Best Snorkeling Destinations for Unique Experiences
Indonesian children posing for photo underewater

We have a full range of snorkeling safaris all over the world that we believe suit a vast range of snorkeling preferences. We have open ocean pelagic snorkeling safaris, we have reef-based snorkeling safaris, we have snorkel safaris that offer a solid mix of reef and big animals, we have remote resorts, liveaboards, short trips, long trips, photo workshops, and snorkel trips that combine multiple different destinations. Each snorkeling trip is unique in its own right, and of course, uniqueness is subjective to each person’s own set of preferences and past experiences. For someone that has only ever snorkeled in the Caribbean, a trip to Alor & Komodo will be very unique. For someone like myself who has spent the vast majority of my time snorkeling in Indonesia, a snorkeling trip to Cuba or Belize is very unique. Anyway, with so many great snorkeling trips to many different destinations, we’ve done our best to put together a list of what we consider to be just some of our snorkeling safaris where people can have truly unique experiences.

Alor & Komodo Photo Workshop | 14 Nights

Our Alor & Komodo Snorkel Safari is one of our most sought-after snorkeling safaris as it combines two of Indonesia’s most unique snorkeling destinations where you can encounter everything from blue whales and mola molas, to fleets of mantas, turtles, and fields of stunning reefs. This snorkeling tour is unique in itself, but we’ve made the experience even more original by offering it as an underwater photography workshop which will be led by one of our photo pros who will be hosting daily lectures to help you get the most out of your camera.

Alor & Komodo Family Safari | 14 Nights

Again, like the Alor-Komodo Photo Workshop, this snorkeling safari combines two of Indonesia’s most unique snorkel destinations with a twist. Instead of being an adults-only snorkel safari like all of our other tours, this one is all about families so you can share all the magical moments on land and underwater with your loved ones.

Cenderawasih Bay with Coralia Liveaboard | 11 Nights

Any snorkeling safari we run with Coralia Liveaboard would most certainly be considered unique, no matter how varied your snorkeling experiences have been in the past. Coralia is a stunning wood sailing yacht, and every moment of every day onboard is just incredible. Now, throw in one of Indonesia’s most remote snorkeling destinations where giant whalesharks are the focus of the trip and you have yourself a once-in-a-lifetime snorkeling adventure!

Epic Indonesia Safari | 27 Nights

At twenty-seven nights long with stops at four of Indonesia’s most iconic snorkeling destinations, as well as several nights in Bali to soak up the culture and indulge in a massage or two, this trip couldn’t be any more unique. On this snorkeling tour, we spend time in Alor, Komodo, Bali, Wakatobi, and of course Misool Resort in southern Raja Ampat.

Komodo & Misool Safari

Komodo & Misool are, in many ways, the royalty of Indonesian snorkeling destinations. Each destination has that perfect balance of stunning reefs, diverse marine life, and big animals like manta rays and of course Komodo dragons. Not to mention each resort is located on its own private island with stunning house reefs just full of life.

Misool & Wakatobi Safari

Any snorkeling trip that includes either of these destinations would be considered unique by just about anyone, I’m sure. The resorts are absolutely stunning and unlike any other resort out there. Both Misool Resort and Wakatobi are some of the most remote snorkeling resorts in Indonesia, but thanks to their self-reliance and creative thinking you would never know it with the upscale amenities and accommodations they offer. Oh, and the snorkeling at both Misool and Wakatobi is out of this world.

North Indonesia Snorkeling Safari

Very much like our Epic Indonesia Snorkel Safari, this tour takes us to three amazing snorkeling destinations, Bunaken National Park in North Sulawesi, Halmahera, and Raja Ampat. If you want to get the best idea of snorkeling in Northern Indonesia, this is a perfect trip.

Triton Bay & Raja Ampat

This is the only snorkeling trip we offer where we can almost guarantee that you will see both whale sharks and mantas. Need I say more? Ok, how about one resort set in an idyllic bay with a powder white sand beach fringing it and a fantastic house reef just in front, and another resort set on wooden stilts over the water where stingrays and juvenile reef sharks swim beneath the pilings?

Raja Ampat – Halmahera – Lembeh with Mermaid II Liveaboard | 11 Nights

In eleven nights guests on this snorkeling trip will experience the fantastic reefs, jetties, and mangroves that Raja Ampat is famous for—not to mention the big action like shoals of big fish and mantas. After which, the upscale liveaboard will make the crossing into Halmahera’s untouched shallow reefs where very few snorkelers have explored, only to finish in the critter capital of the world, Lembeh.

Egypt Snorkeling Safari | 13 Nights

Any snorkeling safari to Egypt is unique as it’s one of the few places in the world where a seemingly barren desert meets a vast tropical coral garden that explodes with life. Currently, this is our only snorkeling safari that offers a stop at a snorkeling resort followed by a week on a liveaboard. This will allow guests to get a snorkeling experience that includes the best of both worlds.

over under perspective with reef below and landscape above

Mexico Big Creature Safari | 7 Nights

This is one of the coolest snorkeling safaris I personally think we have. This tour is all about getting in the water with big animals like whale sharks, larger pelagic sharks like mako or blue sharks, whales if we are lucky, sea lions, dolphins, and the list goes on. There are no reefs, it’s all big animals and blue water.

Mexico Mobula Expedition | 6 Nights

Our Mobula Expedition is very similar in style to our Big Creature Safari. We are searching for large aggregations of mobula rays that spend their time in the Sea of Cortez several times a year. When we find them and you are hovering above a thousand or more of these beautiful rays, it’s like nothing you’ve ever seen. While the rays are the focus of this snorkeling safari, there are good chances to swim with sea lions, dolphins, turtles, and maybe even whales.

Cuba Liveaboard Snorkeling Safari

As we spend the week in the Jardines de la Reina, a very well-protected marine reserve off the southwest coast of Cuba, this snorkeling safari is one of our most well-rounded trips. Thanks to the stringent marine protection, snorkelers can explore some of the healthiest coral reefs in all of the Caribbean while enjoying all the big schools of fish and other marine life the Caribbean used to be famous for. This is the only trip we offer where we can encounter larger sharks like silky and Caribbean reef sharks, as well as have controlled and safe interactions with wild American saltwater crocodiles. If that’s not enough, there is also a marine biologist onboard who will host nightly lectures about the local marine life as well as all the conservation efforts underway in Cuba.

Borneo & Sulawesi Snorkeling Safari | 15 Nights

This snorkel safari combines two fantastic areas of Indonesia, Borneo and North Sulawesi. This trip is an excellent choice for those that want to see fantastic reefs and marine life like turtles, mantas, and of course all the beautiful reef fish, but also be able to experience a bit of the terrestrial wildlife as we stop at an Orangutang sanctuary where these beautiful ginger giants roam freely. One of the other great things about this trip is that it also includes a stop at a wonderful jellyfish lake full of thousands and thousands of stingless jellyfish.

Snorkeler photographing jellyfish in jellyfish lake

About Author

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Alex Lindbloom
Alex is a Snorkel Venture and Dive Safari Asia guide as well as the video and photo pros for both companies. Alex is also a field editor for a popular underwater photography magazine. Prior to joining Snorkel Venture in 2018 Alex lived and worked all over the world working as an underwater cameraman, with five of those years living/working on a yacht in Indonesia. Alex's images and videos have garnered many international awards such as Underwater Photographer of the Year and can be seen on NatGeo, Discovery Channel, the UN Building, and various magazines.