A passage from wooden shipyards to wild water.
10 days, 9 nights | from 3.500 EUR p.P.
Expedition Dates: Jul 13 to Jul 19, 2026
Some routes carry a story before they even begin. This one starts in Bira, on the South Sulawesi coast where Ta’Talasa first took shape by hand — a place of timber, tide, patience, and seafaring knowledge passed through generations.
Leaving Bira, the expedition moves into the scattered island worlds beyond. Selayar and Takabonerate bring broad horizons, quieter reefs, remote atolls, and the feeling of Indonesia stretching wider with every mile. It is a route made of crossings, scouting, and diving far from the usual line.
Further west, the sea begins to change. Around Banta and into Komodo, current takes over. The dives become stronger, the landscapes more dramatic, and the journey gathers toward volcanic ridges, manta water, exposed reefs, and the ancient presence of Komodo dragons ashore.
The Expedition Route
01
Bira & the Boatbuilding Coast
The expedition begins on the South Sulawesi coast, where phinisi building still lives in the hands of Konjo and Bugis craftsmen. Wooden hulls, salt air, and the working beaches of Bira and Tanah Beru set the tone before departure — a starting point rooted in seamanship, heritage, and the place where Ta’Talasa first took shape.
02
Selayar & the First Reefs South
Leaving Bira, the route opens toward Selayar — long coastlines, clear water, and island landscapes that begin to pull the journey away from the familiar. Diving here can bring reef slopes, walls, coral gardens, and the first sense of movement into quieter waters still far from Indonesia’s better-known circuits.
03
Takabonerate Atolls
Further south, the horizon widens into the remote atolls of Takabonerate. Sand islands, shallow lagoons, reef flats, and blue channels give this part of the expedition a true open-water character. Diving is exploratory by nature here — reef edges, coral slopes, sandy channels, and sites chosen around tide, visibility, and conditions.
04
Blue Water Passage
Between island groups, the expedition becomes a passage in the truest sense. Long horizons, open sea, changing weather, and time between anchorages are part of the experience. These crossings are not empty distance — they are the thread that connects South Sulawesi’s seafaring coast to the stronger water of the Lesser Sundas.
05
Banta, West Komodo & Lintah Strait
Banta and West Komodo mark the first real rise in intensity. Ridges continue below the waterline, currents begin to sharpen, and the route enters a region shaped by depth, slope, and moving water. Around Lintah Strait, tide and current define the diving — opening the door to powerful drifts, active reefs, and the kind of sites that make Komodo feel alive.
06
South Komodo
South Komodo brings a different mood: cooler water, wilder coastlines, and some of the region’s most dramatic diving when conditions align. Sites here can feel raw, exposed, and deeply atmospheric — with dark rock, surge, rich reef growth, and the sense that the Indian Ocean is pressing into the national park from below.
07
Central & North Komodo
The expedition finishes through Komodo’s iconic core: dry island ridges, pink beaches, manta water, current-fed reefs, and the ancient presence of Komodo dragons ashore. Central and North Komodo bring the journey into its final rhythm — dramatic landscapes above, schooling fish and reef life below, and the full force of dragon country around you.
The Expedition at a Glance
This expedition is defined by transition: from seafaring heritage into open water, from quiet reefs into current-shaped diving, from remote atolls into dragon country. It is built for divers and explorers who enjoy contrast, movement, and the feeling of a journey that gains intensity with every stage.
Gateway & Access
You fly into Makassar, South Sulawesi, before continuing overland to Bira. We can arrange airport pickup and the road transfer to embarkation, making the start of the expedition smooth even though the journey begins far from Indonesia’s usual departure points.
Routing & Expedition Flow
The route drops south from South Sulawesi before arcing across the Flores Sea toward Komodo’s current-shaped waters. It is a passage expedition rather than a fixed island-hopping schedule, with each stage shaped by conditions, crossings, and the right windows to dive and explore.
Diving Focus
You can expect a mix of exploratory reef dives, atoll systems, slopes, walls, ridges, and current-shaped sites. The diving begins in quieter, lesser-visited waters and gradually builds in intensity as the expedition approaches Banta, Lintah Strait, and Komodo.
Land & Sea Encounters
Above the water, you move through a strong sense of place: the working phinisi coast of Bira, island communities, remote atoll landscapes, open horizons, volcanic silhouettes, and finally the dry ridges and Komodo dragons of the national park.
Safety & Seamanship
Longer crossings, remote anchorages, and current-driven diving require careful planning. Each day is shaped by experienced route decisions, condition-led dive briefings, attentive surface support, and the seamanship needed to move confidently through open water and exposed island regions.
