Alor

The unspoilt flora of the islands experience of natural beauty

There are 95 islands surrounding this archipelago encompassing 7,420 km2 /2,865 miles2 of land and water. The Pantar Strait is between the islands of Alor and Pantar. The water coming from the Pacific in the north is flowing through this strait to merge with the Indian Ocean in the south. Similar flow occurs in the Komodo Archipelago. With more than 75 dive sites to choose, this area contains 1,200 species of coral reef fish and 500 species of corals. While under water, visibility ranges up to 40m/132 feet in the dry season of July to September.

Discover the world’s most colorful, beautiful and densely covered coral reef dive sites on Pura and Pantar. Some sites are known for their beautiful panoramas of dense coral, anemone, and sponge coverage mixed with smaller reef fish. Each site here is diverse with its own topography and vibrant colors scheme including walls, slopes and seamounts. Spend an extra day to travel to Sikka in search for the walrus type mammal, called a Dugong.

Kalabahi Bay and Baengabang Bay are great places for night dives. You can venture out for a night-dive where you will witness a busy nightlife in this volcanic seabed from rare Octopus to the iconic Rhinopias. The Pantar Strait provides us with an opportunity to see several types of pelagic fish given the right tide and moon phase. These can include Eagle rays, Barracuda, Trevally, Tunas, Rainbow Runners and if we are lucky even Mola-Mola, Dolphins, Hammerhead Sharks or Thresher Sharks.

Alor charter season is from April to Sept.
Sailing Alor $5.000 / Nights

Sample Itineraries

8 DAYS / 7 NIGHTS ITINERARY

Day 1. Maumere

You will be met at Maumere airport by the yacht’s crew and transferred to the harbour. Once you have settled in onboard, the yacht will depart Maumere. You can spend a leisurely afternoon exploring the beaches of Maumere Bay and getting your first taste of Alor’s underwater vistas with a check dive or snorkel before you watch the sun go down with a cocktail.

Day 2. Paloe

Today we will approach the small volcanic island of Paloe. There’s a fascinating village built on the volcanic slope, as though the smoking crater above was no real threat, and you can head ashore to see the traditional ikat weave textiles in the making. After lunch onboard, spend the afternoon snorkelling and diving in crystal clear waters. The yacht will depart early this evening for the overnight crossing to Kawula.

Day 3. Kawula & Komba

This morning offers the chance to dive the north coast of Kawula, where schools of reef fish cluster around tiers of hard coral in the shadow of Ile Ape volcano. You can also head ashore to Ionata village to see the 30m skeletal remains of a blue whale, which remains a sacred icon to the villagers. Subject to weather, we may make the crossing to Komba, where one of the active volcano can be seen spewing smoke into the skies.

Day 4. Takpala & Mombang

Today, you will head ashore to Takala and Mombang, traditional Abui tribe villages located on a hill with spectacular views of the Flores Sea. The villagers here inhabit stilted fala huts, built from timber and bamboo thatching, and you may have a chance to see the lego-lego dance, used to mark first harvest, marriage, death and war, and watch the local women crafting clothing from tree bark using traditional methods.

Day 5. Pura

Pura Island is home to a small isolated village in the middle of the Alor Strait, which is also a perfect point from which to reach some of the area’s most spectacular diving and snorkelling sites, such as Clown Valley, Sharks Galore, Mandarin House and The Boardroom. Spend the day exploring some of these sensational underwater landscapes.

Day 6. Pantar Strait

A day of exhilarating underwater pursuits awaits in the Pantar Strait, one of the few gaps between Suatra and Timor, where Pacific waters flow south to the Indian Ocean. The currents attract prolific marine life and large pelagics. In the evening, the yacht will anchor in the entrance to the bay at Kalabahi, home to Mucky Mosque, one of the best critter night dives in the region.

Day 7. Beangabang

In the very south of the Pantar Strait lies the remote village of Beangabang, set on a beautiful bay that curves gracefully between two out flung headlands. A large lava flow on one side shows the islands fiery past, and parts of the beach are so hot that they are painful to walk on and the black sand of the beach is steaming. Even by local standards, this is a very simple village with the most welcoming of people, and a wonderful place to get a sense of local culture.

Day 8. Alor

This morning, the yacht will approach Alor port. After a final decadent breakfast on deck, your crew will assist you in disembarking the yacht and transfer you back to the airport to catch your flight home.