipefish, all sorts of cephalopods

and Crustaceans as well as colourful Nudibranchs. Popular dive sites here: Mucky Mosque, Black Rhino, Pertamina Pier


Day 9: North Alor

Before we leave the area around Alor to head back west again, we will offer you three more dives here. Either wide-angle wall and slope dives or some more macro dives. Maybe a blend of both. We make this depending on the preferences of our guests.


Day 10: Lembata & Komba

We will do three dives in daytime. Either at a spot we call ‘The Shark Wall’ or alternatively at a fantastic critter spot. This depends on the preferences of the group. In the afternoon we will head north towards the active vulcano of Komba, which erupts every 15 to 20 minutes. A

spectacular display of nature’s power and free fireworks for us.


Day 11: Maumere Bay

Our last day before disembarkation we will spend at a beautifully quiet and protected anchorage in the bay of Maumere. In the morning we offer you a wreck dive (Wodong Wreck) that turns in the shallows into a critter heaven: Pipehorses, Ghostpipefish, Nudibranchs. A beautiful dive with no time limit to finish this cruise. If your flight schedule permits our guides will happy take you on a second dive as well.

The afternoon we spend at this anchorage, filled with some in-water fun such as wake boarding and waterskiing and the famous Floating Bar.


Day 12: Disembarkation in Maumere

Depending on your flight schedule, our crew will check your luggage in for you in advance so you can rest on board and let us shuttle you to the airport when your plane is ready to leave.