Four and a half degrees south of the Equator, the seven volcanic islands of the Banda archipelago were, for centuries, the world’s only source of nutmeg — the original Spice Islands, fabled and fought over. Amandira’s ten-night expedition follows the winds of the ancient spice trade through off-the-map lands lost in time, from Ambon across the Banda Sea and on into Raja Ampat. Only one such voyage runs a year. This is the guide to chartering Amandira through the Spice Islands: the history, the diving, a sample ten-night itinerary, and how to book.
A voyage through the Spice Islands
The expedition boards at Ambon and sails for Banda, dolphins and sperm whales along the migration route. Each tropical island is dense forest above and teeming reef below — charming villages, Dutch forts and, dominating it all, the 666-metre Gunung Api, Banda’s Fire Mountain. Amandira anchors where almost no one else does, with the whole boat yours for ten nights through a cluster of islands few will ever see.
Follow the winds of the ancient spice trade to off-the-map lands lost in time.
Nutmeg, forts & the island history
On Ai, a Dutch storehouse from the 1600s sits above a nutmeg plantation with trees over a century old. On Run — the island the Dutch traded the future Manhattan for in 1674 — you snorkel the rare nutmeg waters and inspect Malaki islet’s old English fort. At Banda Neira, climb Gunung Api for a staggering lookout over the islands, then tour Fort Belgica, the colonial church and governor’s house, picking up fresh nutmeg and sun-dried cinnamon quills at the market — ending with a candlelit dinner on the fort’s ramparts and a music-and-dance performance.
The diving: Banda to Misool
The Banda Sea’s lava-formed underwater gardens are a subaquatic wonderland. Pulau Hatta is for snorkelling, diving and kayaking; the Gorong Islands offer a wall dive where pelagic fish patrol the deep. The voyage then crosses into Raja Ampat — Boo Rock and its “Windows” gully alive with soft corals and dogtooth tuna, the radiant reefs of Daram, and the limestone sea-caves and Farondi Cave of the south. Best diving runs October to November, with visibility up to fifty metres.
Aboard Amandira
A 52-metre phinisi for up to ten guests, crewed by thirteen — two private chefs, a dive master and a spa therapist — run to the standard of an Aman resort. Bespoke menus showcase the region’s own spices; dinners range from the saloon to a candlelit fort or an empty beach under the stars. Wellness, from cabin massages to yoga on the sand, translates beautifully to the high seas.
When to go & how to charter
The Spice Islands voyage runs October to November — and only once a year, given its exclusivity. Reach the ship at Ambon: a direct flight from Jakarta takes about three and a half hours, or route via Makassar. The ten-night journey ends at Sorong. To charter Amandira, send an inquiry — our desk confirms availability, the route and the price and tailors the voyage to your party.
