Alor Diving Trip • Alor Divers Eco Resort on Pantar Island
Stay at the intimate Alor Divers Resort on Pantar Island, right in the heart of the Alor Archipelago. Enjoy 12 days of leisurely diving on colorful reefs, muck sites, and the 900-meter-long house reef.
Travel period
Features
Starting from
Diving Vacation to the Remote Pantar Island in Alor
Alor is one of those destinations you don’t just pop over to. The Alor Archipelago is located in eastern Indonesia, between Flores and the Savu Sea, and is known for its remote location, colorful coral, and rich diversity of marine life. During this trip, you won’t be staying on the island of Alor itself, but on Pantar Island, one of the islands in the Alor Archipelago. From Alor, it’s about a 20-minute boat ride across the Pantar Strait to the intimate Alor Divers Eco Resort.
Pantar Island is peaceful and not very touristy. Small local villages surround the resort, where daily life is still closely tied to the sea. At low tide, you can walk along the beach to nearby villages or explore the area around the resort. The mangroves and tidal pools are also interesting to explore. At very low tide, part of the house reef is exposed, revealing small marine creatures you wouldn’t normally encounter during a regular dive.
But ultimately, of course, you’re mainly coming for the diving. And that’s exactly where Alor really impresses. The waters around Alor and Pantar are home to more than 40 dive sites, offering a wide variety of underwater landscapes. You’ll dive past colorful coral reefs and steep walls, go on drift dives, and visit muck sites where you’ll search specifically for unique macro species. The underwater life is extremely diverse: from enormous schools of reef fish, sea turtles, and reef sharks to frogfish, rhinopias, pygmy seahorses, sea snakes, nudibranchs, and blue-ringed octopuses. With a bit of luck, you might also spot larger pelagic species, such as hammerhead sharks, thresher sharks, mola mola, and even whales.
What makes Alor Divers extra special is the way they dive. The program is intentionally laid-back, with two boat dives per day and unlimited access to the house reef, which stretches about 900 meters. There’s time to look around, explore, and not cut a dive short unnecessarily when something special is found.
Alor Divers is therefore not a destination for a quick diving vacation, but rather for those who like to take their time discovering a unique and still relatively unspoiled diving region of Indonesia.
Best Time to Visit Alor for a Diving Vacation
Alor is a great destination for a diving vacation almost all year round. The island generally has a relatively dry climate, so you can expect good conditions during most months. However, the resort is closed annually from late December through mid-March. During this period, the resort undergoes maintenance and the staff takes a vacation. This also coincides with the wettest time of the year.
Average Temperatures
Wetsuit advice for diving in Alor
We recommend that you bring a 5mm wetsuit for this trip. The temperature can vary greatly.What will you experience on this trip?
View the itinerary here
Days 1–3 | The Trip to Alor Divers
Today marks the start of your journey to Alor Divers. You’ll fly from Amsterdam to Alor via Jakarta and Kupang. The first few days are entirely devoted to the trip to the resort. Due to the limited flight connections to Alor, it’s not possible to make all the connections in a single day.
After arriving in Indonesia, you’ll continue on to Kupang, on the island of Timor. Depending on flight connections, you’ll spend the night there before flying on to Alor the next morning. The flight from Kupang to Alor takes about an hour.
Once you arrive in Alor, you’ll be picked up at the airport. From there, it’s about a 40-minute drive to the harbor. Here, you’ll board the boat to Pantar Island. The crossing takes about 20 minutes and brings you to Alor Divers, on the coast of this quiet and largely untouristy island.
After arriving at the resort, you’ll have time to check in, explore your room, and relax after your journey. The next morning, your first day of diving is on the schedule.
Days 4–16 | Diving in Alor
You’ll be doing a lot of diving on this trip. At Alor Divers, everything really revolves around diving. There’s no rushed schedule, the atmosphere is relaxed, and the dives can last a long time. In the morning, you can do two boat dives, with plenty of variety among the different dive sites. Think drift dives, deeper dives, muck dives, and colorful coral reefs. Which dive sites you visit depends on the conditions, currents, and tides of the day. Dive times are flexible—sometimes you’ll start the first dive at 7:30 a.m., and the next day perhaps not until 9:00 a.m. The goal is to give you the best diving experience under the best conditions. Another unique feature is that the dive school has no maximum dive time. The focus is on two long, relaxed dives in the morning, with absolutely no rush.
In addition, there is a house reef right in front of the resort that stretches for about 900 meters. You can enjoy fantastic dives here as well. Among other things, you’ll find sand and seagrass, colorful coral gardens, and steep walls. The house reef is ideal for an extra dive in the afternoon, when you want to get back in the water after your two boat dives. A night dive is also an option here.
There’s plenty to see underwater. The reefs around Alor are colorful and teeming with fish, featuring large schools of reef fish, sea turtles, and various species of sharks. For lovers of small marine life, there’s just as much to discover. During muck dives and on the house reef, you can search for frogfish, rhinopias, seahorses, pygmy seahorses, ghost pipefish, leaf scorpionfish, and various types of nudibranchs. Blue-ringed octopuses and harlequin shrimp are also spotted here. With so many different dive sites and a schedule that gives you plenty of time to explore at a leisurely pace, no two dives are the same. The combination of colorful reefs, remarkable macro life, and the chance to encounter larger marine life makes Alor a destination where you can dive for days on end without ever getting bored.
Day 17 | Explore Pantar Island
There are no dives scheduled for today. You’ll have plenty of time to explore the area around Alor Divers and wind down before your return trip begins tomorrow.
From the resort, you can take a walk along the beach. At low tide, the mangroves and the shallow area around the house reef become visible. During very low tide, small tide pools form where you can find a surprising variety of creatures, such as young eels, small fish, crabs, and shrimp. With a little luck, you might even spot a blue-ringed octopus!
The area surrounding the resort is also worth exploring. At low tide, you can walk along the beach to the nearby villages. You can also follow the path behind the resort for beautiful views of Pantar. In the villages, you’ll get a close-up look at local life. There are no restaurants or cafés, but that’s precisely what gives you a glimpse into daily life on the island. Local residents are involved in traditional fishing, among other things. Even young children dive underwater and can stay there for an astonishingly long time.
The resort also has a small shop selling local products, including hand-woven ikat textiles and the wooden diving goggles used by local fishermen. It’s a great place to pick up an authentic souvenir to take home.
Or you can simply enjoy a peaceful final day at the resort. After so much diving, there’s nothing wrong with enjoying the beach and the surroundings one last time before leaving Pantar Island.
Days 18 & 19 | Return home
It’s over! Today marks the start of the return trip. From Alor, you’ll fly via Kupang and then via Jakarta or Bali back to Europe. In most cases, you’ll depart from Alor on day 15 and land back in Europe on day 16.
The connections aren’t always ideal. If the flights don’t connect well, you may need to book an extra night’s stay along the way. We’ll, of course, coordinate this with you and make sure your trip goes as smoothly as possible. In that case, you may arrive home a day later.
The Accommodation
The Resort and Surroundings
Alor Divers Eco Resort
Alor Divers is a small-scale resort with just eight bungalows, accommodating a maximum of 16 guests. The resort is located on the island of Pantar, part of the Alor Archipelago in East Nusa Tenggara. You’ll stay right on the water, in a quiet and secluded spot where you’ll come primarily to dive and enjoy the surroundings. From the resort, you’ll have a view of the bay and the surrounding islands. The location is ideal for divers: the house reef is right on your doorstep, and the various dive sites around Pantar and Alor are accessible by boat.
The resort is small-scale and has everything you need for a diving vacation. There’s a restaurant where meals are served, a bar, and a lounge where you can relax between dives. Of course, there’s a dive center with space for your diving gear and equipment. After a dive, you can head into the water from the dock or the beach for a dive on the house reef.
The atmosphere at Alor Divers is relaxed and informal. There is no extensive entertainment program, which suits the location well. During the day, it’s all about diving, and afterward, there’s plenty of time to relax, read a book, or enjoy the surroundings from the resort.
At Alor Divers, you’ll stay in one of the eight bungalows: three Superior Bungalows and five Deluxe Bungalows. All bungalows are located right on the beach and are spacious, with an open layout that blends well with the tropical surroundings.
The Superior Bungalows measure approximately 42 m² and feature a spacious terrace, a comfortable bed, a fan, and a private bathroom. There’s a large table where you can set down your camera or other equipment, as well as a coffee corner with drinking water. Air conditioning is available in the Superior Bungalows for an additional fee.
The Deluxe Bungalows are considerably more spacious, at approximately 65 m². They feature a large wooden deck with seating and direct access to the beach. Inside, there’s a king-size bed and extra space, making these bungalows ideal for those who appreciate a bit more comfort and living space. Here, too, you’ll find a camera table, a coffee corner, a private bathroom, and space to hang your diving gear.
Both types of bungalows have been deliberately kept simple. They have everything you need, but the main focus here is on being outdoors, diving, and enjoying the peaceful surroundings. Free Wi-Fi is available in all bungalows.
Travel Expenses
What's Included
This trip to Alor costs US$ 3.533 per person, based on two people sharing a bungalow. The trip can be extended as desired, and it is also possible to shorten its duration. A number of items are included as standard in this travel package.
Prices are subject to change due to price adjustments, increases, or fluctuations in exchange rates. Flights are always booked in the lowest available fare class.
Want to learn more about the options? Contact us!
Included in this trip, from US$ 3.533 p.p.
- 14 nights in a Superior Bungalow
- Stay on a full-board basis
- Coffee, tea, and drinking water
- Diving package with 24 boat dives (2 per day)
- Airport Transfers in Alor on Wednesdays and Sundays
- VZR & Administration fee
Excluding
- Flights from Europe to Alor from US$ 1.342
- Dive and travel insurance
- Alor Marine Park Fee (US$ 89)
- Alcoholic beverages (US$ 4) and soft drinks (US$ 1)
- Air conditioning (US$ 11 per night)
- Airport transportation on other days (US$ 112 per trip)
✈︎ The quoted (international) flight prices are indicative prices and based on departures from Europe. However, we can arrange flights from any location worldwide. Booking your own flights is of course also possible.
Optional
- Unsupervised dive on the house reef (US$ 28)
- Night Dive on the House Reef (US$ 28)
- Nitrox (US$ 3 per tank)
- 15L tank for 2 boat dives (US$ 17)
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Frequently Asked Questions About This Trip to Alor
General Information on Diving
This trip is suitable for divers who are at least Open Water certified and have logged at least 50 dives. This is the dive resort’s policy. It’s also helpful to have some experience with currents so you can fully enjoy the dives.
Diving in Alor offers incredible variety. You can enjoy drift dives, deep dives, reef dives, macro dives, and night dives. In the morning, you’ll go on boat dives, and you can also do shore dives on the house reef.
It’s worth noting that Alor Divers has no maximum dive time. The dive shop’s philosophy is to enjoy two long, beautiful dives without any rush or pressure because there’s a third dive scheduled for the afternoon.
The dive sites are located within a range of 5 to 30 minutes by boat. Most dive sites can be reached within 20 minutes.
You can go on two boat dives each day. In addition, you can dive on the house reef in the afternoon or go on a night dive. These dives are not included in your dive package, but you can, of course, upgrade your package.
Yes, you can go night diving on the house reef.
Yes, Alor Divers has a unique house reef that stretches for about 900 meters. It is a full-fledged dive site with healthy coral and abundant marine life, and has been protected for over 18 years. The house reef is, in fact, one of the reasons the resort was built at this location.
Dives on the house reef start from the dive boat, which is anchored near the reef. So you enter the water from the boat and are picked up again after the dive. Depending on the current and conditions, the boat may also drop you off a few hundred meters further out, after which you’ll drift back toward the reef with the current. Another option is for the boat to drop you off at the start of the dive and pick you up further along the reef.
Because the house reef is so vast, you can explore different parts of it, and there are plenty of opportunities for long, leisurely dives. There’s also plenty to see during night dives, when marine life comes out in full force.
No, the focus is really on diving.
Yes, the diving school is located on the resort grounds.
Diving equipment
Yes, there are a number of 15L tanks. The 15L tanks are only available for boat dives and cost US$ 17 for 2 dives.
This is possible upon consultation, for example, if you’re diving with this configuration due to physical limitations. The dive school prefers backmount divers, since sidemount equipment and tanks take up a lot of space on the boat.
Yes, you can dive with nitrox here. It costs US$ 3 per tank.
You can rent some pieces of diving equipment here, but not everything. You can rent the following items:
- BCD: US$ 11 per day
- Regulator: US$ 11 per day
- Suunto dive computer: US$ 11 per day
Resort
Wi-Fi is available for free in all bungalows. The resort uses Starlink satellite internet, which provides a reliable and fast internet connection. This allows you to check emails, browse the internet, and even make video calls. Please keep in mind, however, that the resort is located in a remote area. Connection speeds may therefore vary at times, for example due to weather conditions or the availability of satellite coverage.
Yes, for an additional fee of US$ 11 per night, you can use the air conditioning in the bungalow. A fan is provided as standard for your use.
Alor Divers provides towels and beach towels. Shower gel, shampoo, and soap are also available. We use eco-friendly products.
It’s a good idea to bring the following items with you:
- Reef-safe sunscreen: Preferably use sunscreen that is safe for coral and marine life.
- Flashlight or headlamp: A flashlight or headlamp is especially useful during the new moon. Because the resort is so remote, there is hardly any light pollution, and it can get very dark in the evening. A flashlight also comes in handy for exploring the tide pools at very low tide. A dive light is not suitable for this purpose, as it can get too hot when out of the water.
- Good shoes: Would you like to visit the nearby villages and explore the area on foot? If so, be sure to bring a pair of sturdy, comfortable shoes.
No, there isn’t a pool.
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