Mermaid II

This liveaboard is a powerful 33 metre steel hulled motor vessel, so it can get you to and from all the dive sites around the Komodo National Park in next to no time. An additional generator and fuel tanks give added confidence that MV Mermaid II can keep operating cruises without technical interruption.

The Mermaid II is a very spacious boat and can easily accommodate up to 20 divers. Unlike many of the other Bali liveaboards, the majority of cabins are above the lower deck so you can drink in the beautiful island views through your large cabin windows.

Mermaid II gives you the option of enriched air nitrox. If you're not already a nitrox diver, the PADI Nitrox specialty course can be completed on board, along with other PADI specialty courses e.g. Underwater Photographer. There is a computer available for digital photo downloads and you can burn your memories on to CD.

The kit up area and the dive platform both have plenty of storage space and there are separate rinse tanks for your camera equipment and dive gear. 2 fast and convenient dinghies make the diving in Komodo and Raja Ampat easy for you.

There are 2 saloons on board, 1 on the main deck and 1 on the upper deck. Food is served in the main deck saloon, and between meals there are plenty of snacks for you to enjoy including cookies, cereals and yoghurt. All the entertainment facilities are in the upper deck saloon where you can enjoy the TV, DVD player and music system. There are plenty of movies to choose from or you can browse through the multi-lingual library of books and magazines. Being on the upper deck means the cooling sea breezes waft over you making this a great place to hang out in the evenings.

During the daytime if you want to catch some rays, there is a large open area with sun loungers in front of the wheelhouse where the bronzed bodies tend to congregate.

During the Komodo season, there are also some trips including Alor and Flores. In March and April, the Mermaid II operates in Raja Ampat.

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Notes: children aged 8 years and older are welcome on Mermaid liveaboards. Child 8-9 years - 50% discount when sharing a cabin with 2 parents. Child 10+ years - pays full rate. Parents/guardians have to be with the child at all times. Child supervision can be arranged with one month's notice.

Dive experience: All levels of certified divers and non-divers are welcome on board these Indonesian liveaboard safaris.

Cruise price per person includes: Cabin accommodation, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinking water, soft drinks, hot drinks, land tours on Komodo trips, transfers to the boat from airport and south Bali hotels, dives (as detailed in the trips above), experienced English-speaking divemaster(s) (max 4 divers per DM), 12 and 15 litre tanks, weights and weightbelts, torch, surface marker device, all taxes.

Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Scuba equipment rental (US$ 41 per day), dive computer (US$ 10 per day), port and park fees: all trips in 2024 (US$ 232), 2025 (Komodo US$ 258; others US$ 284), diving insurance. A fuel surcharge of US$ 21 per person per day will apply to all cruises in 2024 (to be paid in advance). Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival with 11% VAT (cash - EUR, USD, IDR and credit cards - Visa and Master cards only).

Optional extras: Alcoholic beverages, nitrox fills for enriched air certified divers (US$ 6 per tank, packages available), underwater camera. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival with 11% VAT (cash - EUR, USD, IDR and credit cards - Visa and Master cards only). Note: prices of items purchased onboard are subject to change.

How to get there: For all routes, guests are recommended to arrive 1 day prior to the cruise start for all trips other than those commencing from Bali. There is a return transfer service between the local airport and hotels and the boat.
Komodo: Mermaid II departs in the late afternoon from Benoa Harbour in Bali. The meeting point before the cruise is Akaya Bali Resort in Jln Dana Tamblingan, Sanur. Mermaid guests may use the facilities free of charge on the day of departure and disembarkation. There is a minibus transfer service from the airport and all hotels in southern Bali. Boarding: 1-3 pm.
Raja Ampat: The liveaboard departs in the late afternoon from Sorong in West Papua. You can fly directly to Sorong from Jakarta, Ujung Pandang (Makassar) and Manado. From Bali there are convenient connections via Ujung Pandang (Makassar) and Manado. We will help you arrange return domestic flights between Bali or Jakarta and Sorong. Boarding: 7 am-2 pm.
Ambon/Banda: Fly direct to Ambon from Jakarta (or from Sorong or Surabaya). Boarding: 10 am-12 noon.
Flores: Fly direct to the port of Maumere (direct from Bali, or via Makassar from Jakarta or Kuala Lumpur). Boarding: 12 noon-2 pm
For more details, including airlines, see our travel information section. Flight reservation assistance is available. The last dive of the trip will be at around 12 noon on the second last day of the trip. Check-out is at 8-8:30 am. Please wait at least 18 hours before flying after diving.

Non-diver rate: There is no discount for non divers.

Single supplement (if you do not want to share accommodation): This is optional - single travellers may choose to share a cabin (same sex cabin sharing not guaranteed) or pay a supplement of 90% of the published price for their own cabin.

Dive clubs and group discounts: Please contact us for details.

Whole boat charter rate (per night): Pay for 18 guests and 2 additional persons can join the cruise in a Budget cabin free of charge (total 20 guests).

Raja Ampat National Park (9 Days / 8 Nights - 25 Dives)

Trip highlights: shark action, manta rays, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Raja Ampat - Misool: Balbulol, Sagof, Wagmab, Farondi, Wayilbatan, Warakaraket, Fiabacet, Yillet, Kalig and Pele Islands; Strait of Dampier: Penemu, Yanggefo, Kawe,Arborek and Sawanderek. Climb to viewpoint.

Day 1
You will be collected from Sorong Airport or your city hotel and taken to the harbour where you will soon notice the beautiful Mermaid 2 liveaboard. Its crew will welcome you on board and give you a boat and safety briefing. You can then spend the rest of the day as you like while they get ready for the overnight trip to Misool. Here the diving will start the next day. A sunset dinner will take place on the main deck on the first evening.

Days 2-8
Welcome to Raja Ampat, a diver's paradise, where you will enjoy 3 daily dives and a night dive for most of the days of your safari. Experience a great variety of environments such as deep dives around pinnacles surrounded by schools of fish, walls covered with soft corals and gorgonian fans that are home to nudibranchs and pygmy seahorses, mantas hanging out at cleaning stations, bigeye trevally, wobbegongs, crocodilefish, and an endless list of other underwater possibilities. On night dives you will discover nocturnal critters, mainly crustaceans like lobsters, crabs and shrimps.
4 full meals will help you through the days. A continental breakfast if offered before the 1st dive. The 2nd dive will follow a hearty breakfast of eggs, toast and hot drinks. Lunch and more snacks come after the 3rd dive. Eventually dinner will be served after the night dive. Main meals are buffet style and cooked by a Thai cook that does a fantastic job of combining the best flavours from Thai, Indonesian and Western cuisine. Both great memories from your underwater moments, and also the food enjoyed on board will linger long in your memory.
Please note that there will be only 2 dives in the Dampier Strait on the last full day of the safari; then Mermaid starts its cruise back to port.

Day 9
You will be transferred to Sorong Airport, after breakfast and farewells.

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Raja Ampat, Banda, Forgotten Islands & Alor (16 Days / 15 Nights - 49 Dives)

Trip highlights: hammerhead sharks, shark action, manta rays, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Kawula: Cape Bacatan and Lewaling Bay; Alor, Wetar: Cape Nunukae and Pulau Reong; Damar: Neus Leur, Terbang Seletan and Terbang Utara; Nila: Dusborgh and Nil Desperandum; Serua, Manuk, Banda Islands, Koon, Raja Ampat: Misool, Dampier Strait; plus Banda Neira land visit

Day 1
You will be collected from Sorong Airport or your city hotel and taken to the harbour where you will soon notice the beautiful Mermaid 2 liveaboard. Its crew will welcome you on board and give you a boat and safety briefing. You can then spend the rest of the day as you like while they get ready for the overnight trip to Misool. Here the diving will start the next day. A sunset dinner will take place on the main deck on the first evening.

Days 2-15
Welcome to Raja Ampat, a diver's paradise, where you will enjoy 3 daily dives and a night dive for most of the days of your safari. Experience a great variety of environments such as deep dives around pinnacles surrounded by schools of fish, walls covered with soft corals and gorgonian fans that are home to nudibranchs and pygmy seahorses, mantas hanging out at cleaning stations, bigeye trevallies, wobbegongs, crocodilefish, and an endless list of other underwater possibilities. On night dives you will discover nocturnal critters, mainly crustaceans like lobsters, crabs and shrimps.
The Forgotten Islands in the eastern Banda Sea are a remote chain of islands that offer some of the best diving in Indonesian waters. Attractions include gin-clear waters, patch reefs and coral bommies, and spectacular wall dives on impossible drop-offs. The nutrient rich currents can bring sunfish, dogtooth tuna, reef sharks, as well as maybe sailfish. Prepare your camera gear for pelagics, muck diving, schooling hammerheads, surgeonfish, and large schools of barracuda at Serua. You will see lots of sea snakes at Manuk.
Alor has some amazing critters like hairy frogfish and Halimeda ghostpipefish, rhinophias, hairy and tiger shrimps, wonderpus octopus, pygmy seahorses. The diving in this area is more than just macro though. Whitetip reef sharks, bamboo sharks, schools of fusiliers, oversized bumphead parrotfish. Spanish Dancers and other nocturnal critters can be seen on several dives. It will be a blast of colours and emotions.
There will also be a land visit to Banda Neira, one of the Banda islands, for a visit to a local market, the local museum and a nutmeg plantation. Alor is a place that always gives great pleasure to divers, with its healthy reefs and a high variety of underwater conditions, from strong currents to protected bays, from diving in cooler waters to warmer ones.
4 full meals will help you through the days. A continental breakfast if offered before the 1st dive. The 2nd dive will follow a hearty breakfast of eggs, toast and hot drinks. Lunch and more snacks come after the 3rd dive. Eventually dinner will be served after the night dive. Main meals are buffet style and cooked by a Thai cook that does a fantastic job of combining the best flavours from Thai, Indonesian and Western cuisine. Both great memories from your underwater moments, and also the food enjoyed on board will linger long in your memory.
Please note that there will be only 2 dives around Kawula Island on the last full day of the safari; then Mermaid starts its cruise on to port.

Day 16
You will be transferred to Maumere Airport, after breakfast and farewells.
Please note that the trip sometimes runs in reverse or has differing ports - check above for details.

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Raja Ampat, Lembeh & Halmahera (12 Days / 11 Nights - 32 Dives)

Trip highlights: shark action, manta rays, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Raja Ampat: Dampier Strait: Cape Kri, Yanggefo, Gam; Misool: Fabiacet, Farondi, Boo; Pulau Pisang, Strait on Pantinti, Procco, Halmahera: Goraichi islands; Pulau Tifore; Lembeh Strait

Day 1
You will be collected from Sorong Airport or your city hotel and taken to the harbour where you will soon notice the beautiful Mermaid 2 liveaboard. Its crew will welcome you on board, give you a boat and safety briefing, then you can spend the rest of the day as you like while they get ready for the overnight trip to Misool where diving will start on the next day. A sunset dinner will take place on the main deck.

Days 2-11
Welcome to Raja Ampat, a diver's paradise, where you will enjoy 3 daily dives and a night dive for most of the days of your safari. Experience a great variety of environments such as deep dives around pinnacles surrounded by schools of fish, walls covered with soft corals and gorgonian fans that are home to nudibranchs and pygmy seahorses, mantas hanging out at cleaning stations, bigeye trevallies, wobbegongs, crocodilefish, and an endless list of other underwater possibilities. On night dives you will discover nocturnal critters, mainly crustaceans like lobsters, crabs and shrimps.
The marine biodiversity at Halmahera is also exceptional and its pristine coral reefs offer exceptional conditions for scuba diving and snorkeling; it is a secret gem with so much still to be discovered. You will have the chance to do some wreck diving and experience some of the best coral gardens that Indonesia has to offer. Dive sites range from ridges, pinnacles, caverns, swim-throughs, muck and ancient volcanoes, creating a diversity of diving and coral habitats. Schooling reef fish such as spadefish and surgeonfish, and bait balls attract numerous hunters, tunas, and mackerel and you can also search under the docks at Makian and Lilai for critters. Other encounters can include hammerheads, barracuda, oceanic whitetip sharks, mantas, mobulas, bumphead parrotfish, trevallies, Napoleon wrasse, bonitos and wahoo.
No place on the planet gives you the chance to see more shy critters the Lembeh Strait, such as the mimic octopus, flamboyant cuttlefish, harlequin shrimps, skeleton shrimps, seahorses, frogfish and innumerable nudibranchs. Day after day you will want to extend your bottom time!
4 full meals will help you through the days. A continental breakfast if offered before the 1st dive. The 2nd dive will follow a hearty breakfast of eggs, toast and hot drinks. Lunch and more snacks come after the 3rd dive. Eventually dinner will be served after the night dive. Main meals are buffet style and cooked by a Thai cook that does a fantastic job of combining the best flavours from Thai, Indonesian and Western cuisine. Both great memories from your underwater moments, and also the food enjoyed on board will linger long in your memory.
Please note that there will be only 2 dives on the last full day of the safari; then Mermaid starts its cruise to the port in Lembeh.

Day 12
You will be transferred to Manado airport, after breakfast and farewells.
Please note that the trip sometimes runs in reverse or has differing ports - check above for details.

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Banda, Ambon, Alor & Forgotten Islands (12 Days / 11 Nights - 34 Dives)

Trip highlights: hammerhead sharks, shark action, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Flores: Kawula: Cape Bacatan, Lewaling Bay; Alor, Wetar: Reong, Cape Nunukae; Neus Leur, Terbang Selatan, Terbang Utara, Nila: Dusborg, Nil Desperandum; Serua, Manuk, Banda Islands, Nusa Laut, Ambon

Day 1
You will be collected from Maumere Airport or your city hotel and taken to the harbour where you will soon notice the beautiful Mermaid 2 liveaboard. Its crew will welcome you on board, give you a boat and safety briefing, then you can spend the rest of the day as you like while they get ready for the overnight trip to Kawula island where diving will start on the next day. A sunset dinner will take place on the main deck.

Days 2-11
The Forgotten Islands in the eastern Banda Sea’ are a remote chain of islands that offer some of the best diving in Indonesian waters. Attractions include gin-clear waters, patch reefs and coral bommies, and spectacular wall dives on impossible drop-offs. The nutrient rich currents can bring sunfish, dogtooth tuna, reef sharks, as well as maybe sailfish. Prepare your camera gear for pelagics, muck diving, schooling hammerheads, surgeonfish, and large schools of barracuda.
The Banda Islands never fail to deliver great diving on pristine and colourful corals that attract hundreds of different species of fish, from big pelagics to tiny critters, with high a chance to see endemic species like the Ambon scorpionfish. Even dolphins and whales can be spotted from the boat in the Banda Sea. Schools of fish will welcome you in their habitats, especially reef fish such as damsels, anthias, soldierfish and angelfish. There will also be a land visit to Banda Neira, one of the Banda Islands, for a visit to a local market, the museum and a nutmeg plantation.
Alor has some amazing critters like hairy frogfish and Halimeda ghostpipefish, rhinophias, hairy and tiger shrimps, wonderpus octopus, pygmy seahorses. The diving in this area is more than just macro though. Whitetip reef sharks, bamboo sharks, schools of fusiliers, oversized bumphead parrotfish. Spanish Dancers and other nocturnal critters can be seen on several dives. It will be a blast of colours and emotions.
4 full meals will help you through the days. A continental breakfast if offered before the 1st dive. The 2nd dive will follow a hearty breakfast of eggs, toast and hot drinks. Lunch and more snacks come after the 3rd dive. Eventually dinner will be served after the night dive. Main meals are buffet style and cooked by a Thai cook that does a fantastic job of combining the best flavours from Thai, Indonesian and Western cuisine. Both great memories from your underwater moments, and also the food enjoyed on board will linger long in your memory.
Please note that there will be only 2 dives at Nusa Laut or muck diving in Ambon Bay on the last full day of the safari; then Mermaid starts its cruise to port.

Day 12
You will be transferred to Ambon airport, after breakfast and farewells.
Please note that the trip sometimes runs in reverse or has differing ports - check above for details.

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Raja Ampat National Park (10 Days / 9 Nights - 29 Dives)

Trip highlights: shark action, manta rays, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Raja Ampat - Misool: Balbulol, Sagof, Wagmab, Farondi, Wayilbatan, Warakaraket, Fiabacet, Yillet, Kalig and Pele Islands; Strait of Dampier: Penemu, Yanggefo, Kawe,Arborek and Sawanderek. Climb to viewpoint.

Day 1
You will be collected from Sorong Airport or your city hotel and taken to the harbour where you will soon notice the beautiful Mermaid 2 liveaboard. Its crew will welcome you on board and give you a boat and safety briefing. You can then spend the rest of the day as you like while they get ready for the overnight trip to Misool. Here the diving will start the next day. A sunset dinner will take place on the main deck on the first evening.

Days 2-9
Welcome to Raja Ampat, a diver's paradise, where you will enjoy 3 daily dives and a night dive for most of the days of your safari. Experience a great variety of environments such as deep dives around pinnacles surrounded by schools of fish, walls covered with soft corals and gorgonian fans that are home to nudibranchs and pygmy seahorses, mantas hanging out at cleaning stations, bigeye trevallies, wobbegongs, crocodilefish, and an endless list of other underwater possibilities. On night dives you will discover nocturnal critters, mainly crustaceans like lobsters, crabs and shrimps.
4 full meals will help you through the days. A continental breakfast if offered before the 1st dive. The 2nd dive will follow a hearty breakfast of eggs, toast and hot drinks. Lunch and more snacks come after the 3rd dive. Eventually dinner will be served after the night dive. Main meals are buffet style and cooked by a Thai cook that does a fantastic job of combining the best flavours from Thai, Indonesian and Western cuisine. Both great memories from your underwater moments, and also the food enjoyed on board will linger long in your memory.
Please note that there will be only 2 dives in the Dampier Strait on the last full day of the safari; then Mermaid starts its cruise back to port.

Day 10
You will be transferred to Sorong Airport, after breakfast and farewells.

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Komodo & Sumbawa (Whale Shark Special) (10 Days / 9 Nights - 26 Dives)

Trip highlights: whale sharks, shark action, dolphins, manta rays, dugongs/manatees, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics, non diving activities

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Komodo Islands - Gili Banta, Gili Lawa Laut, Pantai Merah, Horseshoe Bay, Pillarsteen, Cannibal Rock, Yellow Wall of Texas, Nusa Kode, Manta Alley, Tatawa, Batu Bolong, Gili Darat; Sumbawa: Moyo, Sangeang, Satonda. Komodo dragon land visit. Snorkelling with whale sharks in Saleh Bay.

Day 1
You will be collected from Denpasar Airport or your Bali hotel within the main tourist area (Kuta, Sanur, Seminyak) and taken the 30 minutes to Benoa Harbour where you will soon notice the beautiful Mermaid 2 liveaboard. Alternatively, the meeting point before the cruise is Akaya Bali Resort in Jln Dana Tamblingan, Sanur. Mermaid guests may use the facilities free of charge on the day of departure and disembarkation.
The crew will welcome you on board and give you a boat and safety briefing. You can then spend the rest of the day as you like while they get ready for the overnight trip to Sumbawa. Here the diving will start the next day. A sunset dinner will take place on the main deck on the first evening.

Days 2-9
This special cruise includes a half-day excursion in to Saleh Bay, Sumbawa, to dive or snorkel with whale sharks. You will spend approximately 3 hours with these amazing creatures that are attracted to the bay the fishermen bagans.
Elsewhere, Komodo National Park offers some of the best diving in the world. Pristine corals surrounded by schools of reef fish, amazing hard and soft coral formations, playgrounds for barracudas, trevallies, tuna and reef sharks. Currents bring nutrients for the mantas and dolphins, one of the highlights of the tour. Critters will be found everywhere and on every dive, with the help of the dive guides. Frogfish, ghostpipefish, nudibranchs, seahorses, while stargazers, batfish and octopus will animate your night dives.
4 full meals will help you through the days. A continental breakfast if offered before the 1st dive. The 2nd dive will follow a hearty breakfast of eggs, toast and hot drinks. Lunch and more snacks come after the 3rd dive. Eventually dinner will be served after the night dive. Main meals are buffet style and cooked by a Thai cook that does a fantastic job of combining the best flavours from Thai, Indonesian and Western cuisine. Both great memories from your underwater moments, and also the food enjoyed on board will linger long in your memory.
Please note that there will be only 3 dives on the day that you visit the Koh Liang Park and its Komodo dragons, plus 1 dive around Sumbawa on the last full day of the safari; the yacht starts its cruise back to Bali.

Day 10
You will be transferred to Denpasar Airport, your hotel, or Akaya Bali after breakfast and farewells.

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Lembeh Strait & Togian Islands (12 Days / 11 Nights - 34 Dives)

Trip highlights: turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Lembeh Strait: Angel's Window, Hairball, Nudi Falls; Tanjung Flesko, Gorontalo, Togian Islands: Batudaka, Malingi , Kadidiri, Taipi, The Gap, Dominic Rock, B-24 Bomber Wreck, Tapuan, Walea, Puah, Dondola, Pulau Dua, Ratatotok

Day 1
You will be collected from Manado Airport or your city hotel and taken to Bitung harbour where you will soon notice the beautiful Mermaid 2 liveaboard. Its crew will welcome you on board and give you a boat and safety briefing. Depending on guest arrival time you may be able to get 2 afternoon dives in on Day 1. Otherwise the diving will start the next day. A sunset dinner will take place on the main deck on the first evening.

Days 2-11
Welcome to Lembeh, the muck diving capital of the world. Here you can enjoy diving over black sand in this underwater volcanic landscape rich in nutrients and bio-diversity both large and small. There is so much to witness underwater that every dive will bring you new experiences. Expect to see seahorses, frogfish, mimic octopus. blue-ringed octopus, pegasus and a whole array of crazy critters.
You can expect some fun drift diving at Tanjung Flesko. At Gorontalo, if there are reports of whale sharks in the area, some time will be dedicated to seeking out encounters with the ocean's biggest fish. In the Togian islands you may encounter huge schools of blacktail barracuda, schooling bigeye trevally, and passing pelagics such as tuna, as well as great macro life and some wreck diving.
4 full meals will help you through the days. A continental breakfast if offered before the 1st dive. The 2nd dive will follow a hearty breakfast of eggs, toast and hot drinks. Lunch and more snacks come after the 3rd dive. Eventually dinner will be served after the night dive. Main meals are buffet style and cooked by a Thai cook that does a fantastic job of combining the best flavours from Thai, Indonesian and Western cuisine. Both great memories from your underwater moments, and also the food enjoyed on board will linger long in your memory.
Please note that there will be only 2 dives on the last full day of the safari; then the yacht starts its cruise back to Bitung.

Day 12
You will be transferred to Manado Airport, after breakfast and farewells.

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Komodo & Sumbawa (Whale Shark Special) (10 Days / 9 Nights - 26 Dives)

Trip highlights: whale sharks, shark action, dolphins, manta rays, dugongs/manatees, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics, non diving activities

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Lintah Strait, Komodo Islands - Gili Banta, Gili Lawa Laut, Pantai Merah, Horseshoe Bay, Pillarsteen, Cannibal Rock, Manta Alley, Siaba, Tatawa, Batu Bolong, Gili Darat; Sumbawa: Moyo, Sangeang, Satonda. Komodo dragon land visit. Snorkelling with whale sharks in Saleh Bay.

Day 1
You will be collected from Maumere Airport or your local hotel and taken to Maumere Harbour where you will soon notice the beautiful Mermaid 2 liveaboard. The crew will welcome you on board and give you a boat and safety briefing. You can then spend the rest of the day as you like while they get ready for the adventure ahead. Here the diving will start the next day. A sunset dinner will take place on the main deck on the first evening. The boats sails overnight to Komodo.

Days 2-9
This special cruise includes a half-day excursion in to Saleh Bay, Sumbawa, to dive or snorkel with whale sharks. You will spend approximately 3 hours with these amazing creatures that are attracted to the bay the fishermen bagans.
Elsewhere, Komodo National Park offers some of the best diving in the world. Pristine corals surrounded by schools of reef fish, amazing hard and soft coral formations, playgrounds for barracudas, trevallies, tuna and reef sharks. Currents bring nutrients for the mantas and dolphins, one of the highlights of the tour. Critters will be found everywhere and on every dive, with the help of the dive guides. Frogfish, ghostpipefish, nudibranchs, seahorses, while stargazers, batfish and octopus will animate your night dives.
4 full meals will help you through the days. A continental breakfast if offered before the 1st dive. The 2nd dive will follow a hearty breakfast of eggs, toast and hot drinks. Lunch and more snacks come after the 3rd dive. Eventually dinner will be served after the night dive. Main meals are buffet style and cooked by a Thai cook that does a fantastic job of combining the best flavours from Thai, Indonesian and Western cuisine. Both great memories from your underwater moments, and also the food enjoyed on board will linger long in your memory.
Please note that there will be only 3 dives on the day that you visit the Koh Liang Park and its Komodo dragons, plus 1 dive around Sumbawa on the last full day of the safari; then the yacht starts its cruise to Bali.

Day 10
You will be transferred to Denpasar Airport, your hotel and Akaya Bali, after breakfast.
Please note that the trip sometimes runs in reverse - check above for details.

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Komodo & Sumbawa (Whale Shark Special) (8 Days / 7 Nights - 20 Dives)

Trip highlights: whale sharks, shark action, dolphins, manta rays, dugongs/manatees, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics, non diving activities

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Sumbawa: Moyo, Sangeang, Satonda; Komodo Islands - Gili Banta, Gili Lawa Laut, Gili Darat, Manta Alley, Batu Bolong. Komodo dragon land visit, village visit. Snorkelling with whale sharks in Saleh Bay.

Day 1
You will be collected from Denpasar Airport or your Bali hotel within the main tourist area (Kuta, Sanur, Seminyak) and taken the 30 minutes to Benoa Harbour where you will soon notice the beautiful Mermaid 2 liveaboard. Alternatively, the meeting point before the cruise is Akaya Bali Resort in Jln Dana Tamblingan, Sanur. Mermaid guests may use the facilities free of charge on the day of departure and disembarkation.
The crew will welcome you on board and give you a boat and safety briefing. You can then spend the rest of the day as you like while they get ready for the overnight trip to Sumbawa. Here the diving will start the next day. A sunset dinner will take place on the main deck on the first evening.

Days 2-7
This special cruise includes a half-day excursion in to Saleh Bay, Sumbawa, to dive or snorkel with whale sharks. You will spend approximately 3 hours with these amazing creatures that are attracted to the bay the fishermen bagans.
Elsewhere, Komodo National Park offers some of the best diving in the world. Pristine corals surrounded by schools of reef fish, amazing hard and soft coral formations, playgrounds for barracudas, trevallies, tuna and reef sharks. Currents bring nutrients for the mantas and dolphins, one of the highlights of the tour. Critters will be found everywhere and on every dive, with the help of the dive guides. Frogfish, ghostpipefish, nudibranchs, seahorses, while stargazers, batfish and octopus will animate your night dives.
4 full meals will help you through the days. A continental breakfast if offered before the 1st dive. The 2nd dive will follow a hearty breakfast of eggs, toast and hot drinks. Lunch and more snacks come after the 3rd dive. Eventually dinner will be served after the night dive. Main meals are buffet style and cooked by a Thai cook that does a fantastic job of combining the best flavours from Thai, Indonesian and Western cuisine. Both great memories from your underwater moments, and also the food enjoyed on board will linger long in your memory.
Please note that there will be only 3 dives on the day that you visit the Koh Liang Park and its Komodo dragons, plus 1 dive around Sumbawa on the last full day of the safari; the yacht starts its cruise back to Bali.

Day 8
You will be transferred to Denpasar Airport, your hotel, or Akaya Bali after breakfast and farewells.

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Komodo & Sumbawa (Whale Shark Special) (8 Days / 7 Nights - 20 Dives)

Trip highlights: whale sharks, shark action, dolphins, manta rays, dugongs/manatees, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics, non diving activities

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Sebolan, Komodo Islands - Gili Banta, Gili Lawa Laut, Manta Alley, Tatawa, Batu Bolong, Gili Darat; Sumbawa: Moyo, Satonda. Komodo dragon land visit. Snorkelling with whale sharks in Saleh Bay.

Day 1
You will be collected from Maumere Airport or your local hotel and taken to Maumere Harbour where you will soon notice the beautiful Mermaid 2 liveaboard. The crew will welcome you on board and give you a boat and safety briefing. You can then spend the rest of the day as you like while they get ready for the adventure ahead. Here the diving will start the next day. A sunset dinner will take place on the main deck on the first evening. The boats sails overnight to Komodo.

Days 2-8
This special cruise includes a half-day excursion in to Saleh Bay, Sumbawa, to dive or snorkel with whale sharks. You will spend approximately 3 hours with these amazing creatures that are attracted to the bay the fishermen bagans.
Elsewhere, Komodo National Park offers some of the best diving in the world. Pristine corals surrounded by schools of reef fish, amazing hard and soft coral formations, playgrounds for barracudas, trevallies, tuna and reef sharks. Currents bring nutrients for the mantas and dolphins, one of the highlights of the tour. Critters will be found everywhere and on every dive, with the help of the dive guides. Frogfish, ghostpipefish, nudibranchs, seahorses, while stargazers, batfish and octopus will animate your night dives.
4 full meals will help you through the days. A continental breakfast if offered before the 1st dive. The 2nd dive will follow a hearty breakfast of eggs, toast and hot drinks. Lunch and more snacks come after the 3rd dive. Eventually dinner will be served after the night dive. Main meals are buffet style and cooked by a Thai cook that does a fantastic job of combining the best flavours from Thai, Indonesian and Western cuisine. Both great memories from your underwater moments, and also the food enjoyed on board will linger long in your memory.
Please note that there will be only 3 dives on the day that you visit the Koh Liang Park and its Komodo dragons, plus 1 dive around Sumbawa on the last full day of the safari; then the yacht starts its cruise to Bali.

Day 8
You will be transferred to Denpasar Airport, your hotel and Akaya Bali, after breakfast.
Please note that the trip sometimes runs in reverse - check above for details.

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[Information is best estimate in ideal circumstances and subject to changes beyond our control. The itinerary is a guide only and may be adapted to best suit the weather, tides, currents, availability and other prevailing events. Price is for the cruise, not for an exact number of dives].

On the main deck are 8 twin and double Deluxe cabins which all have en-suite private bathrooms and large sea-view windows. There are 2 Budget cabins with twin bunk beds on the lower deck which have shared bathrooms and can be a bit noisy.

All the cabins have: No. of bathrooms / showers - 9 / 11 - hot water

Crew comprises: Enriched Air Nitrox system - 2 Motorised dinghies - 24m² dive deck - Air-conditioned saloon with video & music system - Internet (subject to location) - Photo CD burning - 60 m² sundeck with sun loungers - Water dispenser

PADI scuba certification courses available including Advanced Open Water Diver, EANx and Underwater Photographer.

Customer reviews:

"Very good facilities and dive setup. Informative briefings. Cheery team. The entire team worked together to efficiently get us on and off the dinghies. Food was great. I appreciated how they accommodated the different styles of divers and diver preferences.
Dive The World was helpful and informative service. I keep coming back " - Su-Hsien Kuan, Australia, 3 October 2024 ...

"Amazing service, top dive guides, top crew, very good food, comfortable boat. Dive The World is always fast to reply and help, Easy communication. " - Paulina Mydlowska, Germany, 31 December 2023 ...

"Great comfortable boat, clean, very good food, amazing attention, safety." - Paulina Mydlowska, Germany, 9 September 2022 ...

"Never had such lovely time diving and cruise service. I'll really recommend this trip and company to friends and family. Many thanks for Vic's help to book and choose our best option for diving vacations. Looking forward to my next trip to Raja Ampat with the Mermaid's crew and amazing dives." - Ruth Halpern, Brazil, 24 July 2022 ...

"Excellence all around: food, service, dive guides. The best live aboard we have ever been on!!" - Giovanna Carraro, UK, 30 July 2017 ...

"Excellent dive staff and crew! The boat was comfortable and good for the price. Equipment was fine, not the newest but all worked fine. Hot water showers were bit of an issue towards the end of the trip. All in all, a brilliant and memorable trip!" - Jo Nhan, UK, 21 October 2016 ...

"Excellent, friendly and helpful staff. Very knowledgable. Clean and tidy boat. Good equipment." - Georgina Cheng, Australia, 24 May 2016 ...

"Excellent boat staff and divemasters. Great food. Clean and well appointed diveboat , very well managed. There was an initial aircon problem in the cabins which they fixed after a couple of days despite the logistical difficulty of obtaining necessary spares while we were on the move between Maumere and Komodo" - James Fanning, UK, 16 May 2016 ...

"Everything is excellent and specially tour guide, dive masters and staffs are number one in my liveaboard experience. Tour gide and his staffs are very expert and had working too. Make me very comfortable and safe care. It was great experience." - Myung Won Hwang, South Korea, 2 June 2014 ...

"The operator was wery professional. All the dive gear was marked with a number so it didn't get mixed up whit others. The staff was professional and friendly. The food was good and the briefings were good and clear. There was a lot of space on the boat. We had hot showers." - Jens Peter Nielsen, Denmark, 6 September 2013 ...

"Everyone was friendly and seemed pleased to have us onboard. Rented BCD and regulator from them and these were in good condition. Dives were fantastic and didn't feel crowded even when there were 18 people in the water." - Pete Cairns, South Africa, 6 August 2013 ...

"The operator was very good. The boat was a traditional diving vessel but had a nice touch of luxury. The crew tried there best to make sure we had everything we needed. Am thinking about looking at the ship for a future trip to Raja Ampat, just to show how much I enjoyed. I would recommend this to all my friends, but the only draw back is the price. It is a bit on the high side." - Oscar Prat, USA, 11 June 2012 ...