Course Locations

Banda Islands

Most of our courses take place at the Banda Islands where we work together with Dive Bluemotion. The Banda Islands are surrounded by the fascinating Banda Sea, located  in the modern day province of Maluku, east Indonesia. The remoteness of these islands give them the rumor to be difficult to reach, which on the other hand makes them a fascinating and adventurous place to be discovered.

Past and presence

The Banda Islands have had a long and fascinating history. Spices, foreign traders, wars and earthquakes have all featured heavily in their checkered past. The Banda archipelago, which is located 200 kilometers from the nearest port town of Ambon, is made up of eleven small volcanic islands. This small cluster of islands support 21,000 inhabitants. The primary sources of income in Banda are the selling of spices (particularly nutmeg) and fishing. Tourism and scuba diving also contribute to the economy of the islands. These days, visitors come not to trade spices and fill their ships with booty, but to photograph marine life both large and small and wonder at the richness of the local seas. The Banda Islands are now considered to be one of the finest dive destinations in the world.

Climate and season

The two dry seasons in the Banda Islands run from approximately February to May and then September to December, with the monsoon seasons in the months of January, June and July. The temperature is quite constant between 27°C and 32°C. Water temperatures range from 26°C in September to 30°C in May. In line with the seasons, our courses on Banda take place from September till December and from February till May.

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Getting to Banda

To get to Banda you first have to reach Ambon. This is easy with daily flights from Jakarta, Bali (transit via Surabaya or Makassar) or Sorong. From Ambon to Banda, you can take a comfortable car ferry or Pelni ferries. You find up-to-date information on how to get there here on Dive Bluemotion's website.