If you're wondering where this boat came from, it's always been there, but until recently was known as the Paradise Dancer. She has now been taken out of the Dancer Fleet stable and is operating under her own steam, as it were. She may not have the most beautiful name in the world, but she is still one of the most beautiful - and best - liveaboards plying the oceans today.

With a length of 148ft Dewi Nusantara is huge by liveaboard standards, but that doesn't mean they've crammed as many people on board as possible. On the contrary, the guest cabins are vast and the communal areas are plentiful and equally capacious.

Dewi Nusantara is a traditional phinisi style Indonesian vessel built in Kalimantan in 2007 from ironwood, a particularly robust hardwood that is ideal for making sailing vessels. She was fitted out in Bali and now looks more like a playboy's luxury yacht than a dive boat! With her three tall masts set to sail she harks back to a bygone era when the wind and tide was all that you had to get you places. While she does have engines for general motoring of course, any opportunity to set the sails is not missed!

Her decks are wide and airy, and there is ample shade to relax on crossings and between dives. On the main deck, in the fo'c'sle, can be found the camera room where there are large benches for working on cameras and for charging batteries. Between the camera room and the main saloon is the dive deck, where your personal gear is kept between dives. The main saloon house contains the lounge and dining area, and a grand stair case leading below decks. At the stern can be found the Master & Commander cabin; perhaps the finest cabin on any liveaboard in the world it has large panoramic windows over the stern and massive double bed! The saloon and cabin interiors are furnished in beautiful polished timber and exquisite decor.

The lower deck houses the other 8 cabins, four on each side. Air conditioned and individually designed, they are spacious, with en suite bathrooms, twin or double beds (no bunks here!) and ample storage for clothes and personal items. A desk and chair allows you to sit and fiddle with a laptop or write up your dive jounral.

The upper deck has a huge sun lounging area with comfy loungers, and the bridge.

Diving is not done directly off the boat, but rather by tender. The group is split into two and each group is allocated a tender for the duration of the trip. The dive crew deliver and remove your dive gear between dives for refilling and relocation, so all you need do is step down the ladder onto the tender and don your gear!

Dewi Nusantara offers a choice of cruises, repositioning to the best areas according to the prevailing weather. Typically the cruises are 9 or 11 nights in duration, but the repositioning cruises tend to be a little longer to alolow divers more time in the water to make up for the long crossings. In 2012 she will be offering cruises in Raja Ampat, Komodo, Alor and Banda Sea area, and in 2013 will also be adding itineraries to Cenderawasih Bay for the whale sharks that are prevelant in February, June and July. Please see the schedule link above for more information.

2012 RATES

Komodo National Park 9 night/10 days trips
Stateroom accommodation         £2610 per person (£290/night)
Master cabin accommodation      £3240 per person (£360/night)

Raja Ampat 11 night/12 day trips
Stateroom accommodation         £3190 per person (£290/night)
Master cabin accommodation      £3905 per person (£355/night)

Price include all meals, snacks and drinks (not includig wine and spirits), transfers to/from the airport to the vessel, up to 4 dives per day, all air fills, weights and weight belts, 4 dive instructors/masters (4 to 5 divers per guide).

Additional costs per person:
£60 Port and National Park Fee for Komodo cruises
£140 Port and National Park Fee for Raja Ampat cruises

Nitrox fills are not included in the package. Nitrox divers will be $200 per cruise or $10 per fill, payable on board. Nitrox instruction and all other services and purchases made aboard the boat are subject to 10% local taxes.


2013 RATES

Raja Ampat 11 night/12 day dive trip
Stateroom accommodation         £3300 per person (£300/night)
Master cabin accommodation      £4070 per person (£370/night)

Cenderawasih Bay Special 13 night/14 day Expedition
Stateroom accommodation         £4095 per person (£315/night)
Master cabin accommodation      £4615 per person (£355/night)

Cenderawasih Bay 11 night/12 day dive trip
Stateroom accommodation         £3465 per person (£315/night)
Master cabin accommodation      £3905 per person (£355/night)

These full board packages price include all meals, snacks and beverages (not included wine and spirits), transfer from the airport to the vessel, 9 and ½ days diving, up to 4 dives per day, all air fills, weights and weight belts, 4 dive instructors/masters.

Additional costs per person:
£140 Port and National Park Fee for both Raja Ampat & Cenderawasih cruises

Nitrox fills are not included in the package. Nitrox divers will be $200 per cruise or $10 per fill, payable locally. Nitrox instruction and all other services and purchases made aboard the vessels are subject to 10% local taxes.

International and domestic flights, plus any hotel accommodation required are not included in the above costs. Please contact us with any necessary requirements you may have.