Damai I
Damai I
Damai I is the first boat in the renowned Damai Fleet, a 130-foot traditional Phinisi liveaboard dive boat, locally built and launched in 2009. Designed to provide an unforgettable diving experience, Damai I offers exceptional service through its dedicated staff and all-inclusive offerings, including spa treatments with the boat’s signature service. Onboard, you’ll enjoy spacious cabins featuring modern designs, ensuite bathrooms, and convenient 110v and 220v charging stations.
Food is never in short supply on Damai I, with a talented chef preparing both Western and Indonesian cuisine. Special dietary requirements can be accommodated with advance notice, ensuring every guest enjoys a satisfying dining experience.
The highly trained staff onboard go above and beyond to make your liveaboard diving trip memorable. With a 4:1 divemaster-to-diver ratio, you’ll receive exceptional attention both above and below the water. The spacious dive deck includes individual rinse tanks, a camera room, and a camera work station, perfect for underwater photographers. After your dives, relax on one of the three leisure decks, offering plenty of space to unwind.
Damai I’s itinerary is carefully planned to follow the Indonesian seasons, ensuring ideal weather conditions throughout the year. With only seven cabins, Damai I is the perfect choice for individuals, couples, or even a group of friends looking to charter the yacht for an exclusive adventure.
Damai I offers a variety of Indonesian liveaboard itineraries, ranging from 7 to 12 nights, covering some of the most famous dive destinations in the world. The Damai I cruises to Komodo Island, the Forgotten Islands, Raja Ampat, and Alor.
Raja Ampat alone represents 75% of the world’s marine life, featuring numerous coral species and providing divers with the opportunity to swim alongside manta rays, sea turtles, and wobbegong sharks. Meanwhile, Komodo Island is not only a world-class dive destination but also home to the iconic Komodo Dragons.
For more information on available itineraries, Contact your travel specialist at Ultimate Dive Travel!
Destinations
Alor
Alor liveaboard trips offer divers the opportunity to explore some of Indonesia’s most pristine and untouched coral reefs, as well as witness the fascinating behaviors of rare marine critters in the Pantar Strait. Divers can expect to encounter Rhinopias (lacey scorpionfish), pygmy seahorses, manta rays, schools of trevally, and even the occasional whale! Departing from Maumere or Kupang, these 7 to 10-night dive trips take you through the wonders of the Pantar Strait and lesser-known areas like Rusa, Adonara, and Serbete, where you’ll experience diverse coral reefs, pelagic action, macro critter spotting, and even island visits.
Bali
Diving in Bali offers incredible underwater treasures, from exceptional macro life in the north and east to the seasonal sighting of Mola Mola off Nusa Penida in the south. Bali is also home to the famous Manta Point, where you can dive with reef mantas, and the USAT Liberty, a world-renowned shipwreck off Tulamben that offers both wide-angle and macro photography opportunities. A liveaboard dive trip on Damai I or Damai II in Bali is often combined with itineraries to Sumbawa and Komodo.
Banda Sea
Diving in the Banda Sea offers a unique experience, with its volcanic islands and seamounts that rise dramatically from the depths. These sites feature superb wall diving and an abundance of marine life. Banda Sea liveaboard trips visit Banda Neira, a historically significant island once at the center of the Dutch/Portuguese Spice Trade. The area offers amazing macro subjects, including the rare mandarin fish and their vibrant mating displays. One of the Banda Sea’s highlights is Pulau Manuk, where hundreds of sea snakes populate the waters. Another notable site is Nusa Laut, which offers healthy coral reefs and the chance to spot hammerhead sharks.
Cenderawasih Bay
Cenderawasih Bay National Marine Park is one of Indonesia’s most exciting diving destinations, and Damai liveaboards are among the most experienced operators in the region. The bay is famous for the opportunity to dive or snorkel with multiple Whale Sharks that often congregate around local fishing platforms. The area also holds historical significance due to WWII battles between Allied and Japanese forces, with wreck dives of aircraft and ships scattered across the bay. Additionally, the region’s long isolation has led to the development of many unique and endemic species, making it a must-visit for marine enthusiasts.
Halmahera
Halmahera offers a diverse range of underwater experiences, from wreck dives in the north to world-class muck diving sites in the south and spectacular hard coral gardens. Halmahera liveaboard trips allow divers to explore this remote archipelago, where you’ll find barracudas at the drop-offs in South Bacan, schooling reef fish in the islands of Goraici, and critter hunting under the docks of Makian and Leilei. Halmahera is an exciting hot spot, with much still waiting to be discovered.
Komodo
Diving in Komodo National Park is an extraordinary experience, with its rich biodiversity of large and small marine species, pelagic fish, and vibrant coral reefs. Komodo liveaboard trips offer access to iconic dive sites like Batu Bolong, Castle Rock, and Crystal Rock, along with lesser-known gems in both the north and south. On these trips, you’ll also have the chance to trek on land to see the famous Komodo dragons.
Raja Ampat
Diving in Raja Ampat is truly breathtaking, with marine life flourishing from the sea floor to the surface. The area’s reefs are pristine, bursting with color and activity, making it a photographer’s paradise. Raja Ampat liveaboard trips allow divers to explore the entire region, from the soft coral-draped southern islands of Misool to the current-rich Dampier Strait in the north, where sites like Cape Kri and Blue Magic offer thrilling drift dives. In the east, you can visit Penemu for its stunning coral gardens, while the north offers the chance to dive with mantas at Kawe and critter hunt in Aljui Bay.
Forgotten Islands
Diving in the Forgotten Islands takes you to remote and richly biodiverse waters, characterized by crystal-clear visibility, deep walls, pinnacles, and beautiful coral gardens. The islands of Nils Desperandum and Terbang are known for hammerhead shark sightings, while sites like Dai and Lelar are home to colorful soft corals and thriving reef fish populations. Forgotten Islands liveaboard trips take divers through this stunning archipelago, known as the Ring of Fire, providing an unforgettable experience on the luxurious Damai vessels.
Triton Bay
Diving in Triton Bay offers an exceptional opportunity to explore nutrient-rich reefs that are home to vast fields of soft corals, giant sea fans, and schools of plankton-feeding fish. Triton Bay has been described as a “species factory,” with dive sites teeming with life. Triton Bay liveaboard trips visit the region’s highlights, including Namatote Island in the north, where you can search for the elusive tiger shrimp. In the south, dive Little Komodo at Aiduma Island, a site famous for its stunning coral reefs, or explore Batu Jeruk, covered in vibrant orange soft corals.
Damai I FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
Our cruises offer flexible departure times, allowing guests to choose their preferred inbound airline. Most flights to our destination arrive between 06:00 and 12:00. Upon arrival, all guests are met at the airport, assisted with their luggage, and transported to the vessel. Once all guests are onboard, the vessel will await final clearance from the harbor authority and depart as soon as the paperwork is processed.
At the end of your trip, the vessel will arrive well in advance of any flight departure times. Guests will once again be assisted with luggage and provided transportation to the airport. You are welcome to remain onboard and relax before your flight, but we recommend allowing at least 2 hours for check-in prior to departure.
Visibility in Indonesian waters can range from 51 feet to over 100 feet, but this is never a concern due to the incredible marine biodiversity. Our expert dive guides always check currents, temperature, and visibility before each dive to ensure the best possible experience. We schedule dives at optimal times to maximize wildlife sightings, so just go with the flow—you won’t regret it.
Water temperatures typically range from 26°C/76°F to 28°C/82°F, though they can occasionally vary from 30°C/86°F to as low as 17°C/65°F (though rare). A 3mm wetsuit usually suffices, with a hooded vest as a useful backup. If you’re feeling cold, take advantage of our onboard dive equipment, which is free for All-Inclusive or Repeat Guests.
Currents are what make Indonesia’s diving so unique and exciting, but they can vary. Our dive team will always assess the current before each dive. If a dive involves strong currents, it’s because there is something extraordinary to see. If we determine that a diver’s experience level may not be suitable for certain conditions, we will recommend sitting out the dive, or the Cruise Director may personally escort the diver to ensure safety.
Safety is our top priority. With years of experience, our team is here to provide an unforgettable and safe diving experience. Trust our expertise—we want you to return and enjoy the wonders of Indonesian diving again and again.
Our vessel is equipped with both 110v and 220v power outlets. We provide a variety of adaptors to accommodate battery charging and laptop computers. While the standard power socket in Indonesia uses a European two-prong plug, most sockets onboard are international and can accept almost any plug configuration.
Please note: For safety reasons, guests are only permitted to charge batteries in the camera room during the day. For added safety, our crew will disconnect all electronic devices overnight.
If you have food allergies or follow a special diet, please inform our concierge team in advance, and we will do everything possible to accommodate your preferences. Although we operate in remote locations, our menu is not significantly restricted, as we stock the vessel in advance and regularly transport fresh supplies to the boat at the start of each trip. Many of our ingredients are locally sourced and may be seasonal.
Your comfort, pleasure, and health are our top priorities. If there is something on the menu you don’t like, simply let our service staff know, and we’ll gladly prepare an alternative dish to suit your tastes. We encourage you to be proactive in communicating your preferences to ensure your experience is as enjoyable as possible.
On our vessels, beer, soft drinks, and the first glass of house table wine with dinner are complimentary. We also offer a selection of wines by the bottle available for purchase onboard. With prior arrangement and sufficient notice, we can order and ship your preferred wine selection from our suppliers in Bali. Please contact our reservations department to request the wine or spirits list.
Please note that prices for imported alcohol in Indonesia are high due to a luxury tax, but we strive to keep our prices as low as possible. Our goal is not to profit from these wines, but simply to cover our costs. If you prefer, you are welcome to bring your own wine and spirits onboard. However, customs regulations allow a limit of 1 liter per person.
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