Diving in Ambon, Indonesia

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.

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 hotel Crecia or the dive shop is 50000 to 75000 Rupiahs.

I flew from Bali to Makassar and landed in Ambon at 6:30 AM which was perfect for making the 9 am morning dive.

TIP: At the time of writing,  Garuda Airlines offers 30 kg of free excess baggage for diving equipment. So if you are bringing your own gear, you might save money on excess luggage by booking 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 dove 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 dove with Blue Motion. Ambon still has a few diving operators, and BlueMotion is the best-located dive center as they are just above the best dive sites Laha 1 2 and 3.

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.

Arthur, the manager, was very friendly and is a great divemaster. He has eagle eyes and showed me so many fish and critters in only two dives.

In between dive, you can chill in their lounging area, shower, and get some food and drinks

Diving in Ambon is relatively cheap if you have your own equipment. Dive start from 450000 rupiahs for one dive and go down to 370000 if you do more than ten dives. That is less than 23 Eur per dive!

The dive shops in Ambon that are near Laha Bay are critters Junkies  and Laha Divepacker.

 

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.  Bluemotion is located outside of Ambon near the airport.

Hotel Crecia is a small hotel located near the airport and is the best option to dive with Blue Motion. It is a 5-minute drive to the airport and a 10-minute drive to Blue Motion Dive Center. The hotel can arrange a driver, and it costs between 50000 and 75000 rupiahs each way.

Hotel Crecia has small bungalows that are relatively clean and comfortable, but don’t expect luxury. 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.

At the time of writing, it was not possible to book Hotel Crecia online, but the dive center can help you book it, 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.

Bluemotion is planning to build bungalows right at the dive center, so do check their website as this might be a more convenient option in the future.

I have also heard that Maluku divers might be reopening with new owner,s so worth checking the reviews on how they do as this used to be the only luxury accommodation in Ambon.

TIP: 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!