Raja Ampat

The sheer abundance of marine life, healthy colourful reefs, and diverse dive sites will leave even the most experienced divers wanting more! The stunning beauty of Raja Ampat’s exotic & enchanting islands both above and below the water will leave you in no doubt that this truly is one of the worlds premier diving destinations.   

Airport: Sorong (SOQ), West Papua

Trip Duration: 7/8/9/10 Days Trip

Resort/ Liveaboard

Intermediate to Advanced Diver

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Destination Info 

Located off the northwest tip of Bird’s Head Peninsula on the island of New Guinea, in the province of West Papua, Raja Ampat, or the Four Kings, is an archipelago comprising over 1,500 small islands, caves, and shoals surrounding the four main islands of Misool, Salawati, Batanta, Waigeo and the smaller island of Kofiau.

Approximately 9.8 million hectares of land & sea encompass the Raja Ampat Archipelago, in Indonesia’s West Papua Province, off the North Western tip of the island of New Guinea. About 1500 islands & so many reefs that it would take more than a lifetime to explore…

What to see

Raja Ampat is all about diversity – not only diversity of species, but also of dive sites. There are some areas where soft corals and sea fans dominate, others with hard corals, seagrass beds, mangroves, shallow reefs, drop offs, caves, black sand and white sand…and there are more species of fish life here anywhere else in the world. Here, all the levels of the food chain are well represented – from pygmy seahorses to top predators. In many places brightly colored soft corals can be found close to the surface which, illuminated by natural sunlight, make these dive sites spectacularly colorful. The reefs in Raja Ampat just buzz with life!

Sample Itinerary

Day 1.  Arrival at Sorong Airport or local hotel and transfer to the liveaboard or resort via speedboat. For liveaboard, check dive outside Sorong before overnight sail.

Day 3. (3 dives) Misool; Fiabacet & Boo area.   Sail to overnight to Central & North Raja Ampat.

Day 4. (4 dives) Pianemu area; including famous Melissa’s Garden and stunning View Point hike.

Day 5. (4 dives) Manta ridge & Dampier Strait

Day 6. (4 dives) Kri area; including Big Fish, Cape Kri, Sardine Run, & excellent night dive.

Day 7. (2 dives) Misokon island; including Blue Magic & Yellow Fever. Sail back to Sorong.

Day 8.  (0 dives) 5am-12pm. Check out after light breakfast and transfer to a local hotel or airport.  Departure from Sorong to Manado/ Makassar/ Jakarta/ Denpasar.

Dive Site Information
  • Best time to Visit: October till April.
  • Water Temp: 27-30°C,
  • Air Temp: 27-32°C
  • Visibility: 15-30 meters
  • Current: mild to strong
Getting There
  • Fly through to & from Sorong (SOQ) via Jakarta (CGK), Makassar (UPG Ujung Pandang), Bali (DPS, Denpasar), or Manado (MDC). 
Health & Insurance
  • Dive Insurance compulsory for this trip. We also strongly advise you get adequate travel insurance. Please check your travel insurance policy for your diving needs. If not covered then we recommend DiveAssure for single trip policy cover.
  • Dive Computer compulsoryon this trip.
  • Follow Safe Diving Practices at ALL times plus No Deco Diving and No Solo Diving.
  • Malaria Zone; NOTE that in this part of Indonesia we advise you take the proper precautions against malaria.  The following anti-malaria drugs are considered safe with diving; Doxycycline or malarone.  Mefloquine (Lariam) is NOT recommended with diving.  Good preventative measures include DEET and long armed/legged clothing in evenings. If unsure consult a diving doctor.

Our Recommendation

Northern Raja Ampat is surrounded by uninhabited islands, with spectacular white sand beaches & pristine forest. According to Conservation International, marine surveys …suggest that the marine life diversity in the Raja Ampat area is the highest recorded on Earth. Diversity is considerably greater than any other area sampled in the Coral Triangle composed of Indonesia, Philippines & Papua New Guinea. The Coral Triangle is the heart of the world’s coral reef biodiversity, making Raja Ampat quite possibly the richest coral reef ecosystems in the world. Over 200 dive spots to explore & to suit all levels of training. From sighting big fishes to macro environment living in this Indonesian seas. For the non divers, most of the diving sites are available for snorkelling.

The jewel of Raja Ampat is found further down south. Misool is also a place of great bio-diversity and wonderful cave diving opportunities. Do take time to experience both the north and the south islands of Raja Ampat.

Medical facilities on the island are basic. There is a hospital here which can handle the basics however for more serious injuries and/or conditions evacuation to Sorong or further may be required.

All Divers are required to have medical insurance, whose advice will be followed in the event of any emergency. We can sign you up for instant DAN Short Term insurance, valid for either 10 or 30 days