DIVE ADVICE TRAVEL - Indonesia Arenui

THE BOAT

To live up to their motto of being "The Boutique Liveaboard" attention has been given to every aspect of the Arenui to ensure that it fully embodies our philosophy of providing a unique dive holiday experience, giving you the best there is in terms of diving and leisure activities, without sacrificing any of the comforts and luxury you would expect to get from a top-notch hotel on land.

Intimate but roomy, the Arenui is an exquisite ship and a work of art in itself, with its wooden detailing and decorative touches. The second you step on board you notice that she is a world apart from the average liveaboard.

An amazing 70 percent of the wood used to build the Arenui is recycled wood, much of it recycled teak wood from Javanese houses.

17 different types of finishing techniques have been used and all wood finishing has been done by hand, using traditional materials and techniques. The bronze, brass and copper features, such as the unique hinges and handles are all handmade.

Many of the traditional elements of Javanese houses have been recreated on the Arenui. The steps in front of the restaurant, for crew access to the top deck, are from a Javanese house. Triangular supports with intricate carvings can be found all around the boat. The boon support in the sky lounge area was hand crafted in Bali, designed to look like a typical Balinese doorway.

Take a look at the intricate carvings on the stairs from the restaurant down to the lower cabins. These locally carved wood panels depict the Ramayana story. Ramayana is an important part of Hindu faith and is an epic poem of courage, magic and humour, containing 18 books and 24,000 verses. The carvings are a magical addition to your home away from home . . .

ACCOMMODATION & AMENITIES

Accommodation.
The Arenui can host a maximum of 16 passengers in exceptionally spacious, beautifully furnished cabins, all with exquisite handicrafts from each of the Indonesian provinces.

Each cabin, the smallest at 17 square meters, has en-suite bathroom and individually controlled air conditioning. A king-size bed and separate sitting area assures your comfort.

The upper deck features 2 master-suites (Rama and Shinta, double beds) and 2 deluxe twin cabins (Barong and Ganesh, single beds), plus the galley, the dive deck and the spacious restaurant.

On the lower deck you find 4 deluxe cabins (Garuda, Legong, Toraja and Dayak), accommodating couples, single divers or groups of 3 (e.g. families with children).

On the skydeck you’ll find the sky restaurant and sun-bathing, the wheelhouse and then the raised sky lounge with stretches across the back half of the boat.

Each of the Arenui's cabins have been decorated according to a specific theme.

Services and facilities.
On the Arenui, all amenities, such as a full range of massage and spa treatments, are included with the intent to make you feel as comfortable and relaxed as possible at all times. The aim is to ensure that service is attentive yet relaxed, and never intrusive.

Meals
Meals receive the same attention as the diving and the amenities - from the setting . . . to the décor . . . . andto the choice of dishes.

Rather than the typical dive liveaboard buffets, you will be able to choose from a daily a la carte menu. The food is plentiful, fresh, and centered around local and flown-in ingredients. Internationally trained chefs add in their own touch of magic, drawing inspiration from local and international cuisine.

Leisure activities.
The skydeck and indoor bars are equipped with a full range of leisure and recreational facilities. There is a spa, a computer with internet connection, as well as an extensive selection of books and movies in the library/ entertainment centre.

Thanks to Steve Jones for the super shark shot!

DIVING

The Arenui travels to Indonesia's best diving including Komodo, Alor, Maluku, Raja Ampat and beyond.

To showcase the best of Indonesia, The Arenui spends the May to October months mainly around the Komodo National Park area, taking in dive sites and landscapes from Bali right across to Flores and Alor.

In November the boat moves towards Ambon in Maluku and the Spice Islands in the Banda Sea, working its way to the Raja Ampat area of Western Papua to continue dive cruises from December through until April.

In Indonesia, whether its nudibranchs and rhinopias you’re after, or manta rays and schooling fish, this region really has it all. From black sand muck dives to crystal clear drift dives, from warm water to cold, Indonesia is a place to visit time and time again; once is never enough!

KOMODO
Offering perhaps the most diverse range of dive sites, Komodo cruises have everything from macro subjects to pelagics, from drift dives over stunning reefs to night dives on black sandy slopes. In the Komodo National Park, now one of the new 7 wonders of nature, you will dive over hot springs at an underwater volcano and meet the last living dinosaur. You will explore a popular site called Castle Rock, a nice opportunity to try out a ‘reef-hook’ dive as you secure yourself to the rock and float in the current, watching the schooling fish and predator/prey action!

ALOR & FLORES
As well as being one of the best kept secrets for diving in paradise, including rare finds like the beautiful rhinopias but also plenty of pelagic action, this area boasts stunning topside scenery and impressive volcanoes. The cruise will also visit the famous Pura Island villagers, who splash out of their wooden dugout canoes and dive underwater with home-made goggles fashioned from wood and glass bottles

MALUKU & BANDA (SPICE ISLANDS)
Unlike other areas, with high populations and subsequent pressure from fishing, the Bandas’ relatively small human population has been a blessing for divers - offering a vibrant, healthy reef system with fish life in incredible numbers along with huge gorgonians and sponges and some truly monumental hard corals. Expect plenty of pelagics, widespread muck diving and unexplored coral gardens, as well as a rich colonial heritage on land. Dive Nusa Laut, which showcases the positive effects of a village taking care of its habitat, where the reef remains as unspoiled as it was hundreds of years ago and a favourite of many dive enthusiasts.

AMBON
The Laha sites are a hidden treasure of amazing critters, including the recently discovered species of frogfish (the psychedelic frogfish) but also mimic octopus, zebra crabs and dozens of different nudi. A very popular photo subject is the eponymous Ambon Scorpionfish in differing hues of red, pink, green, yellow and orange - but keep an eye out for many other members of the scorpionfish family too, including the spiny devilfish, stonefish, zebra lionfish, ragged-finned lionfish and leafy scorpionfish – all venomous but gorgeous!

RAJA AMPAT
Famed as the world’s epicentre of marine biodiversity, this area offers vibrant underwater colours but also majestic landscapes, so a perfect destination for keen photographers. The waters of the region’s 1,500 virtually untouched islands, boast over 1,300 reef fish (25 endemic species), 600 hard corals and 75 % of all known coral species, plus 13 marine mammals and 5 species of endangered sea turtles. Wobbegong sharks hide under colourful coral shelves and the elusive Epaulette “walking” shark comes out at night. Jump in at Neptune Fan Sea for a great drift dive, rushing along a gulley past giant colourful gorgonian seafans. Manta Sandy is well-known as one of the most consistent spots for finding congregating mantas.

PHOTOGRAPHY

There are 2 computers set up for both PC and MAC systems (with photo editing software). There are charging stations for all your equipment, extension cords and adaptors to cater to different systems and plenty of table space for using your own laptops, plus our experienced cruise directors will be happy to assist with most of your photo and computer needs during the cruise.

If you're seeking a bit of extra advice and tutoring, perhaps you'd like to join on of the special ‘photo-cruises’, with pros onboard, which run throughout the year. You can find these noted in our Availability listings - but please note that all Arenui cruises sell out quickly and especially the photo tours . . .

WATER TEMPERATURE
This is always a difficult question to answer because Indonesia covers such a large water surface. Typically, average temperatures in Raja Ampat range from 25-30C (80-86F) which mean that a 3mm wetsuit or even a skinsuit is usually fine. The southern waters of Komodo can be colder, from 20-25C (70-75F); therefore, a 5mm wetsuit with a hood is recommended.

It's best to discuss these practicalities with us at the time of booking. We'll ensure that you have the most updated information for the time and destination of your travel.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

Full board accommodation in double Deluxe Cabin

The shore activities/excursions according to the program

Soft drinks, water, tea, American/Balinese coffee

Five meals per day

Diving activities (up to 4 dives/day)

Dive cylinders, weights and weight belts

Transfer from/to embarkation/disembarkation airport

Government taxes

Welcome massage (1/2 hour per person)

NOT INCLUDED

Administration/port clearance fee

National Parks Entrance Fee

Fuel Surcharge

International and domestic air transportation

Hotels and meals before and after the cruise

Alcoholic drinks, espresso, cappuccino

Dive equipment rental (other than dive cylinders, weights and weight belt)

Nitrox refills

Massages and Spa treatments (other than welcome massage)

Travel insurance

Private tours

Laundry

On-board telecommunications

Crew gratuities

Contact us for additional details or to book spaces.