Frequently Asked Questions

WAOW 2 is a 60-meter phinisi liveaboard, built for diving and slow journeys through Indonesia. She carries a maximum of 20 guests in 11 cabins, with more than 20 crew and five dive guides, and cruises at 7 knots. Discover the boat.

A phinisi is a traditional Indonesian wooden sailing ship. WAOW 2 is hand-built in South Sulawesi in the old way by Haji Wahab and his boatbuilding crew: ironwood frames, teak decks and three masts, with the comfort of a modern yacht.

WAOW 2 is under construction in Bira, South Sulawesi, and is set to sail in October 2028. Her first planned routes are West Meets East, from Bali to Maumere, in October 2028, then Spices and Snakes, from Maumere across the Banda Sea to Ambon. You can follow the build in The Journal.

There are 11 cabins across three decks, in four categories: the Master Suite (51 m², with a private terrace and 225° views), the Superior cabins (20 m², with a semi-private terrace), the Deluxe cabins (22 m², on the lower deck, with porthole windows) and the Solo cabins (13 m², on the upper deck, designed for solo travellers). Every cabin has air conditioning, a private bathroom, a minibar and a safe, and all double cabins can be arranged as twins. See the cabins.

Safety is built into every part of the journey. All crew are BST and firefighting trained, and every trip opens with a briefing and muster drill. On board: radar, AIS, GPS and thermal night vision, satellite communications and EPIRBs, and life rafts for twice the people on board. WAOW 2 holds an ISM Document of Compliance and is checked by regular independent surveys. Read more about safety.

Bookings for WAOW 2 are not open just yet. The first opportunity to book will be in person at the Paris Dive Show, from 7 to 10 January 2027, and online bookings will open shortly after on our Rates & Dates page. Sign up to our newsletter to be among the first to discover the schedule.

Rates have not been published yet. They will be announced with the schedule when bookings open: see Rates & Dates.

Yes, WAOW 2 is available for full charters. Bring your family, your closest friends or your dive crew and make the journey your own. Write to us at info@waow.ch.

WAOW 2 explores remote Indonesian waters in five regions: Papua (Raja Ampat, Misool, Triton Bay), the Moluccas (Ternate, Tidore, Halmahera, Ambon), the Banda Sea, Sulawesi (from Lembeh and Bunaken to Wakatobi) and the Sunda Islands (Komodo, Flores, Alor, Bali). See all destinations.

Itineraries last 7 to 12 days. Depending on the route, they start and end in Sorong, Kaimana, Ternate, Bitung, Baubau, Maumere, Ambon or Bali: from The Southern King, 7 days from Sorong, to Tale of Two Papuas, 12 days from Kaimana to Sorong. Each itinerary page shows the route, the diving and when it runs: see all itineraries on the map.

WAOW 2 moves through Indonesia with the seasons, so that each region is visited at its best time. In Raja Ampat, for example, The Four Kings, 11 days in Raja Ampat, runs from December to March, while the Banda Sea is crossed in late October and November, when hammerheads school along its walls and seamounts, on Spices and Snakes and Forts and Forests.

Three to four dives a day are included. Nitrox is available on board free of charge for certified divers, and Nitrox training is available on board.

Five experienced dive guides for a maximum of 20 guests, with no more than four divers per guide. For a more personal experience, a private guide can accompany you underwater (not included in the rate).

Yes. PADI instruction is available on board on request, tailored to your experience and goals, whether you want to improve your skills or work towards a new certification. Dive courses are not included in the rate.

Rental gear is available on board (not included in the rate). WAOW 2 has a dedicated dive centre for gear preparation, rinsing and storage, and a camera room to set up and charge your photo and video equipment. The crew prepares, rinses and stores your gear between dives.

Yes. Snorkelling trips for non-diving guests are included, and there is plenty to do above the water: paddle boards, shore excursions, massages, a beach aperitif once during every cruise, or simply a quiet corner on deck.

Your stay includes:

• Airport or hotel transfers
• 3-4 dives per day
• Nitrox
• 5 meals per day
• Non-alcoholic drinks
• Snacks throughout the day
• Daily housekeeping
• Land excursions
• Snorkelling trips for non-diving guests
• Port & Park fees

Not included but available :

• Rental gear
• Alcoholic beverages
• À la carte massage
• Private guide
• Dive courses
• Laundry

Five moments around the table punctuate each day: a light breakfast before the first dive, brunch, lunch, afternoon snacks and dinner. The kitchen blends Indonesian flavours with inspirations from around the world, built on fresh, local ingredients. Vegetarian, vegan and other diets are catered for on request.

WAOW is a family story. Swiss diver Michel Deville launched the first WAOW, which sailed across Indonesia from 2012 to 2018, from Raja Ampat to Komodo, until she was lost to a fire. Frédéric and Camille now lead WAOW 2 alongside Haji Wahab and his boatbuilding crew, and many of the team were part of the first WAOW. Read the WAOW story.

The first WAOW was a 60-meter wooden sailing boat imagined by Swiss diver Michel Deville and built over four years by Haji Wahab and his shipwrights. She welcomed her first guests in April 2012 and sailed some of Indonesia's most remote waters for six years, from Komodo and Raja Ampat to the Banda Sea. During the night of 31 January to 1 February 2018, she caught fire in the port of Biak, Indonesia, and was lost. Everyone on board made it to safety. Visit the WAOW Museum to discover her story and watch the documentary about her.

Yes. WAOW 2 continues the family story that began with the first WAOW. Camille, who spent her childhood summers on board the first WAOW, and Frédéric lead the project, and Haji Wahab, the master boatbuilder who built the first WAOW, is building WAOW 2 with his crew. Many of the team were part of the first WAOW. WAOW 2 is not a copy of the first boat: she carries its spirit forward, with everything learned over those years. Meet the team behind WAOW 2.

WAOW 2 is being built from Indonesian wood, so we are working with Good Forest Indonesia to restore forests and replant trees in Indonesia, with the aim of giving back what was used to build the boat, and supporting local farmers and communities along the way. Read more.