Join This Unique 16 Day Resort Based Safari and Have Pristine Reefs All to Yourself
May 17 – June 1, 2025
May 6-21, 2026
This exciting new Sumbawa and Alor snorkeling trip offers the opportunity to explore vibrant reefs and see some of the ocean’s most iconic residents, like manta rays and giant ocean sunfish. Both areas see very little tourism and you will have the reefs all to yourself. You will have 15 nights at two fabulous resorts, with a small group of 14 snorkelers, on this unique guided trip that is not to be missed!
Your tour begins on the east coast of the island of Sumbawa, where your group will have exclusive access to four different regions with amazing and unique snorkeling. You will explore the west side of Komodo Island, the Sangeang Island Volcano, Gili Banta, and the eastern coast of Sumbawa island. The stunning Kalimaya Resort will be your base for this portion of your trip. Expect to find pristine abundant hard and soft coral reefs full of fish, good chances of turtles, manta rays, and reef sharks. Around the volcano you can swim over the bubbling black sand, and see the hyper-rich reefs unique to the area.
Next you will explore Alor from the secluded Alami Alor Resort. The colorful diverse coral reefs there will blow you away, and the sparkling abundance of reef fish will delight you. There is also the possibility of coming across some of the ocean’s most iconic inhabitants, like a superpod of dolphins and melon-headed whales, giant ocean sunfish (mola mola), and even blue whales, as you travel to snorkel sites.
This trip 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.
This trip is exclusively for snorkelers. It is a unique opportunity to experience a guided remote adventure filled with fantastic reefs, beautiful landscapes, and remote island resorts.
Watch the Video Below for a Quick Preview of This Trip
The Sumbawa and Alor Snorkeling Trip Itinerary and Map
Within the famous Coral Triangle, the islands of Sumbawa and Alor are in southern Indonesia, a 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 Bima on the island of Sumbawa. At the Bima airport, you will be met by staff from the Kalimaya Resort, and transferred by car to the resort.
After your six night stay at Kalimaya, you will be transferred back to the airport for a flight back to Bali, then to Kupang. In Kupang you will spend one night at a comfortable hotel and the next morning take another flight to Alor.
At the Alor airport, you will be met by staff from the Alami Alor Resort, and transferred by car to the resort.
After your seven night stay at Alami Alor, you will be transferred back the the airport for your final flight back to Kupang, then Bali, where the tour ends.
Snorkeling in Sumbawa
During your stay at Kalimaya Resort in eastern Sumbawa, you will have access to outstanding snorkeling spots previously only accessible by liveaboard. These spots are in four different regions: West Komodo National Park, Gili Banta, Sangeang Volcano Island, and the eastern coast of Sumbawa. There is a high probability that you will have these wonderful snorkeling sites all to yourself. You will have five days of boat snorkeling sessions from Kalimaya.
The snorkeling in West Komodo National Park and Gili Banta are known for their currents which move nutrients through the area. This creates vibrant coral reefs full of sea life, and attracts large schools of fish, like tuna and jacks, along with big pelagic creatures like sharks, manta rays, mobula rays, and eagle rays. Your guides will time your snorkels for slower currents and you will always drift with them.
The Sangeang Volcano sits on an island to the north of the resort. It is still semi-active and you can snorkel in the bubbles that rise from the black sands surrounding it. You can also explore the hyper-rich reefs which are unlike any of the other reefs in the region as a result of its nutrient-dense volcanic substrate. These colorful coral reefs pop against the black sand background, and there are many unique creatures to spot, too.
The east coast of Sumbawa, including the Kalimaya house reef, is home to a variety of creatures, including octopus, shrimp, nudibranchs, eels, frogfish, stingrays, and more.
The coral reefs in all these areas extend out in slopes from the shoreline and drop off in walls, both of which offer wonderful opportunities to see a wide range of fish and sea creatures, including sea turtles.
Kalimaya’s house reef is available for you to snorkel at any time. If the tide and weather cooperates, you can even snorkel the house reef at night and be able to see nocturnal creatures like crabs, eels, rays, cuttlefish, squid, octopus, and more.
In addition to the snorkeling, you will have a trip to Komodo Island to see the wild Komodo Dragons. This is a fantastic opportunity to see the dragons in their true natural habitat away from typical areas frequented by tourists.
Your daily snorkel boat from Kalimaya is a large fiberglass speedboat with a covered interior area, and marine toilet. You will exit the water by a sturdy ladder.
What Is Kalimaya Resort Like?
Kalimaya Resort is built right on the edge of a beautiful white sand beach where the sand quickly merges with a stunning coral reef. Your group will occupy both the Beach Bungalows and Sea View Bungalows. Each bungalow has an en-suite open-air bathroom with hot water, air-conditioning, cold drinks, coffee station, and a private veranda with chairs that face the sea.
The restaurant serves up a variety of Indonesian and international meals throughout the day. Kalimaya is a very remote resort and resources can be quite scarce, particularly when it comes to special diets. But, with proper notice they can accommodate most dietary requirements. Note: alcohol is not served at Kalimaya.
There are lounge areas around the pool and beach that are a great place to get together at the end of the day. There is also a spa for relaxing massages and treatments.
Snorkeling in Alor
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.
For six days, your group will snorkel nearby reefs from small boats twice a day, returning for lunch. 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 mola mola, dolphins, frogfish, mandarinfish, and blue whales.
The Alami Alor Resort has a wonderful house reef to explore. It is a shallow shelf, accessed from the pier, that is full of coral life, small reef sharks, nudibranchs, spadefish, mandarinfish, crustaceans, and lots of other reef fish.
The resort has two boats with shade covers. So each day your group will split into two groups. These boats are big enough to handle a bit of weather, but small enough to drop you off and pick you up right up close to the reefs. You drop into the water from the sides of the boats, and get back on from solid stainless steel step ladders on the side of the boats (you can just see the ladder retracted in the picture below). You return to the resort for lunch between outings.
What is Alami Alor Resort Like?
You will have seven nights at the Alami Alor Resort. This is an intimate resort situated on a remote and quiet bay which combines luxury accommodation and delicious locally inspired food. There are seven waterfront bungalows, and it will be only your group at the resort. The bedroom is air-conditioned, and there is an open air garden bathroom. There is a pool next to the community building and many comfortable outdoor seating areas.
Guests can enjoy a full breakfast, lunch and dinner served in the dining room, family style, at the communal dining table. They serve an assortment of dishes influenced mostly by tropical Indonesian and Asian style, but also international cuisines. We found the food to be healthy and delicious, with excellent cocktails available at your own cost.
Alami Alor can accommodate most special diets such as vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and so on.
Trip Details and How to Sign Up
We expect this trip to fill quickly. Your spot is reserved with your deposit. Contact Ben below for deposit instructions.
Trip Dates and Prices:
May 17 – June 1, 2025 – Trip full, request to be waitlisted below.
2025 Trip Price:
$6795 US per person double occupancy
May 6-21, 2026 – Available.
2026 Trip Price:
$6995 US per person double occupancy
The initial deposit for this trip is $400 US per person. At 12 months before departure there is a $600 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.
Inclusions:
- 1 night at Novotel Bali Airport with welcome dinner and breakfast
- All group transfers and domestic flights with 44lbs (20kg) checked luggage allowance in economy class (Bali – Bima – Kupang – Alor – Bali)
- 6 nights at Kalimaya Resort in Beach or Sea View Bungalow with full board (all meals and snacks)
- 5 days of boat snorkeling sessions at Kalimaya
- Unlimited Kalimaya Resort house reef snorkeling
- Half-day Komodo Dragon tour from Kalimaya
- 1 night at Aston Hotel in Kupang with full board (all meals)
- 7 nights at Alami Alor Resort in Waterfront Bungalow with full board (all meals and snacks)
- 2 guided boat snorkeling sessions for 6 days in Alor
- Unlimited Alami Alor Resort house reef snorkeling
- Tea, coffee, refill water, and WiFi
- Accompanied by a guide from Ben’s team
- Local snorkel guides
Exclusions:
- Travel and health insurance
- International flights and visas
- Snorkel gear rental
- Beverages, spa treatments, sundries, and gratuities
Note: alcohol is not served at Kalimaya Resort.
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.