Ambon is one of the most underrated diving destinations in the world. Diving in Ambon offers some of the best macro diving in the world with more weird fishes and critters per square meters than any other destinations, yet very few divers make it To Ambon.
The civil conflict that occurred in Maluku in 2002 and that made travel in the region difficult and prohibited by most countries. Ambon is now accessible and friendly, so it is time to go.
Read on for my review of the diving and practical tips. Updated October 2026: the dive shop and hotel recommendations below have been checked and revised; the dive center I originally used has changed hands, and the resort I mentioned has reopened under a new name.
Ambon and Lembeh together make my ranking of the best dive destinations in the world as the best macro diving anywhere.
How to get to Ambon?
Ambon is located in the Maluku province of Indonesia. It has direct flights to many cities in Indonesia like Jakarta or Makassar. It also has a direct flight to Sorong, the gateway to Raja Ampat, making it an excellent stopover on your way to Raja Ampat. For more information about diving in Raja Ampat, read my article here. You might also want to continue to Kaimana and the amazing Triton Bay
A car transfer from the airport to Crecia Guest House or the dive shop is 50,000 to 75,000 rupiah.
I flew from Bali to Makassar and landed in Ambon at 6:30 AM which was perfect for making the 9 am morning dive.
Garuda Indonesia allows one piece of sports equipment, including diving gear, up to 23 kg free of charge on top of your standard baggage allowance (check the current policy when you book, as the rules change). So if you are bringing your own gear, you might save money on excess luggage by flying with them. They are also the most reliable airline in Indonesia.
Another option to visit Ambon is with a diving liveaboard. I have had a great experience with the Ilike liveaboard. They visit Ambon a few times every year and you can read about my trip on the Ilike here.
The diving in Ambon
If you have done muck diving before, you know that it is usually not in the most picturesque beaches with clean white sand.
Ambon is no exception. The best muck dives sites are located in the port where the fishes and critters can enjoy all the trash and debris hanging around.
Ambon tends to attract very experienced divers who have dived everywhere and know get excited by all the weird fishes and critters that Ambon offers. Many people come to Ambon for 3 or 4 weeks only for diving and macro photography.
The most famous sites in Ambon are Leahari 1, 2 and 3. They are located by the pebble beach on either side of the blue motion dive shop.
The sites are created by gentle sloping pebble beaches and sands. The Ambon Bay is quite polluted, and the debris provides shelter for the best muck diving. Old bottles, shoes and old tins make the perfect habitat for all those creatures. While diving, we can swim around a pier or choose to swim underneath multiples fishing boats. The sand is interrupted with multiple fishing lines and mooring lines. The water was quite clear on the day I dived with visibility of 15-20 meters. The current was very light, allowing us to drift for most of the dive gently.
In 2 dives in Leahri, we found countless frogfishes, rhinopias, seahorses, nudibranchs, cuttlefishes and the oh so cute baby cuttlefishes, gurnard, pipefishes, harlequin shrimps, and many other weirds creatures.
I wish I could have stayed longer and done more dives.
Beside Leahari, there are over 20 dives sites in Ambon ranging from caves to reefs to muck diving in the Bay
Who to dive with in Ambon?
I now recommend Laha Divepacker, a small dive center in Laha village run by Ariy and her husband, both former guides at the dive center I dived with on my first visit. Ambon still has only a handful of dive operators, and Laha Divepacker is the best-located one, right on the shore above the best dive sites, Laha 1, 2 and 3. Recent reviews (2022 to 2025) are consistently good: a small, well-equipped and well-organized base, full tanks, freshly cooked lunches, and a manager who speaks good English and German and will help with airport transfers, visa extensions and ferry tickets.
It makes for a very comfortable and easy shore dive. You put on your tank, walk in the water, and here you are, right in one of the most fantastic dive sites in the world. Bring a DIN/INT adaptor if you dive your own regulator.
The guides here have the eagle eyes that muck diving demands: on two dives in Laha you can expect to be shown more frogfish, rhinopias and nudibranchs than you can photograph.
In between dives, you can chill in their lounging area, shower, and get some food and drinks. Note that the base closes during the rainy season, roughly June to August, so check the dates before you book.
Diving in Ambon is relatively cheap if you have your own equipment, and shore dives at Laha are the cheapest way to dive one of the best macro sites in the world; ask Laha Divepacker for current rates and multi-dive packages.
The other dive shop near Laha Bay is Critter Junkies, formerly Blue Motion, the operator I dived with on my first visit. It has been closed for long stretches since 2022, so check that it is open before you count on it. At the other end of the scale, Spice Island Divers Resort, a few minutes from the airport, has its own dive center with a camera room for underwater photographers.
Where to stay while diving in Ambon?
Ambon is not a destination catering to luxury travelers, but the quality of the diving makes it a worthwhile stop. Ambon is not the most exciting city in Indonesia, but it is a friendly place. Laha Divepacker is located outside of Ambon near the airport.
Crecia Guest House is a small, basic guesthouse located near the airport and is the most convenient budget option for diving with Laha Divepacker. It is a 5-minute drive to the airport and a few minutes to the dive center. The guesthouse can arrange a driver, and it costs between 50,000 and 75,000 rupiah each way.
Crecia has small bungalows that are relatively clean and comfortable, but don’t expect luxury; a newer concrete building has since been added on the same property. The bungalow’s walls are super thin so you will hear your neighbors and other noises. I was in room five, which is located near the generator, and I was woken up twice during the night by the generator starting.
The restaurant is good and serves beer. There is also a small supermarket next door, which is well-equipped and convenient.
Crecia still cannot be booked online, but Laha Divepacker will book it for you, or you can give them a call. While I was there, it was not very busy, so it is probably also OK to show up without a booking.
Laha Divepacker can also point you to other guesthouses in Laha village if Crecia is full.
If you want more comfort, the resort that used to be Maluku Divers has reopened as Spice Island Divers Resort, about ten minutes from the airport, with ten seafront villas and four garden rooms, a restaurant and bar, a small spa and an on-site dive center with a camera room. Rates start at around US$136 per person per night full board (October 2026). It is the only resort-standard accommodation in Ambon, so book early in the September to January season.
Ambon was full of aggressive mosquito at the hotel, dive center and even in the plane. So make sure you use mosquito repellent and a mosquito plug in your room. There is Malaria in Ambon so also worth checking with your doctor if you should get malaria medication.
Best season to dive in Ambon?
The season for diving in Ambon is September to May, which conveniently matches the Raja Ampat season.
The best time of the year is generally October to January.
I was there in May, and it had been raining a lot in the past few days. On the day I was in Ambon, I was lucky that it didn’t rain the visibility underwater was excellent
Conclusion on diving in Ambon
Ambon is undoubtedly not a luxury place to stay, but the diving is world-class and makes the trip worthwhile. Expect basic food and accommodation, but amazing dives and a paradise for macro photographers, making it an excellent destination for hardcore divers. I can’t wait to be back in Ambon to do more dives
Enjoy your diving in Ambon!
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