Samambaia

Jean-Philippe BlanpainGoogle Reviewer

Just concluded a cruise with Samambaia from Ambon to Sorong via the Banda Sea and Misool. One of the best liveaboard we ever experienced : the boat, the food, the dive deck, the crew, … everything was at the top. A special mention to Daniel, the cruise director, the best to our long experience, totally in tune with his crew and each guest, without the usual show exagération of this role…, on top of being truly passionate about diving!

Julia L.Google Reviewer

My husband and I just spent 11 nights on Samambaia over Christmas and New Years and it was an adventure of a lifetime. It was our first liveaboard experience, so I did extensive research on boats and routes before we made a decision. We could not have made a better choice with Samambaia. Everything was top. The room was comfortable, the shower is great, the food (omg the food!), the gear, and the crew was incredible. Of course, the dive sites were unbelievable. As this was our first liveaboard experience, in the legendary Raja Ampat on such an amazing boat - we joke that nothing will ever compare again, but seriously - I don't know where to go from here! We are spoiled forever. We want to come back one day and dive Komodo on Samambaia. If you are considering booking a trip on this boat, do it!!!

Crazy KidsGoogle Reviewer

I’ve been on several dive trips all over the world and have accumulated by my guess around 500 dives. We (Diveworld Canada) took the Raja Ampat tour with Daniel and the crew. What we experienced was beyond what we expected. The dive sites, the ship, the crew, the food the hospitality was second to none. Even on a couple days of bad weather the amazing experience was not interrupted. It was so hard to pick out a favourite moment, but for me it had to be the black manta cleaning stations. I’m so blessed to have experienced this trip and so grateful to the whole Samambaia experience. A special thanks to Daniel and the whole crew. Craig S

Susan LevensteinGoogle Reviewer

Our December 2018 Samambaia cruise, snorkeling in Raja Ampat, may have been the best holiday of my life. The Samambaia caters mainly to divers, but Gian Paolo went out of his way to find spots for my husband and me to snorkel. By and large he succeeded, sending us on two or three expeditions every day - sometimes spectacular - with an excellent guide. Gian Paolo knows his locations intimately and could be flexible as required by weather, currents, or geography (once we were forced far off course by a major storm). Out of the water the trip was just as memorable. Gian Paolo is a delightful, warm, attentive host who has taken an extraordinary level of care with his guests' comfort and pleasure and in creating a convivial atmosphere aboard: impeccable organization, great beds, quiet autonomous air conditioning, abundant hot showers, well-designed storage spaces, even great-smelling shampoo and delicious drinking water. We stayed in the glorious master cabin. The food was good, creative, varied, and abundant, including free beer and freshly baked bread. The staff and crew anticipated our every need without being obsequious, the masseuse was great… and the boat is gorgeous, right down to the stone sinks!

Patrick EidemuGoogle Reviewer

We had an unpleasant encounter with the owner or a key member of the liveaboard team. His incredibly arrogant behavior towards the locals was not only inappropriate and unpleasant to witness, but underwater he also acted as if he were in charge. He should have been looking after his group and his crew, who were destroying coral and completely out of control diving in the current at that spot, solely to make money by showing manta rays to everyone at the expense of nature and driven by greed. He even put me in a dangerous situation by deliberately swimming very close to me while I was calmly observing, hooked in front of him. When choosing your tour operators, please make sure they respect nature and the local community and aren't just in it for the money.