- Deals via TwitterRaja Ampat liveaboard diving● Raja Ampat diving ● Getting there ● Seasons ● Photos ● Choose your date ● |
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All the boats above run fantastic Raja Ampat liveaboard safaris of varying length visiting all the best places each with their own unique itinerary and features. |
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The area known as Raja Ampat (or the Four Kings) is an archipelago consisting of the islands of Misoool, Salawati, Batanta, and Wiageo which are surrounded by over 1,500 small islands and cays. Formerly known as Irian Jaya, this area is now part of the newly named West Papua province of Indonesia and is located on the northwest tip of Bird’s Head Peninsula, on the island of New Guinea.  Put simply, Raja Ampat could quite possibly be the best diving in the world. It certainly is the world's most biodiverse marine region with more recorded fish, coral and mollusk species than anywhere else on Earth.  According to the Conservation International Rapid Assessment Bulletin the marine life diversity for diving in Irian Jaya is considerably greater than all other areas sampled in the Coral Triangle. The Raja Ampat area is considered home to more than 1,000 fish species, 101 of which were previously unknown in Raja Ampat and four that are new to all of Indonesia. A world record 284 sightings on one single dive was set at Kofiau Island. A benchmark figure for an excellent dive site is 200 fish species sightings, this was surpassed on 51% of Raja Ampat dives! There were 537 coral species and 699 mollusk species - again another world high. The variety of marine life can be staggering. Some areas boast enormous schools of fish and regular sightings of sharks, such as wobbegongs. In Mansuar, you may encounter large groups of manta rays and turtles. From the boat and often  close to shore you may get the chance to don your snorkeling gear for some unforgettable interaction with resident pods of dolphins or even some passing whales. Other highlights include the innumerable war wrecks, both ships and planes (with new wrecks being discovered constantly). The reefs of Raja Ampat are just as varied as the marine life. There are vertical walls, reef flats, slopes, sea mounts,  mucky mangroves, lagoons and pinnacles. The reefs are in pristine condition with miles of perfect hard corals and many varied colorful species of soft corals. The diving is predominantly drift dives due to the moderate prevalent currents in the area which provide nutrients for the myriad fish and coral. Currents are averageto moderate and vary from none to very strong. Due to these currents and the number of wrecks, Irian Jaya is not really considered a destination for absolute beginners, rather for divers with a few dives under their belts looking to get away from the crowds. Visibility is normally very good but can vary and is normally at its best earlier in the day so your pre-breakfast dives are not to be slept through!The pristine beauty of the area, both above and below the water is truly  unrivalled. This success of area's staggering abundance of marine life can also be attributed to the areas incredibly low human population density. Its remote location and lack of infrastructure have inhibited the growth of tourism.This is truly "Frontier Diving". Topside the beautiful islands stretch as far as you can see and are largely uninhabited. At night the lights of local fishing boats twinkle in the dark along the few inhabited shorelines while in more remote areas you may only see a distant spec of light over the entire horizon. Not many liveaboards dive the Raja Ampat area, making this adventure even more unique and special. Raja Ampat photos |
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Raja ampat -getting there● Raja Ampat diving ● Getting there ● Seasons ● Photos ● Choose your date ● |
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Sorong is the harbour town in West Papua and the normal departure point to dive Raja Ampat. If you are unsure of how to get to Sorong to start your trip it will depend on where your international flight into Indonesia is landing.
It is not possible for someone outside of Indonesia to purchase domestic flights in Indonesia so these can be purchased for you by me, if you would like, and added to your invoice. It will be about $600 return dependant on exchange rates, availability and where your entry airport is in Indonesia. We recommend coming through Jakarta as the quickest and easiest route to take. The cost of the domestic flights are not included in the trip price.  From Jakarta it is possible to reach Sorong in one day.
The return trip from Sorong to Jakarta
If you come from Bali to Sorong it is a 2 stage process, from Bali (DPS) to Makassar (UPG) and from Makassar (UPG) to Sorong (SOQ), there would be a night in a hotel in Makassar on the way out (Ujung Pandang and Makassar are the same place and the half way point to Sorong). We recommend the Imperial Aryaduta in Makassar- http://www.aryaduta.com/hotels_home_makassar.php
The return trip from Sorong to Denpasar (Bali) is done in one day using 2 flights - SOQ-UPG and UPG-DPS and dependant on the day of the flight leaves at 2 different times
It is also possible from Singapore to Manado on Silk Air and then onto Sorong with a over night in there somewhere depending on your arrival times of your Silk Air flight but the Manado to Sorong flights don’t run every day so you may end up spending an advance night in Sorong which is not a particularly interesting place to spend the night.
Domestic Air Carrier Notes: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Raja ampat diving - The seasons● Raja Ampat diving ● Getting there ● Seasons ● Photos ● Choose your date ● |
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Raja Ampat has a high season from October to May and weirdly enough it is during their rainy season. The rainy season should not be mis-construed though. It is mostly a shower in the late afternoon and evening and most of the time the days are sunny, wind is minimal and the skys are generally clear. The seas are calmer at this time of the year as the oppposite season has winds that kick up waves and make it very difficult to dive the more exposed sites which is alot of the best sites in Raja Ampat. The water temperature stays around the 27-30 degrees celcius mark all year round. |
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Premier liveaboard diving Ltd - 7310144
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