Banda Sea Cruise Expedition, Oct/Nov, 2024/2025/2026

Join me and a small group of snorkelers and divers for an epic Banda Sea Cruise Expedition on board the luxurious Pindito. Winds are traditionally low during this, the doldrum season. Also, it’s at the peak of Blue Whale activity, before they begin their migration south to Australia.

Make a booking / enquire now

Either sign up with a 20% deposit, or for more information, contact Simon Mustoe.

Or send me an email / call me to enquire. E: simon@wildiaries.com P: +61 (0) 405 220 830

About the trip

Our itineraries vary. Trips that go just to the Banda Sea will circumnavigate this extraordinary area, taking in the remote volcanic islands and sometimes, the incredible Luciparas. Described as the ‘mini-Maldives’, the Lucipara Islands are six islands with fringing atolls that rise up hundreds of metres below the Banda Sea deep. Surrounded by steep drop-offs, the islands are famed for spectacular snorkelling and diving. There is also the chance to see turtles nesting.

On each trip we will visit the ‘forgotten’ Spice Islands to learn about the colonial history we share with them and explore some spectacular snorkel-dive locations nearby. Along the southern coast of Seram, we can admire the 3,200m high mountains on one side, while sailing past the 7,700m Weber Deep. The land here rises higher than Everest. Along the way we’ll search for strange cetaceans like Cuvier’s Beaked Whales, Rough-toothed and Risso’s Dolphins.

Where we go

Every cruise is slightly different. We deliberately leave itineraries unpublished as trips tend to unfold a little as we go. In one trip to Komodo last year, the final 48 hours changed radically, as we ended up with four hours swimming with whale sharks on the last morning. Another trip in the Banda Sea we found tiger sharks feeding on a sperm whale carcass, on another in Raja Ampat we found killer whales. Our guests don’t want to leave these encounters and stick to a schedule, so we cover shorter overall distances, which gives us scope for real discovery.

As long as we get to our final destination and have time to cruise in between, we go to all the right places and build in some flexibility. 

Here are examples of routes we’ve taken from recent trips.

About our cruises

Come and snorkel in the world epicentre of biodiversityWhat is the definition of biodiversity? When we ask, what is the definition of biodiversity? It depends on what we want to do with it. The term is widely and commonly misused, leading to significant misinterpretation of the importance of how animals function on Earth and why they matter a great deal, to human survival. Here I will try to More. A lifetime’s knowledge of conditions and no fixed itineraries means everyone is treated to calm and spectacular experiences. 

Pindito is not your average dive liveaboard. Our 30 years of experience means we understand conditions better than most other operators. Our clientele tend to be either above-average in terms of experience, or looking for a mixture of diving and non-diving experiences. Many of our trips have diving / non-diving couples and a range of snorkelers from regular to occasional – even some people with little or no prior experience. 

Getting to your expedition cruise

Flying around Indonesia is quite simple. We often arrive and depart from places you won’t have heard of but they are usually well-serviced airports nevertheless. We have a local travel agent we use for domestic flights so they can reschedule any changes for us, in the local language. Foreign travel agents often struggle with booking and are rather helpless when things go wrong. For international flights it’s usually a case of arriving in either Bali or Jakarta but that depends on connections at the time. We are able to advise on all of this and make bookings, if you need. Before our trips everything will be planned for you, so you simply have to turn up with nothing much to think about, other than enjoying your holiday with us.

Why this Raja Ampat Expedition the right trip for you?

This is a low-impact way to explore the islands of Indonesia and see incredible wildlife in the company of local people. Each day is different. The activities we tend to mix up throughout the trip are:

• Snorkelling (usually every day there is this option).  
• Diving (for those who want to, it’s next to the snorkelling spots). 
• Beach walks … if there is a beach and you would like to go there, we can do that. 
• Stand up paddle-boarding. This is sometimes done to visit the beach, or snorkel. 
• Sight-seeing. If anyone wants to, we can organise a zodiac any time to cruise around the islands. 
• Whale and dolphin-watching. There are about 20 species of ‘cetacean’.
• Cocktails! When weather and conditions permit, we know some nice little enclaves where we can feel like we’re the only people on Earth.

• Village visits. When we’re near to some villages, we can arrange to drop in.  
• Reading and relaxing. Sometimes you just want to stay on board while everyone else heads out to swim. It’s nice and quiet. Night time is good too. There is plenty of deck space to find some peace (there are three deck levels in actual fact – the boat is huge for the number of people on board). 
• The wheel house is free to sit in. Talk to the crew. Learn about their work and lives. Have a go at steering … whatever you want to do. A tour of the boat is available at some point during the cruise and of course, you can learn about her history. 

What kind of person comes on our trips?

Usually it’s people who have had a taste of this region on a cruise ship and want to come back and ‘do it properly’, mixed in with our repeat guests (our next trip is 50% return passengers). Our guests are not the people you might expect … if you’re reading this, they are probably more like you.

Our guests tend to be 45+ and well-travelled. They like soft-adventure. The comfort of having everything done and wonderful hospitality, combined with being able to challenge themselves to do something different.

We don’t charge for drinks as no-one goes silly (and we’re usually tired out by the evening). But why would we? It’s nice to chill out in the evening and enjoy the solitude without worrying about keeping tabs. 

Each trip is wildly different to the next and is determined, to much of a degree, by the people we have on board. We talk to everyone throughout and plan each day with options, if people want. 

Rediscover expedition cruising

Over the years, expedition cruises have become more and more commercialised. Costs have gone up and boats have become bigger to compensate. Most people don’t even realise there is an alternative. Locally run ships with 30+ years of experience, a perfect safety record and much lower carbon footprint. We also support many local businesses and villages as we travel.   

If you’re not sure, drop me a line. I’m always happy to arrange a time to speak on Zoom or Whatsapp, wherever you are in the world.