Malaillo Liveaboard, Indonesia

Banda Sea Ring of Fire Diving with Sea snakes, Schooling hammerheads & pristine coral reefs full of fish

The warmth, care & professionalism of the crew on Malaillo was impressive. They even packed me to go lunch sandwiches when leaving the ship in Ambon to fly home ! Was thrilled and very lucky, happy to do the Banda Sea Ring of Fire itinerary with them. They got us safely to all destinations on this epic trip and we spotted schooling hammerheads, sea snakes hunting with Trevally, schools of chevron barracuda, midnight snappers, ubiquitous butterfly fish and red tooth trigger fish everywhere, huge eels, pygmy seahorses, banded sea kraits, dolphins swam beside us at times, the coral reefs at certain dive sites were truly extraordinary & spectacular. My regulator had a malfunction and they fixed it up for me with parts they had because safety & comfort was a priority on their dive deck. Their rental equipment and wetsuits are in very good condition. My Assigned DM also gave me some tips regarding better deployment for my SMB and by the end of the trip I had more confidence with improved technique. Dive Tender boat drivers were really on point for this trip. Food was delicious with lots of guests going for second helpings and I really appreciated my early bedtime and no loud obnoxiousness after 9p so we got lots of rest and good sleep in nicely cooled sleeping areas. Nitrox fills were consistent and free ! They were really sweet & accommodating of everybody. I love manageable current and drift diving and was truly feeling the spirit of being “adventurously alive” with Malaillo. The Cruise Director Mr Adin took very good care of us and administered seasick pills & all kinds of medicines for guests that suffered various minor afflictions like upset stomachs, ear aches, eye sensitivities and sprained / almost broken toes etc etc and any problems like leakage and smelly exhaust fumes that came up were swiftly resolved. The crew entertained us at the end of the trip and they were really amazing. Always so touched by the way Indonesians make you feel welcome and part of their Liveaboard family on these exotic Indonesian itineraries. They even cooked foods I specially requested occasionally ! The whole crew on this vessel worked tirelessly to kept the ship very clean ( no roaches or bed bugs on Malaillo thank goodness ! ) and always with a smile on their faces:) Would gladly go again with them on another dive sojourn ! Thank You everybody on Malaillo for a wonderful trip. 🦋🐬🫐🌊🪸

Recommended for

Dive guides Deck Crew were phenomenal. Ship was beautiful. Diving was incredible saw schooling hammerheads & sea snakes hunting with Trevally.

26 Sep, 2025

Highly recommended trip with an experienced, organized, coordinated and effective crew

When I and my wife first boarded I was impressed at the roominess and layout of the dive preparation area as well as a substantial backup boat motor mounted prominently but out of the way. There are benches running the length of the deck where you suit up and, if you want put your tank and BCD on although we opted to let the crew load that on the dingies. When we returned from a dive all we had to do is remove our wetsuits and booties and toss them into the rinse tanks opposite the bench and they would do the rest including hang up our wetsuits just above the rinse tanks. I would then dry off using the still warm towels from the dryer hanging above the rinse tanks once I took a fresh water shower at the stern. Only then did I take a glass of juice that is offered once on deck. Most everybody else drank theirs immediately. Before the dive I would check my tank and BCD at the bench. They gave us a basket to put under our spots on the bench for stuff like socks, booties, whatever small items you have which has your identifier on it. Mine was 1A which was also embroidered on my towel. Before the first dive they attached an emergency locator on everybody's BCD which will signal the boat when it's activated. We went in groups of four to a leader and were staggered five minutes to start getting ready so we weren't crowded on the deck. The food was fairly varied and pretty good although not gourmet which I didn't expect to get anyway. We brought our own bourbon so didn't try much of their cocktails which are extra. I got sick and self quarantined in my room for a couple of days. The housekeeping team was very helpful by bringing my meals to me and even set up a little table in the room for me. I cannot say enough about their willingness to help with a great attitude. The last night of our trip we had a top deck BBQ complete with live music which was very enjoyable. The only downsides are evidently inherent with a wooden boat. We were in a lower deck cabin so the wood creaked as we moved which I found soothing until the last night when we were heading back to port at which point it was pretty loud along with popping sounds. The other downside was that we had water leaks on the overhead beams but they taped diapers on them to absorb the water which was more of an aesthetic issue at that point. Otherwise I would highly recommend the Malaillo and her crew and will try to take another trip with them.

Recommended for

Well trained staff that worked efficiently as a team. Well equipped with safety and back up equipment. Good attitudes with customer facing staff.

18 Dec, 2025