Day 1 Ambon / Nusa Laut
Several of our crew will be on site to greet you at the arrivals gate, where they will help you to the pre arranged taxis for the short ride to the harbour to board tenders to the lead vessel. You will be welcomed on board Majik by her crew, offering a cold towel and seasonal beverage. The Cruise Director will give an introduction, a safety briefing, a small tour of the vessel and assist with cabin allocation while the vessel departs. The journey to your first destination represents a great opportunity to familiarise yourself with the boat layout and enjoy your first taste of the chefs’ talents.

Your first chance to dip below the waves will be an island called Nusa Laut, referred to locally as “The Golden Island” due to the plentiful supply of cloves on the island. The dive sites here are protected by the local villages and are usually blessed with good visibility, which is perfect to take in the sloping reef and the jawdropping array of hard corrals that cover it. Marvel at the plate, fan and giant sponge barrels and the reefs inhabitants that play amongst them. With a bit of luck, witness the tornado of big eye trevally and search the sand flats for critters nestled at the base of the reef. Rinse off the salt back on board and enjoy a delicious dinner amongst the ocean breeze as your first day comes to a close.

Day 2 – Suanggi Island
Tat Pulau Suanggi translates to “Evil Spirit Island”, the reason for naming it so is lost to history but some believe it is where the Dutch made prisoners “walk the plank”, and those souls now haunt the island. The reality today couldn’t be further from the name. Waking here to the literally thousands of sea birds that cover the island is a treat unto itself, but to dive the surrounding sites is the true attraction.

The island has a range of sites and at least one day is needed here to dive them all. From a sandy slope, dotted with coral bommies that are filled with glass fish and schools of blue fin trevally dashing at them for a feed, to steep coral covered walls that disappear into the blue despite the usually impressive visibility of the site. Dive into the depths of plate coral fields and with a bit of luck one can witness potentially hundreds of schooling hammer heads. The diving here usually always leaves you wanting more, so don’t panic, we’ll come back to this site on our journey home.

Day 3 – Ai Island
Following breakfast on the morning journey from Suanggi to Pulau Ai, you can get back into the water at Batu Payong, which translates as “Umbrella Rock”. The tides and currents over time have carved out the rock at surface level, creating an umbrella shape. Below the surface, expect walls that drop to about 50m and host enormous fan corals and barrel sponges. There is the chance to see napoleon wrasse, schooling fusselier and unicorn fish. Check the blue for rainbow runners, dog tooth tuna and the rare opportunity of the larger solitary hammer head.

For a cultural change of pace in the afternoon, go ashore and visit the local village. Here you will metaphorically and literally get your first taste of The Spice Islands history. Enjoy a guided tour to the nutmeg plantations and learn a little about the production process, it’s history on the island and purchase some if you wish. Finish in the guides humble home for a taste of nutmeg tea and after the tour, be welcomed back to the boat with a refreshing beverage before a delicious dinner is served.

Day 4 – Serua
After your overnight journey, awake in the far-flung islands of Serua. These volcanic islands in the inner Banda Arc host several humble villages with the total population not more then a few hundred. Serua itself and its small islets Kekeh Besar and Kekeh Kecil feature excellent coral reefs, housing all the usual suspects for reef life, but with one important addition, schooling hammer head sharks. The islands isolation and villagers’ willingness to protect an important tourism income, means the shark population is incredibly healthy.

After breaking for lunch, you have the option to dive back beneath the waves, or alternatively, take a trek to the upper village. Watching the local inhabitants you would think the walk is easy, but don’t be fooled, this is a difficult summit. At the top you’re greeted with the warm hospitality of the village and a view of the ocean stretching to every edge of the horizon, to help you truly appreciate how isolated these destinations are.

Day 5 Nildesperandum / Pulau Nila
Following the early morning sail from Serua, awake in Karang Nil Desperandum. At first you appear to be in the middle of the ocean with nothing around, but take a closer look at the water and you will notice an enormous plateau just below the surface. Enjoy breakfast bobbing in the blue before getting back in the water yourself to explore this reef patch surrounded by deep waters where schools of hammerheads, jack fish, pelagics and other sharks are often seen.

For the afternoon the boat will find comfortable anchorage at nearby Pulau Nila. This island is part of a chain called “The Forgotten Islands”, once being busy trade routes before the Dutch East India Company monopolised the industry and they were “forgotten” to history. Explore the shallow inlets by kayak or paddle board, or spend the afternoon relaxing on the beach with umbrella shaded bean bags, a chiller of cold drinks, and an enjoyable book. Enjoy sunset from the beach or slowly amble back to the boat for a comfortable sunbed, a fresh coconut in hand and an unobstructed ocean view of the sunset.

Day 6 – Manuk
The uninhabited volcanic island of Manuk was made popular by the BBC Blue Planet series. The island represents one of natures more obscure symbiosis occurrences. That being the olive and banded sea krates working in unison with grouper and trevally to feed. The snakes have access to the naturally narrow openings of reef, rocks and crevices and will enter to force the fish out the other side into the hungry mouths of waiting grouper and trevally.

Sea Krates are naturally inquisitive and also incredibly poisonous. It’s theorised they enjoy the heat that the thermal vents provide, which is why they’re present in such numbers. It’s also theorised that they enjoy the body heat of a diver, so don’t be surprised if these curious species approach you under the water, but also don’t panic, they’re teeth are to small to cause any harm to humans. The sites they inhabit are beautiful unto themselves, being a nice mix of black volcanic sands, healthy sponge and soft corals and sloping reefs and ridges with an abundance of life.

Day 7 – Hatta Island / Karrang Hatta
Leaving The Forgotten Islands, ironically very memorable, make your way back towards The Spice Islands. The Southern most being Pulau Hatta and its southern submerged reef of Karrang Hatta that is similar in seascape to Nil Desperandum. The entirety of the reef is submerged with a large plateau resting about 3 meters below the surface depending on the tide. The plateau slopes gently and then quickly drops off to steep walls. The substrate is sandier due to it buffeting the open ocean currents but it’s an ideal place to see hawksbill turtles, schooling bump head parrot fish and yet another opportunity to look for schooling hammerhead sharks.

For the afternoon, the boat will float beside Pulau Hatta which is blessed with beaches that only present at low tide and as such are rarely frequented. The entire island is ringed by a shallow coral shelf, so spend your time snorkelling, kayaking, paddle boarding, or relaxing on your own private beach before the ocean claims it back. Return to the boat at dusk with dinners aroma wafting from the kitchen, before moving to Banda Besar for tomorrows adventures.

Day 8 – Big Banda / Banana Island
Banda Besar (Big Banda) and it’s neighbouring island of Pulau Pisang (Banana Island – Called so for the islands shape), host several intriguing dive sites, snorkelling locations and cultural opportunities. Pohon Moreng rest at the northern point of Banda Besar and consist of a shallow 5m coral plateau that tapers off to a 40m wall. At roughly 20m there is an amazing swim through, the entrance encrusted with enormous barrel sponges and the inside littered with soft corals.

Batu Kapal (Boat Rock) rest North of Pulau Pisang and anyone would be forgiven for thinking the rock was a barge from a distance, hence the name. The site itself, below the bow and stern of the rock host a beautiful shallow coral garden. Off the starboard side of the rock the coral garden runs into a thoroughfare between several underwater pinnacles. Currents play between the submerged pinnacles and the schools of fish play in the currents.

Swimming from pinnacle to pinnacle, surrounded by the schools, you can appreciate why the area has developed such a reputation for biodiversity and biomass. The pinnacles themselves are blanketed in hard and soft corals, making the perfect colourful back drop for the fish life on the site, while your guide checks the reef cracks for the intriguing honeycomb moray.

Day 9 – Banda Neira
Today you take a break from the ocean and instead explore the rich history of Banda Neira. This small island is possibly one of the most beautiful natural anchorages and at one point in time represented the centre of global trade. Take a tour around the local town and learn about why this location holds such a prominent place in history, visiting the museum, the Muhammed Hatta House, nutmeg plantations, and the historic Fort Belgica. Standing amidst these fragments of history, watching the wooden boats anchored in the harbour in the shadow of a dormant volcano, it’s easy to be swept up in historical nostalgia, and the imagination won’t need to work hard to picture life here 400 years ago.

In the afternoon take a dusk dive in front of the historic Colonial Maulana hotel. This site is a great opportunity to go searching for the illusive Mandarin Fish, a favourite of photographers if you’re quick enough to snap the multi coloured beauty as it darts in and out of the corals. You can also hope for a range of shrimp, nudies and eels. Return to the comfort of the boat after your day’s adventures for a relaxing meal in calm waters amongst the sounds of this historic area.

Day 10 – Run / Nailaka
Awake in Banda Neira for another cultural experience, yet slightly different. The traditional “Kora-Kora” war boats that welcomed the Portuguese five hundred years ago are still in use today, although now they’re used as a competitive sport with each island having individual teams. Witness them in action and marvel at their unity and speed as they escort you from Banda Neira, chanting in their traditional dialect.

Across breakfast the boat will move to Pulau Run. Such was the value of nutmeg in the 1600’s that the Dutch actually traded Pulau Run for present day Manhattan, New York! The island host sites such as “New Manhattan” and “Run Corner”. Expect steep walls, fringed by coral plateaus. Gregorians, barrel sponges and whip corals cling to the reef and hang into the blue. Schools of butterfly, banner and parrot fish swim up and down the wall with a good chance for Hawksbill and Green Turtles. A good guide will keep one eye on the wall and one eye in the blue, always hoping for a chance encounter with Mobula Rays, Manta or Hammer Heads.

Day 11 – Suanggi
No doubt memories of your Suanggi dives will still be fresh in your mind and you will be eager for more. As the trip comes to a close with undoubtedly a need for a decompression day due to consecutive deep dives, today represents a chance to close the diving in the same way it started… with the amazing coral reefs of Pulau Suanggi.

Every side of this island represents an opportunity for diving, so revisit some of your favorite parts from the first day, or ask your dive guides for a new experience. It’s also one of the best opportunities in the region to see schooling hammer heads. So, if you haven’t seen them yet after more then a week of adjusting to the current and bettering your air consumption, this is the last opportunity to dive back to the deep depths, dance with decompression and search for the elusive species, and hopefully, witness one of underwaters truly amazing spectacles.

Day 12 – Molana Island
After the nights journey wake up in the calm waters surrounding Pulau Molana. This islands northern point is edged by a pristine white sand beach that has space for exploring regardless of high or low tide. The crew of Majik will setup a nice location for the day’s relaxation. Kayaks, paddle boards, snorkelling equipment and a chiller full of cold drinks will all be on standby ready for you to request when the inclination strikes. Alternatively, take a tender to explore the surrounding islands and simply enjoy the lush green vegetation.

Enjoy the afternoon from Molana beach, with a view of Majik back dropped by the setting sun, cocktail in hand and the smell of a BBQ meal filling the air. Swap tales into the night and share your favourite memories from the literal hundreds of miles of open ocean you just experienced before turning into bed for your final nights sleep.

Day 13 – Ambon
Wake up for your final delicious breakfast on board and if your flight time allows, feel free to swim, kayak or paddle board before you open sails and hoist anchor towards Ambon Harbour. For your disembarkation the crew will collect your luggage from your rooms and following hugs and goodbyes will escort you to the waiting taxis for your journey to the airport.