11 nights

Duration

14 People

Max Group Size

Jul

Month

Journey to this remote corner of Indonesia and snorkel some of the most pristine reefs found anywhere in the world. We’ll have good chances of encountering blue whales, pods of dolphins, and mola molas. We have been visiting Alor for many years and it continues to be one of our most exciting and interesting locations. Situated in the heart of the “Coral Triangle” you can expect many hours of snorkeling over incredible hard and soft coral reefs that are just exploding with life big and small.

We’ve specifically planned this tour for July, which is one of the best months to spot blue whales as they migrate through Alor on their way north into the Banda Sea from Western Australia. This tour will also coincide with the new moon which brings upwellings of cold water along with mola mola which gives us the unique opportunity to swim with them as they paddle along on the surface.

We base ourselves on the secluded island of Alor in the eastern reaches of Indonesia. With very few other resorts in the area, we have almost exclusive access to a vast number of spectacular snorkel sites to explore. As we float over the fields of pristine corals we’re likely to encounter a huge variety of fish- big and small, with endless opportunities to find some of the ocean’s most interesting critters like nudibranchs, octopus, and a variety of scorpionfish.

Private boat trips take you to the most outstanding snorkel spots in the area, exotic marine life is guaranteed with your stay backed up by the comforts of a beautiful resort in complete seclusion.

As this is one of the best months to see blue whales, we hope to encounter them as we move from one site to the next, or even from the resort if they come into the bay. The primary focus of this tour is snorkeling the reefs, but if we get lucky with a blue whale or several we may devote some extra time to staying with them as there is nothing quite like being next to the largest animal ever to live.

The resort also has an impressive house reef which is easily accessible and is great for photography.

Glenn W. Dec 2023

‘Everything about Alami Alor was 5 star – the rooms, the staff, the guides, the food, the setting, the customer service!’

Marine Life Guide

This tour is partnered with No Trash Triangle Initiative. Find out how we support NTTI via this tour here.

Arrive at Jakarta International Airport (CGK). Transfer to the hotel and relax and recuperate from your long journey. That evening there will be a group dinner organized at the hotel’s restaurant where you’ll get to meet your tour leader and the rest of the group. The group will check out of the hotel later this evening and make your way to the airport to check in for your flight to Alor, which departs at 2am. Upon arriving at Alor we will be met by the Alami staff and escorted via private cars to the resort.

Day 2 - Travel to Alor

Upon arrival, we will be met by Alami staff and transferred to the resort 45-60 minutes away. Once there, we will check in to our bungalows, have an orientation,lunch, followed by a snorkel on the house reef.

Day 3 - 10 - Snorkeling from Alami Alor Resort

Our days here will start with a delicious a la carte breakfast, followed by a morning snorkeling session. These generally last anywhere from 70-90 minutes. Most of the snorkel sites are between 10 and 30 minutes from the resort. We will return to the resort for a big family-style lunch and some downtime where we can just relax with a book or snorkel on the house reef. After lunch, we’ll jump onto the resort’s two fantastic boats again and head out for another snorkel on a different site. Those who are interested can also join a guided night or sunset snorkel to see the magnificent mandarin fish doing their mating ritual just a few feet from the pier.

Alor is a very special place for snorkeling as the area offers a huge variety of reefs and interesting marine life. Throughout our time here we will be snorkeling over shallow reef tops, sloping reefs, walls, and a pier that act as a safe haven for schools of fish and some really interesting species like frogfish. No two reefs are alike here in Alor so you can expect to float over fields of volcanic rocks completely covered in anemones, swim along walls bursting with orange anthias and carpeted in colorful hard and soft corals and explore expansive hard coral reefs that come right up to the surface. The marine life is equally diverse and offers a bit of everything from schooling fish, reef sharks, and endless beautiful reef.

After the morning snorkel sessions we will return to the resort for lunch, followed by another afternoon boat snorkel session which typically lasts anywhere from 60-90 minutes, after which you will return to the resort. At this point, you may wish to jump in on the house reef which is an amazing place to snorkel right around the time the sun goes down as fish behaviors change and some new reef creatures start to emerge. Night snorkeling will also be available on selected evenings. We highly recommend that you give this a try since the reef transforms into an entirely different place in the dark, and all the nocturnal hunters like octopus, cuttlefish, crabs, shrimps, and squids coming out to feed. The house reef also has a resident population of Mandarin fish in the shallows, which are only really active at dusk and definitely worth a look.

One of the main ideas behind running this tour at this specific time is that July has historically been one of the best months to encounter blue whales in Alor. These whales are migrating north from south-west Australia and into the Banda Sea where it’s thought they nurse their young. With some luck, we hope to come across one or more of these massive animals as they pass through Alor. If it’s clear that there are whales in the area, we might skip a morning or afternoon snorkel and instead spend that time watching the whales from the boat. If the whales are not passing through during our stay, we’ll just focus on our snorkeling as we would any other trip.

We’ve also timed this tour so that we are in Alor for the new moon. The new moon in Alor generally means a lot of upwelling is happening at the mouth of the bay. These upwellings bring cold water up from the deep which mola mola follow up to the surface, giving us the unique opportunity of being able to swim next to them, if conditions allow.

All meals are served at a long table and are served in large bowls or plates like a mini buffet, from which each person dishes their own portion. This is known in Indonesia as “family style” meals. The food is all prepared by excellent local cooks with locally sourced ingredients where you will have the opportunity to experience some of Indonesia’s finest dishes.

Fresh bread, cookies, and an assortment of desserts are baked daily. There is also a tea and coffee-making station with fruits and snacks available throughout the day.

A selection of soft drinks, wine, beer, and cocktails are available every evening and are charged to your account.

Day 12 - Departure day

After breakfast, you will be driven to the airport for your flight to Bali via Kupang, where the tour ends. Onward extensions can be arranged with our travel team or international departure. Please check with our travel team before booking any international flights for this tour.

Alami Alor is an intimate resort situated on a remote and quiet bay. It combines luxury accommodation and delicious locally inspired food. Our bungalows sit on the waterfront. The bedrooms are air-conditioned and have private patios and open-air garden bathrooms. There is plenty of outdoor seating in the main common area complete with sofas and sun loungers.

The resort features a central common area where we’ll enjoy all of our meals “family style.” This is also a great place to relax between snorkels with a book, edit your photos, or just look off into the bay. It’s quite common to see juvenile blacktip reef sharks hunting in the shallows and pods of dolphins a bit further out.

Resort Guide

Alami Alor Snorkel Boats

Spacious fiberglass speedboats with enough room to easily store snorkeling equipment. The boats do not have a toilet onboard but do offer a full canopy for sun protection and a ladder to help exit the water. Distances from the resort are short, maximum 30 minutes.

On this page you will find our Tour Dates & Pricing, a Request to Book Form and Details of Payment schedule including deposit and final balance.

My name is Venus and I’ll be your personal consultant for this tour, I’ll manage your booking right up until you meet our tour leader in destination. I’ll be on hand to assist with everything from additional nights before and after your tour and making sure you are on time for our ‘Welcome Dinner’ to guidance on what to bring and the snorkeling conditions you are likely to experience. We share an email inbox at Snorkel Venture, you can fill out the form below or drop me an email at hello@snorkelventure.com. I look forward to assisting you on this tour.

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2027 Tour Dates

3 – 14 July

13 – 24 July

Tour Price:

Beachfront Bungalow (Twin/Double Share): $6,545 USD per person

Single Supplement: $2,500 USD

2028 Tour Dates

4 – 15 July 2028

15 – 26 July 2028

Tour Price:

Beachfront Bungalow (Twin/Double Share): $7,245 USD per person

Single Supplement: $2,500 USD

How to book your place:

Initial deposit to secure your booking is $400 per person

12 months before departure interim payment of $600 per person

6 months before departure interim payment of $1,000 per person

Balance due 3 months before departure

Please note for single supplement bookings we ask for 2x the deposit for each payment.

Inclusions:

1 night accommodation a Jakarta Airport Hotel with a group dinner
Round trip domestic flights, transfers, and connections (Jakarta- Kupang – Alor- Kupang – Bali) with 40 Lbs of luggage
10 nights accommodation at Alami Alor Resort (Twin/Double Share)
Full board (all meals)
2 guided boat snorkels per day (morning & afternoon)
Unlimited house reef snorkeling
Snacks, tea, coffee, refill water and Wifi
Accompanied by a Snorkel Venture tour leader

Exclusions: