The Other Side of the Spice Islands
Halmahera is the largest island of the North Moluccas, a scattered group of volcanic islands once known across the world as the Spice Islands. Scubaspa Zen explores this remote region on a route connecting Raja Ampat with Ternate, far from the usual liveaboard circuits. Underwater, quiet reefs, walls, and pinnacles are home to schooling fish and rare critters, while ashore, Mount Gamalama rises above Ternate, where historic forts recall centuries of clove trading.
Highlights
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Raja Ampat and Halmahera in one trip
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Rarely dived reefs
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Critters and schooling fish
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Reef sharks encounter
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Spice trade history
Available Routes
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Raja Ampat & Halmahera
- Starts: Sorong
- Ends: Ternate
- Mar 17 – 27, 2027 (10 nights)
- Starts: Ternate
- Ends: Sorong
- Mar 28 – Apr 7, 2027 (10 nights)
This 10-night route links Raja Ampat with the remote reefs of Halmahera in the North Moluccas, sailing between Sorong and the volcanic island of Ternate. It pairs Raja Ampat’s famous biodiversity with quiet, rarely dived sites few liveaboards ever reach.
Sailing between Sorong and Ternate, this 10-night route combines Raja Ampat’s manta rays, wobbegong sharks, and vibrant reefs with Halmahera’s secluded coral gardens, schooling fish, and critter diving. Along the way, Ternate’s historic forts add a glimpse into the region’s spice trade past.
View route map
A Typical Day in a Halmahera Cruise
On a route this remote, each day is shaped by the sea, the weather and the distance to the next reef. The sample day below shows how diving, wellness and time ashore usually unfold, though times and activities may change with conditions and your cruise director’s plan.
- 5:45
- Sunrise Yoga Start the day with a stretch
- 06:30
- Dive
- 08:00
- Breakfast Live cooking station
- 10:30
- Dive / Snorkeling
- 12:30
- Lunch Live cooking station
- 14:30
- Dive / Snorkeling
- 15:30
- Daily Activity Lagoon visit, viewpoints, etc.
- 17:30
- Dive Occasional dusk/night dive
- 19:30
- Dinner À la carte or special evening
Diving Details
Diving on this route combines two distinct regions. In Raja Ampat, nutrient-rich currents support extraordinary marine biodiversity, while Halmahera offers quiet, rarely dived reefs where encounters with other boats are uncommon. From coral gardens and current-swept pinnacles to volcanic slopes, divers may encounter schooling fish, reef sharks, turtles, and an impressive variety of smaller, macro marine life.
In Halmahera, dive sites include the reefs of the Widi Islands and Goraici Islands, known for healthy hard corals, walls, and pinnacles with schooling barracuda, sweetlips, and bumphead parrotfish. Near Ternate, volcanic black sand slopes offer opportunities to discover frogfish, nudibranchs, and other critters, while the Raja Ampat portion adds manta rays, wobbegong sharks, and some of Indonesia’s best-known reefs.
Practical Information for diving in Halmahera and Raja Ampat
- Water temperature: 27–29°C (81–84°F).
- Dive experience: Minimum Advanced Open Water certification (or equivalent) and 30 logged dives. Best suited to intermediate and advanced divers with good buoyancy control.
- Currents: Conditions range from gentle to strong, particularly around points and channels in Raja Ampat. Dive sites are selected daily according to tides and local conditions.
- Best suited to intermediate or advanced divers.
- Wetsuit recommendation: 3 or 5 mm full wetsuit (three dives a day, with an occasional fourth, can leave you chilled).
Rates& Dates
17 – 27 Mar
Halmahera
Sorong to Ternate
From $8,650
28 Mar – 07 Apr
Halmahera
Ternate to Sorong
From $8,650
Moments on Board
Off the radar, full of life
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know before setting sail
Where does a Halmahera trip start and end?
Halmahera is always sailed together with Raja Ampat, on a 10-night route between Sorong and Ternate. In 2027, one departure sails from Sorong to Ternate and one from Ternate to Sorong. Check the available routes above for dates.
How is Halmahera different from Raja Ampat?
Halmahera sees far fewer liveaboards than Raja Ampat, so many of its reefs remain quiet and rarely dived. The region has its own species of walking shark, and the route ends or begins at Ternate, a volcanic island once at the heart of the clove trade.
Which airports do I fly into?
Sorong and Ternate both have domestic airports, usually reached by connecting through a major Indonesian hub. As the route starts and ends in different ports, you will fly into one and out of the other. Our reservations team can advise on the best connections for your trip.
Banda Sea & Forgotten Islands
April, September and October departures
Remote volcanic islands, deep blue water and some of Indonesia’s least visited reefs, with hammerheads, sea snakes and the historic Spice Islands of Banda.
Cenderawasih Bay
July and August 2028
Indonesia’s largest marine national park, where whale sharks gather beneath fishing platforms and isolated reefs shelter species found nowhere else.