je cherche des infos récentes sur les Banda : comment s'y rendre depuis Ambon, guests houses à conseiller, où faire du snorkeling, que faire d'autre à part le snorkeling, coût de la vie sur place, etc... ?
Apparemment la météo serait correcte en février/mars... Vous confirmez ?
je cherche des infos récentes sur les Banda : comment s'y rendre depuis Ambon, guests houses à conseiller, où faire du snorkeling, que faire d'autre à part le snorkeling, coût de la vie sur place, etc... ?
Apparemment la météo serait correcte en février/mars... Vous confirmez ?
Apparemment la météo serait correcte en février/mars... Vous confirmez ?
Re-bonjour !
Oui les Iles Banda sont soumises au climat d'Ambon, avec une saison des pluies modérée en février mars.
(mon ami Rumaji en train d'essayer la pêche aux iles Banda)
Ce qui n'est pas le cas des iles Key qui, bien que proches, sont soumises au climat des îles de la Sonde, j'en ai fait les frais en 2010 avec une semaine de tempête non-stop en janvier !...
Septembre est certainement le meilleur mois pour visiter toute l'Indonésie.
Après, pour le cas particulier des Banda, je ne sais pas, Ambon a l'air très encore assez pluvieuse en septembre http://en.climate-data.org/location/3614/
-En avion, a condition que le petit coucou desserve l'ile, l'année derniere la derniere rotation s'est faite en mi novembre
-En pelni, en general le "TIDAR", a verifier sur le site officiel de la Pelni pour l'emploi du temps mais en general deux fois par mois
-Le bateau rapide "EXPRESS BAHARI" depuis le port de Tulehu sur l'ile d'Ambon, 3 fois par semaine environ. bateau annulé en cas de grain et de vent fort
Guest house:
-Hotel SAHABAT a Ambon, pas loin de la place central, calme, propre et pas trop cher (petit dej degueulasse par contre)
-A bandanaira, plethore de guest houses, Mutiara, Delfika, Bintang laut parmi d'autres...sensiblement le meme prix partout entre 150000 et 200000, ptit dej inclus
-Sur les iles, on se pointe et on voit et on demande aux residents sur place, la aussi sensiblement les memes prix, la qualite de la bouffe varie d'une pension a l'autre, mais c'ets toujours, riz, poisson et legumes...... the et cafe a volonte.....eau potable aussi......les ptits plus comme fruits ou ptits dej (ptit dej offerts, mais souvent pas terrible, genre des gateaux industriels...) tu prevois un ptit marche a Bandaneira avant de partir et tu stockes les mangues, les agrumes, les ptits biscuits locaux, les bananes, les ptits citrons, echalottes, piments (pour ceux qui veulent agrementer les plats avec plus de gouts) ou encore des bouteilles de sauces comme Kecap manis ou sauce piquante....selon gout tu vois et tu fais ton marche
Activites:
-Snorkeling: HATTA et AI, imbattables..... Hatta etant meme grandiose pour le tombant et l'accessibilité
-Visite des reliques coloniales
-Marcher sur une piste d'aeroport (c'ets cliché mais rares sont aujourd hui les endroits dans le monde ou on peut le faire)
-Grimper sur le volcan de gunung Api
-Tour des plantations d'epices avec mention speciale pour la recolte de la cannelle, un travail hyper laborieux et interessant
-Gouter aux specialités locales comme l'aubergine frites a la sauce kenari
-Selier d'amitie avec les locaux et apprendre a parler indonesien avec l'accent local (chantant a souhait, comme de l'italien du sud)
-Pour les specialistes, on peut plonger, aller pecher....
-Sortir en bateau pour nager avec les dauphins
-FARNIENTEEEE
BUDGET:
Grosso modo aux alentours de 15 euros tout compris sur les iles, 20 a 25 euros sur la capitale.
Aujourd'hui il y a des options plus cher et la destination se boboise grandement avec l'offre de service superflu qui va avec, les prix explosent mais restent maitrisés car la concurrence fait office de tampon. Et a part les jours d'arrivée de pelni (ou depart du coup), on trouve facilement de quoi loger. Il y a les ptits restos occidentalisés avec les prix qui vont avec, mais on peut facilement faire son marche et manger sur le pouce dans des gargottes sympas (comme celle tenue par la vieille dame de Makassar avec fabuleux Soto makassar)
Reste le transport inter iles qui peut te couter le double voire le triple du local, certains charterisent des bateaux pour les virées snorkeling d'autres se renseignent au port pour prendre le bateau public pour rejoindre les iles exterieures ( arrivee a bandaneira le matin et generalement depart aux alentours de midi 13h)
Pour visiter les bandas il faut avoir du temps (moins qu'avant maintenant qu'il y a le bateau rapide), un budget pas trop serré car pour arriver ne serait qu'a Ambon il faut un minimum de deux vols depuis la capitale soit un minimum de 150 euros a peu pres aller et autant au retour
Donc a etudier avec grande finess pour inclure dans vos plans
Je pars en janvier février pour l'Indonésie et plus particulièrement pour les fonds marins.
Je serais en janvier sur les Raja Ampat et après je souhaiterais alleé sur les iles Bandas. Je suis donc à la recherche d'infos pour les Bandas, comment y accéder depuis Ambon et quel est le prix sur les îles ( logement, sortie bateau....). Je voyage seul et je n'ai pas besoin de "luxe"
Merci pour votre réponse
je cherche des infos récentes sur les Banda : comment s'y rendre depuis Ambon, guests houses à conseiller, où faire du snorkeling, que faire d'autre à part le snorkeling, coût de la vie sur place, etc... ?
Apparemment la météo serait correcte en février/mars... Vous confirmez ?
Merci !
Florence
Bonjour Florence, avez-vous finalement été sur les Banda? Si oui, pouvez-vous partager vos impressions ou vos conseils pratiques? J'y serai également en février. Comment était le temps?
Merci!
Bonjour
Je vous le souhaite car on ne réussi pas à gagner les Banda a tous les coups.
On était à Ambon début septembre ... et on n'a pas pu atteindre Bandaneira :
- le ferry passe environ 2 fois par mois, pas de chance il venait de passer la veille, le suivant était trop loin
- le speedboat part les mardi et samedi ... pas de bol il était en panne pour une durée indéterminée
- l'avion Suzi Air de 10 places part 2 fois par semaine quand il est plein, quand il faut beau, quand il n'y a pas de vent ... etc . Impossible de réserver, il faut aller a l'aéroport la matin vers 7h pour savoir s'il y a de la place et s'il décolle 😛 A priori il est toujours plein quand on arrive .. il y a un système de priorité dont je ne connais pas le fonctionnement
- à la nage, c'est un peu trop loin
Pour le retour des Banda, prévoyez large avant un avion de retour, car ce sera le même pb, on ne part pas forcément le jour prévu (c'est ce qu'on avait fait ... mais ça n'a pas suffit pour y arriver )
A Ternate on a rencontré un habitant qui nous a dit avoir réussi a atteindre les Banda après 3 tentatives au départ d'Ambon .... cause panne puis météo
Hi everyone,
We’re planning a one-month trip to the Philippines for two of us, spanning April/May 2027, and we’d love your valuable advice to tell us if our itinerary is realistic or not :)
Just so you know, we’re divers and want to take the PADI Advanced Open Water Diver course at the start of our trip (which will take up 2 full days) so we can fully enjoy the different dive sites afterward. We also want to limit internal flights as much as possible. Here’s our itinerary:
Arrive directly in Cebu
Take the ferry to Bohol, head to Panglao Island
Diving in Panglao (& PADI training) + visit Bohol Island for 4/5 days
We’re wondering about this part of the trip because Panglao Island seems very touristy—what do you think? Would the Camotes Islands, for example, be more interesting?
Take the ferry to Siquijor, stay there for 3/4 days (combined with a visit to Apo Island)
From Siquijor, return to Cebu to head to Malapascua, stay there for 2/3 days
Again, return to Cebu to take a flight to El Nido
→ So about 12 days in the Visayas
Do the El Nido→Coron 3-day/2-night cruise
Stay 2/3 days in Coron (combined with Apo Reef)
Head to Luzon Island from Coron (by plane or ferry)
Visit the Banaue Rice Terraces (if possible) for 3/4 days
Return to France from Manila
Thanks for your help :)
We’re planning a trip to Thailand for next summer. It’s the rainy season, but that’ll let us explore forest parks (Khao Yai and Khao Sok, most likely) in full bloom and teeming with wildlife. We’d also like to spend a few days on beaches with nearby coral reefs during this trip. That’s where we’re hitting a snag—I’m struggling to find an island or region with favorable weather. I’ve gone through quite a few threads on this forum, but most are pretty old and mention a few names (Tao, Phaluai, Ma, or Phang Nga), though with doubts about visibility or overall appeal. Crowds also seemed like a bit of an issue. Just to clarify, our family has mixed interests when it comes to fish-related activities—some are Level 1 divers, while others are snorkelers only.
Are there any good options in July-August for great experiences in the area?
Thanks for your tips!
Hi everyone! 😊
I’m looking for a place in Albania to go scuba diving with my boyfriend. We’ve never done it before and we’d love to try this activity.
Thanks so much! 🌺🌺
hi
I wanted to know the best snorkeling spots in Tuamotu since I unfortunately don’t have enough time to do everything—I’ll have to pick and choose.
Thanks in advance for your help!
I’d describe myself as a "former diver." I’ve done around 450 dives in natural environments across different settings. I put diving on hold about 5 years ago due to work/schedule constraints and, let’s say, family reasons. Since then, I’ve still tried to stay in shape with hiking trips, running, swimming, and freediving in protected environments, etc...
I’m planning to get back into the bubbles somewhere this year.
Any destinations you’d recommend—or avoid—for getting back into it?
I’m looking for a spot for April/May this year.
For my trip to Thailand with two teens aged 13 and 16, do you have any info or tips to share? I’d like to go jet skiing, either in Phuket or Koh Samui, but I’d need at least two jet skis since there are three of us. Can my 16-year-old ride alone? Is it better to rent on-site or book an all-inclusive excursion online or in person?
Our Bali-Lombok trip is taking shape, but we’d love to wrap up the stay with at least a solid week of snorkeling somewhere the coral is still in great condition. In your opinion, are the Gili Secrets in southern Lombok better than Flores Island, where there are supposedly amazing underwater landscapes?
We’ll be in Dahab again this October—we’ve been going since 1979—to freedive. In 2025, to our surprise, access to the Blue Hole is now paid: on top of the 10 € taxi fare, you have to pay $10 per person to enter the park. So we’re heading outside Dahab to the Three Pools site by bike, rented locally. Is there a bus that goes there, or shared taxis, instead of the tourist taxis? And where can we catch them? We’ve seen big buses full of local families on the site, but we don’t know where to find them. Thanks in advance!
Hi there,
The comments about this public beach are generally negative:
tiny beach, crowded, dirty, and noisy.
Is that really the case?
Could you please post some of your recent photos of the public beach—not photos from the big hotels?
Hello,
For flight schedules and prices from Bordeaux, and ease of reaching Alexandria by bus/train afterward, I’m considering spending 4 days around Hurghada (direct flight from Bdx).
I don’t think I’ll go for courses to get my Level 1, since I don’t plan to dive often in the future—unless you think it’s better than doing 2 discovery dives in this area (I only have one baptism under my belt, in Koh Tao 15 years ago—amazing! But I’m not targeting trips for diving; I need to go to Alexandria, so this is a chance to get back into diving and snorkeling).
I’m looking for a spot to do some snorkeling, 1 or 2 baptisms, and explore the surroundings. I’ll arrive in early March on the evening of Day 0. I’ll have 3.5 days after that (I’m planning to leave on Day 4 around 4 PM by bus/train).
Is Hurghada completely to be avoided in favor of another area in the Red Sea, or can I still have a nice 3.5 days there? I know places like Dahab are more pleasant, but the convenience and timing of Hurghada appeal to me...
I usually prefer more authentic travel spots and places, but I’m willing to compromise on that if it’s still worth it for the diving.
Or should I only stay 2.5 days and head to Alexandria a day earlier? (I’ve already seen Cairo and Luxor a bit.)
Hi there,
I’m heading to Hurghada for a few days in November. I’m looking for a spot where I can go snorkeling right from the beach. Is that still possible, or do you absolutely need to take a boat trip to see anything worthwhile?
I’ve read about Makadi Bay, but also that it’s packed with big resort complexes—which I’d rather avoid. Are there any beaches accessible without staying at one of those huge hotels?
Any great tips or advice for me?
Thanks in advance,
Lucille
Hey everyone!!
I’m planning a 3-month trip to the Philippines for May 2026.
As a diving enthusiast, I’d love to hear about must-visit diving spots.
I’m traveling with a buddy, and we don’t really want to spend all our time moving around, so if you have recommendations for one area that’s better than others for diving, that’d be great!
What do you think are the best diving sites? (I’d appreciate an overview of the country so I can decide based on that.)
Compared to my buddy, I love macro photography (nudibranchs, etc.), so I’d also love any tips on that.
And completely unrelated to diving, but I’d also like info on places to visit (national parks, reserves, etc.) to see the local wildlife.
Thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to reply!
Safe travels, everyone!
Hello everyone!
So glad to be back on this forum to swap some great tips.
I’m heading to Malaysia from mid-May to mid-August 2025 for nearly 3 months.
With my advanced certification in hand for a few years now, I’m on the lookout for the best dive spots in Malaysia.
I’ve obviously heard about the Perhentians and Sipadan.
Someone mentioned Tioman too, but not necessarily for diving.
Do you have any feedback on these places for diving? (visibility, marine life diversity, etc.)
Any idea about the rates for fun dives?
Dive centers you’d recommend?
Any help would be super valuable for planning the trip, so thanks a million in advance to those who take the time to reply.
Safe travels, everyone!!
Hi there.
For taking photos while snorkeling, is it better to go with a disposable camera or a waterproof pouch? If a pouch, which brand is reliable? Thanks for your feedback!
Hi there,
I’m looking for a destination in Vietnam for January to spend a week and go snorkeling.
Anyone have any suggestions?
I know Thailand well, and with my Thai friend, we’d like to try a different country.
This is the excursion we shouldn’t have done in Mauritius.
We did it with The Friendly Dodo, but from what I saw, it’s the same with most agencies.
Departure at 6 a.m. (even though the sun rises at 7 a.m. in August). Why? Because there’s only one well-known spot where the dolphins are, and all the agencies race to get there first.
For 45 to 60 minutes, it’s just straight-line navigation to the spot. No one’s looking for dolphins—we’re just speeding there in silence, full throttle.
Once we arrive, there are already 5-6 boats. The dolphins are there, sure. The boats fight for the best position, cutting off the dolphins’ path, and then—go, go, go—everyone jumps in. Not a single instruction is given on how to approach the dolphins respectfully. Result: everyone jumps in at the same time from 3 boats, creating a huge splash, and rushes toward the dolphins. Outcome: faced with this chaos, the dolphins dive, and you can’t see them from the boat anymore. The swimmers who are right in their path might see them pass below for a few seconds at best.
Everyone climbs back onto the boats, and as soon as the dolphins resurface, the same cycle starts all over again.
After 5 or 6 jumps like this (3 of which I didn’t even see the dolphins), it’s back to the port the same way we came.
Not a single explanation is given during the entire excursion about the dolphins themselves or how to approach them.
Safety-wise, I didn’t feel comfortable either with all the boats fighting for position. I bumped into another boat (no pain) while swimming, and I wasn’t reassured about the propellers.
With all this circus, my daughters didn’t even want to get in the water. The problem is, when you stay on the boat, you don’t get much out of it either—because as soon as the dolphins resurface, everyone jumps in haphazardly and scares them off again.
Having done the same kind of outing in Réunion, I can confirm it’s nothing like this (much better organized and ultimately much more rewarding in Réunion).
Under these conditions, this is an activity we never should’ve done! !
My partner and I are heading to Mauritius at the end of October (Tamarin Bay), and one of our wishes is to find a great small-group excursion out at sea to meet dolphins.
I’m looking for a provider that’s respectful of the animals and gives us a fun, discovery-filled day.
I’ve heard a lot about Amistad on this site—what do you think?
Do you have any tried-and-tested alternatives to suggest?
Thanks so much!
We're heading to Praslin, La Digue, and Mahé for 15 days in early March. Do you have any good snorkeling spots to recommend? Just to let you know, we're beginners, and I get scared easily if it's too deep.
Also, another important question: what do you do with your belongings on the beach while snorkeling? Our phones, accommodation keys, wallets, etc.?
Hi everyone!
I’ve been in Malaysia for a month now and still have two more to go. I started traveling with friends, but I’ll be solo for the next month and a half.
We did a pretty classic route: Perhentians, Cameron Highlands (which I found pointless), Tioman, and Kinabatangan in Borneo. Now I’m thinking of heading to Redang Island—Langkawi is also an option, but it doesn’t appeal to me as much. Any feedback on these two spots?
Especially Redang?
Any thoughts on the diving there?
So far, I haven’t had much luck with diving—at the Perhentians, it was pretty disastrous with water at 31°C 😵😫
I’d love to find a nice island where I can meet people (locals and travelers) because going from a group of six to solo at the end is going to feel weird.
So I’m open to all tips and opinions. Also, I’d love to hear about Langkawi, and if anyone knows of an island that’s a bit more off the beaten path, that’d be amazing. Thanks in advance, and happy travels to you all!
hi everyone
we’d love to visit Borneo and I’m not finding much info on it yet (just starting my research)
so I’m reaching out to you, like I do for every trip—it’s worked out great for us so far 😎
we’re a family of 4 with two teens, 14 and 18, and we’re going for 3 weeks.
what’s the weather like in August—too much rain?
any political issues to be aware of?
which little beach paradises should we not miss?
we love discovering animals and diving… any top spots?
as for airfare—any budget-friendly airlines or easy routes? (Singapore, Denpasar, etc.)
I’ve got so many questions! All of this on a reasonable budget…
thanks in advance to anyone kind enough to take the time to reply
Hi,
I’d like to do several boat trips to go snorkeling during my stay in Florès: Islands departing from Riung, Maumere, and Labuan Bajo (Seraya).
- WHO?: Do you have any contacts to organize these boat trips?
- HOW MUCH?: What’s the cost for a full-day trip, including boat rental and possibly meals (picnic, barbecue, etc.)?
Hello,
I’d like to go on a 5-day kayaking trip with snorkeling, island visits, and village tours in the Philippines. I don’t have a specific island in mind, but I’d love something off the beaten path. I’m traveling solo but can join a small group. This would be around March 20th. Thanks so much for your suggestions!
I’m looking for a 5-day kayaking and snorkeling trip with a few village visits and no mass tourism. I’m alone but open to joining a small group. Any recommendations for around March 20th? Thanks a bunch for your feedback!
Hey everyone reading my post!
I’ll be in Mexico, specifically in Playa del Carmen and Tulum, from March 11 to April 2.
I’m looking online for things to do, but they all seem pretty similar—I’m after something a bit more original but don’t wanna get ripped off either!
If you’ve had any great experiences in those areas, feel free to share them. Thanks in advance!
Hi there,
I have my flight to Malé from February 3rd to 15th.
I want to visit Malé first, then head to 2 or 3 nearby islands. I’d like to take the ferry to keep costs down.
I’d love to be able to snorkel right from the beach.
Which atolls or islands would you recommend?
Thanks for your help!
Hi there, my husband loves fishing, and during our upcoming vacation in French Polynesia, he’s planning to do two half-day trips. We’ll be staying in family-run guesthouses on the following islands: Tahiti, Moorea, Huahine, Bora Bora, Rangiroa, and Fakarava. Which type of fishing should he choose for the best experience, and on which islands? Thanks in advance for your help! 🙂
Hi there,
We’re heading to South Africa for a two-week vacation next March.
We’d love to see great white sharks and maybe even try the cage diving. We’re planning to go to Gansbaai—do you think we’ll have a chance to see them? Also, do you know of any specialized agencies that aren’t too commercial and are respectful of the animals?
Thanks
Off on an adventure to Java (and a bit of Bali)
Sumatra: Off the Beaten Path in Asia
A little piece of Sulawesi with the family: Rantepao and Selayar
Cruise around the islands of Komodo
The Moluccas: Splendors (and Struggles) of an Archipelago Unknown to Tourists
The Pearl of Africa - July-August 2026
Tanzania Classics (Safari & Zanzibar)
Getting Away to Ireland
