Ocean Earth Travels
FR
EcoXplorer

EcoXplorer

EcoXplorer is more than just a boat. This vessel was rebuilt in 2022 in South Sulawesi with a traditional Phinisi design and focuses on both ecotourism and supporting local communities in Eastern Indonesia. Originally named “Imbekwan” and used for marine patrols, the boat was donated and transformed to continue its mission of sustainability and community support. All profits from the trips go directly to the EcoNusa Foundation, funding projects that protect ecosystems and provide essential health and education services.

EcoXplorer has 5 cabins taking up to 14 guests, with 10 crew. She sails remote routes: Halmahera, Seram, the Banda Sea, the Forgotten Islands, Cendrawasih Bay, Raja Ampat and Triton Bay. The operation is built around low-impact travel and working with local communities.

The Cabins

Sea View Room

This sea view room sits at the rear of the main deck, with a queen-size bed and a bunk bed for up to four guests, a large bathroom and a window facing the sea.

Deluxe Room

The Deluxe rooms consist of three options: Intsia, Myristica, and Avicennia. Intsia, located on the upper deck, features a queen-size bed for two guests, while Myristica and Avicennia, both on the bottom deck, each have two bunk beds (one double and one single) accommodating three guests per room. Together, the Deluxe rooms can fit a total of eight guests. Note that Intsia is occasionally unavailable for research and education purposes.

Standard Room

The Standard rooms, Wallacei and Astrapia, are both on the bottom deck. Each has two bunk beds (single 120×200) taking up to four guests, which suits groups or families.

Itineraries

Papua Region

Destinations: Raja Ampat, Cendrawasih Bay, Triton Bay

  • 6 Nights, 7 Days Trip (6N/7D): starts from USD 2,485
  • 7 Nights, 8 Days Trip (7N/8D): starts from USD 2,840
  • 8 Nights, 9 Days Trip (8N/9D): starts from USD 3,195
  • 10 Nights, 11 Days Trip (10N/11D): starts from USD 3,905

Maluku Region

Destinations: Banda Sea, Halmahera (Upcoming)

  • 8 Nights, 9 Days Trip (8N/9D): starts from USD 3,690
  • 10 Nights, 11 Days Trip (10N/11D): starts from USD 4,510
  • 11 Nights, 12 Days Trip (11N/12D): starts from USD 4,920

We also offer customized trips to fit your needs. Enjoy beach BBQs, surprise birthday celebrations, and more, all while protecting the environment.

What’s Included

  • Full board Meals 
  • Accommodation (twin or double bed)
  • Dive Tank + Air fill + weights
  • Up to 3 dives/day
  • Dive guide
  • Tour Leader
  • Airport/Hotel Transfer
  • Island Visit

What’s Excluded

  • Airfare ticket
  • National Park and harbour Fees
  • Travel and dive insurance
  • Rental of Scuba Diving Gear
  • Dive/Crew Tips
  • Laundry
  • Alcohol/Soft Drink

Where you’ll sleep

The Cabins

Cabins aboard EcoXplorer liveaboard

Deluxe Cabin Lower Deck cabin aboard EcoXplorer liveaboardDeluxe Cabin Lower Deck cabin aboard EcoXplorer liveaboardDeluxe Cabin Lower Deck cabin aboard EcoXplorer liveaboardDeluxe Cabin Lower Deck cabin aboard EcoXplorer liveaboardDeluxe Cabin Lower Deck cabin aboard EcoXplorer liveaboardDeluxe Cabin Lower Deck cabin aboard EcoXplorer liveaboardDeluxe Cabin Lower Deck cabin aboard EcoXplorer liveaboardDeluxe Cabin Lower Deck cabin aboard EcoXplorer liveaboard

Deluxe Cabin Lower Deck

2 guests

Myristica and Avicennia: double bed + fixed single bunk, 3 guests each. Lower deck, ensuite, porthole windows.

Family Master Cabin Main Deck cabin aboard EcoXplorer liveaboardFamily Master Cabin Main Deck cabin aboard EcoXplorer liveaboardFamily Master Cabin Main Deck cabin aboard EcoXplorer liveaboard

Family Master Cabin Main Deck

2 guests

Metroxylon: family master cabin, queen bed + bunk beds (2 singles), up to 4 guests. Sea view, private balcony, main deck, ensuite.

Master Cabin Upper Deck cabin aboard EcoXplorer liveaboardMaster Cabin Upper Deck cabin aboard EcoXplorer liveaboardMaster Cabin Upper Deck cabin aboard EcoXplorer liveaboardMaster Cabin Upper Deck cabin aboard EcoXplorer liveaboardMaster Cabin Upper Deck cabin aboard EcoXplorer liveaboardMaster Cabin Upper Deck cabin aboard EcoXplorer liveaboard

Master Cabin Upper Deck

2 guests

Intsia: master cabin, queen bed, 2 guests. Sea view, upper deck, ensuite, workbench.

Standard Cabin Lower Deck cabin aboard EcoXplorer liveaboard

Standard Cabin Lower Deck

2 guests

Wallacei and Astrapia: twin single bunk beds, 2 guests each. Lower deck, ensuite.

Destination

Itineraries

Itineraries aboard EcoXplorer liveaboard

Banda Trip: Tulehu - Banda - Tulehu

Day 1 | Tulehu

7:00 - 09:00: Arrive at Pattimura International Airport, Ambon (AMQ). Private air-conditioned transfer (~1 hour) across the island to Tulehu Port to board the liveaboard. 09:30 – 13:30: Welcome drinks, boat orientation, and a fresh lunch served on deck as lines are cast off. 14:30 – 15:30: One Dive: Batu Hitam (Check Dive) — A shallow, current-free reef slope to perfect buoyancy, check weights, and calibrate camera rigs. 16:00 – 17:00: Afternoon Snack. 18:30: Early Dinner served at anchor.

Day 2 | Suanggi Island

06:30: Arrive at the jagged, dramatic seabird outpost of Suanggi Island. 07:00 – 07:30: Light Breakfast. 07:45 – 09:00: Dive 01: Suanggi North Ridge — Plunging into deep blue oceanic water. Keep an eye on the blue for passing Scalloped Hammerhead Sharks and massive schools of dogtooth tuna. 09:15 – 10:15: Main Breakfast. 10:45 – 12:00: Dive 02: Suanggi Pinnacle — Gliding along steep walls covered in deep-water sea fans and giant barrel sponges. 12:15 – 13:30: Lunch as the vessel repositions inside the calm volcanic harbor of Banda Neira. 14:30 – 15:45: Dive 03: Karaka Island (Lighthouse Reef) — A beautiful wall covered in tunicates and home to cryptic macro life right at the base of the volcano. 16:00 – 17:00: Afternoon Snack. 18:30 – 19:30: Optional Night Dive: Banda Neira Pier — A world-renowned macro haven. Look for the colorful courtship dance of Mandarinfish and searching ghost pipefish. 20:00: Dinner served inside the mirrored, volcanic caldera.

Day 3 | Hatta Island

04:00 - 05.00 : the vessel sails 1.5 hours east to Hatta Island. 06:00 – 07:00: Light Breakfast as 07:30 – 09:00: Dive 01: Karang Hatta — A massive submerged offshore seamount. Excellent visibility with huge schools of twin-spot snappers, fusiliers, and patrolling grey reef sharks. 09:00 – 10:00: Main Breakfast. 10:30 – 12:00: Dive 02: Karang Hatta (The Drop-off) — Targeting the incoming current edge where pelagic biomass aggregates. 12:00 – 13:30: Lunch. 14:00 – 15:15: Dive 03: Tanjung Buton — A sheer vertical wall running deep, crowded with massive schools of surgeonfish and midnight snappers. 16:00 – 17:00: Afternoon Snack. 19:00: Dinner served back at the protected volcano anchorage.

Day 4 | Ai & Run Island

05:00 - 06:00 : the vessel sails to the historic island of Rhun. 06:00 – 07:00: Light Breakfast 07:30 – 09:00: Dive 01: Kelapa Kelapa — Pristine deep walls with massive caverns, overhangs, and exceptional underwater clarity. 09:00 – 10:00: Main Breakfast. 10:30 – 12:00: Dive 02: Tanjung Noret — Sloping coral structures teeming with high-voltage fusilier action. 12:00 – 13:30: Lunch. 14:00 – 15:15: Dive 3: Nailaka Sand Spit — Shallow, sunlit hard coral gardens flanking a breathtaking, isolated white sand bar. 16:00 – 17:00: Afternoon Snack. 19:00: Dinner.

Day 5 | Hatta Island

06:00 – 07:00: Light Breakfast. 07:30 – 09:00: Dive 1: Banda Api Lava Flow — A legendary dive site. Following the 1988 eruption of the volcano, lava flowed into the sea; in the years since, an explosive growth of table corals has created one of the fastest-growing coral fields on earth. 09:00 – 10:00: Main Breakfast. 10:30 – 12:00: Dive 2: Batu Kapal — A deep pinnacle shaped like a ship, known for intense currents and schooling pelagics. 12:00 – 13:30: Lunch. 14:00 – 16:30: Island Tour: Historic Banda Neira — Step ashore to walk through the original global capital of the nutmeg trade. Tour the imposing colonial strongholds of Benteng Belgica and Fort Nassau. 18:30: Dinner served early. Rule Enforced: Open Ocean Return Crossing is ~7.5 Hours.

Day 6 | Nusa Laut

05.00 - 06.00 : the vessel anchors at Nusa Laut. 06:00 – 06:30: Light Breakfast as 07:00 – 08:15: Dive 1: Tanjung Amet (Nusa Laut) — Early morning drift over flawless, village-protected hard coral gardens bursting with sea turtles and massive schools of jacks. 08:15 – 09:15: Main Breakfast while the vessel makes a short 1-hour cruise northwest to Molana Island. 09:15 – 10:15: Dive 2: Molana Wall & Caves (The Grand Finale) — Diving a dramatic limestone wall cut with shallow caverns and swim-throughs swarming with glassfish.

Safety Lock Enforced: All sport diving strictly concludes by 10:15 AM to secure your 20.5-hour decompression safety window before tomorrow morning's flights. 10:30 – 13:30: Molana Beach Visit & Private Island BBQ — The crew shifts everything ashore via skiffs to Molana’s spectacular white-sand beach. While guests swim, walk the shoreline, or relax under the shade of the coastal trees, the chefs set up a live-grill beach BBQ featuring fresh caught fish, satay, and chilled drinks right on the sand. 13:45: Return to the vessel. The crew lifts anchor and begins the final 3.5-hour cruise back home to Ambon Island while guests dry off, pack up their gear, and log their final dives.

17:15: Arrive and tie up securely at Tulehu Port, Ambon. 19:00: Dinner served onboard the vessel at port.

Day 7 | Tulehu

05:00 – 05:30: Quick early-riser coffee and light continental breakfast. 05:45: Disembark the vessel and board private air-conditioned transit vehicles. Land Transit: Smooth 1-hour drive across the island to Pattimura International Airport (AMQ). 06:45: Arrive at the airport to smoothly check bags for morning departures (perfectly matching early Garuda Indonesia or Batik Air flight windows out of Ambon).

Recommend to take afternoon flights

Included

  • Full board Meals
  • Accommodation (twin or double bed)
  • Dive Tank + Air fill + weights
  • Up to 3 dives/day
  • Dive guide
  • Tour Leader
  • Airport/Hotel Transfer
  • Island Visit
  • 6 nights accommodation on board
  • Transports: to pick up from the local airport/harbour/hotel and to drop to the local airport/harbour/hotel
  • Shared cabins by choice
  • Full Board meals, fresh fruit, post-diving refreshments, soft drinks, and snacks. Drinking water, coffee and tea
  • 3 dives per day with applicable and optional night dives
  • Dive Guides with ratio 4 divers and 1 dive guide. (applicable for a tour guide)
  • 15L Dive Tanks with air fill, weight and weight belt
  • Island hopping, BBQ and land excursions (applicable)
  • Entrance fees for local destinations / dive sites
  • Tax and service charges.
1 / 17

Availability

Upcoming departures

· 12 days, 11 nights

Banda-Misool (via Saumlaki)

Dive requirement: AOWD or equivalent · min. 50 logged dives

Sale -20%Available
US$ 3,070from US$ 2,455

Rp 43,900,000 / person

Excluding obligatory fees

Show cabins

· 8 days, 7 nights

Central Raja Ampat

Dive requirement: AOWD or equivalent · min. 30 logged dives

Sold out
from US$ 1,855

Rp 33,150,000 / person

Excluding obligatory fees

Fully booked

· 8 days, 7 nights

South Raja Ampat

Dive requirement: AOWD or equivalent · min. 50 logged dives

Sale -20%Available
US$ 2,315from US$ 1,855

Rp 33,150,000 / person

Excluding obligatory fees

Show cabins

· 8 days, 7 nights

Central Raja Ampat

Dive requirement: AOWD or equivalent · min. 30 logged dives

Sale -20%Available
US$ 2,315from US$ 1,855

Rp 33,150,000 / person

Excluding obligatory fees

Show cabins

· 8 days, 7 nights

Central Raja Ampat

Dive requirement: AOWD or equivalent · min. 50 logged dives

Sold out
from US$ 1,855

Rp 33,150,000 / person

Excluding obligatory fees

Fully booked

Showing 5 of 15 departures

More Raja Ampat dive trips: compare dates and prices on every boat

Information and Booking Request

Any question, special request or custom itinerary, we reply within 24hrs.

Explore more

More Raja Ampat liveaboards

Cachalo liveaboard

Cachalo

Aruna Odyssey liveaboard

Aruna Odyssey

Kira Kira liveaboard

Kira Kira

Kurabesi Nusantara liveaboard

Kurabesi Nusantara