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Raja Ampat Liveaboards
Top Dive Trip Options and Travel Information
Recent studies have shown that the marine diversity in Indonesia's West Papua Province is considerably greater than all other areas sampled in the Coral Triangle (made up of Indonesia, the Philippines and Papua New Guinea), which simply means it is the best of the best. Among the best experiences you can have whilst liveaboard diving in Raja Ampat are encounters with indigenous wobbegongs, the incredible topside beauty of Waigeo, the mushroom islands and lagoons of Misool, and the sheer joy of simply drifting over some of the most pristine and colourful coral scenes on Earth.
Raja Ampat liveaboard cruises include dives at Fabiacet; a site that proves that you can believe the hype, with more fish life than you thought possible. Here are great hammerheads, green turtles, schools of fusiliers and pale-lipped surgeonfish, red-toothed triggerfish and bannerfish, to name but a few.
Farondi Island offers tunnels, caverns and walls festooned with fascinating marine life. There is plenty of action in the blue, but the highlights are to be found in and around the reef, such as ornate ghost pipefish and pygmy seahorses (up to 40 on 1 fan!). Manta Ridge at Mansuar Island is one of many dives sites where manta rays can be seen, but it stands alone in terms of numbers. Up to 30 different mantas can be seen here making it surely one of the best manta dives in the world. [More details on these dive sites: Raja Ampat].
Liveaboard Diving Safari Options in Raja Ampat
• Raja Ampat Trips
The liveaboard routes used by diving charters in the Raja Ampat National Park cover a huge area of sea in this eastern section of Indonesia. They take in both the northern section and southern dive areas like Misool, Fabiacet, Daram, Farondi, Kaleidoscope and Boo Island. Trips tend to be between 8-14 nights' duration.
However, there are some 6 to 9 night Raja Ampat National Park North safaris available, in and out of Sorong. These tours often focus on sites like Cape Kri, Mansuar, Gam, South Penemu, Sel Pele, Mioskon and Waigeo. The longer of these trips may travel as far as the central region dives sites of the Jef Fam Group and Manta Ridge.
Cruises of such length and the remoteness of the location means that the normal clientele on these tours are experienced scuba divers who have visited in many other countries before treating themselves to this pinnacle of liveaboard destinations.
Raja Ampat is also a frequently included in the routes of liveaboard transit trips to other Indonesian diving hot spots such as Cenderawasih Bay, Triton Bay, the Banda Sea & Ambon, Halmahera, Lembeh Strait, The Forgotten Islands and Alor. See our dedicated Transit Trips section for more details.
Customer rating: Excellent!
- Cruises Raja Ampat, Komodo, Trit...
- Cabins have private en-suite bat...
- ENOS diver locator devices
- Dedicated restaurant, camera & c...
- Large, spacious boat
Customer rating: Excellent!
- Cruises Raja Ampat, Komodo, Band...
- All cabins with private bathroom...
- 24 hour satellite Wi-Fi internet...
- Complimentary laundry service
- Designated dry camera room, came...
- Large, steel-hulled boat
Customer rating: Excellent!
- Visits Raja Ampat, Komodo, Banda...
- Maximum of only 10 guests
- En-suite cabins
- Paddleboards, sea kayaks
- Beautiful teak interiors
Customer rating: Excellent!
- Visits Raja Ampat, Cenderawasih,...
- All cabins have ensuite bathroom...
- Dedicated air-conditioned restau...
- Complimentary glass of wine with...
- Large boat with masseuse, video/...
Customer rating: Excellent!
- Maximum of 12 guests only
- Seaview cabin options with priva...
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- Cabins have private bathrooms
- Paddleboards onboard
Customer rating: Excellent!
- Cruises Komodo, Raja Ampat, Band...
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- Individual diver locator devices...
- Free spirits and beer
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Customer rating: Excellent!
- Visits Komodo, Raja Ampat, Banda...
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- Cabin for single traveller
- Most cabins have seaview windows...
- Spacious, steel-hulled liveaboar...
Customer rating: Excellent!
- Visits Komodo, Raja Ampat, Banda...
- Komodo cruises use port in Bali
- Cabins with en-suite private bat...
- 2 saloons on board
- Steel hulled boat
Customer rating: Excellent!
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- Multiple camera tables, indoors ...
- Built by divers for divers
- Thick steel double hulled boat
Customer rating: Excellent!
- Visits Raja Ampat, Banda Sea, Su...
- Complimentary nitrox for certifi...
- Cabins with ensuite bathrooms
- Air-conditioned restaurant
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- Sea kayaks onboard
Customer rating: Excellent!
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Customer rating: Very good!
- Cruises Raja Ampat, Halmahera, B...
- All cabins with private ensuite ...
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- Sea kayaks for guest use
Customer rating: Very good!
- Maximum of 8 guests
- Year round Raja Ampat liveaboard...
- Short, affordable cruises
- Small dive groups
- Cabins with shared bathrooms
Customer rating: Very good!
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- 14 guest maximum, with 17 crew m...
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Customer rating: Very good!
- Visits Komodo, Raja Ampat, Alor,...
- Large cabins with ensuite bathro...
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Customer rating: Very good!
- Visits Raja Ampat, Komodo, Banda...
- Cabins with en-suite bathrooms
- Small dive groups and flexible i...
- Specialist photography and explo...
Customer rating: Very good!
- Specialises in cruises around Ra...
- Runs shorter trips than others -...
- All cabins have ensuite bathroom...
- Ideal for those with limited tim...
Customer rating: Good
- Visits Komodo, Raja Ampat and th...
- Maximum of 12 guests only
- Unlimited diving, day and night
- Cabins have en-suite bathroom
- Large boat with spa, camera room...
Customer rating: Good
- Cruises Raja Ampat, Komodo & Ban...
- All cabins have private bathroom...
- Cabins with seaview windows
- Spacious dining and relaxation a...
- Up to 4 guides on board
- No hidden extras
Customer rating: Good
- Maximum of only 12 guests
- Visits central, northern and sou...
- Year round Raja Ampat liveaboard...
- Short, affordable cruises
- Small dive groups
Customer rating: Good
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Customer rating: Good
- Visits Raja Ampat, Komodo, Banda...
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- Cameras: table, rinse tanks, air...
- 2 single bed rooms for solo trav...
- Steel hulled boat
Customer rating: Good
- Short trips focus only on the Ra...
- All cabins have en-suite bathroo...
- 2 air-conditioned saloons, spaci...
- ENOS diver tracking system
- Sea kayaks, stand-up paddleboard...
- Onboard Jacuzzi
Customer rating: Good
- Visits Komodo, Raja Ampat, Halma...
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- Complimentary laundry service
- Large steel hull yacht
Customer rating: Average
- Cruises mostly Komodo, also Alor...
- Maximum of 8 guests only, with 1...
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- Use of Nautilus LifeLine
- Large luxury boat with 2 indoor ...
Customer rating: Average
- Visits Komodo, Raja Ampat and th...
- ENOS Diver Locator System
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- All cabins have en-suite bathroo...
- Park fees included
- Large phinisi schooner
Customer rating: Be first to rate!
- Liveaboard trips throughout Indo...
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- Special menus for dietary requir...
- Onboard laundry service
- Inclusive price policy
- Large phinisi schooner
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- Specialises in Raja Ampat diving...
- Global award-winning liveaboard
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- Kayaks and paddleboards
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- Visits Komodo, Raja Ampat, Banda...
- Maximum of 12 guests only
- Cabins have en-suite bathroom an...
- Complimentary beer and wine
- Massage and spa treatment area
- Large boat with camera room
Customer rating: Be first to rate!
- Cruises to Komodo, Raja Ampat & ...
- Classic Borneo tallship
- En-suite cabins
- Maximum of only 12 guests
- No hidden extras
- Small dive groups
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- Cruises Komodo, Raja Ampat, Band...
- All cabins have private bathroom...
- Upper deck cabins have seaviews ...
- Sea kayaks, massage and laundry ...
- Large luxurious boat
Customer rating: Be first to rate!
- Maximum of only 14 guests
- Visits Komodo and Raja Ampat
- Short, affordable cruises
- Toured Komodo for over 14 years
- Small dive groups
Customer rating: Be first to rate!
- Visits Komodo and Raja Ampat
- All cabins have private bathroom...
- Paddle board & Kayak activities
- Passenger substitution allowed
- Large phinisi schooner for max. ...
Customer rating: Be first to rate!
- Cruises Komodo, Raja Ampat, Band...
- All cabins with private ensuite ...
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- Guest paddle board
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Customer rating: Be first to rate!
- Cruises Komodo, Raja Ampat, Band...
- All cabins with private ensuite ...
- Camera station, air blower, Naut...
- Paddle board, kayak & banana boa...
- Easy access swim/boarding platfo...
Customer rating: Be first to rate!
- Specialises in liveaboard diving...
- Economy dive trips for small gro...
- All cabins have ensuite bathroom...
- Maximum of just 8 guests per tri...
Customer rating: Be first to rate!
- Specialises in liveaboard diving...
- Economy dive trips for small gro...
- All cabins have ensuite bathroom...
- Maximum of just 14 guests per tr...
Customer rating: Be first to rate!
- Visits Komodo, Raja Ampat and th...
- Large luxury yacht with spa and ...
- Cabins have en-suite bathrooms
- Accompanying dive boat
- Yoga classes
Customer rating: Be first to rate!
- Cruises Raja Ampat, Banda Sea
- ENOS tracking devices for divers...
- All cabins have ensuite bathroom...
- Stand-up paddleboard and kayaks
- Large boat
Customer rating: Be first to rate!
- Includes Raja Ampat, Banda Sea, ...
- Most cabins have ensuite bathroo...
- Dedicated camera room
- 4 dive tenders
- Satellite internet
- Large, steel-hulled boat purpose...
The Climate, Diving Season and Best Time to Visit
The West Papua Province has some liveaboard boats operating all year but many Raja Ampat diving operators restrict their charters to October-April as there is less chance of rain and choppy seas then. Outside of these times, the Indonesian liveaboards often move onto Komodo and Banda, or over to the north coast of Papua into Cenderawasih Bay for the whale shark season.
Water temperatures in Raja Ampat are warm all year round, ranging from 30°C in November to April, to 27°C from May to October. October to April is peak manta ray season as they come in great numbers to feed on the plankton blooms.
Liveaboard Ports of Departure and How to Get There
Raja Ampat liveaboard cruises normally depart from Sorong or Waisai in West Papua. You can fly to Sorong direct from Bali, Jakarta, or via Ujung Pandang or Manado. If your trip departs from Waisai, you must take the twice-daily ferry to Waisai from the Sorong public harbour. It takes approx. 2 or 3 hours. Cruises that include Cenderawasih Bay may use the ports of Manokwari in West Papua, Nabire or Biak in Papua Province. From Jakarta you can fly to Manokwari via Ujung Pandang. You can fly direct to Biak from Ujung Pandang and Jayapura. You can fly to Nabire from Jakarta and Surabaya via Ambon. If your Raja Ampat cruise includes Triton Bay it may use the port of Kaimana in the south of West Papua, which you can fly to from Ujung Pandang (via Ambon), or from Sorong.
You can view which ports the various boats use on their trips in the 'Departures & Prices' section of each boat's webpage. We will send you full departure details during the booking process. Whichever ports your boat uses, normally the boat operator provides a transfer to the boat from the local airport or hotels (if you overnight beforehand).
Most liveaboard guests fly into Indonesia to Jakarta (Java), Manado (Sulawesi) or Denpasar (Bali). More information on: how to get to Indonesia.
We recommend you take out insurance to cover diving and travel activities, including trip cancellation. See our insurance programme for a competitive quotation:
Places to Stay
If you plan on staying in Indonesia before or after your Raja Ampat liveaboard diving safari, you can find a large range of accommodation options at hotelscombined.com, our affiliated hotel reservation specialists. Browse their website, use their on-line chat to ask questions, then simply use your credit card to make your booking:
All bookings carry a 'Low Price Guarantee' to ensure you get top-dollar value for money.
It's also possible to dive in Raja Ampat by staying at a resort, if you prefer: Raja Ampat resorts.
Useful References
- Raja Ampat dive sites
- Diving videos
- Trip reports: Cheng Ho - MV Pindito - Raja Ampat Aggressor - Sea Safari VI - KLM Shakti
- Raja Ampat: MPA - Marine diversity study - Scientific expedition
- Map of Papua/West Papua
- Frequently asked questions
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