Halmahera & Lembeh
ItinerariesHalmahera & Lembeh onboard White Manta
Welcome to Halmahera where remote, unspoiled, and stunning underwater landscapes await, then sailing across the Molucca Sea and passing the island of Tifore before finishing in the world-famous critter heaven of the Lembeh Straits.
8 Days / 7 Nights
10 Days / 9 Nights
Sample Itinerary
8 Days / 7 Nights
Note: All schedules are subjected to changes according to weather, sea, diving, & local conditions.
Day 1. (0-2 dives) Our staff will meet you upon your arrival at Ternate Airport and transfer to White Manta. Once all guests are onboard you will receive a very warm welcome, briefing, dinner, then we set sail to Pulau Tidore. Possible check dive(s) at Ternate if all arrive early.
Day 2. (3-4 dives) Pulau Tidore: Amazing dive-sites & macro diving.
Day 3. (4 dives) Palau Bacan: Reef sharks, schools of barracuda & jacks along a coral & sponge & fish packed reef amongst pristine hard coral gardens in this stunning location.
Day 4. (3-4 dives) Pulau Kusu: Strong currents & amazing action in the Patintie Strait.
Day 5. (4 dives) Pulau Tolimau & Goraichi: So much to choose from with Manta cleaning station. Sail to Pulau Tifore.
Day 6. (3 dives) Pulau Tifore: amazing dive site island in the Moluccan Sea equidistant from Goraichi & Lembeh, schools of jacks, snappers and massive school of barracuda.
Day 7. (2 dives) Critter dives in Lembeh Strait: Angels Windows, Nudi Retreat. Sail to Tandurusa Port, Bitung, Manado where you spend the last night on board. Plenty of time to wash & dry equipment, have lunch, rest & relaxation, and if needed, an early flight the next day.
Day 8. (0 dives) Check-out (between 5am-10am) after light breakfast & farewells, and transfer to airport. Departure from Tandurusa Port, Bitung, Manado to local hotel or transfer to Manado Airport.
Diving days: 7 days (20 dives)
Sample Itinerary
10 Days / 9 Nights
Note: All schedules are subjected to changes according to weather, sea, diving, & local conditions.
Day 1. (0-2 dives) 1pm. Our staff will meet you upon your arrival at Ternate Airport and transfer to White Manta. Once all guests are onboard you will receive a very warm welcome, briefing, dinner, then we set sail to Pulau Tidore. Possible check dive(s) at Ternate if all arrive early.
Day 2. (3-4 dives) Pulau Tidore: Amazing dive-sites & macro diving.
Day 3-4. (4 dives x2 days) Palau Bacan: Reef sharks, schools of barracuda & jacks along a coral & sponge & fish packed reef amongst pristine hard coral gardens in this stunning location.
Day 5. (3-4 dives) Pulau Kusu: Strong currents & amazing action in the Patintie Strait.
Day 6-7. (4 dives 2x days) Pulau Tolimau & Goraichi: So much to choose from with Manta cleaning station. Sail to Pulau Tifore.
Day 8. (3 dives) Pulau Tifore: amazing dive site island in the Moluccan Sea equidistant from Goraichi & Lembeh, schools of jacks, snappers and massive school of barracuda.
Day 9. (2 dives) Critter dives in Lembeh Strait: Angels Windows, Nudi Retreat. Sail to Tandurusa Port, Bitung, Manado where you spend the last night on board. Plenty of time to wash & dry equipment, have lunch, rest & relaxation, and if needed an early flight the next day.
Day 10. (2 dives) Lembeh: Angels Windows, Nudi Retreat. Sail to Tandurusa Port, Bitung, Manado, where you spend the last night on board. Plenty of time to wash & dry equipment, rest & relaxation, and if needed, an early flight the next day.
Day 11. (0 dives) Check-out (between 5am-10am) after light breakfast & farewells, and transfer to airport. Departure from Tandurusa Port, Bitung, Manado to local hotel or transfer to Manado Airport.
Diving days: 9 days (24 dives)
Embarkation / Disembarkation
- Ternate (TTE), North Maluku / Manado (MDC), North Sulawesi
How to get to Ternate (TTE), North Maluku
- From Manado (MDC): Daily flights around just 1 hour, with Sriwijaya Air or Wings Air (part of Lion group)
- From Jakarta (CGK): Daily flights around 3.5 hours, with Garuda Indonesia / Batik Air / Lion Air / Super Air Jet
- International: Fly to Manado and connect with Scoot, or Jakarta with Garuda Indonesia for connecting flights direct to Singapore.
How to get from Manado (MDC), North Sulawesi
- To Bali, direct flights with Lion Air daily flights, Citilink or Garuda Indonesia, via Jakarta/ Makassar/ Surabaya.
- To Jakarta, direct flights with Batik Air, Citilink & Garuda Indonesia, or with Lion Air, via Surabaya.
- International to Singapore, direct flights with Scoot.
- Note: Departing flight on trip return day should be no earlier than 9am to allow for early morning departure & transfer from the boat with plenty of time for check-in & flight.
Dive Site Information (Halmahera-Morotai)
- Water Temp: 27-30 degrees Celsius, Air Temp: 27-32 degrees Celsius.
- Visibility: 15-30 meters, Currents: Medium to strong, Level: Intermediate to advanced
- Best Time to Dive: April to October (less rain/ wind: perfect for diving) but can dive all year round.
Dive Site Information (Lembeh)
- Water Temp: 27-30 degrees Celsius, Air Temp: 27-32 degrees Celsius,
- Visibility: 20-30 meters, Currents: Mild, Level: Beginners to advanced.
- Best Time to Dive: April to October (less rain/ wind: perfect for diving) but can dive all year round.
What’s included?
- Round trip transfer local Hotel/Airport – Boat
- All nights’ accommodation on Boat
- All meals (Western & Indonesian) snacks, hot beverages, coffee, tea, Milo, soft drinks
- Towels, toiletries, & cabin services
- FOC replacement if equipment breakdown
- Warm towel & drink after every dive
- Regular air tanks, weights, belt, 6 dive guides (1x instructor, 5x dive masters)
What’s excluded?
- All flights & hotels stay
- Marine Park & Harbour fee
- Dive & Travel insurance
- Fuel surcharge. Please see our Booking Information page ‘Fuel surcharge’ section for more details and fees per person.
- Massage services
- Laundry services
- Nespresso coffee, alcohol; beer & wine
- Satellite Wi-Fi
- Diving gear: Dive computer, torch, large tank, BCD, regulator, wetsuit, fins mask.
- Nitrox Enriched Air fills
- Note: Nitrox & diving gear Items priced per diving day and are subject to availability.
- Note: Exposure suits; 3mm shorty wetsuits available ONLY.
Trip Schedule
- Departure: 1pm, 1st day – Ternate, North Maluku. Or earlier if everyone arrives before and all trip preparations are completed. Free pickup upon arrival from Sultan Babullah Airport, Ternate (transfer time 20-30 mins) or local hotel (10am) to White Manta at Pelabuhan Ahmad Yani Ternate on trip departure day.
- Return: 5am, last day – Tandurusa Port, Bitung (Tourism Port Tandurusa), Manado, North Sulawesi. After breakfast and fond farewells, we take you to a local hotel or Sam Ratulangi Airport, Manado in time for check-in & flight (transfer time 1 hour). Note: Latest White Manta check-out at 10am, trip return day.
- Last dive ends: 12pm, penultimate day. Plenty of time for R&R as we sail back to Bitung Port where we spend the last night on board. This also allows for your minimum 18 hours’ surface interval/ No Fly Time (as recommended by PADI) before flying the next day.
Additional Trip Information
Travel Documents
- Please find our updated Travel & Visa Information page, to aid you with your travels to Indonesia.
- Visa On Arrival (VOA), single entry is now available for many countries and Visa Exemption Arrangement (VEP) for some ASEAN countries for stay up to 30 days. VOA cost: IDR 500,000 (approx. EUR 32/ USD 35). Payment can be done by: Visa, Mastercard or Debit Card or Cash Indonesian Rupiah (IDR). Note: Please check here for eligibility & application. If you are from one of countries not on the VOA or VEA lists, or if you simply wish to get 60 day visa in advance, you MUST apply for an eVisa (B211A) online PRIOR to arrival before entering all other airports.
- Passport. Please ensure your passport is in good order, at least 2 blank pages, is valid for at least 6 months, and that you are able to enter Indonesia. Check with your local Embassy of Indonesia if unsure. Note: Late receipt of Passport details may very likely lead to delayed departure & significant changes to the itinerary.
- Departure Tax. Indonesia Passenger Service Charge (IPSC) has changed (Mar-2015) to be included in your flight ticket price. Please check though as previously it was 200,000IDRp to leave Indonesia, & up to 75,000IDRp for Domestic flights. Carry small bills, Indonesia Rupiah preferred, as often no change given.
Domestic Flights
- Please book BEFORE confirming your international flights to ensure you make your connection to Ternate & from Manado.
- Travel agent: If you require assistance with your itinerary: obtaining an e-visa, booking domestic flight tickets, hotels, transfers, and additional land arrangements etc, we can recommend local Indonesian Travel agents, our friends at Come2Indonesia. Contact Rendy & the team here rendy@come2indonesia.com. Note:If booked with credit card please ensure the card is with you upon check-In or have an official Airline form filled in & signed by card holder authorizing the use of.
- Our ticketing agents are not responsible for any flight delay or cancellation, luggage lost or delay. In any case, please contact our ground staff in Bali for assistance for flight delay issue.
- Domestic Airlines normally have 20Kg allowance, although you may pay for 10Kg extra when booking, if needed (around US$3/kilo). With an additional 7kg carryon.
Health & Insurance
- Dive Insurance: Compulsory for this trip. We also strongly advise you to get adequate travel insurance. Please check your travel insurance policy for your diving needs. If not covered, then we recommend DiveAssure for their single trip policy cover.
- Dive Computer: Compulsory on this trip. We have rentals onboard if you do not have.
- Follow Safe Diving Practices at ALL times plus No Deco Diving and No Solo Diving.
- Dive & Travel insurance are compulsory for our trips. Our trips are not inclusive of any form of insurance. White Manta Diving cannot be held responsible for any trip disruption or cancellation due to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control or any flight / hotel expenses. This includes any costs resulting in delay/ medical/ extraction/ or trip costs, refusal of admittance to the country or your trip, before, during or after. We strongly recommend all guests purchase adequate travel insurance, as such an occurrence will affect all guests on trip. For more details see our Booking Information page, travel insurance section.
Internet/ Mobile
- Satellite Wi-Fi
- Mobile signal: Local Telkomsel is best local card to buy. Not long after you leave port, we have intermittent/ limited mobile signal until we return.
- Telkomsel pre-paid SIM or eSIM is the best value. Plus, can add credit top up!!!
Trip Extras payment onboard
- By Credit card comes with 4.5% additional handling fee.
- By Cash we accept US dollars, Euros, Singaporean dollars, and Indonesian rupiah. Please ensure ALL bills are in good order; NOT worn or torn and unmarked or we are UNABLE to accept. Current Exchange rate to be determined onboard. ATMs are available in town.
Trip Extras
- Marine Park & Harbour fee: US$300 per person. To be settled in advance of trip.
- Fuel Surcharge fee: US$400 per person. To be settled in advance of trip.
- Massage US$40/ hour, laundry services US$10/ basket
- Nespresso coffee: US$3, beer US$4, wine US$40-50
- Satellite Wi-Fi: US$35 per person/ 10Gb card.
- Nitrox: US$20/ diving day or US$7/ fill.
Equipment rental
Diving gear: Full Set* US$50/ diving day (except large tank & torch) or if individual items then following rates apply per diving day**
- BCD US$15*
- Regulator US$15*
- Dive Computer US$15*
- Wetsuit US$10*
- Fins US$10*
- Mask US$10*
- Large Tank US$15
- Torch** US$15 per sunset/ night dive.
Diving gear items priced per diving day*. Please provide sizes in advance of the trip, as all gear is subject to availability. If not known then provide your height, weight, shoe size, where applicable.
- Note**: Torch rental price is per use/ sunset/ night dive.
- Note: Exposure suits: 3mm shorty wetsuits available ONLY.
- Note: Large tank AL100, 100 cu ft (13.2 liters)
- Note: Gear included, regular air tank AL80, 80 cu ft (11.1 liters), weights, belt.
Ready to Dive?
Checkout our our schedule and book your adventure today!
