Explore Indonesia
30 April-13 May, 2011 aboard Arenui liveaboard diving Maluku, Banda, & Raja Ampat-- Close encounters of the Cultural Kind!
Tue, Sep 07, 2010
Date Posted: 2010-07-19
Close Date: 2011-04-30
Price: $5681 includes -$299 discount
Maluku - Banda - Raja Ampat
April 30 - May 13, 2011
13 Nights aboard the Arenui
Experience sweet luxury aboard the Arenui, incredible diving in the waters of Maluku and Raja Ampat, plus exclusive cultural encounters that will make this trip unforgettable.
PRICING:
**DISCOUNTED PRICE!! was $5980—NOW $5681 per person
YOU SAVE $299
Inclusions:
• Full board accommodation in double/twin cabins
• The shore activities/excursions according to your program
• Soft drinks and all meals on board
• Diving activities including tanks, weights and weight belt (up to 4 dives/day)
• Transfer from/to embarkation/disembarkation airport
• Government taxes
• Administration/port clearance fee
• National Parks Entrance fee
About MALUKU (AMBON, NUSA LAUT, BANDA ISLANDS)
A macro paradise and regular encounters with pelagics await you! These rarely visited seas can claim some of the world’s richest marine environments, filled with unspoiled corals, tiny critters as well as pelagics. If bizarre and rare creatures are what appeal to you, it is a well kept secret that dives in the waters around Maluku outshine many of the world’s most famous destinations in terms of the odd and amazing. Maluku’s seas can be considered one of the world’s premier muck capitals with plenty of strange creatures just waiting to be captured by your camera.
The Banda Islands are not only renowned for presenting picture perfect views topside, but they are becoming increasingly well known in the diving world for their underwater beauty: extraordinary drop-offs rife with exquisite coral gardens and incredibly rich shallow muck diving.
Diving info:
CURRENT moderate to strong
DIVING DEPTH 10-50 yds
NUMBER OF DIVE SITES 293
SEA CONDITIONS can be rough
SUITABLE FOR intermediate-advanced
VISIBILITY 10-50 yds
WATER TEMPERATURE 77-88 °F
SAMPLE ITINERARY (Sorong-Ambon)
DAY 1 Sorong
DAY 2 Dampier Strait
DAY 3 Batanta
DAY 4 South East Misool - Wagmab/Farondi
DAY 5 South East Misool - Boo/Yiliet
DAY 6 South East Misool - Fiabacet
DAY 7 Pulau Koon
DAY 8 BANDA ISLANDS
DAY 9 BANDA ISLANDS
DAY 10 Nusa Laut
DAY 11 Ambon Bay
DAY 12 Ambon Bay
DAY 13 Ambon
♦This LiveWell Exclusive Adventure also includes special cultural encounters:
Cakalele Dance
Cakalele refers to a kind of ceremonial war dance originating from North and Central Maluku. The dance is performed using a narrow, wooden shield, sometimes also referred as a cakalele, though usually known by the North Moluccan Malay term sawako or by a local name, such as Tobelo o dadatoko.
Pala Dance
This graceful "Nutmeg Dance" performed by young girls and boys was very much like Malay-style dances in western Indonesia.
Its main local aspect was its theme - harvesting nutmeg.
Bambu Gila Dance
This dance, originating from folk games of Central Maluku, is a traditional game. The dancers will move swiftly to follow the movements that have been crazy bamboo dimanterai by handlers. They will create a movement sequence and link to each other's hands, with the agility of foot movements that include walking, jumping and running following a dynamic musical sound. With such a dynamic movement, the dancers are required to have much physical strength.
The dance signifies the unity of movement and unity in society. Movement and rhythm of this compact is actually a symbol of the spirit of mutual assistance, which evoke the soul the unity and integrity in carrying out various aspects of life, which is gambarang cooperativeness of the soul or "Masohi" which is the culture of the people of Maluku since the old times.
Kora Kora Performance
A kora-kora or kora kora or coracora is a traditional canoe from the Maluku (Moluccas) Islands, Indonesia. The shape of the boat itself is similar to a Chinese Dragon Boat. This boat is used for both trade and warfare. Bigger kora-koras were used as war vessels during the war with the Dutch in the Banda Islands during the 17th century. Since ancient times the steerer and paddlers of these traditional Moluccan rowing boats yelled 'Mena Muria', to syncronise their strokes during off shore expeditions. Some of the bigger rowing boats could have over 100 rowers and when used on the maritime war path, during for instance a so called 'hongitocht' (war expeditions for the Dutch East India Company during the 17th century), the approach of the 'kora kora' struck fear in the hearts of the villagers from the attacked coastal village.
City Tour to The Old Naira Town
Beautiful, quaint little Bandaneira on the island of Neira is the capital town of the Banda Islands and is full of relics of the colonial era: forts, cannons and beautiful colonial homes. It also offers great views of the surrounding islands, some decent snorkelling spots around Pulau Neira itself, and with the greatest range of facilties in the Bandas, it is the usual base for exploring this little archipelago.
Nutmeg Plantation + Lontohir Island
Visit Fort Hollandia passes by 399 stones steps , Observe the nutmeg factory and nutmeg plantation at walang reminders of Family Van De Broeke. Cross over by longboat to volcano island and have a stop at the sembahyang beach for picnic
♦Don't miss out on these unique experiences!
About RAJA AMPAT
Sparsely populated due to its rugged terrain, the province of West Papua comprises the highest biodiversity on our planet and is also extremely rich in terms of its ethnic diversity.
Views in Raja Ampat can range from a vista of breathtaking karsts emerging from an emerald sea, pristine beaches or the sighting of a war wreck adorned by a healthy covering of coral looming out of a deep blue punctuated by schools of fish circling above a colorful reef.
♦The Raja Ampat Islands hold the world
record for the highest number of different
species found in a single dive: 284 marine
species were recorded by Dr. Gerry Allen at
Kofiau Island in one single dive!
♦64% (505) of all the world’s known coral
species have been found in the waters at
Raja Ampat!
♦75% of the world's total species of
scleractinian (hard) corals cover Raja
Ampat sea beds!
Views in Raja Ampat can range from a vista of breathtaking karsts (unique geological formations on which new species have been known to evolve in response to the distinct features of their environment) emerging from an emerald sea, pristine beaches or the sighting of a war wreck adorned by a healthy covering of coral looming out of a deep blue punctuated by schools of fish circling above a colorful reef.
But just what does "highest biodiversity on the planet" mean in terms of the diving? Basically, very few places can compete with Raja Ampat’s unparalleled and untouched marine environments: underwater caves, mangroves, rainforest fjords inhabited by the most extraordinary and varied underwater life. Also, as Raja Ampat is supported by currents extremely rich in plankton, huge schools of fish and shoals of pelagics are a regular sight. Fans of macro and strange creatures are sure to get their fill as well with the sight of many oddballs, big and small, awaiting them on every dive. The coral reefs in Raja Ampat are renowned for being home not only to the incredible looking Wobbegong shark but also to the amazing epaulette "walking" shark, which can ideally be observed hunting during a night dive.
Exclusions:
• International and domestic air transportation
• Hotels and meals before and after the cruise
• Alcoholic drinks
• Dive equipment rental (other than tanks, weights and weight belt)
• Nitrox (200 USD/person)
• Massages and Spa treatments
• Travel insurance
• Onboard purchases
• Private tours
• Laundry
• On-board telecommunications
• Crew gratuities
• $260 Port & Park Fees
• (No Fuel Surcharge)
Contact us for bookings!
Call (877) 357-0022 or email info@livewellventures.com
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