Liveaboards

Tambora

Built in 2007 on the island of Sulawesi in the style of a traditional wooden phinisi, the 42 metre long SMY Tambora carries 16 passengers in eight, 15 square metre double or twin cabins. She made her first voyage in August 2008. All cabins have en suite facilities and air conditioning. Each cabin has a large cupboard and drawers beneath the bed, so there is ample storage space. 8 power outlets per cabin mean that you need never be short of battery charging facilities. All cabins have 2 or 4 portholes, a writing desk and reading lights above the bed. A useful shelf by the bed has three holes for cups and water bottles. Traditional Indonesian design is present throughout the ship and the well appointed cabins have a natural teak wood finish which makes for an attractive and practical design. Tambora’s salon acts as the dining room and entertainment centre, with a flat screen television, CD and DVD player complete with cinema-style surround sound! There is a small collection of international fiction books as well as coral and fish identification guides. The salon is practical and functional with a cushioned seating area and tea and coffee making facilities. There are three sun decks and all are ideal places to catch some ‘between dive’ rays. Cushioned deck chairs are perfect for relaxing and are located on the upper sun deck and on the lower shaded sun deck at the front of the vessel. Tambora also has chairs at the rear of the vessel. You’ll certainly never go hungry on Tambora. The diving day begins with a gentle wake up call to tea, coffee, toast and fresh fruit. Breakfast orders are placed before going diving and divers enjoy a hot, fresh waiter-served breakfast as soon as they return with a selection of western and Indonesian dishes. Lunch is served buffet-style and is generally Indonesian cuisine. A four course meal is served in the evenings. The chef is imaginative and is capable of preparing European, Japanese and Indonesian dishes. Tea, coffee, soft drinks and beer are available in the salon throughout the trip, with a charge for the beer and soft drinks. The kitchen sports modern German designed and built cooking facilities so quality is never compromised!

Special care has been taken to minimise noise on board with walls, ceilings and decks insulated with soundproof materials. The air conditioning system is water-cooled without the need for radiator fans. Safety is of paramount importance. Tambora’s design and construction was governed by attention to detail. Tambora carries the full range of IMO (International Marine Organization) safety, communication, and navigation equipment.

Unlike most liveaboards, Tambora has a dedicated ‘dive room’ on the upper deck as opposed to a dive platform. Here you will find personal dive baskets and individual suit hangers, two large rinse tanks including one dedicated for camera use. There is a large work space for cameras which also acts as a charging station in its own annex of the dive room. The ‘dive deck’ is a mere three steps down from the main deck to the waiting speed boats. On some dives you will enter the water by giant stride from the ‘dive deck’ and for other dives you will be taken to the site in one of two zodiacs. The crew are on hand at all times to assist you with, and carry your gear and are very attentive. They will bring all your gear back on board each evening and tanks are filled on board after each dive. Nitrox is available.

Tambora covers Indonesia extensively, visiting some of the most well known areas and also some of the less visited sites. Many of her itineraries (she sails 16 different ones!) have some unique routings and are well off the beaten track, meaning that some of the diving will be un-known to the crew and the dive guides. If you have a spirit of adventure and are willing to pioneer some of these lesser known sites then Tambora is your boat! Cruises operate throughout the year.

Operates In: Raja Ampat, Fak Fak, Triton Bay, Moluccas, Halmahera, Ambon, Banda

Schedule:  Varies throughout the year.  Please contact us for departure dates.

Tambora offer a vast array of cruise itineraries around Lembeh, Sulawesi, Ambon, Tanimbar and the Damar Islands. For full details of the itineraries and associated costings please contact us.

Air Travel: Our in-house IATA ticket agency can arrange your air travel in connection with your holiday from a departure point anywhere in the world, or you may arrange your own air travel if you prefer. We can tailor-make your itinerary to your personal requirements, so if you would like to make a stop-over or two, make a side trip to some other destination, or travel business class rather than economy, we will be happy to assist. Please contact us about your air travel requirements.