Located off the northwest tip of Bird’s Head Peninsula on the island of New Guinea, in Indonesia’s West Papua province, Raja Ampat, or the Four Kings, is an archipelago comprising over 1,500 small islands, cays, and shoals surrounding the four main islands of Misool, Salawati, Batanta, and Waigeo, and the smaller island of Koflau.  Remote is the key word here.  The Raja Ampat archipelago is the part of the Coral Triangle which contains the richest marine biodiversity on earth.  The sheer number of different species in Raja Ampat is astounding, with sites for big pelagic animals, sites for macro life, and everything in between. Here you can find big aggregations of manta rays or sites with more than 200 fish species in one dive. There are blue water mangrove sites, drop offs, nutrient-rich upwelling areas and coral reefs that stretch for miles.Cenderawasih Bay is one of the only places in the world where you can dive with whale sharks; fishermen have set up feeding stations that the wild sharks visit daily.On the land, you can find pristine rainforest and scores of uninhabited islands, with unspoiled beaches waiting to be explored.  Once you have dived West Papua, you will be spoiled for life.

Komodo National Park is located west of Flores Island.  The park includes the three larger islands Komodo, Padar and Rinca, as well as 26 smaller ones.  The national park was founded in 1980 to protect the Komodo dragon, the world’s largest lizard reaching up to 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) in length, which can be found on Komodo and Rinca Islands in the Flores region of Indonesia.  Later is was dedicated to protecting other species, including marine species.  In 1991 the national park was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Underwater, there is a range of diving so diverse that you can do every kind of tropical diving here.  Water temperatures range from 22-30 (71.6 – 86) degree . In some areas, there are underwater hot springs, in others there are fast-flowing cooler currents. This means the diversity of dive sites and animals underwater is simply astounding.  Diving in Komodo is excellent all year round, with different seasons bringing different animals.  Characterized by strong currents, Komodo is best for intermediate to advanced divers. Like in other locations around the world, those currents rich in plankton are responsible for the vivid abundance of marine life.

Alor , also known as the island of a Thousand Moko’s is comprised of 20 islands.  Although Alor is not as well-known as Raja Ampat or neighboring Komodo Island, the waters around this archipelago offer equally beautiful and diverse underwater wonders and on land the unique culture of the Alorese people, best observed among the Abui tribe in Takpala Village.

Banda  islands are located in the middle of the Banda Sea.  Being remote and sparsely populated has meant less fishing and a vibrant natural and healthy reef system.  This has resulted in incredible numbers of fish and some monumental coral reefs, making for some of the finest diving in the country.  Although the conditions are usually good visibility and calm waters, some dive sites are subject to stronger currents and therefore are more suitable for experienced divers.Steeped in history, a visit to Banda Neira is a must for a taste of the colonial times during the old spice trade, where it was at the centre of the nutmeg trade.  The Banda islands inland boast climbable volcanic mountains covered in lush green vegetation.

bali , probably the most well-known of the Indonesian islands, has several excellent dives from Tulamben, Padang Bai, Batu Kelebit, Nusa Penida, Mimpang and Amed. Sites range from coral diving to macro diving, and some are famous for sharks, sunfish (Mola Mola)* or manta rays.  Bali is also home to the USAT Liberty shipwreck, a US Army transport ship that was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in 1942. The wreck is sitting in black sand at a maximum of 30m, with the top in 3m making it excellent for snorkelers and divers of all certifications. It is an explosion of marine life, encrusted in corals and covered in schools of fish as well as a great number of macro species.  Bali is a great place to bring your non-diving friends, as there are endless land tours to temples, waterfalls, monkey forests, caves, hot springs and rivers.*The Mola Mola sunfish, a large disc-shaped fish with a thick skin that glides around the open ocean and comes to the surface on occasion to sun itself, can be found here during July to October.

Ambon is arranged in a half moon shape, the Maluku Island range from Halmahera Island in the North down to Wetar Island in the East. This region plays home to clear, tropical waters that are teeming with marine life and is the center of the largest biodiversity in all of the Indo-Pacific. There is a wide array of different types of marine life that are unique to the local area with most reefs remaining untouched.  As well as pristine reefs, Ambon Island is fast becoming known as one of the best muck diving locations in the world. Sites are less crowded, offer colourful walls, caves and swim-throughs and are teeming with lots of healthy marine life and unique critters.