KM RAJA MANTA

(7 customer reviews)

36m / 119ft MAX 20 NITROX PADI

PRICE PER DAY FROM USD 0

LOWEST PRICE GUARANTEE

At a glance:

Includes Raja Ampat, Banda Sea, Sangalaki and Lembeh Strait
Most cabins have ensuite bathrooms, seaview windows
Large, steel-hulled boat purpose-built as a liveaboard

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TRIP REPORT

There are currently no trips available on Raja Manta.

KM Raja Manta is a 36 metre long steel-hulled motor yacht, launched in April 2011 and designed to accommodate up to 20 divers on tours around some of Indonesia's best dive destinations, including Raja Ampat, the Banda Sea and Sangalaki. This purpose-built Indonesia liveaboard manages to be practical and spacious with a range of different cabins from Standard to Deluxe.

Described as being built by divers for scuba divers, there is an enormous dive deck with plenty of space to gear up, even on a full boat. There is also a spacious and practical dive platform and nitrox is available. Guests tend to relax in the air-conditioned saloon which is comfortable and well-appointed, with full entertainment system. Sun lovers head for the expansive sun deck which has shaded and unshaded sections. You will dine in the open air dining section enjoying the ever changing views of the Indonesian archipelago, or in the saloon if you prefer.

Most of the cabins have ensuite bathrooms and are located on the middle or upper deck. They have large windows allowing for views and plenty of natural light. Only the standard cabins are on the lower deck have shared bathrooms. The combination of diving in Indonesia on a luxurious, spacious liveaboard trip is a winner. For comfort and style when diving the Raja Ampat, Banda and Sangalaki, the experienced KM Raja Manta crew is now a great choice.

There are a total of 10 cabins onboard the KM Raja Manta liveaboard. 2 Deluxe cabins, with King beds (which can also be twin beds) are on the upper deck. The main deck has an additional 6 Deluxe cabins, 2 with king beds and 4 with twin beds. (3 of these cabins can accommodate 3 divers if requested.) All Deluxe cabins have private bathrooms and seaview windows. The 3 lower deck Standard cabins have twin beds, basins and portholes in each cabin. These cabins share 2 bathrooms.

All the cabins have:

Air-conditioning
Sea-view windows or portholes
Toilet and hot water shower (except standard cabins)
Hand basin and towels
Reading lights

3-pin UK style mains outlet 220 volts - 24 hours per day
Cabinet, shelves and mirror
Bedding
Space for luggage
Life jackets

No. of bathrooms / showers - 13 / 13 - hot water

Raja Ampat, Lembeh & Halmahera (10 Days / 9 Nights - 26 Dives)

Trip highlights: shark action, manta rays, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Lembeh Strait: Aw Shucks, Hairball, Nudi Retreat, Tifore, Straits of Patinti, Pulau Pisang, Pele, Fabiacet, Misool, Dampier Strait, Waigeo.

Day 1
The Raja Manta staff will wait for your arrival at Sorong airport and take you to the nearby harbour to embark on the amazing Raja Manta liveaboard. Relax and drink a welcome fruit juice while the tour leader introduces the boat, facilities and crew. There might be a check dive in the afternoon, in a nearby bay, but it depends on the guest arrival times. Nevertheless, set up your dive gear on the dive deck and wait for dinner to be served. Your diving vacation has just started!

Days 2-9
You have finally reached Raja Ampat, the most biodiverse marine region in the world! 4 dives a day will give you plenty of opportunities to see weird small creatures such as wonderpus and seahorses as well as majestic mantas and reef sharks. There is so much to witness underwater that every dive will bring you new experiences. Wake up with a light breakfast followed by the 1st dive of the morning. Later a hot breakfast including hot coffee, toast and eggs will set you up for the 2nd dive. By midday you should have seen enough marine life to quiz fish identities with the tour leader during lunch. Try some of the Indonesian local cuisine that the buffet has on display, as well as more Western dishes such as Italian pasta or steaks. Then it may be time for a well-deserved period of relaxation back in your cabin or on the sundeck. You will hit the water again after the briefing introduces the 3rd dive. Dive among the healthy soft and hard corals and oversized red sea fans. An expert eye will help you locate pygmy and pontohi seahorses. Too small? Perhaps the wobbegongs resting at the bottom are a better subject for your underwater camera. The 4th dive takes place just before dinner, when you can experience the nocturnal fish and their night hunting, as well as the change in behaviour of the diurnal fish that you saw on the previous dives. After the first days in Raja Ampat you will reach Halmahera which features some of the best coral gardens that Indonesia has to offer. But the surprises are not over yet. The last dives of the safari in Lembeh will test your knowledge of extraordinary critters that populate its volcanic black sands.
On the last full day of the tour there are only 2 dives scheduled since Raja Manta needs to make its long way back to Lembeh.

Day 10
Time for farewells as you have reached the end of your safari. Enjoy breakfast with your fellow divers before heading to Manado airport or hotel, depending on your travel plans. This itinerary may operate in reverse. See above for specific departure and return ports.

Raja Ampat, Banda Sea & Ambon (11 Days / 10 Nights - 30 Dives)

Trip highlights: shark action, manta rays, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Ambon, Banda Islands: Pulau Ai, Batu Kapal, Karang Hatta, Pulau Keraka, Ring of Fire, West Seram, Koon and Raja Ampat.

Day 1
The Raja Manta staff will meet you at Sorong airport and take you to the nearby harbour to embark on the amazing Raja Manta liveaboard. Relax and drink a welcome fruit juice while the tour leader introduces the boat, facilities and crew. There might be a check dive in the afternoon, in a nearby bay, but it depends on the guest arrival times. Nevertheless, set up your dive gear on the dive deck and wait for dinner to be served. Your diving vacation has just started!

Days 2-10
You have finally reached Raja Ampat, the most biodiverse marine region in the world! 4 dives a day will give you plenty of opportunities to see weird small creatures such as wonderpus and seahorses as well as majestic mantas and reef sharks. There is so much to witness underwater that every dive will bring you new experiences.
Even dolphins and whales can be spotted from the boat in the Banda Sea. Schools of fish will welcome you in their habitats, especially reef fish such as damsels, anthias, soldierfish and angelfish. You will also travel to some less known dive sites while touring around the Banda Islands and Ring of Fire with high chances to see endemic species like the Ambon scorpionfish, or be surrounded by dogtooth tuna, and spot shy mobula rays swimming out in the blue. Expert and amateur photographers will enjoy the dedicated areas on board the Raja Manta, where you can safely set up, rinse and dry your equipment. This cruise will be a blast!
Wake up with a light breakfast followed by the 1st dive of the morning. Later a hot breakfast including hot coffee, toast and eggs will set you up for the 2nd dive. By midday you should have seen enough marine life to quiz fish identities with the tour leader during lunch. Try some of the Indonesian local cuisine that the buffet has on display, as well as more Western dishes such as Italian pasta or steaks. Then it may be time for a well-deserved period of relaxation back in your cabin or on the sundeck. You will hit the water again after the briefing introduces the 3rd dive. The 4th dive takes place just before dinner, when you can experience the nocturnal fish and their night hunting, as well as the change in behaviour of the diurnal fish that you saw on the previous dives.
On the last full day of the tour there are 2 or 3 muck dives around Ambon on the schedule.

Day 11
Time for farewells as you have reached the end of your safari. Enjoy breakfast with your fellow divers before heading to Ambon airport or hotel, depending on your after trip plans. Note this itinerary may be operated in reverse. Please see above for specific ports of departure and return.

Raja Ampat National Park (9 Days / 8 Nights - 26 Dives)

Trip highlights: shark action, manta rays, turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Yanggefo Island; Mayhem Ridge, Citrus ridge, Deep Rock, Mansuar Corner, Manta Sandy, Cape Kri, Blue Magic, Sardine Reef, Manta Spa, Misool: Boo Corner, The Window, Magic Mountain, Nudi Rock, Tank Rock, Whale Rock

Day 1
The Raja Manta staff will wait for your arrival at Sorong airport and take you to the nearby harbour to embark on the amazing Raja Manta liveaboard. Relax and drink a welcome fruit juice while the tour leader introduces the boat, facilities and crew. There might be a check dive in the afternoon, in a nearby bay, but it depends on the guest arrival times. Nevertheless, set up your dive gear on the dive deck and wait for dinner to be served. Your diving vacation has just started!

Days 2-8
You have finally reached Raja Ampat, the most biodiverse marine region in the world! 4 dives a day will give you plenty of opportunities to see weird small creatures such as wonderpus and seahorses as well as majestic mantas and reef sharks. There is so much to witness underwater that every dive will bring you new experiences. Wake up with a light breakfast followed by the 1st dive of the morning. Later a hot breakfast including hot coffee, toast and eggs will set you up for the 2nd dive. By midday you should have seen enough marine life to quiz fish identities with the tour leader during lunch. Try some of the Indonesian local cuisine that the buffet has on display, as well as more Western dishes such as Italian pasta or steaks. Then it may be time for a well-deserved period of relaxation back in your cabin or on the sundeck. You will hit the water again after the briefing introduces the 3rd dive. The 4th dive takes place just before dinner, when you can experience the nocturnal fish and their night hunting, as well as the change in behaviour of the diurnal fish that you saw on the previous dives.
On the last full day of the tour there are only 2 dives scheduled since Raja Manta needs to make its long way back to Sorong.

Day 9
Time for farewells as you have reached the end of your safari. Enjoy breakfast with your fellow divers before heading to Sorong airport or hotel, depending on your travel plans.

Banda Islands & Ambon (9 Days / 8 Nights - 22 Dives)

Trip highlights: turtles, great macro life/ marine diversity, schooling fish & big pelagics

Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, cage diving, caverns, drift diving, healthy reefs, off the beaten track, very popular, wall diving, wreck diving

Dive sites and activities: Ambon Bay, Banda Islands, visit to a Spice Island, Ring of Fire, Hukruila Cave, Molana

Day 1
Land at Pattimura Airport, Ambon where the Raja Manta crew greets you and takes you to the harbour where you can finally see this amazing liveaboard. Your first hours on board will be spent on getting to know the boat, the crew and the other guests that will share this fantastic diving safari with you. A possible check dive might take place in the afternoon, depending on guest arrival times. If not, have a massage or simply relax until dinner is served. Your diving days are about to start.

Days 2-7
The smell of freshly baked bread is one of the 2 good reasons for wakening up early. The other one is the 1st dive of the day that follows the light breakfast. You will soon get used of the daily routine that includes 3 main meals and 3 more dives, with a bigger breakfast of bacon, toasts and eggs cooked as you like, or fresh fruits and cereals if you look for a lighter option, before the 2nd morning dive. A buffet of Western and Asian choices at lunch time will also be the right moment for sharing feedback from the diving with your fellow dive buddies, while at dinner the cruise director will discuss with his guests the schedule for the next day. A 3rd dive in the afternoon and a 4th dive (night dive) will fill your days with enough emotions and memories to bring back home after the trip. You have come to the right place, as this exploratory trip never fails to deliver great diving on pristine and colourful corals that attract hundreds of different species of fish, from tiny critters to big pelagics. Even dolphins and whales can be spotted from the boat in the Banda Sea. Schools of fish will welcome you in their habitats, especially reef fish such as damsels, anthias, soldierfish and angelfish. You will also travel to some less known dive sites while touring around the Banda Islands and Ring of Fire with high chances to see endemic species like the Ambon scorpionfish, or be surrounded by dogtooth tuna, and spot shy mobula rays swimming out in the blue. Expert and amateur photographers will enjoy the dedicated areas on board the Raja Manta, where you can safely set up, rinse and dry your equipment. This cruise will be a blast!
Please note that only 2 morning dives will take place on the last full day of the safari. Raja Manta then cruises back to port while its crew washes your dive gear so that it will be dry and ready to be packed before you reach land.

Day 9
Farewells and a light breakfast before heading to Ambon hotel or the airport.

[Information is best estimate in ideal circumstances and subject to changes beyond our control. The itinerary is a guide only and may be adapted to best suit the weather, tides, currents, availability and other prevailing events. Price is for the cruise, not for an exact number of dives].

The crew of 19 comprises:

Cruise leader / instructor
Manager / instructor / divemaster
4 divemasters
Captain
First Officer
2 Engineers

4 Deck hands
Head Chef
Assistant Chef
Hostess
2 Maids

Enriched air nitrox - 2 motorised dinghies - 55m² dive deck & 18m² platform with hot water showers, toilets and rinse tank - 100m² air-conditioned saloon and dining area with bar, TV, video and music - Movie library, fish books, games and diving magazines - Satellite telephone - 55m² upper deck shaded area - 92m² sundeck with sun chairs & mattresses - Water dispenser

Scuba certification courses available including PADI Advanced Open Water Diver, Rescue, EFR, specialties and Gas Blender.

Food on the KM Raja Manta is a serious business! Breakfast, lunch and dinner are the 3 main meals and consist of a blend of western and Indonesian cuisine. All meals are finished with a selection of tropical fruits. You can also have a light breakfast before the first dive, and afternoon snacks are also served to keep away any hunger.

Indonesian and international meals.
Buffet-style dining in the upper deck saloon - choose from 4 dishes per sitting.
Pre-breakfast, breakfast, lunch, dinner with snacks in between.
Coffee, tea, drinking water, fruit, toast and biscuits are provided free of charge.
Soft drinks, wine and beers are available for purchase.
The dining service begins with dinner on the first evening of the liveaboard trip.
All special dietary requirements can be catered for - please send us advanced notice.

Built in year 2011
Size - 36m x 7.5m
Weight - 270 tonnes
Top speed - 12 knots
Cruising speed - 10 knots
2 x 700 HP Cummins engines
3 x 100 KVa Cummins generators
2 x L&W dive tank compressors

Enriched air nitrox gas blender
12 & 15 litre aluminium scuba tanks with Int. & DIN fittings.
Electricity 220V - 24 hours per day
Water capacity - 24,000 litres
Fresh watermaker - 4,000 litres per day
Fuel capacity - 15,000 litres
Waste storage tank

3 life rafts (for 20 passengers each)
2 x 40 HP Yamaha dive dinghies
SSB, VHF and CB marine radios
Navman GPS
Furuno radar
Sounder
Navman plotter
Autopilot
Iridium satellite telephone
Mobile telephone

CCTV in engine room

Bilge pump alarm
Searchlight and loudhailer
Emergency position indicating radio beacon
Medic first aid box
Emergency oxygen (1 x 150L and 5 X S040 cylinders)
Life jackets in each cabin
Fire alarms & extinguishers throughout

"Very nice and professional staff, clean boat in good condition, good organisation" - Paulina Mydlowska, Germany, 11 March 2018 ...

"We have enjoyed 4 great days on board of the KM Raja Manta with our dive instructor Michael, who made us feel save and comfortable at all times. The staff and crew have always been very friendly and helpful, offering a great service and creating a wonderful atmosphere.
The staff has always been well prepared and gave us more detailed information and safety instructions before every dive as we would have expected. Facilities and our cabin were clean and have been made up every day." - Stefanie Phoenix, Germany, 12 December 2014 ...

"We rented pieces of equipment (bcd, regulator, fins) which were in good shape. The KM Raja Manta staff was very friendly and efficient. The facilities were more than comfortable. The guides knew what they were doing, they knew the diving sites quite well." - Pierre Paquette, Canada,13 March 2014 ...

"Fantastic boat, food, crew and diving set up. Can't fault anything." - Marie Hughes, Scotland, 10 March 2014 ...

"Staff are friendly, facilities are nice, service are excellent, food are delicious" - JS Jessie, China, 15 January 2014 ...

"All the staff on the KM Raja Manta were fantastic. The crew on the dive deck was on us like we were royalty - they lifted our tanks for us, clipped our fins on our feet when we were in the zodiacs heading for the dive sites, zipped up our wetsuits, handed us weight belts, etc etc etc. They were completely on top of everything. The minute we finished a dive, they were there grabbing weight belts, fins, BCs, helping us into the zodiac, and they had hot towels for us after every dive." - Deborah Fryer, USA, 16 January 2013 ...

"The services we received were excellent. The dive staff and liveaboard crew made the trip enjoyable for divers and non-divers, adults and kids." - Matt Gibbons, USA, 3 April 2012 ...

DEPARTURE SCHEDULE & PRICES

MORE TRIP DETAILS

Notes: There are currently no trips available on Raja Manta.

Cruise price per person includes: Cabin accommodation with air-conditioning, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinking water, hot drinks, return transfers to the boat from local hotels / airport, dives (as detailed in the trips above), experienced English-speaking divemaster(s) (4 divers per DM), tanks, weights and weightbelts.

Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Scuba equipment (US$ 50 per day), dive computer (US$ 15 per day), dive insurance, marine park and harbour fees ( Raja Ampat - US$ 250, Sangalaki - US$ 250, Banda Sea trips - US$ 250) payable in advance. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival (cash).

Optional extras: Soft drinks, alcoholic drinks, nitrox for enriched air certified divers (US$ 15 per fill). Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival.

How to get there: KM Raja Manta uses a number of different ports for its varied itineraries in Indonesia:
Raja Ampat: KM Raja Manta's Raja Ampat liveaboard safaris normally depart in the afternoon from Sorong in West Papua. You can fly directly to Sorong from Jakarta, Ujung Pandang (Makassar) and Manado. From Bali there are convenient connections via Ujung Pandang (Makassar) and Manado. We will help you arrange return domestic flights between Bali or Jakarta and Sorong. Some trips use Sorong and another port such as Ambon or Manado.
Ambon: Some cruises depart in the morning from Ambon. You can fly direct to Ambon from Manado or Jakarta. We will help you arrange return domestic flights between Bali or Jakarta and Ambon.
Sangalaki: Other trips depart in the afternoon from Tanjung Batu pier after land transfer from Berau. You can fly to Balikpapan and then on to Berau. There are direct flights to Berau from Singapore or Jakarta. We will help you arrange return domestic flights. There is a free transfer service from the boat to and from the nearest airports.
The last dive of each trip will usually be between 11:00 and 14.00 hrs on the second last day of the tour. Please wait at least 18 hours before flying after diving. We can help you with your domestic flight arrangements for flights to these or other port towns in Indonesia. For more information see our travel information section.

Non-diver rate: 10% off the published price.

Single supplement (if you do not want to share accommodation): This is optional - single travellers may choose to share a cabin or pay a supplement of 90% of the published price.

Dive clubs and group discounts: Pay for 10 guests and 1 additional person can join the cruise in a Standard non-ensuite cabin free of charge (total 11 or more guests). Please also refer the the full charter prices below which are equivalent to pay for 18 guests and 2 additional persons can join the cruise in a Standard non-ensuite cabin free of charge (total 20 guests). 2018: Pay for 5 guests and get 1 additional space free, pay for 10 guests and get 2 more spaces (not applicable to XMAS, NY, CNY, SND holiday trips and crossing trips or Ring of Fire trip then full and half charter rates will apply).

Whole boat charter rate (per night): Raja Ampat - US$ 7,585, Ambon - US$ 8,200, Sangalaki - US$ 5,456.

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