Ambon
Ambon, offers one among many remotest dive sites in Indonesian Archipelago. In history, this place is famously known as the heart of spice trade hence the nickname Spice Island.
Nowadays, Ambon is more familiar as a white sandy beach with pristine corals and abundant marine lifes. If you are a muck diving enthusiast, this destination is worth to visit. Although, Ambon’s underwater world are not limited only to muck diving. For a more variety of dive sites, Banda sea is usually combined and be explored together through liveaboard trips.
Dive Sites
Taking a closer look on what Ambon has to offer in terms of its speciality, Twilight Zone is one of the most popular. It is a home to ghostpipefish, rhinophias, frogfish, crustaceans, seahorses, octopus, and of course nudibranchs. Other dive site like Middle Point is also worth a shot being a home to many more amazing species including the rare Halimeda Ghostpipefish.
Further to the southern part of the island, Ambon presents great wall/reef diving. The underwater archway at Pintu Kota is a home to gorgonians and sea fans. If you wish to squeeze in a bit variety in your muck diving schedule, you could visit the Duke of Sparta Wreck close to Ambon harbour.
Ambon Diving Season
Ambon is hot and humid like many other tropical place in Indonesia. In general the dry season where less rain is expected lies within mid-September to April. This is when the visibility tends to be great.
If you are asking for the best time, we would recommend October to December. Avoid visiting in June-August because this is where the heavy rainfall and strong winds affect your diving agenda. Since the visibility and condition is extremely bad during this time, many dive resorts are closed for maintenance so make sure you check with your Dive Travel Consultant at Tours@AquaMarineDiving.com for the best arrangement possible.
How to reach Banda
As most of international flights landed in Jakarta or Bali, you can fly to Ambon from either one. Some flights to Ambon from Jakarta usually take a stop in Manado. If you are looking for say a month muck diving safari, you could do approximately a week each in Bali – Lembeh – Ambon. Just a thought 🙂
Boasting its underwater world, Ambon has pretty much less to do inland but it is worth to mention here that perhaps you would like to get a few pictures of the town to complete your visit. Natsepa Beach is within a short ride from the city – take a stop along the roadside and have a taste of the sweet and tangy local Rujak (fruits with peanut sauce). You can also visit the traditional market for fresh vegetables and fruits, maybe do some spice trade? 🙂
If you still have time to spent for the day, make sure to visit The World Peace Gong and Christina Tiahahu Statue.
Considering Ambon can be a bit remote compared to other places in Indonesia, be sure to let your Dive Travel Consultant at AMD-B aware of your needs. As always, they will be more than happy to make some recommendation and arrangements that may suit your preference.
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