Explore the Vibrant Reefs of Alor and Islands to the West on This Unique 11 Day Journey
May 10-20, 2026
This unique Alor Liveaboard snorkeling trip will be a wonderful way to explore the incredible, colorful reefs of the Alor archipelago and islands to the west. This northeast part of East Nusa Tenggara is remote, rugged, and mostly isolated from mass tourism. It offers untamed and unspoiled natural beauty above and below the water.
The well-appointed Mermaid I liveaboard will serve as your floating home for this trip. This itinerary is a rare one, only offered once a year. Your group of 14 snorkelers will both board and disembark the yacht in Maumere on Flores Island in Indonesia. From there you will explore the islands to the east, as far as Alor, snorkeling the best spots as you go.
You can expect to see abundant reefs with a diverse variety of both corals and fish. This is one of our favorite snorkeling destinations in the world! The lack of visitors to these reefs has kept them in stunning condition. Pods of dolphins riding the bow wave are almost guaranteed and the chances of spotting several different species of whale from the boat are very good.
This trip is exclusively for snorkelers and is being run by our partner and friend Ben and his team. Based in the U.K., they are experts in the Coral Triangle, run amazing excursions, and have a great appreciation for the underwater world.
Watch This Video to See What You Can Expect
The Alor Liveaboard Snorkeling Trip Itinerary and Map
Within the famous Coral Triangle, the northeast part of East Nusa Tenggara is a reasonably short flight from Bali.
After your international flight into Bali International Airport (DPS), you will check into the Novotel Bali Airport Hotel to relax and recover from your long journey. There will be a group dinner to welcome and introduce everyone.
The next morning you will meet your group for breakfast, then check out and take your group flight to Maumere on the island of Flores. At the Maumere airport, you will be met by staff from the Mermaid I liveaboard, and transferred by car to the port, where you will board the yacht.
You will have nine nights aboard the yacht, where you will explore the islands to the east of Maumere as far as Alor, snorkeling at many places in these beautiful islands.
At the end of your journey, you will disembark the yacht in Maumere. Then you will be transferred back the the airport for your final flight back to Bali, where the tour ends.
What Will the Snorkeling Be Like on This Safari?
After boarding the yacht, there will be an overnight crossing east into the islands where the snorkeling spots are. You will wake up at your first spot. The beauty of a liveaboard is that the itinerary can change to experience the best weather and water conditions, and the best times for viewing marine life. So while there is a route on the map above, the order of things and specific spots will be based on current conditions.
Most of Alor’s great snorkeling spots are in the Pantar Strait, the waterway between the islands of Alor and Pantar. Some of the small islands in the strait offer wonderful snorkeling, like Ternate, Pura, and Treweng, but there are many great spots on Alor and Pantar as well. Spots of note are Bakalang Jetty, Great Wall (Pantar), Cathedral, and Beang Abang.
Alor is very remote, and very few tourists visit the area. That, combined with a lack of destructive fishing practices, means that the reefs are exceptional, unspoiled, and full of unique life. The other reason the reefs are so healthy and full of unique life is that Alor has strong currents, that flush the area with nutrients.
You will occasionally see traditional fish traps (see picture below) used that are both beautiful and seem to have a low impact on fish populations.
Alor is very special in our hearts for how untouched and diverse the reefs are. While you will see lots of fish, particularly a crazy abundance of smaller reef fish, and larger fish schools of spadefish, fusiliers and jacks, what really stands out for us about Alor is how incredibly diverse the fields and walls of coral life are, and how healthy they are. Every spot we visited seemed like a different ecosystem, with very different colorful corals, sponges and anemones, and the most marine biodiversity we’ve seen.
Also of note about Alor, and probably one of the big reasons the reef is so healthy, is because there is a large tidal range, and with that strong currents in the area. This flushes a lot of water through the reefs, full of nutrients. Because of this, Alor is a place to snorkel with a very experienced guide. Because of the currents our guide would often have us dropped off at one end of a reef, we would drift with the current, and we would be picked up at the other end of the reef by our boat.
Every spot you visit in Alor is very unique, from plateaus of colorful reefs, with clouds of small reef fish, to larger drop-offs, with larger species. Just some of the unique life you can see in Alor are clouds of anthias, frogfish, dolphins, and blue whales.
In Alor, there will also be a tour visiting a traditional village and seeing how the locals have lived for centuries. Residents will perform a local dance and you can buy locally made handicrafts.
On the way to and from the Alor archipelago, you will snorkel a number of other spots on Kawula Island and the tiny island known as Serbete. Serbete is northwest of Adonara Island. This spot has spectacular walls covered in soft corals and sponges.
On the north side of Kawula is Lewaling Bay. Beneath the scenery of a volcano, the bay offers numerous spots with walls and slopes, where you can see critters small and large and schooling fish.
On the south side of Kawula is the village of Lamalera, and the small island of Suangi, which is known for schooling fish, pelagics, and sharks.
Most of the snorkeling sites will be reached via a zodiac RIB as pictured below. There is a ladder and the Mermaid crew are on hand to assist with water entry and exit. A certain level of fitness is required to climb the ladder.
What Is the Mermaid I Liveaboard Like?
Mermaid I is a 92 foot (28 meter) long, twin-engine steel motor yacht, purpose-built for snorkeling and diving. She has been exclusively chartered for this snorkeler-only adventure. She is a very comfortable and safe ship for exploring the remote regions of Indonesia.
There are a number of types of cabins aboard. On the Main Deck there is one Master Cabin, with a king size bed, near the bow, and four Deluxe Cabins, with king size or twin beds. All Main Deck cabins have en-suite bathrooms, panoramic sea view windows with doors opening onto the gangway.
There are two Lower Deck Cabins, with a double bed below a single bed. These cabins offer en-suite bathrooms and direct access to the Main Deck gangway.
All cabins are air-conditioned, with iPads for TV, toiletries, and towels.
The restaurant, on the Upper Deck, will serve all your meals. It has large windows so you can enjoy the views while you eat. Meals are delicious and prepared Asian and western style. Most dietary limitations can be accommodated with prior notice. The restaurant also has more comfortable seating, a multimedia entertainment center, and a reading library, including marine life ID guides.
Mermaid I offers two outside decks. The first is at the stern on the Upper Deck, is shaded with comfortable seating. The other is a Sun Deck, which is above the first one. It has areas with shade and sun, with cushioned sun beds. This is a great place to relax or enjoy a massage.
Mermaid I has a large dive deck and platform for gearing up and boarding the snorkel boats. There are freshwater showers for rinsing off the salt. Many fresh water rinse tanks are available for your cameras and gear.
Trip Details and How to Sign Up
This is a small group charter and we expect it to fill quickly. Your spot is reserved with your deposit. Contact Ben below for deposit instructions.
Trip Date:
May 10-20, 2026 – Available.
Trip Price:
Master Cabin: $8485 US per person sharing
Deluxe Cabin: $7985 US per person sharing
Lower Deck Cabin: $7485 US per person sharing
The initial deposit for this trip is $800 US per person. At 12 months before departure there is a $1000 US per person interim deposit, and at six months there is another $1000 US per person interim deposit. The final balance will be due three months before departure. A few payment options are available including debit and credit cards.
Individual travelers – Ben will happily find someone of the same sex for you to share a room with. If he cannot find you someone, no single supplement surcharge will apply.
Inclusions:
- 1 night accommodation at Novotel Bali Airport Hotel with dinner and breakfast
- Round trip domestic flights, transfers, and connections (Bali-Maumere-Bali) with 20kg/44lbs checked baggage
- 9 nights accommodation and full board (all meals) on the Mermaid I Liveaboard
- Drinking water, soft drinks, tea, and coffee
- 3-4 guided snorkel sessions per day except on Alor village tour day
- Alor village tour
- A guide from Ben’s team
- Marine park and port fees
Exclusions:
- International flights and visas
- Snorkeling equipment
- Tips
- Travel and health insurance
- Alcoholic drinks, laundry and general sundries
Trip Organizers
Ben and his U.K. based team are the organizers and leaders of this trip (more about them below). Galen and Nicole from TropicalSnorkeling.com are promoting this trip, but all signups, trip organization and payments are made to and managed by Ben’s team. TropicalSnorkeling.com does receive a referral fee in exchange for promoting the trip, at no extra cost to attendees.
How to Sign Up or Learn More?
Use the contact form below to contact Ben and his team to request more information about them and express your interest in signing up. They will get back to you shortly with full details.
More About Ben and Our Partnership
Ben (pictured with Nicole) is our friend and snorkeling trips partner. He and his team are based in the U.K. and have over 20 years of experience guiding in Asia and beyond. He has been running his own business since 2010 and is primarily offering guided snorkeling trips, but he started with diving. He began offering snorkeling specific trips because he was aware that snorkelers often get the short end of the stick when thrown in with divers. He and his team love the freedom and low stress of snorkeling, and are very aware of the different needs of snorkelers versus divers, in terms of the reef depth, and calm surface conditions needed.
From our experience going on some of his snorkeling trips we found them very well organized, the guides were fantastic and very helpful, and the underwater experiences were exceptional. Snorkeling groups really get the benefit of all of Ben and his guides’ years of experience in the water, and with different resorts and liveaboards.
All of his trips are small groups of 12-18 guests, or with a similar ratio of snorkelers to guides. These are premium trips including nearly everything you will need, accommodation, meals, transportation, and more.
His company is licensed and insured. Barring extreme circumstances they do not cancel trips.