El Aleph offers guests the opportunity to experience the most luxurious liveaboard diving trips across Indonesia. Dive into some of the best dive sites in the world. Discover Raja Ampat, Komodo, Alor or Bali with us and enjoy exemplary service, phenomenal diving, lavish cabins, and exquisite dining. Wherever you want to dive, we’ll ensure you and your guests have the best possible experience in Indonesia.
Explore and Dive into the Beauty of Indonesia
Indonesia is situated in the heart of what is termed ‘The Coral Triangle’ – an area recognized as being at the global epicenter of marine biodiversity. The Coral Triangle is a roughly triangular-shaped area covering the tropical marine waters of not just Indonesia but also Malaysia, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and East Timor. Despite spanning only 1.6% of the world’s oceans the area is home to around 600 different species of reef-building corals (76% of the world’s known coral species), 2500 species of fish (37% of the world’s fish species) and it provides habitat for 6 species of threatened marine turtles, numerous endangered fish, and cetaceans such as tuna and blue whales. It’s no wonder that Indonesia is such a popular destination for liveaboard diving trips to explore all that is on offer.
Liveaboard Diving Trips Vs Diving Resort Stays
If you want to experience diving in Indonesia and are trying to decide between liveaboard diving trips or a stay at a dive resort or hotel, here are a few factors to take into account.
Liveaboard Diving Trips Access All Areas
Indonesia is a geographically huge country. Even when you narrow your destination down to a specific location (see below), these are still vast areas to cover – often broken down into North, South, East and West regions. Opting for a land-based dive resort or hotel will immediately narrow down your choice of dive sites and diving opportunities. Choosing liveaboard diving trips instead of land-based stays means that you have access to all areas, more dive site choices (in Indonesia some of the most iconic sites can only be accessed by liveaboard), more to see, more distance covered, and a more optimized use of your valuable time.
Exclusivity
Why stay in a resort with people you wouldn’t ordinarily share your holiday with? This is a significant benefit of choosing liveaboard diving trips that offer full charters – the only guests on board are you and your guests. This level of exclusivity and the associated service that comes with it, simply cannot be accomplished by a dive resort.
Your Holiday, Your Schedule
The bespoke liveaboard diving trips onboard el Aleph are completely tailored to your schedule and requirements. Unlike dive resorts that offer a limited three dives a day, departing at set times, onboard el Aleph you dive when you want to and where you want to. You won’t need to take into account anyone else’s schedule or dive site choices – this is all about you.
Service
El Aleph’s exemplary service simply cannot be matched by a dive resort which has to take into account the requests and needs of other guests. The crew onboard el Aleph has extensive training in how to cater for the most discerning of guests and they are committed to ensuring that your wants, needs and expectations are exceeded. You will never need to change a tank, move your gear, hunt down a member of crew, or ask for anything more than once. From 5 star dining and butler-style personal service, you will want for nothing.
Comfort and Facilities
Even the best known luxury dive resorts in Indonesia aren’t in the same league as luxury boutique hotels – let alone el Aleph. Dive resorts are built for divers who will be spending little time in their rooms and who prefer to splurge on diving as opposed to luxurious accommodations. However, el Aleph was built as a unique luxury owner’s yacht, finished in tropical hardwoods by Bali’s finest cabinetmakers who spent more than 200,000 man-hours on the final fit-out. For those seeking the best liveaboard diving trips in Indonesia, El Aleph brings together traditional Phinisi design, 21st century state of the art technology, and lavish yet tasteful luxury. She is beautifully handcrafted in 100-year old teak and ironwood with an attention to detail unmatched by any other Phinisi schooner ever built.
No details have been left to chance and in addition to her exquisite finishes, she carries an armory of watersport toys that you won’t find available in dive resorts. In between dives, enjoy water skiing, bodyboarding, or try sea kayaking through the mangroves. Take time out from diving and allow our crew to transport you to a virgin white sand beach for an afternoon champagne picnic or an evening barbeque under the stars. These special events are what put private liveaboard diving trips on board el Aleph on an entirely different level from even the most prestigious dive resort.
What to Expect from Liveaboard Diving Trips in Indonesia
Most liveaboards in Indonesia follow a schedule which is set around 2 years in advance using well known routes. Not only is the schedule preset, the daily activities once aboard are also predetermined with fixed dive times. Often one dive before breakfast, one dive after, followed by lunch and an afternoon dive and night diving opportunity. If this is more diving than you would like, you may not be getting the best value out of your trip. Because the tender is out picking up and dropping off divers throughout the day, if you are not diving, you will most likely need to stay aboard with little opportunity to take a trip ashore to explore.
The majority of liveaboard diving trips in Indonesia are aboard vessels which have between 8 and 20 cabins so it becomes a bit of a gamble as to who you will be sharing your holiday with! Meals are eaten together at a group dining table so privacy and down time from the group is limited.
This is not how we operate on el Aleph! We plan our route according to where you want to go, what you want to see and the activities you want to experience. We will work closely with you pre-embarkation to ensure that every detail is to your requirements and we cater to special requests, dining preferences – all to your specifications, our liveaboard diving trips are completely bespoke.
Once aboard, our crew are at your disposal at all times to ensure that your needs are met and you have the best possible experience onboard el Aleph.
Best Locations for Liveaboard Diving Trips in Indonesia
Here are some of the best regions for liveaboard diving trips in Indonesia:
Raja Ampat & Misool
Liveaboard diving trips through Raja Ampat and the Misool region – including Misool Eco Resort’s no-take zone, are considered the absolute jewel of scuba diving in Indonesia.
This is the chance to explore the ocean like nowhere else on earth. Marine biomass is beyond belief with fish densely packed into schools, manta rays performing underwater ballets, and corals that are competing for space on the reefs that are awash with colour.
Raja Ampat was created for sea exploration, the vast region has so much to offer that it simply makes sense to cruise the region to maximize your diving opportunities. Our experienced team know the Raja Ampat islands like the back of their hands, they know the best dive sites and they’ll take you to areas where other vessels haven’t ventured to before.
The stunning seascapes of Raja Ampat are breathtaking, and the region is well known for its migrating whale sightings, pods of dolphins, dugong, numerous species of shark (wobbegong, white tip, black tip, grey nurse, bamboo, epaulette and the list goes on). On the smaller end of the scale, you’ll see tiny pygmy seahorses, nudibranch, cowries, tiger shrimps, flying gurnards, Pegasus sea moths and so much more!
The Banda Sea
The Banda Sea is one of the best areas for those who want to see sea snakes or hammerheads while scuba diving Indonesia.
Most of the diving around the Banda Sea involves excellent wall dives, and great macro sites, but the biggest draws are the resident sea snakes at Manuk and Gunung Api islands, and the chance to see schooling hammerheads.
In addition to incredible marine life, liveaboard diving trips in the Banda Sea deliver excellent visibility and dramatic topography. The region is remote and only accessible by water – it’s an ideal cruising destination for divers and you’ll also enjoy lush vibrant reefs and having dive sites to yourself.
We tailor all itineraries and it’s possible to combine parts of the Banda Sea with Raja Ampat for those who prefer a longer cruising experience.
Komodo Marine Park
The Komodo Marine Park is not only a marine protected area, it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site – and it’s beautifully positioned for liveaboard diving trips and scuba diving cruises.
Best known for its population of over 5,500 Komodo dragons, Komodo is a world-class destination that features on many divers’ bucket lists when it comes to scuba diving in Indonesia.
The islands that are in the park are rugged and wild – much like the diving. Think of thrilling drift dives with kaleidoscopic corals and an absolute mass of fish – that’s what awaits you in Komodo. Marine life comes in all shapes and sizes, from exquisite nudibranch through to reef sharks, manta rays and seasonal mola. For those who enjoy drift diving and currents, diving in Komodo is an exhilarating adventure that is rich in sea life from start to finish.
Some of Komodo’s most pristine reefs are not accessible by land-based operators and many liveaboards in the region follow the same well-known routes. El Aleph’s spirit of adventure and pioneering cruises ensure that you and your guests dive at the best sites – many of which are unknown to others.
Alor and the Savu Sea
When researching liveaboard diving trips in Indonesia, little is written about Alor in comparison to Bali, Komodo, Banda and Raja Ampat but it’s one of our favorite destinations.
Alor is a region for adventure, exploration, and phenomenal scuba diving. The currents here are caused by water being forced between the main landmasses of Alor, Ternate, and Pantar. This constant flow of nutrient-rich water results in spectacular coral reefs that are teeming with life and bursting with colour.
This off-the-beaten-path destination offers a mix of both world-class and wide-angle worthy reefs along with fascinating macro sites that are packed with critters. Pristine coral reefs, steep walls, sub-marine sea mounts, sloping muck sites – the diving in Alor is incredibly diverse. There’s no doubt that Alor will excite even the most discerning divers and underwater photographers.
For a longer cruise experience on board El Aleph, we can tailor-make an itinerary that combines Alor and Komodo or the Banda Sea.
Liveaboard Diving Trips: What we offer
- Full dive gear available
- Tanks, weights, and air fills included in charter price
- Full range of PADI certifications from beginner and try dive experiences upwards
- Unlimited diving
- Individual scheduling and dive site selection to fit your preferences
- Experienced multilingual dive guides
- Detailed dive site briefings and dive debriefs including marine life ID
- El Aleph carries emergency oxygen
For more experienced divers:
- Onboard facilities for underwater photographers including fresh water for cameras, camera storage, charging points
- Nitrox
- Sidemount divers catered for
- Poseidon Rebreathers
- Trimix (helium) Technical diving
For Groups Diving in Indonesia
For groups of divers who are looking for a more bespoke liveaboard experience while diving in Indonesia, our experienced Cruise Director and dive team will coordinate your dives and work with you pre-charter to plan your dive schedule ensuring that you dive at the sites you want to – and they will provide you with additional site suggestions that are literally off the map!
For those who want to experience diving in Indonesia yet don’t want to compromise on the finer things in life, our bespoke liveaboard diving trips onboard el Aleph guarantee exemplary service, luxurious and spacious cabins, privacy, and of course – an incredible adventure from start to finish.
For reservations or enquiries, please contact us using our contact form – or email us at info@elalephcruising.com; and we will promptly reply.
Please note that we are not a yacht agency — your enquiries will be addressed directly by el Aleph’s owner. All of our charters are custom designed to suit your tastes and interests. For your comfort and privacy, we accept bookings for full boat charter only — not by the cabin.
